The key to positive stress activies is to provide a timed activity but without any grades or consequences.
"An activity that increases positive stress while teaching study strategies is one in which students learn other students’ names on the first or second day of class" (Zadina, 2014, p.83).
The name game can be done either in class or virtual. To do the game virtually, when you "leave the classroom," turn your camera and microphone off, and leave the students to learn names. If it is helpful, use breakout rooms to separate the students into smaller groups, see the resource section for additional help.
"It is wonderful to see how many learning strategies they already know. Classes have used association, saying they would go around and around having everyone say their name while they memorized the face (association and repetition). Some would write the names down as everyone said them and write them over and over (visual and repetition). Some classes would put all the names on the board as students said them. Tell them they can use these strategies that worked effectively here when they are learning material in your course" (Zadina, 2014, p.83).
"[Open-ended] questions can act as a catalyst for our brains to change and move forward with new insight" (Asmus 2017).
Using a polling tool, you can start each class with an open-ended questions to wake them up. You can then display the answers in a Word Cloud Text wall or cluster. "Our brains can physically change to encourage creative thinking and new knowledge" (Asmus 2017). For example, use the open-ended prompt below, and consider how the neuroplasticity is engaged and energized.
Toucan is a free meeting tool where the users can control how to use their breakout rooms. They can meet in huddles with two or three people and leave to join others. Each student is a bubble floating by themselves, until they join another student's bubble to start a conversation.
Poll Everywhere is a polling tool you can use to wake up your students. Teachers supply the question and students virtually can answer and see their peers' answers in real time.