When schools were locked down last year everyone’s attention switched to learning remotely. Whether you are using Zoom, Teams, Google Classroom or similar programmes, why not try one of these ideas.
Go on a virtual scavenger hunt
Have a scavenger hunt. Ask students to find various items you ask them for and show them to you on the screen once they have got them all. Choose items which encourage them to use their imagination such as ‘an object with words on, ‘an object with numbers on it.’, something smaller than your hand’, ‘something that makes you smile’. Start with five items and once they have got the hang of the game, increase the numbers.
Variations could include:
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Drawing a picture of all 5 items and holding it up to the camera.
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Making a crazy, long sentence including all 5 items.
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Asking a student to suggest the next set of 5 items.
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Awarding points for originality rather than speed.
Note of caution:
Choose simple, low-cost items to make sure that this activity does not disadvantage anyone. Remind them to take care!
Chat Consequences
Use the chat function to tell a story sentence by sentence. Ask each student to add a sentence each, taking it in turns. If it’s a large class, use breakout rooms.
Variations could include:
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Switch the genre, eg sci-fi, comedy, historical etc
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Every few sentences add a new sentence in to move the story on
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Encourage various techniques – simile, onomatopoeia, rhyme etc
Note of caution:
Agree clear rules in advance to avoid rudeness etc.
Useful sites
https://hookedoninnovation.com/2020/05/13/25-strategies-to-engage-zoom/
https://kimberlypurcell.medium.com/twenty-fun-ideas-for-teaching-a-zoom-class-ee124cbd35d7