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I have a lot of posts about learning games – both online and in the physical classroom.

And I have quite a few about dealing with virtual learning.

This one is a combination that will list the online games I’m using the most with my English Language Learner students in my English and History classes (feel free to add your own!):

Pictionary with Whiteboard.fi is always a winner.

There are quite a few online variations of Pictionary but, unfortunately, many appear to be blocked by our district’s Internet content filters.  You can find them at The Best Online Games Students Can Play In Private Virtual “Rooms.”

Students – and I – love Quizizz.  The games are easy to make, and the questions and answers are shown on the same screen, which make it easier to use online than tools like Kahoot.  They also have recently added a Nearpod-like tool that I use for sentence scrambles (like this one) and for other good formative assessment activities.

You can’t go wrong with the iSL Collective interactive video collection.

Bamboozle is useful.  You can see a video here about how to use it.

Wordwall is a great source for ELL-specific games that can be played like Quizizz.

Play bingo with LingoBingo.

“Hangman” – without the hanging man – can be played with a simple whiteboard apply like whiteboard.fi.  The key, though, is to use it with sentences, and not just single words.

Fluent Key “gamifies” videos.

If you have Brainpop, playing one of the videos and then using the quiz as a game with whiteboard.fi.

“PEAKSAY” IS LIKELY TO BECOME A “GO-TO” SITE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS

Drawpoly is great for Pictionary.  And it’s not blocked by our district’s content filters!

Another game I play is divide students into teams and assign breakout rooms; then I just ask a question; move students into breakout rooms for thirty seconds so they can discuss the answer; then bring them back to give the answer and see if they gain a point or not.

MODIFYING “MESSENGER & SCRIBE” (THE BEST CLASSROOM ELL GAME!) FOR ZOOM

 

All the above games pretty much need to be led by a teacher.

However, there are times when I just want students to play games with each other while I’m working with their other classmates.

Quizizz provides that option, and it’s easy to use.

If you have Brainpop, The Meaning of Beep games lets students play against each other.

Backyard has a collection of online games that can be played in video conferences, and some of them could be useful with both ELL and non-ELL students. My student teacher discovered it, and will be trying it out since – miracle of all miracles – it’s not blocked by our district filters. I’m tentatively adding it to this list, but may remove it once we give it a try.

Kahoot has finally added the ability to show questions and answers on the same screen.  With that addition, I’m now including it on this list.

 

I’ve Begun Having Students Play This Game In My Concurrent Classroom & It’s Been Working Well!

 

Again, please let me know what should be added to this list!