The name wheel
Type your class once, spin, and nobody gets picked twice until everyone has had a turn.
Space spinEnter remove the name and go onEsc keep itF full screen
How it works
- Type or paste your classOne name per line. A row copied from a spreadsheet works too. The list saves itself in this browser.
- SpinClick the wheel or press Space. Press F first to fill the whole screen for the projector.
- Take the name offPress Enter and that pupil is out until everyone has been picked. Esc keeps them on.
Questions teachers ask
Is the wheel really random?
Yes. The winner is drawn first, using your browser’s cryptographic random source, and only then does the wheel turn to that name. The animation cannot influence who is picked, and every name on the wheel has exactly the same chance.
Where are my pupils’ names stored?
In your browser, on this device, and nowhere else. DeskWheel has no accounts and no database of lists. When you share a list, the names travel inside the link after the # sign — the part of an address that browsers never send to a server.
How do I stop the same pupil being picked twice?
After a spin, choose “Done — take the name off”. The name leaves the wheel but stays in your class list. When everyone has had a turn, put all the names back with one button. This survives a page reload.
Can I keep more than one class?
Yes. Use the + next to the list name to add a list for each class or club. The same lists appear in the random group maker.
How many names fit on the wheel?
Up to 200. The text shrinks as the wheel fills, and long names are shortened on the wheel but shown in full when picked.
The rest of the kit
Random groups
Split the class into even groups in one click, by number of groups or by size.
Classroom timer
A countdown the back row can read, with a bar that turns amber, then red.
Stopwatch
Start, lap, stop. Laps with splits, fastest and slowest marked.
Focus timer
Work and break rounds that run by themselves, 25 and 5 or your own.