Category: Uncategorized

Tips for Teaching Vocabulary

Tips for Teaching Vocabulary

by Voki Blog ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

knowledge-dictionaryRemember those list of vocabulary words that your teacher would give the class every Monday. Then we would have to look up their definitions, write sentences with it, and… a test every Friday. After that, we don’t remember how to use those words or when we can use it.

So let Voki give you some tips on how to help you teach vocabulary and help your students remember them!

Selecting the Best Words

Instead of wasting your time compiling a super long list of vocabulary words that you students should know, have your students read through the first chapter of the text and pick out words that they do not understand. Then have them write down the definition or their “best guess” for the word without a dictionary. Remember to explain to them that this is not a test, but is information to help you, as a teacher, to figure out what they need help with.

Use the Words Everyday

Include those vocabulary words when you are teaching or speaking to a student. Encourage them to use them in class and at home. Also, continue to have weekly vocabulary quizzes so that your student can remember them properly!

Display Them in Class

Create a wall of all the vocabulary words in your classroom. Ask your students to be creative by creating photos of themselves that put the words into action. Or you can just use Voki for a quick Vocabulary Rundown.

Let us know how you teach vocabulary in class!

kUntil next time,

Eva D.

The Voki Team

1560505_10152516453053764_8553617582835278394_nBio: Eva is the Community Manager for Voki and is part of the Marketing Team at Oddcast. She enjoys playing the piano and knitting on her free time. (She’s also a Rubik’s cube master!) She loves to hear your feedback and comments for Voki!

Students: Ask for Help in Class

Students: Ask for Help in Class

by Voki Blog ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

AskForHelp_Logo_2Asking for help can be very hard but it is very important if you want to learn more in class. Knowing how to ask for help is a very important skill to have. You may have a question about last night’s homework or something you want your teacher to clarify in class. Here are some helpful tips on how you can ask for help in class:

  • It is ok to ask for help.

Remember that it is ok to ask for help. You are in class to learn so asking questions can help you learn more.  If you are afraid to ask your teacher to help, try to ask your classmate to help! If you sit back and not ask for help, you are only hurting yourself.

  • Don’t be afraid.

Being afraid to ask for help is a major problem for students. They are afraid that other students would tease them. Never be embarrassed and do not worry about other students judging you. If you have a personal problem, talk to your teacher privately during a break and they will do their best to help you.

 

Voki Tip: If you are afraid to ask your teacher for help during class, send him/her an email afterwards. You can even create a Voki that can help you out!

Until next time,

Eva D.

The Voki Team

1560505_10152516453053764_8553617582835278394_nBio: Eva is the Community Manager for Voki and is part of the Marketing Team at Oddcast. She enjoys playing the piano and knitting on her free time. (She’s also a Rubik’s cube master!) She loves to hear your feedback and comments for Voki!

Quick and Easy Ways to Use Technology in Classroom

Quick and Easy Ways to Use Technology in Classroom

by Voki Blog ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

student-with-ipad-technology-in-the-classroom1If you’re one of those teachers who want to challenge yourself this school year, you may want to start using technology in class. Technology can help improve student involvement and a great way to keep them engaged. So we put together some quick and easy way that you can start using technology in class!

Create a class website

One of the benefits of a creating a website is the increased communication between you, students and parents. A class website can be anything from an online bulletin board to a class blog with class materials. If you want to start building your own class website, here is a list of platforms that you may want to try out.

Create a class game using PowerPoint

Many teachers use PowerPoint to create fun review games based on famous game shows, like “Jeopardy!” And “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” It is up to you to be creative. Not only does it get your students excited about reviews, it can help them figure out what they need to study! Here are some templates that you can use for these games: PowerPoint Games and PowerPoint Review Games Template.

Use social media

If you’re more tech-savvy, you can create a class Twitter account or class Instagram account. Many teachers are leveraging these tools to be more involved with their students and their parents. Check out some of the ways you can use Twitter and Instagram.

No matter how you plan to use technology in class, always remember to have fun!

Until next time,

Eva D.

The Voki Team

1560505_10152516453053764_8553617582835278394_nBio: Eva is the Community Manager for Voki and is part of the Marketing Team at Oddcast. She enjoys playing the piano and knitting on her free time. (She’s also a Rubik’s cube master!) She loves to hear your feedback and comments for Voki!

Top 3 Ways Teachers Can Stop Bullies

Top 3 Ways Teachers Can Stop Bullies

by Voki Blog ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

October is National BullyingBullying Prevention Month. As you know, bullying is a major problem in school. Students who are bullied can experience negative physical, school, and mental health issues. It affects everyone: the person being bullied, the bully, and the witnesses. Whether it is the classroom, the cafeteria, library, on the playground, or bathroom, it is up to the teachers to help prevent bullying in school.

Here, Voki have 3 tips that can help you and other school administrators prevent bullying from happening in school.

 

  1. Help your students understand bullying.

Explain to your students what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely. Tell them that bullying is unacceptable. Encourage them to speak to a trusted adult if they see someone being bullies or if they are bullied. Give your students tips on how to stand up to bullies and if it doesn’t work, walk away.

 

  1. Create a safe and supportive environment.

You should create a classroom culture of inclusion and respect that welcomes all students. Make sure that your students interact safely. Find out where students can have a higher risk of bullying, such as bathrooms, playgrounds, and cafeteria. This is where there is little or no adult supervision. Establish ground rules in in class so students can help create this positive and respectful environment. Always remember that you are a role model for them so you must follow the rules yourself.

 

  1. Stop Bullying on the spot.

If you spot bullying in school, stop it immediately. Do not ignore it and do think that they can work it out without help. If another teacher is needed, do not hesitate to ask. Talk to the students individually and do not force other students to say what they saw publicly. Model respectful behavior when you intervene because you are their role model.

 

For more information on how to prevent bullying, visit www.stopbullying.gov.

Until next time,

Eva D.
The Voki Team

1560505_10152516453053764_8553617582835278394_nBio: Eva is the Community Manager for Voki and is part of the Marketing Team at Oddcast. She enjoys playing the piano and knitting on her free time. (She’s also a Rubik’s cube master!) She loves to hear your feedback and comments for Voki!

 

Note-taking Tips for Students

Note-taking Tips for Students

by Voki Blog ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

TakingNotesWhat is note-taking? It is the process of writing down important information from a class so you can review and study it later. There are different ways to take notes so find a way that works for you! Understand that note-taking is a long process and a skill that you develop over time.

So we put together some simple tips on how you can take notes!

Organization is important.

Organization is the key. So it is very important to keep your notes separate from other pieces of paper, like homework, hand-outs, or worksheets. You should create a separate section for your notes. Writing your notes on a piece of loose leaf is a good idea, but if you tend to lose your papers, it might be best to write your notes in a notebook. Before you start taking notes, write down the date of the class and the lesson title. This way, you can easily track your notes and figure out what was discussed during each class. Then sort your notes chronologically by date.

Review, review, review.

After taking notes, you should read it and review it regularly. The best time to review is after class or later in the same day. You do not need to study it; just spend 15 to 30 minutes to go over the notes. When reviewing your notes, it is a good idea to highlight or underline important ideas or information and add any information that you might have missed during class. (Also, reviewing you notes prepares you for that pop quiz your teacher might give the next day!)

Ask questions.

Do not be afraid to ask your teacher to repeat any information you missed. If your teacher is going too fast for you, chances are your classmates will also feel the same. If you are shy and do not want to ask during class, talk to your teacher after class.

Remember, everyone has their own way of taking notes. You will have to figure out and find the best way that will work for you!

Until next time,

Eva D.

The Voki Team

1560505_10152516453053764_8553617582835278394_nBio: Eva is the Community Manager for Voki and is part of the Marketing Team at Oddcast. She enjoys playing the piano and knitting on her free time. (She’s also a Rubik’s cube master!) She loves to hear your feedback and comments for Voki!

Ways to be a Good Listener in Class (For Students)

Ways to be a Good Listener in Class (For Students)

by Voki Blog ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

????????????????????????????????????????It is important for you to be a good listener so you can understand what you are learning in class. Most of what you learn in class is taught verbally by your teachers. So let Voki give you some tips on what you can do to be a good listener in class.

Be prepared.

Before you arrive to class, make sure that you completed all your readings and homework. Review your notes from the last class. Reviewing your notes can help you figure out what you’re going to learn in your next class. Be prepared with questions for your class, if you have any.

Stay away from distractions.

Do you have a group of friends who always text or pass notes in class? Do you have a friend that always save you a seat for you during class? If you want to be a good listener, you will have to stay away from them. Try sitting close to the front of you class and closer to the blackboard.

Take notes.

While your teacher is teaching, start taking notes. Taking notes will require you to actively listen to what your teacher is talking about. When your teacher say “ The most important point…” or “Remember that…”, it is a signal for you to jot that information down. Learn how to take notes quickly and develop your own abbreviations and notations.

Learning to be a good listener takes time. So you have to be patient and work on it!

Until next time,

Eva D.

The Voki Team

1560505_10152516453053764_8553617582835278394_nBio: Eva is the Community Manager for Voki and is part of the Marketing Team at Oddcast. She enjoys playing the piano and knitting on her free time. (She’s also a Rubik’s cube master!) She loves to hear your feedback and comments for Voki!

Ways to Use Instagram in Class

Ways to Use Instagram in Class

by Voki Blog ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

instagram-logoA lot of teachers are using Twitter and Facebook within their classroom and school. And Instagram is revolutionizing the way we share photos online. But only a handful of teachers are using it in class. This is probably because sharing pictures of your students raises a lot of privacy concerns. Therefore, you can create a classroom Instagram account and set it as private. So you, as a teacher, should have full control over who the followers can be. (Hint: It should only be parents, students, or other classes in your school.) Also, a fun hashtag is a good way to keep track of everything.

So here are some fun ways that you can use Instagram in class:

Student of the Week

Showcase a different student in your class each week. Introduce your student-of-the-week with a quick short photo post of hi/her. Then, you can let your student take control of the camera for the week! Let him/her share photos of fun activities happening in class. Of course, you’ll have to set guidelines and make sure that the content is school-appropriate.

Share/showcase students’ work

Throughout the school year, take pictures of your students’ work and post it to Instagram. Parents and family members can follow the account and keep up with their child’s progress. But make sure that the account is private so that online parents, students and the school can follow!

Reading recommendations

Have your students take a picture of their favorite book to post to the class Instagram account. Encourage your students to go through the book list to see what their classmates recommend for the next reading!

Instagram is a great tool for teachers! Let us know how you use Instagram in class!

 

Until next time,

Eva D.

The Voki Team

1560505_10152516453053764_8553617582835278394_nBio: Eva is the Community Manager for Voki and is part of the Marketing Team at Oddcast. She enjoys playing the piano and knitting on her free time. (She’s also a Rubik’s cube master!) She loves to hear your feedback and comments for Voki!

Simple Ways to Improve Student Motivation

Simple Ways to Improve Student Motivation

by Voki Blog ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

article-new-ehow-images-a08-9f-gv-keep-children-school-800x800Remember sitting in class and falling asleep because your teacher is “boring”? Or that time you drew hearts on your notebook instead of paying attention? Or that group of kids So you definitely know that some students are experiencing this in class. We all know that teaching isn’t easy, especially trying to motivate them to learn.

Allow students to work together.

Research shows that when students work together in groups, they will retrain the material longer. By putting them into small groups, students can motivate one another to reach their goal. Also, group work provides a change of pace from the usual classroom activities. But you will need to make sure that the groups are well-balanced so that all students are sharing the same amount of work.

Learn your students’ names.

Learning your students’ names is a great way to let your students know that you are interested and cares about them. It can create a great learning environment that motivates them to work harder because they want to get good feedback and praises from you. If you have trouble learning their names, we have a post that can help you remember their names.

Give helpful feedback.

Feedback is a great way to motivate your students to do better. It has to be clear and meaningful. It allows your students to see where they can improve and what their strengths are. It shows that you care about their success and wants to help them succeed in school. Feedback can help transform your students’ learning. We have a great post with 4 ways to provide feedback.

There are many different ways to motivate students in class. What other ways do you recommend?

Until next time,

Eva D.

Voki Community Manager

1560505_10152516453053764_8553617582835278394_nBio: Eva is the Community Manager for Voki and is part of the Marketing Team at Oddcast. She enjoys playing the piano and knitting on her free time. (She’s also a Rubik’s cube master!) She loves to hear your feedback and comments for Voki!

Studying Skills for Students

Studying Skills for Students

by Voki Blog ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

study-comicStudying can be frustrating, especially when you don’t know what to focus on or couldn’t concentrate. For students, you might want to avoid or refuse to study. You might also tell yourself that you don’t understand it or that you can’t do it. So, we wanted to give you some techniques/strategies that you can use to help you work on your study skills!

(Kids, you should be reading this if you want to get good grades in class!)

Exercise before studying.

Ok, maybe not “exercise”. All you need to do is move around for 15 to 20 minutes before you study.  A light exercise can help you improve your memory before a test. Exercise not only makes you healthier, it also boosts your brain power. Exercises enlarge the part of your brain that helps you pay attention. That means it can help you remember what you studied!

Take breaks while you study.

When studying for tests (or doing your homework), everyone needs a break every now and then. You should take a short 5 to 10 minutes break between your studies. By taking short breaks can actually help you concentrate better. If you like to snack, avoid any junk food and grab a healthy snack. Stick to your time limit so you don’t have to spend 45 minutes watching YouTube videos during your “break”.

Whistle while you work! (Listen to music while studying.)

Some kids study better with music on because it can help them ignore other sounds around them. So pick a music that helps you concentrate on your studies. Classical music is one of the music that you can listen to when studying because it is peaceful. If you like nature, you can listen to sounds of nature like rain or waves. Listen to your music at a moderate volume while studying.  Don’t listen to music on the radio because ads and talk radio hosts can cause a distraction.

The main point is to help you figure out what’s the best environment for you to study. Work with your parents to figure out the best way for you to study!

Until next time,

Eva D.

The Voki Team

1560505_10152516453053764_8553617582835278394_nBio: Eva is the Community Manager for Voki and is part of the Marketing Team at Oddcast. She enjoys playing the piano and knitting on her free time. (She’s also a Rubik’s cube master!) She loves to hear your feedback and comments for Voki!

 

 

 

Time Management Tips for Teachers

Time Management Tips for Teachers

by Voki Blog ♥ 1 Comment

alarmclockonbooksRemember that time you felt overwhelmed by that huge pile of essays on your desk? Sometimes, we feel that there is not enough time to get everything done. (Don’t you wish we have a 25 hour day instead of 24?)  If you’re a teacher, you know that you need to have good time management skills. So we put together a quick guide for you that you can use to help manage your time!

Create a to-do list.

Having a to-do list is can save you a lot of time. Start off by writing down the different tasks you need to do that day and organize them based on priorities. Try to tackle what you can do to day. If you still have some tasks left over, add it to tomorrow’s to-do list! By writing down your tasks, it can give you a clear idea on what you need to get done for the day. Also, it can help you focus on what are the most important tasks for the day.

Don’t take your work home!

Don’t you just hate it when you have to carry that HUGE bag of papers and reports home to grade? Home the place where you can relax and forget about grading. When at home, you should spend time doing the things you enjoy. When you are tired from grading, it will make you less effective in class. So take this time to relax at home and stay refreshed! Also, if you have a long commute home (like me), use that time on the train or bus to grade those papers! (It’s a great way to multi-task too!)

Saying “no”.

Are you the type of teacher who is constantly involved in school activities? Sure, it is important to be involved with school activities. If you feel like you have too much work to do, it is OK to say no. You don’t need to be involved with ALL the school activities but you can try to help out at one or two events each semester!

Have a clean desk.

If your desk looks like a pack of rhino just ran through it, maybe it’s a sign that you should clean it up! When we have a cluttered desk, it can be hard to work effectively. Don’t spend 5 minutes trying to look for a new piece of chalk, or that stapler that used to be under that pile of yellow paper. A cluttered desk can take time away from what’s important. Keep the top of your desk clean with only the materials you need. Everything else should be stored away in drawers!

Different teachers have different ways of managing their time. You are not limited to the tips we provided. It is important for you to find your style of time management. Let us know how you manage your time!

Until next time,

Eva D.

The Voki Team

1560505_10152516453053764_8553617582835278394_nBio: Eva is the Community Manager for Voki and is part of the Marketing Team at Oddcast. She enjoys playing the piano and knitting on her free time. (She’s also a Rubik’s cube master!) She loves to hear your feedback and comments for Voki!