As an adult education ESL teacher, I feel like I am always looking for (and sometimes struggling to find) a way to introduce an element of fun and randomness that is still appropriate for adult students. Creating this “element of randomness or fun” has proven to be even harder virtually since my usual tricks of getting my students up and moving cannot be applied as easily on a Zoom call. However, all hope is not lost because there are quite a few ways to bring a “little something extra” to a virtual classroom. One of my favorite ways to do this is by using PowerPoint spinning wheels in class. You can use them for tons of things: choosing students, vocabulary words, discussion questions, review questions, and much more. Ready to use one in your classroom? Check out this blog post and tutorial from Tekhnologic. It includes a template for PowerPoint spinning wheels with between 4 and 20 segments, instructions on how to edit and use them, and activity suggestions. Follow the link here and let us know what you think. Would you use one in your class? What other ways do you bring a little fun to your classroom?

Taynim Johnson

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