Hi Everyone,

Now that there are three videogames available on my site, I wanted to share some tips on how I use the game in class.

Quick aside: The fourth game will be Adónde Vas and it should be ready soon. (Please note that all games other than Puedo Ir al Baño require Full-Site Access.)

Also, if you haven’t played the game yet, I recommend you try it out before reading these tips. Play the Game

TIPS ON USING SR. WOOLY’S VIDEOGAME

Tip #1
It’s okay to let the music stop.

In my game, if you don’t answer the questions quickly, the music stops. At first, it might seem like you’ve done something wrong.

However, the music stopping is not a bad thing.

When first getting familiar with a song, it’s important that students take their time and answer with a well-informed choice. By letting the music stop, users have time to make that decision.

Later, after getting to know the song better, students might find that they can answer the questions without the music stopping. At this point, they will start earning bonus points.

Tip #2
Keyboard Shortcuts

This game moves really, really fast. In order to keep up, I strongly recommend usage of keyboard shortcuts. Instead of using a mouse or, worse, the pad on your laptop, I think you’ll find that pushing the numbers 1 through 4 on your keyboard is far quicker and more accurate.

NOTE: Keyboard shortcuts do not work in fullscreen mode.

Tip #3
Access to computers and headphones

This game is designed to be played individually. In the ideal world, students should play on their own computer with their own set of headphones.

Now, I fully understand that every school has resource limitations, and that this setup may not be feasible for you. However, if you can find your way to a computer lab to test this game out at least once, I think you’ll find your students to be quite enthusiastic about it.

NOTE: They’ll also be really quiet. I let my students play today for the entire period. You could have heard a pin drop.

Tip #4
The Competition

My students really liked my game, but once I introduced THE COMPETITION, they became obsessed.

Basically, here’s what I do:

For each class, I keep track of the high scores for each level of each song. Since each song has three levels (Fácil, Moderado, Difícil), and since there are currently three songs, that means there are a total of 9 high scores. When I add a 4th song, they will be competing for 12 high scores.

The students who hold the high scores at the end of the period win a reward. What reward should you give? Well, that’s up to you and your class. Some teachers give candy (which my school district prohibits). Some teachers give out little prizes. I give out stamps which can be redeemed for class privileges. If you’re interested in hearing about this stamp card system, email me and I’ll consider posting something about it.

A couple more things about the competition:

• The competition is only open during designated class periods. Students can practice as much as they want at home, but only in-class scores count.
• Students only compete against the high scores in their same class period. They do not compete against everyone in the school.
• At the end of the period, I write down the best scores on a whiteboard.

So far, this competition has gone really well. Since there are so many different high score possibilities, it’s impossible for 1 or 2 students to dominate everything. Students are really enjoying it.

Tip #5
Use the Karaoke Tool for class presentations

This application also contains a Karaoke tool. However, I think the word ‘Karaoke’ scares some teachers and students.

Although it can be used for performances, the karaoke tool can also be used simply for projecting the lyrics in front of your classes. This way, students don’t have their heads buried in a sheet of paper.

Furthermore, you can turn English and Spanish lyrics on and off. Also, there is a full-screen button which is ideal when projecting onto a board.