Friday, June 24, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Teaching Grammar With Fun Learning Games
Teaching English grammar can be hard going - for the teacher and the students. It doesn't have to be difficult or painful, however. You can teach English grammar using fun learning games and before you know it your students will be more than willing. How does it work, you ask. Well, there has been a movement away from the traditional methods of teaching English grammar through writing, rewriting and worksheets to using a more active approach through games. Researchers have also begun to look at how and why these new methods work.
Four sound reasons to teach grammar with games
1. Arif Saricoban and Esen Metin, authors of "Songs, Verse and Games for Teaching Grammar" explain how and why games work for teaching grammar in an ESL classroom. They say, "Games and problem-solving activities, which are task-based and have a purpose beyond the production of correct speech, are the examples of the most preferable communicative activities." They go on to explain that grammar games help children not only gain knowledge but be able to apply and use that learning.
2. Additionally, games have the advantage of allowing the students to "practice and internalise vocabulary, grammar and structures extensively." They can do this because students are often more motivated to play games than they are to do desk work. Plus, during the game, the students are focused on the activity and end up absorbing the language subconsciously. One can also add that fun learning games usually contain repetition, which allows the language to stick.
3. While games are motivating for the students, probably the best reason, according to Saricoban and Metin, to use games is that "the use of such activities both increases the cooperation and competition in the classroom." One can use games to add excitement through competition or games which create bonding among students and teacher.
4. Aydan Ersoz, author of "Six Games for the ESL/EFL Classroom" also explains more reasons why games do work for teaching grammar. Learning a language requires constant effort and that can be tiring. Ersoz says games can counter this as because:
* Games that are amusing and challenging are highly motivating.
* Games allow meaningful use of the language in context.
Children are more motivated to learn grammar with games
The theory of intrinsic motivation also gives some insight as to why teaching grammar through games actually works. Intrinsic motivation refers to the internal factors that encourage us to do something. Most young learners will not internally decide that they want to learn grammar. They don't yet understand the concepts of why it's important to know proper grammar, so these external factors won't affect them much either. Instead, intrinsic motivation can lead encourage them to play games. If these games are good then they will be learning while they are playing.
Using some movement is crucial because movement helps activate the students' mental capacities and stimulate neural networks, thus promoting learning and retention. If you have a large class with no space you still have options. Children can stand up, sit down, move various body parts and pass things around to each other. Movement does not only mean children tearing around the playground.
What Kinds of Games Work Best?
When you are looking for games to use in your classroom, don't just pick something to be a "time filler" which does not have a definite linguistic outcome. These games may entertain the students, but when you don't have much time with them each day as it is, you want your game to do double duty to get the most out of the time you spend playing games.
Have a clear linguistic outcome for each game. The game can be a listening game to allow the students to repeatedly hear a new grammatical structure in use, or it can be a speaking game to allow practise of the grammar once it has been absorbed through listening beforehand. There are degrees of difficulty with speaking games from basic repetition in a fun context to more creative sentence creation for revision or more advanced practise once the basics have been mastered. The teacher should lead the children through this progression so that the game at hand is always well within the grasp of the students. This makes games fun rather than laborious. It is a mistake to play a speaking game immediately after the new grammar has been presented. Ideally reading, spelling and writing games come after the new grammar has been absorbed and the students can use it orally.
Another thing to watch out for with grammar games is that a maximum of students are involved simultaneously. If you have thirty children you want to avoid a game where only one child is speaking at a time. What are the other twenty-nine children supposed to do in the meantime other than get bored? On the other end of the scale however are games that cause chaos in class and make teachers unpopular with colleagues because of high noise levels. A variety of suitable games are available for you to try free in the resource box below the article.
Now you can stop the eye-rolling and complaining from your students when you even THINK about teaching them a grammar lesson, and have some productive fun.
Shelley Vernon has helped 1000s of teachers be an inspiration to their pupils and achieve results 2x as fast. Improve the effectiveness of your lessons by up to 80%. Receive free English language games now on Fun ESL games for children website.
Online Hunting Games - Early Age Video Game History
Even though personal computers have been around for a very long time, they really became popular in the 1980's and have evolved into almost a necessity of life for many people. However, video games really began with the invention of the Atari video game system which would eventually evolve into more in-depth and more powerful game systems. One of the earliest hunting games developed was Duck Hunt which was made for the Nintendo game system.
Duck Hunt required the use of a special Nintendo Zapper light gun that plugged directly into the system. Players would then wait for ducks to show up on the screen which looked like a field. When the ducks came along, they would point and shoot. They were accompanied by a faithful hunting dog who would laugh if the duck was missed and congratulate on a successful shooting. The game also allowed players to shoot clay pigeons if they chose.
There was really no ending in the Duck Hunt game, however there were playing levels. Depending on how good the player got, he or she would advance up to 99 levels at which point, the game would go to level 00. At that level, no ducks would appear, but you would hear wings flapping. After three times of no ducks appearing, the game would be "over".
After Duck Hunt, there were many other hunting video games that would begin to emerge on the market including Deer Hunter, Big Game Hunter, and Dangerous Hunts. Most of these games began for video game consoles like Nintendo, but the computer industry would soon become more and more involved as these games began to rise in popularity. While opinions vary as to which hunting video game was the first one developed for the home computer, many think that it was called "The Hunting Game" and was made by Oquirrh Productions. The Hunting Game allowed players to hunt for mule, deer, elk, and white tail deer from 48 separate locations. You were allowed to use a rifle, a bow, or a muzzle loader to hunt your prey. You also could hunt for turkey or water fowl from 18 separate locations.
When The Hunting Game first came onto the market, it caused quite a stir among hunting enthusiasts as well as animal rights activists. In fact, in many circles, the emergence of hunting video games brought about much debate and controversy.
Those who enjoyed hunting in the "real world" found these new games exciting and a great way to get some entertainment without leaving the comfort of their own home. They saw the games as a great way to be able to hunt animals they might never be able to do in real life such as bears and moose.
After all, the average Midwestern hunter sees plenty of deer on hunting expeditions, but their chances of hunting bear or elk is limited without a trip someplace.
On the other hand, animal rights activists threw a fit over these games because they perceived them as just another way to harm the animal population and promote violence against our furry friends. Even though the animals were just a bunch of coding made up by a software programmer somewhere, they still felt that video games promoting hunting only added to the real hunting of animals which they perceived as wrong.
At any rate, the fact remained that hunting video games took the market by storm and soon became some of the most popular selling games and software around. Software developers began to make these games much more challenging offering up different options for players that would make the games more enjoyable.
Today, there are hundreds of hunting video games for enthusiasts to choose from that have evolved into truly challenging games. Some may think that a point and click game where you can "down" a virtual deer might be a bit boring, but those who love these games disagree wholeheartedly.
They provide not only entertainment, but also a way to hone their hunting skills at any time of the day or night. When you spend a certain amount of time honing your tracking skills on the computer, chances are pretty good that you'll be able to use those skills while hunting for real.
A fan of hunting games? Learn the techniques, cheat codes, and the best places to find free hunting games online, go to Online Hunting Games
Video Games for Kids
Many of the most popular video games may be a bad choice for kids. When parents are deciding which video game to buy for their children, make sure to check the rating for the game. There are an incredible amount of choices for parents and kids to choose from when it comes time to buy a game. Unfortunately, many video games out there can be a bad influence for kids who don't understand the images that they are seeing.
While video games can be an excellent outlet for stress for kids and an excellent way to hone their motor skills, there is a real risk that children can get completely addicted to violent games or even the most mundane strategy game. There have been many cases around the world of kids who are unwilling to leave their room for days, who go without food and water in their quest to finish the next stage of the game or defeat their enemy.
When kids lose themselves in video games, that is when parents need to step in and help them modify their habits. Kids playing violent games for hours during the day can often be negatively affected by the images they see. The question is whether parents can help them understand the real consequences of violence in the world. They need to know the difference between the fake world of a video game and the real world. Unfortunately, video games are becoming even more realistic looking and time consuming.
Parents can also rent video games and try them out for themselves before buying them for their kids. This gives parents the chance to decide for themselves which games are bad for their kids. Parents can also play games with their kids. It can be a great way to bond with kids and learn a little more about their world. Children should be limited in the amount of time they can spend on video games. Kids need to get out and enjoy the outside world instead of being locked away inside for hours on end.
There are many excellent video games out there, so why waste your hard-earned money on bad games for your kids. Strategy games, non-violent role playing video games, and sports games are all popular choices for children. Video games can have a very positive effect on children's minds if used properly. Video games help kids work on their motor skills, decision-making skills, and concentration. Many games are also very educational.
One great tool to help you is the ESRB ratings, which are an industry-standard requirement on all video games. They are very similar to movie ratings and easy to learn how to spot and read. EC for Early Childhood or E for Everyone are games that contain no offensive, violent, or sexual content and are generally the best for kids. T for Teen might be a bit more violent, have a heavier or darker plot, or contain some stronger language, but generally in a way that isn't excessive and would be appropriate for most teenagers. M for Mature games should be avoided unless you are aware of and familiar with the game and deem it appropriate for your child, as those are the games that are the "R rated" games of the gaming world and should be treated as such. Any game retail store has signs and brochures with more information, so feel free to ask the clerks for more information. It's becoming increasingly standard, and in some areas the law, that anyone purchasing an M-rated game must show an ID card to prove their age, much like many theaters do for R-rated movies.
If you take the time to discover what is out there in the gaming world, you will be able to help your kids by choosing the right video games for them. Don't miss out on this opportunity to mold your kids' future. Video games are becoming an increasingly important part of the way kids grow up, and parents must take an active role in determining the way kids experience this type of entertainment.
For more on video gaming, visit http://gamer-revolution.net to read about the latest such as X Box System and games or go retro with the Turbo Grafx-16 or read about PC and Nintendo games, and much more!
Shooting Games - Get Ready for the Real War
Shooting games are action games and they are considered as great stress reliever! There is nothing to confuse that what how can the gun work like anti-depressant? Many psychiatrists have now come to the conclusion that people who play shooting games can let out their anger by gunning down the enemies and objects in those action games. There could be a lot of variety in action games to choose from. Shooting games can also be included in the adventure genre of games, but have been labeled separate due to games' extreme popularity.
Giant game consoles such as Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation have contributed making online shooting games as revolutionary change in the world of computer games. Such sophisticated and interactive games assure the entertainment and are proven to be an excellent fun-pack program. Providing innumerable games console to its diehard players, shooting games' software library includes plenty of different action and adventurous games that may or may not contain mission or story.
Shooting games are the video game or computer game that is equivalent of some action movies that includes wars, gunning down the enemies, some mission to be accomplished or to rescue some of the warriors. Such games normally feature physical fighting including great explosions, shooting, punch-bangs, nimble flying or driving aircraft or any other funky vehicles like motorbike or a sports car while shooting. This everything is in order to terminate enemies with minor puzzle solving involved. These games center on speed and physical drama that set high requirements on the reflexes of the players and brain-to-hand coordination skills.
Some of these games that come under adventurous or action games have created hallmark of such genre. For instance, Microsoft Game Studio has produced Gears of War, which is a great hit. With the Xbox 360, the Windows gamer love playing such an attractive game with mouse, keyboard or Windows-enabled controllers. This popular shooting/action game boasts dainty and original content, new matchless accomplishments, and high resolution visual effects. New campaign stages consist of an epic war; terrorizing Brumak is added to make the entire shooting game more interesting. Such action-packed game console comes with 3 special multiplayer maps, a 'King of the Hill' and compatible with 'Games for Windows LIVE'. It is also having the Unreal Editor that enables one to have user-created levels.
Shooting games can also include some space games that feature some mission and/or destroying some meteorites and other targets that come in the way of your space craft. In between, you can also get some power that adds extra strength to the player's spaceship such as double missiles, power missiles, protecting ring and many more. These games are action-packed exciting and amusing games that assures stirring experience to its players. The colored flames, horrid night creatures like bats, stylish spaceship or some funky vehicle, ultra-violet beam weapons, different types of guns and missiles all make shooting games marvelous. The software used in such game gives realistic flair with eye catching graphics and excellent sound effects.
Play Free Online Shooting Games and Fighting Games. Also do not forget to submit your games.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Top 10 Christmas Gift Games For 2007
Putting together this list, I was struck by the range of really, really good games that came out this year. It can be hard, navigating the wide range of games available so I thought I'd try to narrow it down. To be eligible, the game either has to be relatively new (i.e. released in 2007 or late 2007) or a reprint and improvement of an old game. Also, the game should have a high degree of 'buzz' and be available in stores.
On that note, here's our list:
(1) Settlers of Catan 2007 Edition
Releasing in November, the new 2007 edition of Settlers of Catan is arriving with new artwork, new upgraded components and the same old rules. This is the gateway game and with the new edition, is a definite must for those who need to be introduced to the world of board games.
(2) Talisman 4th Edition
Another reprint, Talisman has a major cult following and the 4th Edition release has been met with some major cheering. Keeping many of the same rules as the original but streamlining the game somewhat, the new edition has also new artwork included. A definite must have for those with fond memories of the original game.
(3) 1960: The Making of a President
1960: The Making of a President is a true political game based around what could be the most important election for the USA in the 20th century - John. F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. In this astoundingly well received game, players take on the roles of either protagonist, vying for election as the President of the United States of America.
(4) Stonehenge
5 board games in one box. Stonehenge is the first of a new group of games - an Anthology game where 5 award winning designers work together using the same pieces and board to create 5 unique games. This is just a gift that keeps on giving.
(5) Zooloretto
Spiel des Jahres Game of the Year. Games Magazine Family Games Nominee for 2007. Fifth place winner for the Deutscher Spiel Pries. This great game is fun, fast and entirely family friendly. All you have to do is build up your zoo in this game, collecting rare animals and their children. Just be careful not to overcrowd them or else you'll lose points.
(6) Khronos
Who isn't intrigued by Time Travel? One of the best received games at Essen - the largest board game convention in the world - Khronos tackles this difficult subject matter for a board game and comes up smelling of roses. An intriguing game fought over three Ages, players build and try to control the flow of time, with actions in one age affecting other ages.
(6) If Wishes Were Fishes
A true family game, If Wishes Were Fishes is a great game of business risk and reward. Players take on the role of fishermen in a magical lake, balancing the size of the fish they catch with the space they have in their boat and the wishes the fish can grant. A fun game for the whole family, it is also Games Magazines Best Family Game for 2008.
(7) Shear Panic!
If nothing more than for the sheer cute factor in Shear Panic! you'll have to get this game as a gift. Beautifully crafted sheep that will bring a smile to anyone's face are combined with a great strategy game where players try to manoeuvre their sheep and the flock to avoid those scary shears! A definite winner, even for non-gamers and also Games Magazines' Best Family Strategy Game for 2008
(8) Age of Empires III : the Age of Discovery
This is the game for all those computer gamers out there who are yet to be converted. Age of Empires III is the board game of the best selling PC game and they've obviously done a great job - it's the International Gamers 2007 Winner. A great gift for advanced board gamers and for fans of the original PC game.
(9) Shogun
A rethemed edition of the classic Wallenstein game, Shogun / Wallenstein has received a host of awards and nominations including GAMES Magazine Best Advanced Strategy Nominee 2008, International Gamers Awards Best Strategy Game Nominee (special award) 2003, GAMES Magazine Best Advanced Strategy Game Runner-Up 2003. Taking on the role of Daimyo in feudal Japan, players must take over control of counties, building, collecting resources and finally battling in the much discussed 'Combat Tower'. A very highly praised game that takes an interesting twist to old rules.
(10) Mr. Jack
Mr. Jack is a two player game of logic and deduction. Taking on the opposing roles of investigators and Jack the Ripper, as the investigators you will be moving characters from the shadows to light and revealing clues to the identity of the heinous murderer, all the while having your opponent manoeuvre Jack to escape. A thrilling game of logic and deduction, Mr. Jack is both a nominee for the Best Family Game for Games Magazine and the Best 2 Player Game for the International Gamers Association.
Tao Wong
Starlit Citadel - an online board games store in Vancouver, Canada
Online Games - The Evolution
Now we see thousands of people playing online games such as tetris, ping pong, mario bros, super mario etc for free but despite its history dating back to 1970s, for most people online gaming began with the explosion of Internet in 1993 and with the advent of Doom and Warcraft sometime in 1994 or 1995. This got further boost with publishers starting to add Internet connectivity to computer games in 1994-95.
The media, in fact, have themselves been ignorant about online games history. As far as they are concerned, online gaming just coincidentally happened when their advertisers started producing Internet-capable games. But it isn't so...
Early Years of development
In early 1950's a college student created a game much like Tic-Tac-Toe for a class project to be played on dinosaur computers of those days complete with cathode ray tubes for the screen display. The 1960's had MIT students programming a game called "Space war" that could be played with two people over a primitive network. The late 1960's brought the first "real" video games like table tennis and shooter games.
The 70s - the game begins
Serious online gaming began with the first interactive online game called ADVENT. In fact networked gaming got conceptualized with ADVENT. Networked gaming had users playing against each other within an online fantasy world. The first networked game was called Mazewar, a game which involved networked players traveling through a maze and attempting to kill one another.
Next came the interpersonal interaction in a multi-player environment. The first such game was called DUNGEN. DUNGEN had players competing against one another to complete a series of quests. DUNGEN provided with new settings and players each time the user logged on.
The late 1970's saw the start of video game craze with more and more households getting computer savvy. As a natural corollary, people started writing their own games for the home computers. These programming hobbyists traded and sold these home-grown games in local markets.
Other changes in the 1970's were home gaming consoles which used game cartridges. That meant the people could collect games cartridges for one base unit instead of having bulky game console systems.
The 80s - some pause before the storm
1980's saw growing craze for the video and computer game craze, but online gaming wasn't on the horizon yet. New games with better sound and graphics were introduced and gained popularity. Pole Position and Pac-man were two that achieved big popularity. It was during 1980's when Nintendo introduced its first gaming system.
The 90s - revolution begins
The 1990's saw the phenomenal growth in both popularity and technology mostly because of the rise of 3-D and multimedia.
Myst, the intellectual adventure game introduced gaming on the CD-ROM format. Fancier 3-D graphics hardware made FPS (first person shooter) games such as Quake possible.
The late 1990's saw the exponential growth of the Internet, MUDs (multi-user dungeons) which made online games wildly popular. New and improved graphical interfaces had people all over the world playing against each other not only in FPS games but also in real time strategy games (RTS games) as well as third person games like Grand Theft Auto.
This was also the period when websites started offering online games such as tetris, ping pong, mario bros, super Mario, and other free online flash games and non-flash based games free for playing after registering with them. This really pushed online gaming into the popular psyche.
The 21st Century - world is just a playground
Early years of the 21st century were dominated by the DVD-CD-ROM. It has changed the way online games are played. The latest gaming systems such as Sony's play station and Microsoft's X-box have networking capabilities to enable people play with each other in real time from all over the world. Exponentially growing broadband internet services have made playing these online games possible in true sense of the word.
The only drawback to the constantly evolving technology for online games is that what you buy today might become obsolete by the next year. Luckily, for the serious gamers, the resale industry for these online games is huge. This resale industry is just another element to the ever-changing history of online game.
Susie is a game developer advocating to play online games free. Visit http://www.Play-Online-Games-Free.com to play tetris online for free.
Ten Must Own Games for Super Nintendo
Hundreds of games were released for Super Nintendo during the consoles lifetime. There are so many, that it can be hard to choose which you want to buy for your collection. Below is a list of the top ten must own games for the SNES and why they should be in your collection.
10. Donkey Kong Country - Play as Donkey Kong as he tries to get back all his stolen bananas, serves him right for stealing Peach from Mario in the original Donkey Kong arcade game. The first game ever made with pre-rendered 3D graphics so for an SNES game it looks really good. A fun game with lots of replay value because there are different things to collect in each level.
9. Super Mario Kart - The first kart racing game ever. You get to race around a track and shoot objects at your opponents to slow them down. Good as a single player game, but great with multi-player. Racing against a friend or battling is one of the first great multi-player experiences on a console.
8. Tetris and Dr. Mario - Two great puzzle games on one cartridge. The classic Tetris with improved graphics (color) and virus busting Dr. Mario puzzler too. For puzzle fans these are two of the best and are good for hundreds of hours of fun.
7. Starfox - This paved the way for the 3D games we all play today. It was the first major game to use 3D models for all graphics. You play as Fox McCloud and fly a space ship as you try to shoot down enemies, fly through hoops, and defeat gigantic bosses. Fox McCloud is now a playable character is the Super Smash Bros series so you an see his start in this game.
6. Super Punch-Out - The follow up to Mike Tyson's Punch-Out of NES. This game has better graphics, new characters, and even appearances by your old favorites. The game is just fun to play. Funny characters, a slow increase in difficulty, weaknesses you have to learn. You will enjoy this boxing game, especially if you played the original.
5. NBA Jam - "He's On Fire". Anyone who has played this game will remember this line from the announcers. Any time one player makes three baskets they literally light up on fire and can make shots from anywhere. One of the original arcade style sports games where you can push and hit other players and it doesn't follow the typical rules of basketball. See if you can find "Big Head" mode and other hidden easter eggs that change your players appearance.
4. Zelda Link to the Past - The sequel to Zelda on NES, Link to the Past is an adventure game through Hyrule with great puzzles, new weapons, and incredible game play. Link has to navigate between light and dark worlds as he makes his way to save Princess Zelda. Many people think LTTP is their favorite Zelda game, which considering the other great Zelda games is saying quite a lot.
3. Super Mario RPG - A rare game that can be hard to find, but worth it. Its a very funny RPG taking place in the Mushroom Kingdom with all the Mario characters including Bowser, Peach, Toad, and more. Mario RPG makes fun of past Mario games and leads to the Mario and Luigi RPG and Paper Mario games. It was developed by Square, who are well known for their RPG Final Fantasy RPG games.
2. Super Metroid - The sequel to the original Metroid for Nintendo. Super Metroid has more weapons, new areas to explore and a more difficult bosses. Consistently rated in the many top 100 lists, it was rated the best game of all time by Electronic Gaming Monthly. Its fantastic level design is often seen as a pinnacle in game development.
1. Super Mario World - The launch game for Super Nintendo and the most popular game on the system in terms of sales. Super Mario World takes the Mario game ideas from Super Mario 3 and adds better graphics, better sound, and even more levels. Yoshi makes his first appearance this game too. Super Mario World has a 97% rating at gamerankings.com, one of the highest of any game ever made.
If any of these games aren't in your gaming collection you should try to buy them. All ten games of these games are great gaming experiences that every gamer will enjoy.
Copyright (c) 2007 JJ Hendricks
JJGames is an online retailer of used Super Nintendo games since 2000. Visit http://www.JJGames.com today to learn more about any of these games or find other SNES games to buy.