As a Spanish teacher always on the lookout for new ways to engage my students (especially this year), I was pumped when a colleague told me about the online game Baamboozle. (Thanks, Jamie!)
I love this game for many reasons but the best reason is how versatile it is! You can use it with any content and grade level. I like to switch up how we do teams so it feels different each time. Plus, it’s a nice alternative to the individual player online games like Kahoot and Blooket.
How to get set up
Baamboozle is played with just one device. The teacher brings it up on their computer, projects it on the screen or board, and you’re ready to play.
Creating the games is not super time consuming. Add a title, description, and an image to help you keep track of your different games and you’re ready to create questions!
The questions are really simple to create. Type in the question & answer, add an image or gif if you’d like and repeat. If my question asks for students to do a movement, I usually put the answer as “student answered correctly.”
Playing Baamboozle
The free version allows for up to 4 teams. I usually make around 12 questions so I choose the 16 question option. I like to make sure there is room for some of the fun power-ups.
There are a few different options for how to play the game.
The quiz option on the left will just be question / answer.
Classic Jr. on the right has the questions worth fewer points. Plus, it only does the simple power-ups; not the mean (steal from the other team) ones. This version is great for classes that struggle with wining/losing.
I usually play the Classic version. This has positive and negative power-ups.
To keep things simple for teams, I usually divide the class in half down the middle.
I call on the first student to pick which question they’d like, using the Spanish number. If they answer in English, we all count up together in Spanish. The student who picked the question has to tell me the answer but they can check in with their team mates as needed.
If you’re short on time or have a little extra, you can play a lightning round. In that case, I just start with question 1 and make my way through the questions numerically.
Now that we’ve looked at set up and how to play, let me share with you…
Reasons Why I Love Baamboozle
It’s easy to create games
Maybe it’s just me but creating games on Baamboozle takes me way less time than other game sites. I love that they have images and gifs included; and that you can also upload your own images.
You can use different types of questions
It’s so nice to be able to have different tasks other than the typical multiple choice question. This is an easy way to incorporate conversation type content. I also love that students don’t have to be able to read the questions & answer options–the teacher can do that during the game. Students can respond with a word, phrase, sentence, movement, you name it!
Incorporate movement
Honestly, this is my top reason why I love this game. Especially this year, I’m sure we’re all looking for ways to enable our students to move (in a positive way, not like hanging upside down from their chair or draped over their desk…). Baamboozle lets us do that! They can do an action for a certain vocabulary term or repeat an action a certain number of times. Learning numbers? Have them count to a certain number while marching or jumping! Working with more advanced students? Have them act out a sentence.
It’s fun to play with bigger teams
I often play “Clase vs. Señora” during games like tic tac toe or board games as a whole group. However, it’s fun to switch it up and play Baamboozle with two larger teams. Although keep in mind, you are able to have as many as 4 groups with the free version. I typically have the student who picks the question give me the answer but I allow them to check in with their team if they want to.
It works great with all grade levels
This is one of the few online games I will use with any grade level. It’s nice that there is no logging in and the only set up is clicking the link and deciding teams. No running around helping 20 kindergarten friends figure out how to login! 🤣
Some degree of luck
Each class has those one or two students whose brains work really fast and tend to win more often than not. I like that this game throws cards in that help or hurt the team. That degree of luck allows for some epic comebacks and increased engagement from all students.
It allows for teacher scaffolding / support and discretion on answers allowed
Since the teacher is the one deciding if the answer is correct or incorrect, this allows for a little wiggle room. I love being able to provide support for those students who need it and then being able to still award points when they come up with the answer.
Give it a try!
Maybe these games I already made will be helpful to you. Check them out! I’d love to hear what you think once you’ve tried it–leave a comment below.
I often get comments about how “brave” I am when I teach my kindergarten students to use different apps / tech tools. I’ll admit that in the middle of a tech lesson on something new, it often feels a bit crazy, but the outcome is SO worth the chaos.
I recently taught my kindergarten students to use the online / app based game Kahoot. I don’t usually use that game in kindergarten but I’m looking for different whole group games that are socially distanced. My favorite whole group games for kindergarten don’t work so well with our current covid restrictions.
So! I found myself introducing this fun new game to my group of very excited kinder friends. I’ll talk through my step by step process but first let me address the issue of target language. Straight up honest, I used mostly English to help students navigate getting logged into the game. In other years I would have used more Spanish; however, with my 90% TL goal significantly lowered in this pandemic year and with this specific group of learners in mind, I chose to stick with English.
My Process
Señora: “Amios, today we’re going to learn how to play a fun game called Kahoot! It will help us practice our weather words in Spanish.”
Students: “YAY!”
Step 1:
I put my iPad up on the board using AirServer to model steps for students. (I like to model new things before the iPads are in my students’ hands.)
First we needed to find the link I shared to students’ Seesaw journal. I linked to the login page for Kahoot so it would take students directly there.
If you don’t have an online platform at your school, I would make sure the Kahoot app is already installed on student iPads. Then they can open the app and enter the game code that way.
Step 2:
After I reminded students how to find their Spanish Seesaw class and click on the link, it was time to show them the process for logging into our Kahoot game.
Step 2a:
Students have to tap on the white box that says “game pin” in order to start typing in the numbers. They find the game pin numbers on our SMART board. After typing the numbers they have to tap the black box that says “enter.”
This was a bit tricky for students this age. Several were able to type in the numbers on their own but most needed more encouragement / support.
Step 2b:
Next, students need to tap on the white box that says “nickname.” After writing their name they need to tap the black box that says “OK, go!”
Step 2c:
I find students aren’t sure what to do after they get to the green “You’re in!” screen. I like to remind them verde / green = get ready to go.
Step 3:
Students are ready to try this whole process on their iPads. Even though we just went through the process, they will definitely need step by step directions at this point.
We’ve been working on staying in our seats and raising hands when we have questions. Whew–anyone else know the feeling of being a mama/papa duck with 4 or 5 kinder ducklings following you around asking questions? I like to remind students I can help them faster if they stay in their seat–then I can zip around the class to answer questions.
Step 4:
I know it’s hard to wait as students slowly try to type in numbers and their name. Remind yourself that learning these skills is part of the goal for this lesson.
There are always a few students who ultimately need me to physically get them logged in; but, I find if I’m patient, most are able to succeed on their own with my sideline support.
Step 5:
It’s almost time to play the game! Before pressing start, I explain to students that they will see the question on the board and they will choose the answer on their ipads.
Step 6:
Press start. For all my grade levels, I provide auditory input during this game by reading all questions and answers.
For kindergarten students, I tell them which color is which answer. *I suggest you only have 2 answer options for Kindergarten students! For example, for this game I repeated several times– “hace sol is red” and “hace viento is blue.”
A Few More Thoughts
I often pause the game part way through to help students calm down. I love how excited they get and their engagement is so high–however, I find students often need to dial down their energy to help them re-focus. I also do this after we’re done with the game. I’m sure you have a favorite way of helping young learners calm down; that said, lately I’ve been enjoying raising our arms up and then down as we breathe in and out.
I found playing this game was a good time to point out here that I love mistakes. I never want students to feel badly for getting an answer wrong so we talk about how we’re all learning and mistakes mean we’re trying.
Don’t feel badly if your tech lesson completely flops. I feel this most often with younger learners. Remember, there is always a positive take away, even if it takes a minute to see it. You are learning as the teacher and students are exposed to new tech skills. This is so great! Even if you found yourself surrounded by 10 students holding iPads all asking questions at the same time…I’ve definitely been there a time or two.
Wrapping It Up...
My students loved playing Kahoot and asked to play again in our very next lesson. I’ll definitely make a new Kahoot game for us to play in our next unit. That way we can practice our new tech skills!
Technology is everywhere these days. Over the past few years teachers have found themselves teaching their students how to use new technologies that they themselves are just learning. I know we all have different comfort levels with using technology ourselves in addition to using it with our students. I’m here to help!
I never saw myself as a “techy” person. I am, however, a curious person. I like to understand how things work and when I encounter a problem I need help with, I like to find out how to fix it on my own next time. Let’s be real–I encounter tech problems all day long so it’s really nice to be able to troubleshoot on my own.
Over the years, this has led me to build up a decent knowledge of the technology I use each day. I’m lucky to work in a district that equips us with great tech tools and professional development for technology. We use MacBooks, iPads, and SmartBoards. Not even a month before we went virtual last spring, we went 1:1 with iPads. What crazy timing, huh? In the past, we had larger ratios of iPads to elementary students.
I’ve never been one to use technology just because it’s new and exciting. I think we might be mostly past that these days. However, I’ve always felt it important to have a specific reason or problem to solve when using technology.
Señora's Thoughts on Using Tech with Littles
Little learners can use technology! I promise they can, it just takes some time and a whole lot of patience. My experience with students as young as kindergarten tells me that as long as we break down the skills into their simplest form, young students can learn how to manage tech on their own.
Now, in a normal year, I typically wait until several months into the school year to use technology in my kindergarten Spanish classes. However with the impending doom of potentially (probably, most certainly, definitely) moving to virtual school this past fall, I started right away. I spent time teaching students to use the Seesaw app. We broke down the skills and tackled one per lesson. One day our technology learning goal was “I can use the drawing tool in Seesaw.” Another day it was “I can use the microphone to record my voice.” Additionally, “I can take and upload a picture to Seesaw.” Practicing and revisiting these skills over time helps even young learners become quite confident in their abilities.
I do like to have students practice or revisit a new tech skill fairly soon after learning it. I recently taught 1st graders how to login and use the game Kahoot. That first time using it took pretty much the entire lesson. I planned another lesson for the next week that also had us practicing those login skills. It went more smoothly and students were ready to play the game faster than the first time!
Don’t be afraid to try something new. Seriously, I get it. Sometimes when we try something new it doesn’t work the way it should or the lesson completely flops. But you’re still learning something valuable! As frustrating as it can be sometimes, don’t forget that each time you venture out and try something new with technology, you are learning. The more I’ve tried things (one way the first year, a slightly different way the next year), the better I am at designing lessons that use technology to help us reach our learning goals.
When things don’t work the right way, I try to demonstrate to students my approach to problem solving. I like to model this for students in the moment, even if I’m frustrated. Kids can learn so much from seeing adults encounter a problem and then talking through their thought process to try and solve it.
One thing I’ve struggled with over the years is the use or decreased use of the target language when introducing new technologies. It can be challenging to teach young learners how to use new tech entirely in the target language. I don’t claim to have the correct answer here as I believe each teacher needs to find the balance that works best for them.
That said, I’ve come to focus my energies on creating projects that help students use as much target language as possible. If I can quickly explain the tech tools in English and send students on their way to create in Spanish, I feel good about that. I encourage you to find a balance that works for you, taking into consideration how long your lessons are and how much experience your students have with their second language.
My favorite ways to use technology in a world language class
Bring the world to the classroom
Even though I teach in a small town, there are still tons of opportunities to bring the world inside our classroom. This is one of my favorite reasons to use technology.
I use videos in all sorts of different situations. One obvious use for videos in a language class is to introduce students to the many countries that speak their new language. Seeing the places makes them so much more real for students. I like to show short clips at the start of a country unit. It’s also nice to show some more in depth videos that teach about the location. Some favorite YouTube channels of mine are: Nat Geo Kids Are We There Yet? and Travel with Kids.
I like to introduce new topics with a video. It can be so powerful to bring that visual experience to students. Teaching about volcanoes? Show a quick clip of one erupting. Teaching about rainforest animals? Show a video and see which animals you can spot! I’m currently teaching my 2nd graders about the different regions of Peru. How can you really grasp what the Nazca lines are if you haven’t seen them? This video is a great one. I’ve learned there are videos out there for just about any topic. It can take some time to find good ones but I consider that time well spent. I see my students connecting with the topic right away!
Another way to bring the world to your classroom with technology is Google Earth. These always end up being my favorite lessons. I just walk around listening to my students’ exclamations at all the cool places and things they find. I love that they are in control of their exploration experience. I will go more in depth in another post about specifically how I teach students to use this app. That said, I do like to model it first for the class. I typically airserve my ipad to the board and take the students on a little excursion, modeling how to use the street view.
*If your district does not have student ipads, you can still get great value with google earth–you can show it from a computer or teacher ipad.
I love to use Google Earth when we’re learning about other countries. I even use this app when we’re learning about the continents and oceans in 1st grade. What better way to learn about the world than to see the real thing!
Encourage students to show what they know
This one is HUGE for language classes! There are so many different student friendly apps out there that allow kids to genuinely show teachers what they can do with their new language. I love to keep the technology simple so that language is the focus of the time spent.
I’ll do more in depth posts later but my favorite apps for showing what you know are: Seesaw & Adobe Spark Video. PicCollage is another fun one as well. I have used all three of these apps with young learners.
Especially for young learners, I encourage teachers to use technology that allows students to record their voice. I learn so much about how well students can manage their new language by listening to these recordings. After in class practice, a students’ true ability shines through when they are working independently.
Use tech to create resources
This is probably no surprise but I love creating my own resources and technology helps me do that! It may seem intimidating but it doesn’t have to be. I use google slides to create most of my resources.
I honestly started to make my own classroom materials because I had trouble finding exactly what I needed. When you make your own–you are in control! You get to choose the vocabulary and the exact skill level it is created for. Don’t feel like you have to completely re-make everything you use–just start with one activity or resource.
One of my favorite things to create for my students is stories that include the people at our school. When they see their principal or gym teacher as a main character in a story, engagement goes through the roof.
Whole group activities
Do you remember the days when Kahoot was basically the only option out there for whole group tech games? While I still love and use Kahoot, there are now several other great options that work for elementary aged students. Check out Blooket and Baamboozle for review day or game day technology resources.
Heads up–I have only used Blooket in 2nd grade and up so far. I taught my 1st graders how to use Kahoot this year and we’ll be sticking with that for the time being. Baamboozle worked well with students as young as kindergarten, however.
As teachers we know that adding in the word “game” makes almost anything more fun. I love to use these whole group tech resources to up the excitement and thus engagement in our lesson.
Individual activities
This section is more likely to apply if your students have access to technology within your classroom. With all the restrictions of our current times, I am finding myself digging into this area more than ever. Although I miss our small group games, individual tech games have done a nice job filling in.
I am pleased with several different games I’ve tried for individual student practice.
- Boom Cards–these are new-ish to me but OMG so great! My students love them and I love to see how engaged they are while working on them.
- Flippity Matching Games
- Quizlet–Matching and Flashcards
Whew–who knew I had that much to say about technology! Please reach out if you have tech questions. I’m happy to help.
