Wordwall: a must-have classroom atmosphere booster

For a well-prepared teacher, the sunken heads, averted eyes, and awkward silence of students in the classroom are enough to break the heart. In China, for example, students' silence in class has become a headache for teachers.

Have you experienced any of these classroom dilemmas? 

• Difficulty in breaking the ice
• Lack of student interest in the subject
• Low student participation in activities
• Silent questioning sessions
• Impatience and inattentiveness of students

Do you always put the blame on the content of the lesson, only to find that after some adjustments, the change is still small?

The truth is that such a situation may not be due to boring content, but simply a lack of interactive skills. The teacher's control of the classroom requires that the students' motivation and creativity be fully stimulated.

In this new era of technological advancement, classroom technology has brought perfect answers to such challenges. Teaching needs to keep up with the times, and the use of technology may largely inject fresh enthusiasm and energy into an otherwise dull classroom atmosphere.

Today I will introduce you to Wordwall, a tool that breaks the dull deadlock in the classroom.

Why Wordwall

• A wide selection of template resources

The basic version includes 18 interactive templates, while the pro version includes 33 interactive templates and 20 printable templates.

•  User-friendly procedure

Simply click on the button to create an activity, select the desired template, enter the required content and the exciting interactive images will be generated automatically.

•  Quick and easy content editing

Text and images can be added and modified quickly. It only takes a few minutes to design a classroom interaction! So efficient！

•  Fast switch between templates

A great highlight is that once you have edited the content of a template, you can switch between templates with one click if you find it inappropriate!

Each template also has different style themes to choose from. You can change the content and parameters at any time.

Examples

Let me show you a few examples of how I have used them in practice.

•  Open the box

I set up this activity in the warm-up and lead-in sessions of the lesson, with clues related to the content of the lesson.

For example, as my target group is Chinese primary school students, I set up word clues related to the topic of the lesson, namely Chinese festivals. The students are engaged by the freshness at the beginning of the class, and it breaks the ice well.

Click here for the full game.

• Random wheel

Regardless of the target group, the questioning is always a nerve-wracking session for the students. I enter the students' names into the random wheel and ask questions in class in the form of a big wheel draw. The chances of answering the questions become balanced, and the students' interest is stimulated by the draw. Answering questions is no longer a scary thing but a relaxing and enjoyable game.

Click here for the full game.

• Flip Tiles

I set up this interactive session at the end of the class to check what they have learnt. On the front of the Flip Tiles are festival-related foods or activities.When the Flip button is clicked, the name of the festival on the back flips over to check that the students have mastered the festival names they have learnt in the lesson.

Click here for the full game.

More templates are waiting for you to explore! 💖

 

Restrictions

It has to be admitted, however, that some limitations remain.

• Age range of the target group

Most of the templates are more suitable for teenagers or younger age groups in terms of the target group, as the animation and colours are better able to hook their interest. However, with the right timing and content, high-level learners can also enjoy this tool.

• Paid functions

Only 18 interactive templates are available in the basic version, and only 5 template resources can be created. For a fee, unlimited access to all 33 interactive templates and 18 printable templates are available. But clearly, the investment in such a convenient and versatile tool is worthwhile.

And the basic version still meets general needs. Although only five template resources can be created, the templates can be switched between at will, and the content can be modified at any time.

Take action now

Finally, I'm sure you'll all be eager to give it a go! For more detailed instructions to create activities, see this video below. Then click here to make a try.

Please feel free to leave any thoughts or ideas in the comments section. And of course, if you also have a great interactive classroom tool you'd like to share, please also let me know. I look forward to your comments! 💖

Image source: screenshots from Wordwall (click)
Video source:  video by Roe Rodriguez from YouTube (click)