Before you start
School Words collects one-word answers from your class and turns them into a word cloud, live, on the screen at the front of the room. The more often a word is sent, the larger it appears.
You need a School Words account — see Signing in — and your pupils need a device each with a camera or a web browser. Nothing has to be installed.
The five steps
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Sign in
Use the button at the top right and choose your school Google or Microsoft account.
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Write the question
The Question tool is the first in the tool bar down the left. Type the question and choose Start the activity.
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Put the code on the board
The Share tool shows a QR code and a link, sized for a projector. Pupils scan or type it, sign in, and send a word.
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Watch it build
Choose the Word cloud tool. Answers appear within a second of being sent.
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Finish and keep it
Choose Finish the activity when you are done, then save it if you want a record — see Saving your activity.
What to expect the first time
The most common surprise is that pupils have to sign in too. That is deliberate: it is what stops an activity link, once it has been shared outside the room, from collecting answers from strangers. It also means you can see who sent what, and remove one answer without clearing everything.
If a pupil cannot sign in, it is almost always because their address is not registered. Choosing who can answer explains how that list works.
Tips
Try it once on your own, with your phone as the pupil, before you use it with a class.
A short, concrete question works best. "One word for how the Romans travelled" beats "What did you learn?"
Put the QR code up before you explain the task — pupils will be joining while you talk.