Wheel of Names
Spinning wheel of names for student selection and classroom games
The wheel of names displays student names as vibrant slices on a spinning wheel. Tap once to spin, watch the wheel slow down, and reveal the chosen name. Visual suspense keeps all eyes on the board, creating an engaging, fair selection ritual.
“Wheel of Names” is a tool by ClassHelper, the free digital whiteboard for teachers. It runs directly in your browser with no account required and servers in Germany.
Glücksrad online drehen
Namen eintragen, auf das Rad tippen, fertig. Kostenlos und ohne Anmeldung, die Namen bleiben in diesem Browserfenster.
Tippen Sie auf das Rad.
How the Wheel of Names works
Step by step
- Open your ClassHelper whiteboard and select the Wheel of Names widget.
- Enter your class list, study topics, or activity choices into the wheel editor.
- Adjust the size of the wheel on your display to ensure every segment is clearly readable.
- Tap or click the center of the wheel to start the spin animation.
- Watch the wheel decelerate until the pointer highlights the winning slice.
Using the Wheel of Names in the classroom
Reading aloud turn by turn. During guided reading sessions, invite a student to tap the interactive display to spin the wheel. The name highlighted on the resting slice reads the next paragraph. Because the spinning motion takes several seconds, it creates a momentary collective focus where learners naturally quiet down and watch the screen together.
Selecting randomized challenge prompts. Instead of student names, populate the wheel slices with six different problem levels or comprehension questions. When reviewing a challenging unit, the wheel selects which question type the class tackles next. Because the selection is clearly randomized, students accept the challenge without questioning the difficulty.
Engaging morning review rituals. Type key vocabulary words, grammar concepts, or historical dates onto the wheel at the start of your lesson. Spin three times to choose the concepts for a rapid five-minute review warm-up. This keeps morning warm-ups dynamic and ensures you revisit foundational topics that might otherwise be forgotten.
Classroom trivia and review competitions. When running review tournaments, use the wheel to determine point categories or team turns. Track team results simultaneously using the Scoreboard tool to keep team motivation high throughout the activity.
Visible decisions with full transparency. When choosing who gets to pilot a new classroom app, who leads the line to the auditorium, or which team presents first, a visible wheel spin removes suspicion of favoritism. The whole class witnesses the outcome live, creating a shared sense of fairness.
Frequently asked questions about Wheel of Names
Is the Wheel of Names free to use?
Yes. The Wheel of Names is entirely free and opens instantly in any web browser without creating an account. Optional Premium is $2.49 per month with a free first month, allowing you to save and synchronize boards across classrooms.
Are student names saved on external servers?
No. All names on your wheel remain stored locally in your browser and are never transmitted to external servers. If you create an account, lesson settings are kept on servers in Germany. We use Stripe Payments Europe (Dublin, Ireland) to process payments. Only billing data goes there, never student or lesson data.
How many names or choices fit on the wheel?
The wheel easily accommodates an entire class of up to 35 students. For larger groups or long lists, the Random Name Picker list format offers even clearer legibility from the back of the room.
Can I use the wheel for topics instead of names?
Yes. You can type any short prompts onto the wheel slices, including math challenge problems, reading discussion prompts, classroom privileges, or review vocabulary words.
Is the wheel spin truly random?
Yes. Every spin uses a cryptographically secure browser random number generator. Each sector on the wheel maintains an equal mathematical probability on every single rotation.
How student and classroom data is protected is detailed in our ClassHelper privacy policy.