Invite students to elaborate on their responses. Use the responses as a jumping-off point to talk about the things that make students unique, and also completely normal. What is your WHY for attending this session today? (via What character trait do you look for in a new friend?.What words would you like others to use when describing you?.What’s your biggest goal for the year, in one word?.Who has had the most impact on your life?.Seeing how their peers respond gives students a chance to relate to one another in class. Help students connect with each other over questions that bring up shared experiences, opinions, and emotions.
Encourage sincerity to form new connections I loved my summer vacation because I spent it doing… (via more: Fun icebreaker questions to bond with your students 2.What’s your favorite weekend activity (one word)?.What’s the best show on Netflix right now?.What is your North Star? (via What’s your #lifehack of the week?.Words that students submit multiple times grow larger than the rest and showcase the most popular responses. One-word responses are easier to read in the finished word cloud. Make the question as meaningful or nonsensical as you like – just phrase it in such a way that it solicits a one-word response. The first week of class is a great time to dive in with an icebreaker question. Don’t have an account? Sign up for free today. You can also click to copy any of these word cloud activities to your Poll Everywhere account. Join the conversation by posting your own word clouds and tagging on Twitter. Some of the examples below come from the many teachers and educators who share their education word cloud activities on Twitter. Popular words get bigger and the colors change. With Poll Everywhere’s word cloud, words move and grow as students respond live. Word clouds are one of many active learning strategies that teachers can implement to engage visual learners. They can be dynamic, dancing pictures whose words capture students’ ideas and emotions live, in the moment. Word clouds are a fun visualization of brainstorming sessions or student opinions but word clouds can be more than static images you prepare ahead of class.