My Wordle, hosted on StriveMath.com, offers an engaging twist on the classic word-guessing game that both students and teachers have come to appreciate. It transforms vocabulary practice into an interactive, puzzle-solving experience while preserving the familiar gameplay —guess the secret word within a limited number of attempts, with color-coded feedback guiding your progress:
- Green = Correct letter, correct position
- Yellow = Correct letter, wrong position
- Gray = Letter not in the word
What sets My Wordle apart is its educational focus. Educators can create word puzzles tailored to classroom content, and students can and students can design their own Wordles —no registration required! Games are easy to share via direct links, and the website’s clean interface works smoothly on both desktops and mobile devices, making it perfect for quick classroom or at-home challenges. (Tip: There’s even an option to close advertisements for distraction-free play with a button at the bottom right.)
Applying the Triple E Framework
The Triple E Framework (Dr. Liz Kolb) reminds us that effective technology use starts with strong teaching, not just not flashy tools (tripleeframework.com). In her book, Learning First, Technology Second (ISTE, 2017), Dr. Kolb lays out the three core components that represent distinct ways technology can be used to support learning: Engage, Enhance, or Extend. Use this Triple E rubric to evaluate if and how a tool like My Wordle can positively impact your learning goals:
- Engage means the tool grabs students’ attention and motivates them to participate in learning. With My Wordle:
- Students are eager to play a familiar, game-based activity.
- The interface is simple, with no distracting ads or sounds (ads can be closed).
- Students are active participants—they solve or even create puzzles, rather than just watching.
- Teachers can differentiate the game’s difficulty by word length or language (English, Spanish, French, or German) to meet students where they are.
- Enhance means the tool helps students understand content in ways that would be difficult or impossible without technology. With My Wordle:
- Instant, color-coded feedback lets students see right away how close they are to the answer.
- This feedback helps them self-correct and reflect on their thinking.
- Unlike paper word games, students can try multiple times and see their progress immediately.
- Extend means the tool helps students make connections beyond the classroom and supports learning outside school hours as a way to create a bridge between school learning and everyday life experiences. With My Wordle:
- Students can play or create Wordles at home, share them with classmates, or even with family.
- Teachers can assign Wordles for practice on virtual learning days. When done, students can take a screenshot of their score to share with their teacher.
- Students can post their custom games or results on a class Padlet (reviewed here), encouraging collaboration and sharing.
SAMR Connection
By viewing the SAMR Model (Dr. Ruben Puentedura) as a spectrum of technology integration, educators can reflect on how tools like My Wordle move from simply replacing traditional activities to enabling entirely new ways of learning. Each stage—Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition—offers opportunities to thoughtfully enhance instruction, whether by streamlining familiar tasks or by opening the door to creative, collaborative, and previously unimaginable learning experiences. Considering where a tool falls on this spectrum helps teachers make intentional choices that best support their students’ needs and learning goals. Here’s how My Wordle fits each stage:
- Substitution is when technology replaces a traditional tool with no real change to the task—technology makes no functional improvement. With My Wordle:
- The digital game takes the place of paper word puzzles or hangman.
- Students practice word analysis (such as identifying root words, prefixes, and suffixes) or content area vocabulary and spelling in the same way, just on a screen.
- Augmentation is substitution, but with functional improvements. With My Wordle:
- Students receive instant, color-coded feedback, improving the learning experience.
- Students and teachers can quickly assess understanding, something not possible with paper versions.
- Modification means technology allows for significant task redesign. With My Wordle:
- Teachers and students can create custom games in multiple languages, supporting multilingual learners.
- Differentiation is easier: assign different words or languages to different groups. Imagine students solving for the same word but in their native language.
- Students can design their own puzzles using vocabulary from current units and share them instantly with a link.
- Redefinition is when technology enables tasks that were previously impossible.
- Students can collaborate with peers in other schools or countries by sharing Wordles online.
- Classes can participate in cross-cultural exchanges, creating and solving puzzles about shared topics (like sports, school subjects, or family). Consider using Padlet (reviewed here) to facilitate these collaborative and cross-cultural activities.
- The gamified, interactive environment makes vocabulary learning more engaging and social than ever before.
By understanding where My Wordle fits within these frameworks, teachers can make intentional choices about how and why to use it, ensuring technology truly supports learning rather than just replacing old tools.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Tech Tool of the Month, where we’ll dive into classroom ideas and step-by-step instructions. In the meantime, share how you’re using My Wordle in your classroom in the comment below!