Product Review: Buzzers

PRODUCT REVIEW: Set of Four Buzzers (Teacher's Discovery)
Product Description: These buzzers make your lessons exciting games. The set contains four colored buttons, each with their own individual sound. The yellow light buzzes, the red sounds like a siren, the green has a laser sound and the blue sounds the charge! Three inches in diameter. Ages three and up. Requires two AAA batteries per unit (not included).
Cost: $24.99 for a set of four, $69.99 for a set of twelve

I wanted to get a set of buzzers for games like jeopardy, but looking at the cost of some of them (like Eggspert), it wasn't something that was feasible.  I noticed this set as I was browsing Teacher's Discovery.  Although four isn't an ideal number of buzzers, the price was right so I figured I'd go for it and got the set of four

I just got them in the mail yesterday and tried them out today with my students.  I gotta say - I really like them.  They're super-easy for students to use (they literally just have to push down).  They're fun because of the different noises.  I can't wait to use them again.

Practicality: 4/5
Not something you could use every day.  Great for review activities or games where timing is important (it's so frustrating trying to figure out who raised their hand first - the different sounds make it so easy).  BUT they're not very big and come in a box that makes storage super easy.

There's also the issue of having only four.  For smaller classes, this isn't a problem, but for my large class of 33 these buzzers wouldn't really work.  

Two other things to keep in mind: 
- There's no off switch.  Put the batteries in and they're always ready to go.  Makes it easy to set up, but I did hit a couple buzzers just trying to take them out of and put them back in the box.
- You'll need a very small screwdriver to be able to open the back panel.  Batteries aren't included, so you'll need 2 AAA batteries for each buzzer (8 in total for the set of four).  

Accuracy: 4.5/5
The different sounds makes this perfect - I can easily identify which group buzzed in first.  I mentioned above that they can't be turned off... which means some students who have an itchy trigger finger are likely to set off the buzzer in between rounds/questions.  I very quickly had to make a rule where I deducted points from a group if their buzzer went off when no question was being posed.  

Fun: 5/5
The sounds, the colors, the thrill of trying to buzz in first... My students were hooked from the second they saw the buzzers, never mind when they actually got to use them!  

Overall: 13.5/15 (90%)

I'm really happy with this purchase - it's something fun that was relatively inexpensive.  I'd definitely recommend this if you have an appropriately sized class and have games/activities that could make use of them.  

- Frau Leonard

Product Review: Colors Bulletin Board Set

PRODUCT REVIEW: Food Colors German Bulletin Board Set (Teacher's Discovery)

Product Description: Blueberries, black olives, brown bread, green grapes, orange carrots, violet eggplants, red bell peppers, yellow bananas, white rice: it's all here in mouth-watering full color! Hit two major vocabulary topics when you talk about food and colors with your class. Hang this bulletin board set to reinforce color vocabulary and healthy eating! Nine 8 x 11-inch glossy pieces, heavy cardstock, not laminated. 

Cost: $19.95

Our county curriculum for German is based on Deutsch Aktuell 1.  The way it was laid out, we were teaching colors to level 1 at the END of the school year.  Can you imagine waiting four quarters and then, as the LAST unit, starting colors?  I saw these in the Teacher's Discovery catalog and thought it would be a great reference for students throughout the year before we actually got to the unit.  

I love them!  The pictures are great and they add a bit of color (duh!) to the classroom.  Since they don't come laminated, make sure you get that done before hanging them up!  I've found the students like having them as a reference before we cover colors.  

They're a little small (only the size of a regular piece of paper) - they're not necessarily easy to read on the opposite side of the classroom - but I like the size because it makes them less obtrusive and gives you more options in where to put them up.

My only complaint is that pink and grey are missing.  I like having the posters, so I ended up making my own food-related posters for them (see above).

Practicality: 4.5/5

Great as a tool for students before they learn the vocab, and great as a quick reference for after (especially with spelling).  Only took off some points because it's only really practical for level 1 - upper levels don't need to refer to them.

Accuracy: 4/5

Only taking off because they're missing colors I wish were included.  Everything that's there is accurate (though students do sometimes complain that there's green in the white picture...).

Fun: 5/5

I love the pictures and color.  Great classroom decoration!

Overall: 13.5 / 15 (90%)

I would *highly* recommend this product if you teach elementary or middle school, or if you teach lower levels of German in high school.  Definitely worth it!

If you're looking for other color-related displays that might be a little cheaper, here are two others:

- Colors Skinny Poster (see left): Teacher's Discovery has a poster that shows all the colors (even pink and grey which are missing in the set above).  Looks good, but my concern is that it might be too small.  I like the look but didn't purchase it because I already own the item above.  Cost of this poster would be $12.00

- Color Their World: This blog post at the Creative Language Class talks about how to make super easy (and cheap!) signs for colors by going to Home Depot or Loews and getting paint strips.  Liked this idea and shared it with some of the other teachers at my school.  Very creative!

- Frau Leonard