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I like to use an icebraker on the first day. I think students of any age find them fun. I always play the game two lies and a truth. Each student has a turn and says two lies and a truth about themselves and the rest of the class has to guess which one of the three statements is true.

As an Anatomy and Physiology instructor at a massage school, I really enjoy the opportunity to use the interactive nature of the many anatomy websites 'out there.' Sometimes done in a choral response fashion, others in more of a team setting, it's a relaxed way to review and/or introduce the systems of the body. It also allows me to reinforce out of classroom work.

Hi Jennifer,
I commend you for using yet another instructional tool to engage your students. Variety is the key to keeping students involved and you certainly are doing that. In addition, after you have used the interactive websites you can then bring the instruction "home" through application. This method will appeal to all of the different learning styles your students have within your class.
Good job.
Gary

Hi Gary,
I've tried opening your jeopardy powerpoint to no avail. Is there something I need to do differently? I'd love to do this format in A&P, but have lacked the 'creative juices' to put it effectively to a powerpoint setup. Thanks for any feedback.

Hi Jennifer,
I attached the Jeopardy PP game to this response. It should open for you. If not let me know.
Good luck with it. I know you will enjoy putting in the questions and I know your students will enjoy playing it.
Gary

Hi Elizabeth,
Depending on the course, I find it is quite useful to use ice-breakers as a way to introduce new materials and allow students to open up dialogue with one another. For instance, in a physical anthropology course that I taught, I brought in casts of stone tools for students and had them try to use them to break open long bones (just as early man might have). Not only did they learn something, but they had fun. In addition, they started talking with one another about what it might have been like to live in pre-historic Africa.

Dr Meers,
I have also used Jeopardy very successfully to review material from the previous class. But I have found that is works great for certain types of courses, usually ones with lots of facts and rote memory type learning, where others classes do not lend themselves well at all. Do you have alternative games for say material that would involve more essay / subjective answers?

Jeff

Hi Jeffrey,
In response to your question about games for the more subjective areas I have used a form of Family Feud for these areas. I divide the students up into groups of 3 or 4 and the groups go against each other. The host (generally a student, sometimes myself) asks questions, the groups ring in and give their responses. The other group then gets to ring in if they can expand on the answer(s) given. This games enables the basic content to be reviewed but allows for additional information to come out. The rest of the class gets involved in deciding if the responses are "good answers" or not. Fun, fast paced way of dealing with subjective information.
Questions about this let me know.
Gary

I have used Icebreakers or "group/team builders" when starting a new class of disperse students that are just starting out together on a course of study. One type I've used is an esoteric group of historic events over many centuries that first as individuals they need to assign a date (year) and put the 8 to 12 statement in chronological order. Then as a "team", usually assigned by me in a "random" selection, they need to come to a consensus on the dates and order of the events. All this under the stress of a time constraint. Usually this gets the "juices" flowing, the students focussed amd working together on a common goal. However the courses I am now teaching, have teams already established and they are very focussed on completing the project/goal and so the activities are projected based and have the teams mentoring each other. They need to complete their project in order to graduate.

Hi Herschel,
Thank you for your input on using groups and icebreakers. If you can get teams working together you have a real "jump" on getting your course started.
The biggest challenge I have faced with cohart groups is them accepting my input. If they come from another course already set up in groups they often are not as open to "outsiders" input. They also have some history about them, in terms of "inside" jokes and previous projects. I have found that I get the groups invested in my course when I use some competitive group activities. These activities are fun and enable the groups and myself to exchange some information and develop rapport.
Gary

I begin a class by asking the students what they think will be covered during the semester, and what they would like to discuss in this particular area.

Hi Rodger,
What kind of responses do you get when you ask your students "what they think will be covered during the semester?". I am sure you get interesting answers.
Gary

When I start a new module, I try to get the students to become engaged in the learning process. I break up the students into randomly assigned groups so they will get to know people other than their close circle of friends. Then I get them to role play about the subject material we are studying. The exercise is fun and interactive. This helps to "break the ice".

To start a new module, I sometimes use an icebreaker. For example, I will ask the class "Why are you attending culinary school?"
It helps loosen up the class.

Hi Philippe,
Good strategy. I bet you get some real interesting answers as to why they are in culinary school. I know with my students I am continually amazed at the reasons that students give for being enrolled in such course. Keeps things interesting.
Gary

I use icebreakers the first day of every new term. One of the favorites of my students has been a fill-in-the-blank "biography", including statements such as "My name is ___. When I was young I always wanted to be a ___ when I grew up. My favorite pastime is ___. I am really good at ___. Something you may not know about me is ___." etc.) These bios are then read aloud to the class.
The benefits of this are multiple. Students learn about their classmates, often finding commonalities they might not have discovered by merely sitting among classmates. They also get experience in speaking before a group, increasing their comfort level for future discussions and critiques.

That's a great idea Rhonda! I've been thinking about ways to mix up by typical tool box of ice-breakers, and I really like this Mad Libs approach. I think I'll try it this semester!

We go one step further and often show up on the last day of their prior class and get tell them a little about the exciting things they will learn in the next block. We also make sure something special is happening the first day to make sure everyone shows up.

Hi Kathy,
What a great way to bridge the gap between now and the future. By coming to the last day of class I am sure you reduce many of their fears about what will happen in the next class. Then with them having a fun day the first day of the new class the connection is really made.
Gary

At the start of a new class I ask the students to introduce themselves and say where they live.
Many of our students commute a long distance to school so this encourages carpooling.
They seem to connect better as a whole as well.

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