There’s nothing to touch these, right?
You can write anything you like on them; stick them on the wall, floor, table, some people even stick them on their computer (eat your heart out web 2.0); you can move them around… The possibilities are numerous and varied.
You could…
- write different words on them and challenge your students to make statements, questions, exclamations, … (taking a leaf out of Emma Herrod’s book)
- write up examples of good language use by or areas to improve for your students, either to display or for discussion/ feedback
- draw pictures on them, or ask your students to do so, to capture emergent language as images; or to clarify meaning
- even make a story with them
Post-it notes = the best technology ever?
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I like sticking them on students’ foreheads and making them guess what word or famous star they are.
Cheers, Brad.
I’m sure you’ll like Emma’s post when I add the link, too…
I haven’t used post its for guess who/what activities much – good idea and thanks for sharing!
Mike =)
Great, without a doubt, but I’d have to go for Blu-Tack myself!
Oh that’s grand stuff. I reckon post its and blu-tack are out of the same school of thought =)
One of my favourite things about the stuff is that it is completely unknown in some countries. The kids think it’s chewing gum and they all try to steal it, which is annoying, but amusing. Kids are fascinated by it.
…Teachers as well, Córdoba seemed to be full of teachers who had seen Blu-Tak, but couldn’t get it… Seriously considered running an import racket…
On a more serious note… post its can be good for “language experience” lessons with beginner reader and writers – use them to write down what learners say, then use for further practice.
I’ve had my parents post it to me abroad to various places, they’re blu-tack smugglers!
I did the same in Spain – my mum sent me a ‘rescue package’, which contained blu-tack, marmite, germolene, tea bags…
=)
Yes, good idea, Phil. I’m interested in using a language experience approach at some point with my students. Will have to set up somehow so that it fits. Will let you know if/when I do!
I like sticking them on foreheads too – alternative is the student’s back! It’s a really great and quick activity to do vocabulary revision – minimal prep too.
Recently saw a great lesson for the parts of the body where one student stood and everyone put post-its with parts of the body on him
The class was in stitches – never forgot that vocabulary
Marisa
That was Ceci’s lesson wasn’t it? Must give that a go some time =)
That’s one of my favourites! I get them into teams and the first to label ten (or whatever) parts correctly are the winners.
Comedy classroom chaos – love it.
I meant that I remembered seeing that activity in a post by Ceci – maybe you’ve seen other lessons with post its, Marisa =)
That’s what I do, too. The students love it and I have some amazing pictures of them covered in stickies.
Funny to think that Post-Its were a total fluke. Failed attempt to make a superglue and a bit of lateral thinking.
Here’s a short text you could use for some reading in class
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/postit.htm
Nice one, Anthony! That is a great text – and even quite accessible for lower levels.
Mike =)
Welcome, Emma. One thing I loved about your post was the taking of the coursebook activity and putting it totally in the hands (both figuratively and literally) of your student with the post-its. =)
My God. What are they? Don’t they plug in somewhere?
…and you can branch them out in weird and wonderful ways!
Indeed, David. You could get a moveable language plant up on ther board. Maybe even down to morpheme and letter level, like with your plants and the words which share letters.
…and label the things in the classroom. I learnt a bit of Arabic by plastering my Libyan hotel room with them.
Great use!
I need to start doing that, maybe to keep my Spanish up to scratch (I can feel it slipping, never mind my French!)
I don’t think I’ve seen post-its here… maybe they aren’t in my school’s budget… :-p Or, like blu-tack, they don’t exist here…it’s possible! Will have to ascertain the truth and if the latter is it, arm myself with some before I come back to this country in October after my spell in England…
I like the ideas. Will have to come up with more of my own, will return and share if I do!
Cheers,
Lizzie.
Very much looking forward to your ideas, Lizzie.
Was going to reply earlier, asking where you were, but found out on Twitter anyway (and saw your marvellous ELTchat summary) and therefore saw Indonesia! Good luck with your job change and good luck with the post-its!
I used post-its in class today! We’ve just finished a reader and the kids asked me to make a multi-choice quiz on the computer, like I did for the previous book we read. I told them I’d make it on condition that they wrote the questions so I fired up my laptop, handed out the post-its and they wrote questions about the story on each one before sticking them on the teacher’s desk for me to type up.
Let’s not forget, post-its are great for workshops as well.
http://david-dodgson.blogspot.com/2011/04/professional-development-beyond.html
Excellent stuff, Dave.
Reminds me of the TU activity ‘Paper interviews’ where the learners deliver you questions and then you send them back the answers. I’ve done that a number of times and it’s generally been successful.
Interesting that it’s the interaction between people (teacher and students) here, even if it’s on paper, that’s driving the activity.
Striking, isn’t it, that in a discussion of such “retro” technology as post-its, positive vibes prevail
Certainly is! Such a clever idea, but shown in that article you shared here, Anthony, totally unplanned!
This new-fangled technology is all very well, but we always need to remember that when using post-it notes, pedagogy must come first and we ought not to get distracted by the range of different colours and sizes of notepads. We should ensure that training programmes are in place so that all teachers know how to use this technology effectively and not waste the students’ time.
; )
Oh yes, Rich, no doubt.
Do you think it should be a feature of initial teacher training courses – Post-its 101?
Come on Richard! It’s obvious from your earlier comments that you are on the pay roll at Blu-Tac and are therefore pushing their product (possible in connection with your upcoming ‘Teaching Blu-Tacked’ book?)
Perhaps this should be the topic for next year’s ELTJ debate at IATEFL!
Sorry, yeah, I should be transparent. I am a designated ‘Post-It’ teacher and as a result, I will be pushing their products relentlessly on my blog at: richardteachesenglish.postit.com
Really enjoyed reading this and agree that Post-its and Blu-Tack rule – yay! Both vital in teacher toolkit.
)
I’m thinking jigsaw reading. Just need to find short article on origins of Blu-Tack
Hi Fiona, did you check the link that Anthony shared in his comment above?
Oops, just realised the article Anthony linked was for post its, not blu tack!
Yes, it was checking Anthony’s link that made me think ‘jigsaw’ in honour of aforementioned’s importance!
[...] tribute to (one of) my favourite (pieces of) technology - And in fact, a fluke piece of technology at that – the humble post it note! A flurry of [...]