Community Gabfest: Games and gambits – keeping learning fun

On November 16, 2023 AlphaPlus hosted our 12^th  Community Gabfest.

The theme was Games and gambits – keeping learning fun.

We used a Jamboard to guide our conversation: Wayfinders Gabfest 12 Jamboard.

The conversation starter was “What are your favourite games or community building activities to use with learners?”

This gabfest was about the games and activities learners love. We shared our ideas for keeping learners engaged by building community and having fun together.

We started by talking about the games we like and why we like them and then we played a general knowledge Kahoot! that Guylaine had made for us.

We shared some resources:

• Gamified Curriculum from Literacy Link South Central – www.llsc.on.ca/gamification

• Showcase on Games from AlphaPlus – alphaplus.ca/resources/virtual-showcase-should-we-kahoot-it

• Building Community Tip Sheet from AlphaPlus – alphaplus.ca/resources/building-community-in-remote-learning-environments

• Digital Learning Selector from New South Wales Department of Education – app.education.nsw.gov.au/digital-learning-selector (This website provides numerous ideas for active learning and assessment activities with templates you can adapt.)

Then we asked:

What are your favourite games or community building activities to use with learners?

Favourite games and activities

• Create and share your own story map using Google Earth (more a fun interactive tech thing than a game)
• Timed writing (5 min warmup at beginning of class then count your words)
• Spin the wheel, memory games, hang man, tell a tall story.
• Jamboard games –
  • Put one letter on a sticky note to spell out a word or phrase. Learners make as many words as they can with the letters.
  • More examples here – or at Jamboard Tip Sheet and samples

Language

• readtheory.org
• www.khanacademy.org

Crosswords & Wordsearches

• thewordsearch.com
• thewordsearch.com/hangman www.esolcourses.com/content/exercises/crosswords/crossword.html
• swellgarfo.com/scattergories

Math and Science

• phet.colorado.edu (science simulations)
• braingymmer.com
• coolmathgames.com
• thatquiz.org (money and math skills)

Typing

• typing.com
• typingclub.com

Thank you Gabfesters for your collegiality and for sharing your knowledge and sense of fun.