A simple team game, played ideally with a fairly short text.
In the example here (see image above and live example below) I have chosen to affect 1 in 3 spaces in the text (i.e. 2 in 3 spaces between words are already present) and students have 48 more spaces to find.
Divide the class into 2 teams and select a member from each team in turn to play.
The rules:
Textivate works best when used in the one-to-one / one student to one device environment, where each student has access to a computer, laptop or tablet. Unfortunately, however, classes that have access to this sort of set-up are definitely in the minority.
That said, there's plenty that you can do with textivate with the whole class if you have access to an interactive whiteboard. (Not to mention the worksheets, the homework setting, the extra practice and support that can be provided for students outside of regular class time, etc. -- all of those things that do not depend on access to technology within the class.)
This blog post concentrates on using textivate with an interactive whiteboard with the whole class.
Textivate can add all sorts to the languages classroom in terms of starters, fillers, reading practice, memorization, writing focus, simultaneous focus on form and meaning etc.
BUT... as with any tool, so much depends on HOW the teacher decides to use it.
The teacher knows his or her students and what they are capable of, so should select the most appropriate exercise types depending on...: the context; the level of text input; the type of information being presented; the point they are at in the learning sequence; whether it’s for a starter, a plenary, a presentation or the main element of a lesson; the time available etc. (Also behaviour, age, discipline, hands up or shouting out, etc.)
The sections below provide a few ideas for textivate in a whole-class IWB environment. I'm sure you can think of some more...