Remote Learning Series: 5 different ways to have fun with your students

A lot of teachers around the world are transitioning to a remote learning environment due to the COVI-19 outbreak.

The eTwinz have created a series focus on remote learning where they will share five scenarios of remote learning.

Welcome to the ninth blog of this series: Five Different Ways to Have Fun with Your Students

why is important to have fun?

"Providing some SEL opportunities for students are just as important as classwork"

Having fun with our students and keep building a relationship based on trust is important in this situation. We need to let them know that we are here for them; they need to know that we got their back. We are still here for them when they are struggling.

Following this idea, we need to keep having fun with them by giving them opportunities to engage in fun activities where they can play with us and with their classmates.

We have put together a list of five activities that provides students with a safe environment where they can play and have fun with their friends.

1.Microsoft Teams Just Chatting Channel

We have a Just Chatting channel in our Microsoft Teams for students to engage in different conversations and share what is going on in their lives.

We love to see how students just share with the class what happened the day before or what they had for breakfast.

This is a powerful way to keep building memories together and remind each other that we still think of them even if we are not together.

2. Microsoft Teams Thematic Meetings

We love to have thematic meetings such as Football/Soccer day or Carnival party. In this meetings teachers and students dress up for the day while they learn the content.

We also like to have more simple themes like hat day (picture), wear sunglasses or a pajama day with our students. Every day we have a call, we start a poll in Microsoft Teams using Microsoft Forms for them to vote on what they want to do the next call.

3. Flipgrid Weekly Challenges

Every other week, we create a Flipgrid Grid full of challenges that our students need to complete. They love to complete these challenges and see their classmates doing it.

Here an example of some of the challenges we have done for last week:

This is a powerful way to keep students engage and having fun. They love to see their teacher trying to complete the same challenges they need to.

Here is Mario completing the soccer challenge:

4. Flipgrid FlipHunts

"A Fliphunt is an engaging lesson format that uses Flipgrid as a platform for a scavenger hunt type activity. Students respond to challenges in various ways on the provided Flipgrid"

Do you want to learn more about this awesome activity designed by Kathi Kersznowski?

Check this blogpost from our friends Jenallee.

5. OneNote Games

We have a section in our One Note Collaboration Space for our students to play different games. This section gives them the opportunity to keep playing with their friends from home. Here there are two examples of the games that we have in that section of our collaboration space.

Students are often in a Microsoft Teams meeting while they play together.