TaskMagic Pic-Sound

Pic-Sound - Games and exercises based on matching pictures and sounds


Pic-Sound Front Page	Pic-Sound Edit Screen
Pic-Sound is one of the 8 exercise groups included in the TaskMagic package. Pic-Sound creates a wide range of exercises based on matching sounds with pictures. Browse for image and sound files anywhere on your PC or network to add them to your exercise. You can also record your own sound files using Windows Sound Recorder or other sound recording software.
- The Pic-Sound edit screen in TaskMagic Create allows you to input matching pairs of sounds and pictures. The number of matching pairs depends on you - you can make exercises with just a few matching pairs, or with hundreds of matching pairs. - Import feature allows you to quickly import data from existing Pic-Sound, Picture Match and Sound Match files. - You decide which exercises will be available when the student opens your file. If you make all exercises available, the students will have access to up to 16 separate games and exercises in Pic-Sound. - The Pic-Sound front page and the Flashcards activity allow the students to record their own voice so that they can compare it with the original sound. - Scroll down or click here for more information about using Pic-Sound files, or click on any of the game screens below to find out more.
Pic-Sound Games & Exercises

Flashcards	Drag & Match	3 in a row

Against the Clock	Pelmanism 1 Player	Pelmanism 2 Players

True or False?	Multi-Match	Tower Block

Pool	Football	Maze

Spin	Invaders	Doors

Jump!

Making Use of Pic-Sound Files

The order in which exercise types are displayed on the Pic-Sound front page does not represent a particular sequence. It was never intended that students should attempt all of the exercises for a particular file in a particular sequence. In fact, nor was it intended that students should attempt to complete all of the available exercise types for a particular file.

Users of TaskMagic (teachers & students) should select the most appropriate exercise types available depending on: the context; whether they are using a whiteboard or individual PCs in a computer room (or at home); the type of information being presented; the point they are at in the learning sequence; whether it’s for a starter, a plenary, a presentation or the main element of a lesson; the time available etc.

When working with an interactive whiteboard, the teacher has total control over the exercises and activities selected. When working in an IT room, however, it is important for teachers to maintain control over the exercises and activities that the students attempt. It was never intended that students should be told to open a particular file and then attempt the available games in any order they like. Teachers should make it clear to students which activities they are to attempt and in which order, or alternatively they should make it clear which activities they don't want them to attempt. For example, many teachers tell their class to start with Multi-Match and not to move on to the next exercise until they have a 100% score. The activities you choose will depend on your own professional appreciation of the value of each activity bearing in mind all of the factors mentioned above (time, context, stage etc.). A useful strategy is to reserve many of the more game-based activities until the end of the session, then allow students 5 or 10 minutes to choose freely from the activities available. It is also possible to limit the exercises available by making direct hyperlinks to individual game files - these can be created in TaskMagicCreate - or by limiting the list of activities available when you create your TaskMagic file.

This section looks at all of the exercise types available in Pic-Sound and attempts to put them into some sort of order of difficulty. This is very difficult to do, however, as various elements need to be weighed up in deciding just how difficult a particular exercise is:
- the level of support (e.g. number of options in match activities)
- time pressures
- penalties for incorrect answers
- whether items are displayed in a particular order or randomly
The following list is just a suggestion / a guideline / a starting point. Some of the activities, such as Flashcards, are appropriate for different stages of the learning process.

Essentially, Pic-Sound activities test the link between sound and meaning. They are similar to Sound Match activities where the sound is matched with the student's mother tongue, but in the case of Pic-Sound there is no text involved at all.

Multi-Match
	- This is probably the easiest of the exercises. - 1 in 3 multiple choice activity. - If a student answers incorrectly, they can keep trying until they get the correct answer. - There is no time pressure. - Items appear in their original sequence. Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard. IWB options: - invite/select students to give answers - invite/select students to come to the board - students write answer (a, b or c) on mini-whiteboards or in books before checking answer and moving to next question

Maze
	- 1 in 3 multiple choice activity dressed as a Maze game. The aim is to steer the yellow prompt onto the green block containing the correct match. - There is a time pressure - students have 60 seconds to get the correct answer (but usually get it in about 10 seconds). - An incorrect answer results in the loss of one of the three lives. - Items appear in random order. - Requires the use of the keyboard. Suitable for use on individual PCs, not for interactive whiteboard. In terms of linguistic demands, this game is one of the least challenging, and for this reason it appears number two in this list. It is probably best not to use Maze as the next step up from Multi-Match, however, as students are likely to spend a lot of time on this because of the game element.

Tower Block
	- 1 in 4 multiple choice activity, where the aim is to answer 15 questions in a row and build a 15 storey tower block. - No time pressure. - 1 incorrect answer results in the Tower crumbling and the student has to begin again. - There is support in the form of four ‘play safes’, where clicking on an incorrect answer incurs no penalty. - This exercise requires a minimum of 8 inputs. - Items appear in random order. Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard. IWB options: - invite/select students to give answers - invite/select students to come to the board - students write answer (a, b, c or d) on mini-whiteboards or in books before checking answer and moving to next question - play the game as if it were "Who wants to be a millionaire?", with the teacher offering a "50/50", students showing hands or using mini-whiteboards for "ask the audience", or choosing a class mate for "phone a friend"

Jump!

- 1 in 4 multiple choice activity.
- Steer the man around the room jumping from platform to platform, avoiding monsters and other hazards.
- Multiple levels with different hazards.
- Time pressure - oxygen levels run out if you don't get a correct answer..
- Incorrect answers result in oxygen levels dropping drastically.
- Items appear in random order.

Suitable for use on individual PCs, not for interactive whiteboard.

In terms of linguistic demands, this game is one of the least challenging, and for this reason it appears early on in this list. Students are likely to spend a lot of time on this because of the game element.

Pool
	- 1 in 6 multiple choice. - No time pressure to answer the questions, but a time limit to pot the ball. - 1 incorrect answer incurs a 15 second time penalty. A second incorrect answer results in the loss of that ball (ie. the student doesn’t get to play) and the student is shown the correct answer. - The ball has to be potted in the pocket over which the correct answer was located. Potting the ball in the wrong pocket or potting the white incurs a 100 point penalty. - Items appear in random order. Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard, although it may be a bit time consuming in a whole-class environment. IWB options: - invite/select students to give answers - invite/select students to come to the board

Football
	- Multiple choice, with up to 12 answers to choose from. - A football game for 2 players or teams. - There is a time pressure to answer the questions, as failing to answer in the time provided results in play passing to the other team. The speed for answering questions can be changed using the difficulty setting before starting the game. - Players can opt for a timed game or a ‘first to…’ game. - During play, the ball doesn’t always go to the intended player when you pass or shoot. Shorter passes or shots have a higher chance of being successful, so students are encouraged to make short passes and therefore answer more questions. - Items appear in random order. Can be used on individual PCs, with students working in pairs, or on an interactive whiteboard, where the class is split into 2 teams. IWB options: - for each pass or shot, invite an answer from a member of the relevant team. The teacher clicks the text as suggested by the student. If they are wrong, they lose the ball to the other team. Quickly invite an answer from a member of this team. etc - for each pass or shot, invite/select a student from each team to come to the board. The student with control of the ball has the first go at the question. etc.

Click & Match
	- Up to 16 items are on display, so the level of difficulty depends on the total number of matching items. If more than 16 matching items are included, 16 are selected randomly from the list. - No time pressure. - No penalty for incorrect answers, as incorrect answers are removed when ‘Check’ is clicked, leaving only the correct ones in place. Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard. IWB options: - invite/select students to give answers - invite/select students to come to the board - students write answers on mini-whiteboards or in exercise books. Once they have finished the written exercise the teacher can go through the answers in class, either by inviting answers or calling students up to the board

3 in a Row
	- For 2 players or teams - like Os and Xs, but the game continues until the grid is finished. - All of the items are on display. - No time pressure. - An incorrect answer means that player doesn’t put his O or X in the grid. - This exercise requires at least 9 inputs. Can be used on individual PCs, with students working in pairs, or on an interactive whiteboard, where the class is split into 2 teams. IWB options: - invite/select students from each team to give answers - invite/select students from each team to come to the board

Against the Clock
	- Up to 16 items are on display. - Time pressure - the aim is to make all of the matches before the time runs out. The time available depends on the number of matching items. - No penalty for an incorrect answer. Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard. When used in an IT room, it is a good idea for you to keep a record on the board of the fastest times for a particular file, to introduce an element of competition. IWB options: - invite/select students to give answers - invite/select students to come to the board - this will involve a lot of moving around the room quickly in order to get the matches before the time runs out

Invaders
	- Up to 16 pictures are on display, with one sound playing at a time. Essentially a multiple choice activity with up to 16 possible answers. - Time pressure - if the invader falls to the coloured bars, one of the three lives is lost. The speed of the dropping item increases the closer you get to the end of the game. You can choose a difficulty setting, which alters the drop speed but also affects the score available. - An incorrect answer deducts points from the total score. - Items appear in random order. Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard. IWB options: - invite/select students to give answers - invite/select students to come to the board - this will involve a lot of moving around the room quickly in order to get the matches without losing a life

Spin
	- Up to 16 pictures are on display, with one sound playing at a time. Essentially a multiple choice activity with up to 16 possible answers. - Time pressure - if you don’t shoot the correct answer in time, one of the three lives is lost. - An incorrect answer causes one of the three lives to be lost. - Items appear in random order. - Requires the use of the keyboard. Suitable for use on individual PCs, not on interactive whiteboard. Because of the time pressure, and the fact that a life is lost for an incorrect answer, students will find this a difficult exercise to complete. It is a good idea for you to keep a record on the board of the highest score for a particular file, to introduce an element of competition.

Pelmanism - 1 Player
	- Memory game - finding the matching pairs. - No time pressure. - Keeps a record of the number of attempts, so the aim is to find all of the matches in the lowest number of attempts. Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard. When used in an IT room, it is a good idea for you to keep a record on the board of the students who manage to find all the pairs without any incorrect guesses, to introduce an element of competition. IWB options: - invite/select students to give answers - invite/select students to come to the board

Pelmanism - 2 Players
	- Memory game for 2 players or teams. - No time pressure. - Players / teams take alternate turns irrespective of whether or not they find a pair. - The winning player / team is the one with the most correct matches. Can be used on individual PCs, with students working in pairs, or on an interactive whiteboard, where the class is split into 2 teams. IWB options: - invite/select students from each team to give answers - invite/select students from each team to come to the board

True or False?
	- A bit like a game of ‘Snap’ - you click when you recognize a correct match. - Time pressure - you have three seconds to recognise a correct match. If you don’t click in this time, the game moves on to another pair. - A record of correct and incorrect clicks is kept, and these are combined to give a total score. - Items appear in random order. - The speed of the activity can be increased or decreased. Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard. IWB options: - invite choral “sí” / “oui” / “vrai” etc from class, each time the items change, if there is a correct match (a bit like “repeat if it’s true”) - invite/select students to come to the board in turns until they have found a True match

Doors

- The student answers questions in order to open doors, in order to collect the 6 items required to move on to the next level. A plan of all of the rooms is shown at the top of the screen. The higher the level, the fewer the doors available, so it becomes more of a maze.
- In Pic-Sound, Doors operates as a 1 in 9 multi-choice at all levels.
- Time pressure - you are being chased around the maze of rooms by a death figure. At first he moves very slowly, but he gets progressively quicker.
- Penalty for incorrect attempt: the door doesn’t open.

Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard. When used in an IT room, it is a good idea for you to keep a record on the board of the the highest scores for a particular file, to introduce an element of competition.

IWB options:
- invite/select students to give answers
- invite/select students to come to the board

Flashcards

- Flashcards simply runs through the matching items, showing them either in the original sequence or in random order.
- It can be used to present new language to the class using a whiteboard or projector, or for individual work at a PC.
- When used on a PC, it allows the student to test themselves (by saying or thinking what the correct match will be) to see if they know the answers.
- First look at the information in sequence, then again in random order. You can do the same thing with an interactive whiteboard.
- No penalty for getting it wrong, as there is no input to be assessed.
- When working alone with a PC, the student can click the "correct answer" button if they knew the correct answer, or click the "wrong answer" button if they didn't know it or were unsure. Wrong answers are then repeated later

The student can choose to hear the sound before seeing the image or vice versa.

When the sound is played before the image is shown, the exercise involves recognising the sound and determining the meaning.

When the image is shown before the sound is played, the exercise is more challenging and requires the student to produce the correct TL for the image. This could be seen as the end objective of your TaskMagic session.

IWB options:
- present the language in sequence
- at the end of a session (as a plenary) or to revise previously taught language as a lesson starter: run through the information in random order and invite/select students to provide an answer