Kahoot
Flipgrid
RAISING DIGITAL KIDS — by Mike Daugherty
Parents rejoice ! The “ Back to School ” season is upon us ! Time is running out , so grab the kids and take a trip to Target to pick up all the essentials for the new school year . The supplies list might be shrinking as more schools take their class work online . Online calendars have replaced planners . Web-based assessments have replaced # 2 Pencils . The classroom looks entirely different now as compared to when we were kids . Technology is changing the way teachers teach , and students learn . Computers , tablets , apps , and websites offer students enhanced opportunities for learning as well as multiple avenues to learn .
Let ’ s take a look at some of the popular tools your students might see in their classrooms this Fall . It is important to note that all of the apps listed below are free for teachers and students to use .
Quizlet
The dictionary defined boredom as “ classroom review sessions .” If you were fortunate , your teacher might have turned your review session into a game like Jeopardy . The folks at Quizlet have taken a similar approach to make learning fun . Teachers take a set of traditional review questions ( up to twelve ) and load them into the Quizlet engine . Students join an online game session in the classroom from their phone , tablet , or laptop . Once all the students are in , Quizlet automatically divides students into teams made up of three to four people . Students then move around the room to find their teammates , and the game begins . A question appears on every team member ’ s device along with three possible answers . While the item is the same , the answers on each person ’ s screen are different . Students must collaborate with their group to determine who has the correct answer .
10 WNY Family September 2018
The Classrooms of Today
Answer the question correctly , and your team receives a point along with a new query . Choose incorrectly and face the consequences . Your score is set back to zero , and you must start all over . The first team to answer all the questions correctly wins . Students truly enjoy the competition aspect . I ’ ve personally heard students begging to play on more than one occasion . Teachers love that Quizlet encourages collaboration and critical thinking .
Kahoot
Kahoot is another trendy app in modern classrooms . Like Quizlet , Kahoot uses gaming concepts to engage learners , and it works on any internet connected device ( phone , tablet , laptop , etc .). Unlike Quizlet though , teachers can choose between everyone playing against each other or a team format approach . Teachers also have the option of selecting a premade Kahoot from the online library or making their own . Once ready , the questions are projected on the board and students begin to answer . Only one item is shown to the group at a time . Points are awarded based on how quick a student selects the right answer . After every question , the leaderboard is displayed so students will often cheer or groan based on how much they moved up ( or down ) on the board . Whoever has the most points at the end of the game is the winner . Kahoot uses a format similar to playing trivia at a local sports restaurant . Kahoots can also be assigned to students as homework . Keeping with the gaming theme , a teacher “ challenges ” a student to complete the Kahoot instead of just assigning it .
Flipgrid
Flipgrid is a newcomer to the educational technology landscape . The site was founded in late 2014 on the idea that the students of Generation Z preferred to communicate with pictures , videos , and emojis rather than written words . The site is simple but powerful .