This is the first post of a series I will begin taking about some online teaching tools that are certainly very useful for English teachers.
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| Wordwall website |
What is Wordwall?
The first tool I will present is Wordwall, which is a website for creating online teaching resources. There is an amazing variety of templates available, so the possibilities are endless. Due to its design, the activities seem like games, so my younger students are big fans. There, you can create matching activities, quizzes, crosswords, memory games, maze chase, word search, gap filling, group sorting, true or false, wheel games, just to mention a few!
How does it work?
The idea is simple, you choose your template, enter your content, you can include pictures from your computer or use their library and then share the link with your students. There is also the possibility of printing the activities as worksheets. Here is the explanation taken from their website:
Personally, I rarely create my own content because there are already many resources made by other teachers and they are really good. You just need to click on "community" and search for the topic you are teaching.
In class, you just copy and paste the link for the game in the chat and students click and play the game individually. You can also present your screen and play it together with the whole group, or in small groups in breakout rooms.
Is it free?
Yes, but there are some price plans available with more templates and an increased limit of resources you can create per month. With the free subscription, you can only create 5 resources per month, but by selecting a plan you can create unlimited resources. Also, you are only allowed to create printable resources if you choose a plan. Personally, I use the free version, but maybe for teachers who are in the "hybrid teaching" mode, maybe it can be worth paying.
Suggestions on how to use Wordwall in your online class
Repetition - Wordwall is really nice for repetition of activities. Students won't mind playing the same game twice or three times and we know how repeating an activity can be useful for learning purposes. My students often ask if they can play the game again and I always let them. I ask them to see if they can break their record, do the activity in less time, or if they can get all correct the second time they play.
Breakout rooms - There are many speaking activities about an infinity of topics. What I like to do is divide my learners in breakout rooms where one student will be responsible for presenting the game on their screen. Then, they play the speaking game (wheel, cards, or quizzes are nice ones) and I just monitor by going in each room.
Homework - Sometimes I play a wordwall game with my students and they like it so much that I assign it for homework. I always post the link for the games we have played in class in their classroom, so that they can play it after class.
Practice - Wordwall works great for vocabulary, grammar and speaking practice. I wish there could be a way to include listenings, too. Just be careful with the time allocated for this practice. It can be really fast, so students usually take 2 or 3 minutes to finish playing, but if they get too excited, a game can last much longer.
Have you ever used Wordwall? What do you think of it? Do you know any different ways to use it? Please, comment below. :)
