Hot Potato, Hot Potato

I have already done 2 posts on quizzes - One about using Class Marker and the other using PowerPoint to create quizzes. Of the two, I have preferred using PowerPoint because a) you can personalise and customise the quizz as much as you like and b) it's simple enough for learners to create their own quizzes in.
However, I have just discovered and downloaded Hot Potato, which is now my new favourite quizz maker. It is very very simple and appealing to use, and only takes a couple of minutes to download onto your computer for free. It gives you the options of

• JClose - creating a fill in the blanks cloze activity
  
• JMatch - creating a matching exercise
  
• JMix - creating a jumbled sentence excercise
  
• JCross - creating a crossword puzzle
• JQuizz - with the options of multiple choice and short answer quizzes.

I am excited to use it, let alone what the learners will be like when they get to have a go. I really like that it gives you the options of different types of activities. This means that learners can choose an option that suits them and their learning the best (both style and level).
Once each group of learners has created their quizzes, there is an option called The Masher - which you can add files to to build a sequence of excercises into a complete indexed unit. This way, all the students quizzes are in one place and everyone can have a go at each other's quizzes - or a particular quizz may be assigned to a particular groups or person to complete.

When using this in the classroom I would start by creating quizzes in each category first for the learners to complete. After that I would do a modelled/shared session for creating each quizz with the class. From there learners can work in small groups (2-3) to choose a quizz type and create a quizz on a given topic (preferably to do with the unit of work being studied that term). It may even work to have different groups working on dofferent aspects of the term's work - e.g. one group doing the SOSE focus, one group maths focus, one literacy focus, one science focus, one art focus etc. Thes should all work in together if the unit is transdisciplinary.

You can also upload these to a web page so they are interactive or you can exzport them for printing.

In all, it is a really cool program!