I
was planning a training session today on adapting secondary coursebook tasks to
make them more engaging for students.
Two of the books had lessons on sending postcards. My first thought was who sends postcards
these days! Before you post comments
saying do, I accept that some people do but I suspect that many people
(especially teens) would simply send a photo from their mobile. Surely, then such
a lesson would be difficult to get students motivated and engaged?
But
then I remembered an app I’d learned from @joedale during one of apps swaps at
IATEFL. Bill Atkinson’s photocard app.
This
is app is a simple way to send a postcard. What I like about this more than a
number of similar apps, is that you don’t have to order (at cost) the card and
pay for it to be printed and sent (though that option is there if you want). In
this one you can simply email or share on social networks.
The app is free and comes with a set of ‘nature’ photos that you can use. However you can take and use your own photos. Having chosen a photo for the front, simply press back and you have the flipside of the card to complete as you would a paper post card. However, unlike that you also have the ability to add your voice. Choose a stamp and complete the address and then send the card.
While sending a postcard might never appeal to a teen, at least that app is a way to try and engage and personalize the task.
