Whiteboards are great to use in a warm up activity. Writing or drawings can be easily erased making it an enjoyable activity that your learner can have fun with, experiment and take risks.

Free Writing Warm Up

Here’s how to use a mini whiteboard in a free writing warm-up:

• Set a time limit (e.g., 5 minutes) or agree to write until the board is filled up.
• Both you and your learner take a pen.
• You must each write on your own board whatever comes to mind – letters, words, sentences.
• Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, punctuation or sentence structure. Loosen up and have fun with it!
• Keep a flow – not too fast or not too slow.
• If your learner is blocked, have some prompts ready (e.g., dinner last night, things around the room).
• When the time is up or the board is full – wipe the boards clean. No editing!

Note: You can do this activity in an online session.

To encourage flow and freedom, however, it’s best not to use a document camera for this activity. Allow your learner to write without you seeing what they write.

Mind maps are great for brainstorming and organizing ideas visually. A mind map is a useful problem solving and decision making tool. You can use mind maps to capture main ideas when reading a text or making notes when listening to an audio clip. At the end of session, a mind map can be a great way of reviewing what you learned.

Mind Map Brainstorming

Here’s how to use a whiteboard to create a mind map:

• Position the whiteboard in landscape orientation.
• Draw a circle in the middle of the page. Write a central topic in the circle (or draw a picture).
• Create branches that each represent an idea related to this central topic. You can use a word or a picture.
• Create as many branches and sub-branches as you like.
• Use colours to help group or highlight different concepts.
• Once all your ideas are written down, sequence the ideas or group them to further organize your thoughts.

Note: You can use mind maps in an online session using a document camera

Either, the learner brainstorms on a whiteboard and shares their mind map using a document camera. Or, the learner brainstorms verbally and the tutor captures the learner’s thoughts on a whiteboard and shares the mind map using a document camera.

The tactile nature of a whiteboard encourages more of a flow and allows for easy and painless revisions.

First Drafts

1. Take a first go at writing a text on a whiteboard.
2. Use pictures and diagrams if you like.
3. Use different colours to highlight where you can make it better (e.g., circles, Xs, underlines, boxes).
4. Use the whiteboard to help write a second draft on paper or with a keyboard.

Note: Your learner can write first drafts in an online session using a document camera.

The learner writes on a whiteboard and shares their draft using a document camera. The tutor can take a screenshot and use the annotate tool to mark up some corrections. Or, the learner dictates verbally and the tutor captures the learner’s words on a whiteboard and shares the draft using a document camera.

Written Conversation

1. Have a back-and-forth conversation in writing without talking.
2. When a tutor notices an error, don’t point it out. See if you can take the opportunity to model correct spelling or punctuation within the written conversation.
3. Take a photo of the conversation at the end as reference. Note common errors that you can work on in another session.
4. Wipe the conversation away – no corrections, just conversation.

Note: You can have a written conversation in an online session using a document camera.

Both tutor and learner use a document camera in Zoom Gallery View. You can see your whiteboards side-by-side as you write.

The erasable nature of a whiteboard allows for lots of experimentation and risk taking as your learner works on spelling rules.

Spelling Try Out

1. Pick a word your learner is not sure about and spell it several different ways.
2. Review each spelling and eliminate those that don’t look quite right.
3. When the correct word is chosen, look at ways that will help your learner remember it.
4. Use coloured pens to underline, draw arrows, draw a picture, or draw around the word.

Note: Your learner can do this activity in an online session using a document camera.

The learner writes on a whiteboard and shares their spelling using a document camera.

The versatile nature of a whiteboard makes it ideal for customizing a lesson in real time.

Vocabulary Word Map

1. Duplicate the chart above on a whiteboard (you can adapt it for your own situation).
2. Write a vocabulary word in the center of the diagram.
3. Ask your learner to fill in the four quadrants. As a tutor you can guide this.
4. Your learner can take a photo of the finished board, if they want.

Note: Your learner can do this activity in an online session using a document camera.

The learner writes on a whiteboard and shares their board using a document camera. The tutor can take a screenshot and use the annotate tool to mark up some corrections. Or, the learner dictates verbally and the tutor captures the learner’s words on a whiteboard and shares the draft using a document camera.

The erasable nature of a whiteboard is perfect for quick and simple games.

Word Guess

1. Provide a list of words to your learner ahead of time (or write a list on your whiteboard so the learner can see).
2. In your session, say “I am thinking of a word from the list that…” Give your learner a clue so they can guess the word. Possible prompts include:
   • …is three syllables
   • …starts with the letter ___
   • …ends with ___
   • …rhymes with ___
   • …has a silent letter
   • …means ___
3. Your learner makes a guess and writes it on their whiteboard.
4. After each successful guess, the learner erases their board and a new prompt is given.

Pictionary

1. Tutor and learner each have a whiteboard.
2. Taking turns, tutor and learner think of a word (noun or verb). They draw a picture to represent the word on their board.
3. The opponent makes a guess and writes the word on their whiteboard.
4. If the word is not guessed, a picture can be added to the board.
5. After each successful guess, both players erase their board and a new picture is drawn.

Note: These activities can be done in an online session using a document camera.

The learner writes on a whiteboard and shares their guesses using a document camera. Or, the learner reads out their guesses and the tutor captures the learner’s words on a whiteboard and shares using a document camera.