3 most recent online tools I have discovered

My name is Lesia, and I'm a language coach certified by Cambridge (Celta, Delta M2) and the International Coaching Federation.

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I’ve been in online teaching for more than 3 years now and I thought that nothing could surprise me.  But these 3 resources actually did. 

1.     Resource for creating board-games. I used to use Flippity for creating boardgames. But this resource is much more user-friendly. I usually use board games for revision lessons especially when I need to reinforce diverse topics across different language skills such as vocabulary, grammar, functional language, and more. The tasks may encompass filling in gaps, identifying synonyms, responding to statements based on personal experiences, and constructing complete sentences from individual words (particularly for functional language).

2.     Resource for creating a competition-based game.  PlayFactile is an interactive and versatile learning platform that enables educators to create engaging and customizable review games in a jeopardy-style format. It's an ideal tool for educators looking to gamify their lessons and promote active participation and retention among students. 

Again, I used to use Jeopardylabs to create this type of games and let students compete with each other. However, PlayFactile stands out with its much more attractive and appealing design. I also frequently employ it for review lessons.

3.     StoryDice. Story Dice is a creative and imaginative online resource designed to inspire storytelling and spark creativity. I usually use this resource for a free practice activity or a lead-in activity. If you decide to use it as a free practice activity, make sure to provide additional context to make sure that your students practice the necessary target language as well as create a story.

1. You will see five story dice (you can also choose nine dice, if you prefer), each with a random image on it. Your student’s job is to turn these prompts into a story. 

2. You can also explain to your students that they don’t need to take the image literally. They can use the dice metaphorically or as representations of other concepts. For example, a piece of a cake could represent food in general. 

3. If you have a pair or a group lesson, students can use the images and present sentences of a story in turns. This will make all of them very attentive and will ensure active listening. 

4. I usually share my screen, the students see the images and then I create the topic/the title of the story (taking into account our lesson’s topic, the target language and the images). 

5. Before presenting this activity, I can also ask my students to recall all the vocabulary items covered at this lesson and I type them on the screen (using the Annotate function). Then, while they are telling the story, I cross out the target language items that they have mentioned. 

And finally, an essential aspect I'd like to emphasize is that the creation of your personal portfolio of online resources is a crucial component of a teacher's role. However, it's also important to be careful when using them. Introduce a new resource every now and then, so your students have time to learn and get used to each one, instead of using too many at once and confusing them.