Virtual school activities are a great way to engage students in learning.
However, virtual activities do not always have to be reserved only for homeschooled students. These activities can be used as an effective form of teaching at any time during the school year or as part of professional development courses.
You will find that the best virtual school activities are not academic, but instead focus on community building or include some form of social-emotional learning.
The best virtual school activities involve students learning from each other as well as learning from their teachers. There are several advantages of virtual school programs. These programs often include social-emotional learning (SEL) components that teach children how important it is for them to maintain healthy relationships with others outside of school settings such as at home.
As a teacher, or on behalf of a teacher you know, what has pleasantly surprised you about online/distance learning?
This type of interaction helps students develop social skills and improves self-confidence while also giving them a chance to practice creativity without pressure. Here are 13 Virtual School Activities.
1. Guided Group Meditation Sessions
Meditation can be a great way to relax, reduce stress and focus on the present moment. It can help students become more mindful in their daily lives by learning how to take control of their thoughts and emotions.
Meditation sessions are also a great opportunity for educators to have meaningful conversations with their students which can help them cope with anxiety or stress at school or at home.
2. Book Review Gameshow
This activity is a fun way for students to give each other feedback on books they have read. Students can also share their book reviews with their classmates and learn more about each other’s interests.
This is a creative way for students to practice reading, writing, and speaking skills. They can read books and then share their reviews with their classmates online.
3. Theme Days
Theme days are a fresh and compelling way to get your students excited about online classes.
It’s extremely easy to plan for and implement, which means less stress, and more structured learning fun! Also, because it does not require students to be physically present together at the same time, this makes for a fun virtual activity.
Teachers can plan specific themes on certain days of the week or during seasonal occasions. Then, students can dress accordingly, and say a few words about the topic. They can even present something that relates to the topic.
This can contribute to their development in many ways, including helping them express themselves, build stronger connections, and share their knowledge.
4. Student Talent Showcase Videos
This is an amazing way to get students to showcase their talents. Apart from that, this is also an excellent way to learn about different cultures and traditions.
Students can learn how to make videos and edit them using a smartphone. It can be exciting to see what students can come up with to reveal their hidden talents!
5. Online Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is a game that students can play virtually. It’s a fun way to get them interested in learning more about each other and their community.
The game involves everyone in the group having different roles, and can stay interesting for hours!
The ‘Scavenger’ has all the answers and knows where everything is located (for example, he/she may have a map). Players team up and work together to either find items on the map or solve puzzles together, which is both fun and a great team-building activity for the class!
This helps build community among peers who are not familiar with each other yet because they’re working together towards common goals while also learning more about topics outside of classwork!
6. Virtual Tour
Virtual tours are a great way to show off your school. You can use this tool to showcase different classrooms and other places.
Virtual tours are also valuable for educators who want to create a more personal connection with their potential students.
This can be especially helpful when it is time for parents or community members who aren’t familiar with the school environment or curriculum yet — virtual tours allow them not only to see firsthand what kind of facilities there are but also how well it all fits into their child’s learning style.
7. Game-based Learning
Role play is an effective way for students to practice social skills. It can be used to teach a variety of subjects and content areas, including math, science, history, and arts.
For example, students may need help understanding how numbers relate or how fractions work together. They can interact with each other by using role-playing games (RPGs) where each student has his/her character and can communicate with other players via text chat or voice chat.
This allows them to practice communicating effectively while learning about different types of mathematical concepts at the same time!
8. Creative Online Drawing Challenge
Drawing is an excellent way to express yourself, connect with others, and explore your artistic side. It’s also a great way to get students working together in teams or individually on the same project. If you’re looking for something that will challenge your students’ creativity and get them thinking outside the box, then this activity is for you!
To get started:
- Ask each student what they think about when drawing.
- Do some talking about famous artists like Picasso or Michelangelo —or even more contemporary artists like Banksy or Jeff Koons!
9. Charades
Charades are a fun and powerful activity for team building, and they can be played in teams or individually. The best part about this game is that it can even be played virtually. Students will practice their communication skills while having fun with this classic game!
Charades are also a great way to get students to learn about cultures from all over the world. You can find some great resources online on how to play charades with different themes and customs.
10. Jeopardy!
Let’s face it: many aren’t great at memorizing facts. But that doesn’t mean you can’t give your students a fun way to learn! Jeopardy is a fun and friendly game to test the knowledge of students and their peers.
In this game, teams of students can be made to compete against each other in a quiz show format, answering questions using their phones or laptops.
11. Trivia Game
Trivia games can easily help to get students engaged in their learning, while also teaching them something new. They can be played as part of a lesson plan or just as an after-school activity on your own time.
The best part is that there are many different types of trivia games you can play with your virtual school class! Here are some examples:
- General Knowledge – This game requires students to team up and interact by answering questions about a general range of topics. (e.g., “What country did Shakespeare come from?”). The answers will then appear on screen so everyone knows who won each round before moving on to the next round.
- Name That Tune – Everyone loves music! You’ll have no trouble getting kids involved in this one because it involves simply listening carefully enough until someone guesses correctly without any clues from others around them – that’s what makes it fun after all!
12. Storytelling Session
Storytelling is a fantastic way to build community and empathy. It can also be used to teach students about themselves, as well as their peers. Here are some storytelling tips:
- Start with an open mic – or if you don’t have the space for this, start by asking your students what types of stories they like. This will help them narrow down their ideas for what kind of stories they’d like to tell next time around!
- Give each student a time limit – This is to make sure that everyone gets a chance to tell their story within the stipulation of the class’s time duration.
13. Crafting Masterclasses
Every student has a unique talent that they can share with the rest of the world! Children and young adults enjoy exploring interesting skills and learning new abilities from their peers. It excites them and helps bring them together and form strong bonds, which is extremely important for their growth and personal development.
Hosting crafting tutorials are an excellent way to bring the entire class together and learn something new! It gives students an opportunity and a platform to present themselves and share their knowledge.
This could be origami, painting, modeling with clay, or many more possible crafts, students can host masterclasses that the rest of the class can follow along with virtually. Even if all their peers aren’t in the same room, they can still teach and learn from each other effectively with this virtual activity.
Conclusion
Virtual school activities can not only be refreshing and exciting, but they can also be great for personal development overall.
The best virtual activities are those that not only provide value for students in terms of education but also allow students to connect and form a strong community.
For more on virtual team building, check out this comprehensive virtual team-building guide from Time Doctor. These activities have proven successful in helping students build their social skills by teaching them how to communicate effectively, collaborate, listen and respect others.
Source by www.emergingedtech.com
