Zoom class ideas and tips for small class

amother

OP ↓

Tue, Dec 28 2021, 9:54 pm

Hi, I’m back to teaching remotely. However, today very few students showed up to zoom and most of them barely engaged. Any ideas for creating an engaging zoom class my students can enjoy and want to participate in? There was almost no interaction today, felt like I was giving a lecture to a wall. I can afford to go off topic and not teach my subject. Any tips, advice or ideas? Thanks!

amother

Papayawhip ↓

Tue, Dec 28 2021, 9:56 pm

Make interactive games and activities. Use websites like flippity, edpuzzle, Kahoot etc.
Have fun surprises prepared. We took a virtual trip to the zoo as a class celebration one time.
Give the girls a chance to show things from their house and families

finprof

Tue, Dec 28 2021, 10:02 pm

Everything Papayawhip said plus you can try socrative app "races" and polleverywhere interactives. I also encourage students to make TikTok style videos for review and show them in class.

amother

↑ Papayawhip

Tue, Dec 28 2021, 10:03 pm

I never do incentive systems in school but for Zoom I'll often incorporate some kind of incentive. I find it's worth it considering how hard it is to be actively engaged in Zoom lessons

Good Friend

Tue, Dec 28 2021, 10:18 pm

Which age students?
For older kids I agree with above suggestions. For younger kids lots of games on PowerPoint, like matching memory game (students can tell you which cards to select for their turn easily if you number the cards or make each a different color), or rewards like every time a question is answered correctly move a picture of a candy onto a picture of a shopping cart, etc. Or reward good behavior with a chance to show the class a favorite toy

amother

Aubergine

Tue, Dec 28 2021, 11:08 pm

This may be less popular but do actual games.

My class loved say it -don’t spray it.

Every kid sat with a spray bottle or water bottle and if they got an answer wrong they had to spray themselves.

We did a similar idea with each student brining a spicy food to the zoom.

You can also have students dress in a specific color, do breakout rooms where they solve part of a jigsaw activity etc.

amother

Black

Tue, Dec 28 2021, 11:34 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Wow I didn’t realize zoom had these options… I’m a little confused. I can find games on the Zoom app? I am using my phone…

No you need to be on a computer to access these. These are all separate websites. In general if your zooming on a phone it feels more like a chat and for kids that's totally weird with a teacher. When you properly set up like create a workspace and have everything all together it makes it feel more like class.

For regular day to day lessons use presentation, give worksheets or things to right down. Call on kids to read the slide. Call them out when not paying attention like "And Moshe was told to tell the Jews ___, right Sara?"

You shouldn't be doing games every lesson or they'll grow accustom to them and totally tune out when no games.

The best way to engage students is to give them what to do. Sometimes you will give more of a lecture but that happens in class too. Pause and ask the class a question, not just a what's the translation but questions that cause them to think.

Tell them your waiting to see more hands. Especially on zoom they'll actually pick their head up.