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Zoom Games & Activities to Energize Teaching Tactics
WEBINAR RECORDING
SUMMARY
Brains are amazing however they only have limited available memory- every new piece of information is viewed through a relevance filter — the equivalent of our brain asking, “do I need to remember this” or “will this be on the test?”
Add to that the potential for distraction and disengagement and you really need tools to up your online teaching to help your students cope and thrive! These Zoom tips are the foundation of your new normal- looking at your students through a screen for hours each day.
1. CHECK-IN & CHECK-OUT
Even though we’re physically distant, that doesn’t mean we can’t cultivate caring and supportive relationships with students or colleagues.
Checking in during virtual meetings
- shows you care
- informs your goals for the meeting
- sets the brain up to "get started"
- checks the emotional temperature of your learners
- as a team, make sure someone is also checking students out so when their last class finished, they can transition from home-learning to home
TRY THIS
- ask for a color- are you feeling green (prepared for the lesson and feeling mentally ready), yellow (not prepared but in a good headspace or prepared but feeling depleted, a little stressed or sad or scared) or red (not prepared and/or feeling overwhelmed)
- use an emoji to summarize how each student is doing either in chat or beside their names
- do a quick thumb check - two thumbs up, two thumbs down or one of each
- have wee ones draw their mood and show you
2. USE THE WHITEBOARD
Many people use the whiteboard to write or type on (like a classroom whiteboard). You can also annotate on the board as a really interactive way to collaborate. To annotate, hover your mouse towards the top of your screen; a bar should pop down with a range of options including annotate.
TRY THIS
- draw or type or stamp answers collaboratively
- take polls by dividing the whiteboard in 2 and having students stamp on the side they choose
- play a game like tic tac toe or bingo where the whiteboard acts as the game board
- try a whiteboard emoji check-in
3. USE MUSIC
Once you know how to play music on Zoom there are so many fun ways to use it! Use the Jeoporday theme count down group work, have a rev-up dance party or a calming mindful moment using chimes or singing bowls. Music is a powerful tool to prime the brain for what's next- learning, listening or calming down.
TRY THIS
- Have part of the assignment be theme music. When teaching Roman history, give let each student send in a track to be Caesar's theme song. In English or Humanities classes ask students to collaborate on a soundtrack for the movie version of the book. Then play the songs as the session begins, breaks or ends.
- Use fun current music to end class on a high note
- Go retro or theme of the week
- Create class playlists on Spotify
4. HAVE FUN WITH BACKGROUNDS (VIRTUAL AND REAL)
Zoom backgrounds can be really fun to play with. If you are working with really young students, have them make a "set" with lego or books or stuffed toys or have them place a drawing behind them. For the slightly older and more tech-savvy students, teach them how to change their screen then provide themes that are aligned with the class.
TRY THIS
- send every student the same background to upload
- put students in groups based on the background color you send them
- break into Harry Potter themed houses, landscapes from around the world, their photos from Grade 1 etc.
5. USE POLLS
When students are introduced to new theories and concepts, brains decide whether to retain what was just learned… or to overwrite it as soon as something more interesting comes along.
When your students aren’t actively engaged, everything you’ve taught them will eventually fade away. Quick engagement is one key to long-term retention. You can use the polling feature in Zoom or other online learning platforms or...
TRY THIS
- use the whiteboard to have a visual poll like "stamp the board with a heart if you agree"
- have everyone turn off cameras and vote by turning them back on
- have each user change their user name to display each user's answer
Have your polls ready in advance to save time!
6. USE BREAKOUT GROUPS
Breaking students allows more opportunities for collaboration.
Once you know how, here are some fun ways to play with this feature:
TRY THIS
- pre-assign groups
- have random groups
- Icebreakers & Check-Ins
- Bingo: Email each student a bingo card. But instead of numbers, each cell has an activity that someone could have done. The goal is to find classmates to fill in each section of the card. (example- has 2 dogs, lives on a farm, didn't eat breakfast)
- Show & Tell -Put 2-4 people into each breakout room. Each person in each group has to find something in the room to share with the group or have them arrive with an item.
- Discussion
- Brainstorm Ideas
- Peer Assist
- 1-2-4-All: This process comes from Liberating Structures.
- Reflection & Takeaways
7. HAVE PARTICIPANTS RENAME THEMSELVES
Students can change their user name really quickly. You can use this feature as a way to let all students answer simultaneously (something hard to do in a classroom setting) or as part of a fast check-in.
TRY THIS
- let breakout groups share a screen name (e.g. Jon- TEAM FANTASTIC)
- while debating have students show who is winning by changing their name to the debater they support
- put the name of a favourite author, singer, athlete instead of their real name
7. USE IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER TECHNOLOGY LIKE MENTIMETER OR QUIZLET
Students can change their user name really quickly. You can use this feature as a way to let all students answer simultaneously (something hard to do in a classroom setting) or as part of a fast check-in.
TRY THIS
- let students vote visually
- show polls or games in real-time while you play
- make it a game show, not a test
BONUS
