Sway your class into creativity and imagination
3 ways to
use ®Sway creatively with an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) class
Many presentation tools can be used to spark
creativity and imagination in class but in this post I have chosen Sway – an
internet based tool – because it is easy to use, versatile, allows the user
to find photos without wasting time and incorporate sounds and videos . Thus, learners can focus
more on the content rather than the aesthetic part.
1. Create a mystery story…
Open a new presentation and choose 5 photos that
can stimulate learners’ imagination.
Click on the link to see example:
An unforgettable night
Add creepy sounds like the sound of a door slumming, thunder, the scream of a woman. You can find free sond effects on http://www.orangefreesounds.com/. Write on the board: Who, where, when. Then invite learners to work in pairs or in groups and decide who is involved in the story, where and it takes place. Elicit vocabulary relevant to the story (i.e. sounds, descriptive adjectives, feelings).
Click on the link to see example:
An unforgettable night
Add creepy sounds like the sound of a door slumming, thunder, the scream of a woman. You can find free sond effects on http://www.orangefreesounds.com/. Write on the board: Who, where, when. Then invite learners to work in pairs or in groups and decide who is involved in the story, where and it takes place. Elicit vocabulary relevant to the story (i.e. sounds, descriptive adjectives, feelings).
You can elicit the first paragraph in class and
write it on the Sway slides. Then invite learners to continue the story. Allow
them to use photos to illustrate the story and present it in class or share it
on the school blog.
2. Narrate holiday experiences
Create a ® Sway presentation
with 5 of your favourite holiday photos and explain why they are special to
you. Present in class. Click on the link below to see a sample:
My holidays
3. Digitalize your hand made book
Students often create
handmade paperback books with stories with their drawings. Given
that most of the times they are tiny, sharing them with the rest of the class
is not easy because learners want to see the illustrations. Scan the content of the books or take a
photo you’re your mobile and uploaded them on a Sway presentation. Project
the presentation on the board while the pupil is reading his/her story to the
rest of the class. It makes narration more interesting and learners tend to appreciate
more the effort and time spent on the creation of the book. You can also share
the Sway presentation on the school blog. Click on the link below to look
at one of the stories:
Mouse to the rescue
Mouse to the rescue
My students loved all the above
activities, were actively involved in creating content and were particularly keen on sharing it with the
rest of their classmates.
Have fun!
Dimitris Primalis
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