Flip For Flipgrid--Student Video Responses To Questions

This tweet certainly caught my attention.

I'm introducing @flipgrid to my 5th graders tomorrow.
— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) April 13, 2014

When it was quickly followed by these, I knew what my next site to explore would be.

@MrSchuReads @flipgrid Very popular, very hot!
— Heather Moorefield (@actinginthelib) April 13, 2014

@MrSchuReads @actinginthelib We have been having a great time using @flipgrid :) Your kids will love it, John.
— Shannon Miller (@shannonmmiller) April 13, 2014

@actinginthelib Thanks for the kind words! We love working on Flipgrid with Ts and Ss. Lots of exciting things in the works...
— Flipgrid (@flipgrid) April 13, 2014

@shannonmmiller @MrSchuReads @actinginthelib @flipgrid agreed! It's a fun tool to use--be prepared for giggles! :) #tlchat
— Sherry Gick (@LibraryFanatic) April 14, 2014

According to information at the home page, Flipgrid is a means for teachers to generate grids of short discussion-style questions.   Students reply to those questions through video.   Everyone can share the videos.

Each grid is composed of any group with a common element with an unlimited number of questions and unlimited number of responses per query available.  The cost is $65.00 per year for the teacher which includes ten grids.  There is a twenty-one day trial period available.  Students do not pay or register.

Communication with students is done via email.  They can create a snapshot photo with fun filters prior to recording their video using their device's (computer and iPad currently) webcam.  Videos are ninety seconds long.  The privacy and sharing is dictated by the administrator (teacher).

In the upper right-hand corner you can Get Started, read the informative FAQ, log in as the administrator or complete a form to contact the Flipgrid team. A new window overlays the home page when Get Started is selected.  You need to specify the type of educational institution.

After choosing Next Step, the new screen explains the pricing.  For the purpose of this post, I choose Demo.  When the form is completed, the terms of service read and the final green bar is clicked, an activation email is sent to get your account started.  You are asked to create a password.

When you log in for the first time, a beginning tutorial appears on the screen over your home page.  Upon closing this, across the top of your page, you see that this video can be accessed again.  You can alter your account settings and logout.  A tally is kept of all your grids and the interactions.

To make a grid move down the screen, choosing the blue + Add Grid button.  At this time you would name your grid and assign a password if it is not made public.  There are three other options for viewing; moderate a video response before it can be viewed, making the grid active when it is submitted and notification when a video is available.  Finally click the Add New Grid button.

A new screen pops up advising you about how to add a question, the URL link for this particular grid, and which icon to select for sharing your grid.  You can see how the list of your grids has now changed.  Your grid title is shown (1), you can change the color scheme of your grid (2), the number of questions on your grid (3), the date your grid was created (4), whether it is active (5), whether you are notified when videos are added (6), and icons for actions you can take with this grid (7).  The actions are a URL link for sharing, changing and adding security (per third image below), changing the title of your grid or deleting your grid.

You can see how each question is moderated; question, date, last response, number of responses and views, whether it is active, and the ability to share, edit or delete it.  When the blue Add New Question button is chosen, you type it in on a new window. Your text can be in bold or italics, you can change the date and decide to make it active or not.  Each new question appears at the top of the list.  You can drag them to alter the order.  Each question has a unique URL link. (I did not allow this to create more security, preferring videos not to be shown on social media.)

By clicking on the URL link for the entire grid, video replies can be made for one or more of the questions. To answer a question, click on it. At the next screen click on the big white plus sign. You are then asked if you are 13 years or older or have a parent, guardian or teacher present with you when you record.  When making a video you must also first agree to the terms of service shown.

You need to go through a few steps to check the operation of your webcam and microphone along with making a thumbnail photo.  When these are completed click Looks Good.  You then can record your answer.  If you are not satisfied with the video you can re-record.  Upon finishing click on Continue. 

Here is the link to my grid titled The Adventures of Beekle by Dan Santat. Here is the link to my response to one of the questions.  (The one take rule is a hoot tonight.) Please feel free to video your own responses to test out the site.  As an added note, if you want to see your questions, click on the grid title.  If you want to see responses to those questions, click on the question.  

No wonder this website has been honored in three Weebly categories!  It is so much fun to use and easy too.  Two big pluses are the non-registration of students and the ability to control security measures.  I highly recommend Flipgrid for interactive teaching and learning.   

Fun And Games, Device Delight

At the end of October Heather Moorefield, Education Librarian at Virginia Tech and current chairperson of the American Association of School Librarians Best Websites for Teaching & Learning tweeted about a service which appeared to be an engaging, interactive student response system.  It was followed this week by a tweet from John Schumacher, teacher librarian, co-host of the monthly #SharpSchu Book Club, 2014 Newbery Medal Award Committee member, blogger at Watch. Connect. Read. and former member of the Best Websites for Teaching & Learning committee.   I went to the home page of Kahoot! not knowing what to expect but ready for a new educational adventure.

Kahoot! is a game-based classroom response system which can be used in schools, universities and businesses.  Along the top of the informative tool bar the following are addressed:

• Response System
• How does it work?
• Game-based Pedagogy
• What's different? and
• Who's it for?

Meaningful questions can be asked by both teachers and students with ease.  In three simple steps Kahoot! can be ready to use; create, launch and play are the components.  As long as a device has a web browser Kahoot! will work.  The people who designed Kahoot! based it on the idea of teachers being leaders and learners in turn becoming leaders and teachers.  One of the main differences of Kahoot! is that users can not only respond but create.  

To begin simply click on any of the purple Get My Free Account buttons.  For step one you are asked about your role, teacher, student over 16, student 16 and younger, business or use it as a social platform.  As an educator you will be asked to name your school, choose a username, give an email address and password.  You will be asked to read the terms and privacy policies.

If you are a student 16 or younger in addition you will be asked to give your date of birth.  As this company is based in Norway I am wondering if this age is similar to the age 13 limit under the laws of the United States.  I would ask for parental/guardian approval before allowing students under the age of 13 to use this service. 

As soon as your account is created you are taken to your dashboard.  Along the top, left to right, at a glance you can create a Kahoot!, see the number you have made, the number made by others, get help (Contact Support, FAQs, Known Issues, Join the Community, Suggest a Feature) and view your profile (Profile, Change Password, Sign Out). 

Moving toward the center you are invited to watch a video, play an intro quiz, find a public Kahoot!, create your first Kahoot!, or share on Facebook, Twitter or via email.  

Along the right side statistics can be viewed as well as a couple of articles about encouraging student participation.

Further down the center I clicked on Quiz, Discussion and Survey in the create new Kahoot! box to study my options.  In designing a Quiz you have the ability to make one with an unlimited amount of multiple choice questions.  The difference between Discussion and Survey is that the former asks for opinions and invites debate on a single question, the later on an unlimited amount of questions. 

For the sake of testing out this website, I decided to design a short quiz on the recent Mock Caldecott unit we've been doing with our fifth grade students.  You are first asked to title your quiz. 

At the next window the quiz creation process begins.  Type in your first question.  You can add an image or a video (experimental stage).  Beneath the image you enter in four answers, one of which is correct.  You change the word incorrect to correct with a mouse click.  Make sure you decide to make it a points' question or not and to set a time limit.  When you are done, select the +Add question button.

During the course of creating your quiz, on the left-hand side in the corner you can toggle back and forth by choosing your question number.  You can edit or delete a question at any time.  When you have a completed the quiz click on the green button in the lower right-hand corner, Re-order questions.  At the next screen you can drag and drop them into position.

Then you are asked to check settings.   Here you select language, privacy settings (public or private), primary audience (school, university, business, training, event, social),  enter in a short description, difficulty level, and tags.  At the next window you can give your quiz a cover image (optional).

The final screen options are:

• play now
• preview
• edit
• share with other users, on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+  or via email.

Your Kahoot! can be shared on the community page too.  I decided to preview my Kahoot!  At the preview screen there are more choices for making your Kahoot! as interesting as possible.

Whether you decide to play on another device by logging in to kahoot.it or use the device at the site on the right, once you select launch the game begins.  A different pin number shows each time the game is played.  When you enter the number in, you are asked for a game name.  It can be anything.  I played this at the site and on my tablet.

When a question appears a series of shapes are associated with each answer.  As a player you choose the shape for the answer you believe is correct.  If you are correct a point value is assigned to your name.  The top five people with the most points are continually listed.  You can play the quiz answering all the questions or quit early.

The link for my created Kahoot! is here.


I highly recommend educators using Kahoot! in their classrooms.  Students under the age of 13 can participate in one of the designed modules, Quiz, Discussion or Survey without registration; all they need to do is think of a game-playing name.  If you desire to get the full benefit of this site students will need to register so they can become creators also.

Signing-up is a snap, the terms and privacy policies are short and to the point, ease of use is fantastic.  I can't wait to try this with students as soon as possible.  Thanks to Heather Moorefield and John Schumacher for their recommendations.

Fall into color

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day lists a really neat interactive page on USA Today.  Colorful leaves are shown from the summer through the stages of autumn.  The text explains how the process takes place.  Enjoy!

As simple as ABC Ya!

In looking for a template to use on my SmartBoard for a second grade lesson I came across this nifty web site called ABC Ya!  It contains free educational, interactive computer games and activities which are modeled upon lessons used in grades K-5.  Content areas such as math and reading are a focus where students can also refine basic computer skills. 
The site states that all the games and activities have been selected or developed by certified educators. 
I just love searching the Internet and discovering little gems like this which I can use immediately!