TaskMagic Tutorial - (1) Getting started with TaskMagic Create

1. FAQ: I've played with the games that you put on your blog and website, but how do I use TaskMagic to create my own resources?

Answer: Use TaskMagic Create. First, you need to have TaskMagic3 (trial or licensed) on your computer.

You can't create your own resources with the Home-use-only version of TaskMagic, because this only includes a version of TaskMagic Play, NOT TaskMagic Create.

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I love what you are doing; this is an amazing tool; but since I have taught for many years, I have to wonder that if teachers cannot come up with some of these exercises on their own, then why are we hiring them??
— Jill
Thanks for your comment Jill (I don't get many :0)

Are you commenting on the need for these video tutorials or on the use of TaskMagic itself?

— taskmagic
Sorry about the ambiguous comment; The video tutorials are very useful. I guess I meant the use of TaskMagic. I like the possibilities it offers, especially with the sound components. As a teacher of foreign language, I see potential use for most of these applications. However, I am also frustrated by the "cut and paste" mentality that replaces a more creative approach on behalf of teachers who want quick fixes as opposed to thinking about the specific needs of their students - and then I see that TaskMagic can help them meet those needs also and help them differentiate lessons according to those needs.
— jill
It was as a teacher of foreign languages that I initially created this resource :0)
I saw a need for it and decided to write it...

What TaskMagic does is automate a lot of the resource creation process. Lots of teachers make their own resources - typically they'll use something like powerpoint to present vocabulary. Text Match gives them a way to use the same list of vocab for a whole range of repetitive vocab practice - but the variety means that it isn't perceived as being repetitive.

Lots of teachers create resources based on a text (either their own, or from a text book, or elsewhere), typically with a gap-fill exercise. Mix and Gap takes the text and automatically generates a whole range of sequencing and text-reconstruction activities, as well as providing a simple way of creating a variety of gap-fills and "Find the French"-type activities. It takes what they are doing already, but gives them so-o-o much more practice material.

And you're right. TaskMagic DOES provide a range of differentiated resources - within each exercise group there is a wide range of difficulty / challenge. And because teachers input their own content, they can make sure that it IS tailored to meet the specific needs of their students.

What frustrates me is that there are teachers who don't "get" TaskMagic and continue to spend ages preparing powerpoints, word doc worksheets and IWB files, none of which provide anywhere near the language practice that Taskmagic does. What frustrates me even more is when teachers scratch the surface with TaskMagic and dismiss it because they're already using an online flashcard or vocab drilling program (typically beginning with a q). They're really not comparing like with like. TaskMagic is so-o-o much more than vocab practice / flashcards.

— taskmagic
I am a student who has downloaded the TM Play Home software. I would love to be able to use it at home and revise my AS Spanish Vocab however, the software doesn't allow me or give me the option to add my own vocab lists in the correct format into the software. There is no 'Create' option anywhere and the files that my teacher uses at school are not available on the website or in the sample files. Please help me asap.
— Holly
Hi Holly. The home use version of TaskMagic Play doesn't allow you to create your own files - it is only for accessing files that have already been created and made available in some way.

If you download the 30 day trial you'll be able to use it to create exercises based on your own vocab etc for 30 days. Then, once your 30 days are up, you will still be able to access these files using the home use version.

Hope this helps. Please contact me on the email address on the TaskMagic website if you'd like any more help.

— taskmagic
dear Sir/ madam,

I am doing a research project in Holland and this project appears interestingto Dutch education system. Would a school in holland be able to purchase the software and create programs where instruction is dutch but target language is German?

Could you let me know ?

thanks

Donna

— Donna shade
Hi Donna,

You can use TaskMagic to make exercises to teach any roman script language. You can make text manipulation exercises based on texts in German, for example, or matching exercises from Dutch to German, or matching images or sounds to German words. However, the instructions and user interface will appear in English.

— taskmagic
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