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For some people just the class situation and set up can be inspirationally paralyzing, especially for adults. Maybe they have had a difficult learning experience in the past; maybe they have a deep belief that they are not good at learning this or that. Maybe they even think they are too old to learn and remember something new. But since they have arrived in the class, most often also voluntarily, it must mean that there is a hope that they can proof themselves wrong. Part of my job as a teacher is to encourage and praise them with the minute victories. My job is also to make sure learning is fun and rewarding. Each individual uses different way to process and understand the information they are given. For example, for some people music enhances learning, for others jumping while learning helps to remember. I personally can attest being a visual learner and below I will introduce some fun ways of utilizing flash cards in the classroom. The flash cards have many benefits, for example they are age-neutral, cost-effective and easy to bring around. They can be used in many ways for just few minutes or for an extensive learning and memorizing games and activities executed in pairs, small groups or teams. The activities can be done quietly and calmly sitting down or moving around the class and involving physical activity. The simplest and most obvious way to use flash cards is learning new vocabulary. The cards can also be used to review the vocabulary learned through the class or throughout the whole year. The cards can also be used for finding matches, for example ‘a foot’ and ‘a sock’ in many other simple ways and games. One game, which involves some moving around, is called “Ostrich Game”. For this game one needs flash cards and clothes pegs. Students are paired up and each student gets a card attached on their back with a clothes peg. Students are placed facing each other’s with hands behind their backs waiting for the “go”. Students need to try to see the other student’s card without showing their own. The one who sees the card first calls out the word on it and becomes the winner. Another game involving physicality called “Over-under” is good from preschoolers to adults. In it the class is divided into two teams and both teams are lined up. The first student of each team gets a flash card. When the teams get the “go”, the student with the card calls the word in the card and passes it on to the next student over their head. The second student also calls the word in the card and passes it on to the next student under their legs, the next over, then under, always first calling the word on the card. The last student rushes the card to the teacher and says the word on the card. The fastest team is the winner. Easy game for testing memory, also involving some moving around is called “True or false”. For the preparations teacher sets a line of tape on the floor designating one side as ‘true’ and the other as ‘false’. Teacher holds up flash cards in front of the class and calls its word. The students who think the word matches the picture in the card go to the ‘true’ side and those who don’t go to the ‘false’ side. Those who get it wrong, go out until the next game. A very physical and fun game is “Touch”, where some flash cards are placed around the classroom. Teacher calls the words by saying, “Touch the balloon” or “Touch the chair” and students run around to the room touching the cards. These are just few examples of the infinite fun and effective ways of using the flash cards for learning and changing the mood in the classroom.
