As students spend more and more time on asynchronous activities and learning remotely, it is becoming extra challenging to keep them on their toes and exposed to new and fresh websites to keep remote / hybrid learning interesting. Previously, I shared with you fun websites you can offer your distance learning early finishers to broaden their horizons and help them discover fun but educational resources to keep them entertained. If left to their own devices too much, we know what they will likely revert to (ahem TikTok, video games…)
Well this article is about how to utilize some wonderful underrated websites out there that will help make your life easier as you teach in a virtual or hybrid classroom.
Well this article is about how to utilize some wonderful underrated websites out there that will help make your life easier as you teach in a virtual or hybrid classroom.
Awesome free underrated websites to help you in your remote or hybrid classroom:
The following free websites are some gems I have discovered (and one I made!) that will help you in your remote or hybrid classroom:
1. SlidesMania.com
This website offers you a range of totally free templates that you can use in your Google Slides or PowerPoint presentations for your lessons. We recognise the importance of having attractive lessons for our students to keep them engaged during blended learning, but it can be very time consuming to create them and not everyone has the time or creativity to do that - enter slides mania! Simply choose your template and add your lesson content straight to it. It will save you hours and your students will appreciate the funky designs to keep their interest and engagement during distance learning!
This website offers you a range of totally free templates that you can use in your Google Slides or PowerPoint presentations for your lessons. We recognise the importance of having attractive lessons for our students to keep them engaged during blended learning, but it can be very time consuming to create them and not everyone has the time or creativity to do that - enter slides mania! Simply choose your template and add your lesson content straight to it. It will save you hours and your students will appreciate the funky designs to keep their interest and engagement during distance learning!
2. app.ClassroomScreen.com
This site is a wonderful tool for your remote or hybrid students. It works like a whiteboard where your whole class can see a range of important things needed for the lesson. You can mix and match what you put on the whiteboard for all to see. Some examples include: a calendar, a clock, a stopwatch, a timer, a traffic light, work symbols (e.g. listen, silence, work with a neighbour etc), a textbox, a drawing box, QR code, media links (e.g. video, image, webcam etc.), sound level detector, a dice and a random name generator. Phew, this tool actually has it all!
This site is a wonderful tool for your remote or hybrid students. It works like a whiteboard where your whole class can see a range of important things needed for the lesson. You can mix and match what you put on the whiteboard for all to see. Some examples include: a calendar, a clock, a stopwatch, a timer, a traffic light, work symbols (e.g. listen, silence, work with a neighbour etc), a textbox, a drawing box, QR code, media links (e.g. video, image, webcam etc.), sound level detector, a dice and a random name generator. Phew, this tool actually has it all!
3. ClassKick.com
This tool is great for synchronous teaching even while teaching remotely. You upload your teaching material to the site and students can complete the work on screen. You can see what every member of the class is doing in real-time, students can ask for help individually from you or their peers, you can leave feedback including fun stickers and so much more!
This tool is great for synchronous teaching even while teaching remotely. You upload your teaching material to the site and students can complete the work on screen. You can see what every member of the class is doing in real-time, students can ask for help individually from you or their peers, you can leave feedback including fun stickers and so much more!
4. WheelofNames.com
This is a great random name generator. Simply add your students’ names to the list and a wheel will spin and pick one at random! This could also work as an activity or homework generator - have fun with the possibilities of this site!
This is a great random name generator. Simply add your students’ names to the list and a wheel will spin and pick one at random! This could also work as an activity or homework generator - have fun with the possibilities of this site!
5. Whiteboard.chat
This site is ideal for remote and hybrid learning as each of your students will receive an individual digital whiteboard, where they can draw, write text, make notations on images etc. You will see all your students' whiteboards in real time, so you can follow their progress, while the students only see their own whiteboard and yours. It works as an effective instant formative assessment tool for your classroom, providing you with live feedback and immediate overview over your students. You can engage your whole remote or hybrid class, and every student is included!
If you’re looking for more of a collaborative whiteboard option whereby students can work in groups to complete a project or answer questions, all while being remote, then this site can do that too!
This site is ideal for remote and hybrid learning as each of your students will receive an individual digital whiteboard, where they can draw, write text, make notations on images etc. You will see all your students' whiteboards in real time, so you can follow their progress, while the students only see their own whiteboard and yours. It works as an effective instant formative assessment tool for your classroom, providing you with live feedback and immediate overview over your students. You can engage your whole remote or hybrid class, and every student is included!
If you’re looking for more of a collaborative whiteboard option whereby students can work in groups to complete a project or answer questions, all while being remote, then this site can do that too!
6. DailyMorningMeetings.com
This site is perfect if you are looking for ready made morning meetings messages to start your day whether in-person, remote or hybrid learning. Every Monday – Friday, a brand new prompt will automatically appear for you to use in your classroom. There are 6 different themes each day; that’s more than enough for a different theme every day or multiple themes each day if you prefer! They are ideal for settling your students at the start of your remote learning day, as a consistent and fun morning routine in your classroom encouraging students to have meaningful conversations or writing prompts and an effective morning check in to connect with your students and attend to their social emotional needs. If you want to read more about this site you can check out this article on how to deliver morning meeting messages for distance, virtual, remote, hybrid and blended learning. The daily motivation is completely free every week day of the year!
This site is perfect if you are looking for ready made morning meetings messages to start your day whether in-person, remote or hybrid learning. Every Monday – Friday, a brand new prompt will automatically appear for you to use in your classroom. There are 6 different themes each day; that’s more than enough for a different theme every day or multiple themes each day if you prefer! They are ideal for settling your students at the start of your remote learning day, as a consistent and fun morning routine in your classroom encouraging students to have meaningful conversations or writing prompts and an effective morning check in to connect with your students and attend to their social emotional needs. If you want to read more about this site you can check out this article on how to deliver morning meeting messages for distance, virtual, remote, hybrid and blended learning. The daily motivation is completely free every week day of the year!
7. LifeAt.io
This site is one of my favourites for productivity. It can be used just for you or for your remote classroom. It offers you ambience vibes to imagine you are in a different location around the world with ambience sounds to help you concentrate. It also offers a pomodoro timer of 25 mins with the option of short or long breaks. So you could share this screen with your students, choose a location for you all to be remotely learning in and set the timer as they complete the task. I find it is such a motivator and helps mix things up, especially as the same 4 walls around us can take their toll after a while!
This site is one of my favourites for productivity. It can be used just for you or for your remote classroom. It offers you ambience vibes to imagine you are in a different location around the world with ambience sounds to help you concentrate. It also offers a pomodoro timer of 25 mins with the option of short or long breaks. So you could share this screen with your students, choose a location for you all to be remotely learning in and set the timer as they complete the task. I find it is such a motivator and helps mix things up, especially as the same 4 walls around us can take their toll after a while!
To conclude:
I hope this has given you some fun ideas to help keep your remote or hybrid teaching fresh and exciting and offers your students the opportunity for new experiences in the online world!
Access DailyMorningMeetings.com for free:
| If you want have all your daily morning meetings readily done for you for the entire year, you can sign up for free at DailyMorningMeetings.com! If you want to gain access to all 6 themes, which includes daily motivation, daily jokes, daily fun facts, daily thoughts and daily riddles, then you can get them all free for one whole week when you sign up for full access! |  |
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