Flocabulary
Thursday, March 3rd, 2005
Flocabulary is a vocabulary building site that embeds new vocabulary words in rap lyrics and allows you to stream or download them to listen (study).
The site is crude but it’s getting some attention and there is undoubtedly research somewhere on putting new vocabulary into lyrical form to help it “stick” better. Not sure rap is the best form but it may be for a generation who grew up listening to it. Man, do I feel old!
Source: Kottke.org
I am a tutor with urban high schoolers and I told them about this site. Most had really good things to say and were generally excited about an educational tool that actually has them in mind. Princeton Review and Kaplan have a business mindset, but Flocabuarly seems to really connect with today’s youth. I think it’s brilliant.
Good to hear. The question is, of course, does it actually teach anything or is it just fun to listen to new vocab words in rap-style lyrics? I’m not against it or even cynical, but we have to be careful to not mistake a fun tool that keeps people on task but doesn’t teach anything that sticks with a fun tool that keeps people on task that really teaches. If one’s aim is a “TV” like passive experience that’s one thing but if one’s aim is to teach vocabulary, that’s another.
But, I agree, juicy beats dry any day when it comes to computer-aided instruction.