Sway your class into creativity and imagination

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).

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

     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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