As you might guess from the thumbnail, I started looking into online teaching tools during Covid. One positive outcome of this era is the creation of many virtual tools for an online classroom. However, it's also important for teachers to recognize that next year's classroom might not have any technology, you never know!
Whether you're going from low-tech to high-tech, or need some low-tech inspiration, I'm sure something in this post will benefit your classroom!
High-tech
Here are my go-to sites that are great for online classrooms, classrooms with SmartBoards, or classrooms with student tablets. If you think creatively, you could also use most of these sites for a low-tech classroom as well.
If you don't know about WordWall yet, you're welcome! This site has all types of games that your students will love to play. The best part is that most of the games can be made as retrieval practice, which can sometimes be hard to find pre-made! You can also set activities as virtual homework.
If you want to search other people's activities, the site will ask you to create an account. An easy way around this is to Google "Word Wall +(activity description)."
As of this article's publishing date, the free account will allow you to create 3 activities. If you want to create more, it'll be about $10/month. Which can be very affordable for some teachers, but out of budget for others! You can share the link for any activity you want students to play as well.
Here are some activities that I have made and used in an online classroom!
This was my classroom's favorite way to pick readers or participants to answer questions. It's a bit more fun than pulling sticks with names. I used this site often when I had a large touchscreen TV in my classroom. It worked great!
I also use this to play a virtual KABOOM game. I play Teacher vs Students when playing a game like KABOOM, however.
I LOVE Libby. I use it in my personal time as well, but it has been a great tool for sharing books during online classes! You and possibly your students will need to sign up for a library card, but you'd be surprised at how many English books I have found using my Seoul Metropolitan Library card!
This site can easily be implemented into a low-tech classroom as well.
This website is aimed at younger students with limited to no digital literacy. If you're looking for a relatively free way to tackle two concepts in one website, here it is!
On the reading homepage, you will find phonics activities that focus on foundational phonics skills. I love that the exercises are failproof and provide sounds throughout the whole activity. It's a great high-tech tool for Kindergarteners (and beyond).
Low-tech
These can be implemented in a classroom with either one main computer or without technology at all! Some of the high-tech options can be used here, but here are some sites that are better used by one main computer.
Usually, I'm not a fan of Classroom Dojo. It's my personal belief that students should be motivated to learn through means other than "treats." I also do not believe in taking away points that were earned after students misbehave. Have you ever had some money taken out of your paycheck for doing something wrong? No!
I also have seen bullying happening from how many points students accumulate. Plus, parents do not like to see their student having less points than their peers. That usually translates to problems for the teacher.
HOWEVER, I do believe students deserve some sort of tangible object that shows them they are doing well in class. I also like the idea of students getting paid for their hard work: points given per point earned on a test, points for a class goal, points for extra credit work, etc.
I thought myself to be a good student when I was younger, but I always received bad test grades, I think having something that showed me my teacher knew I was actively listening and participating would have been helpful in my school-age years.
The final verdict is to use it if you think it would be useful in your classroom, just be prepared to follow through with points each time a student performs a task.
This is truly a hidden gem. At least I think it's a hidden gem. No one else seems to have used it whenever I bring it up as a teaching tool.
It's a website created for ESL teachers BY an ESL teacher. I absolutely LOVE to use this website to practice English listening. You can pick from a multitude of English speakers, native or non-native!
Not only does the site offer listening videos and audio, but it also provides scripts, vocabulary lists, and quizzes! I would recommend utilizing this site in classrooms with older students, but I have found some appropriate for younger students as well!
You will need a microphone to utilize this website. The balls will bounce rapidly the louder your classroom gets. You can choose different kinds of balls that bounce and the sensitivity to sound. Once the classroom gets to loud, the site will also give your students a signal to quiet down.
No-tech
There are education websites meant for teachers to use as a low-prep tool. I also have some games that I like to play that do not require technology at all! I tried to limit this section to a teacher without a shared computer or projector for students to reference.
This website is right on the border of low to no tech. This website does require a subscription to take full advantage. The subscription fee is $25/year, which is such a steal for what you are getting. They do have some free worksheets available if you're looking at this last second and don't have time to set up a subscription.
I love that they have even created ELA units for classics like "Charlotte's Web" and "The Boxcar Children." If you're looking for a low-prep option, here it is! You can share the worksheets by printing them beforehand to make this no-tech, or you can display the worksheet and complete it as a class.
A website very similar to SuperTeacherWorksheets, however, this website focuses on ESL. What I love about this website is that it focuses on games and activities that require students to retrieve information and use language organically instead of following a script.
Education World has a variety of free worksheets on its website, like hidden picture puzzles from Highlights. I used these a lot when my students finished their monthly tests. This website isn't really my go-to for worksheets or lesson plan ideas, but it does have enough to get any teacher inspired!
I have mentioned this game in a past post. I love giving my older or high-level students rebus puzzles to decode. These are pretty tough for native speakers, so be sure to pick a page that is appropriate for your students!
Phonics Snowman
I have also mentioned this game in a past post. Namely, you will need a whiteboard to play with the whole class, but you could just use a piece of paper.
To play, you set up like Hangman: put a space for each letter of a word in a sentence. Instead of having students guess letters, I have them tell me the letter of the phoneme I make. I notice a huge improvement in retention after playing this game!
KABOOM!
This game requires a bit of prep work, but it isn't too much!
You will need to buy popsicle sticks, which can sometimes be hard to come by, I know. An alternative I have done is to write them on small slips of paper, it's just not re-playable this way.
Write target phonics words, vocabulary words, sight words, or whatever words you need on each stick. Write KABOOM on a few of the sticks. Keep the sticks with the words face down inside a cup.
To play, go to each student and have them take a stick from the cup. They must read the word to keep the stick. Every so often, however, they will get a KABOOM! They must put all their sticks back into the cup. This game can be tough the first time you play with young kids, but they quickly realize they are not the only ones putting sticks back into the cup and that they gain the sticks again each passing round. The only downside is deciding when to stop playing the game!
Well, I hope you found some of these websites and ideas useful for you and your classroom! I know I use all of these tools frequently online and offline. Keep up the great teaching!
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