We’ve said it for more than a year … Students can’t officially use AI chatbots because they’re not old enough per the terms of use … but student-facing chatbots are coming. Now they’re finally here. Holly and Matt have used them — and have worked with students in the classroom using AI chatbots. In this episode, we share the things we like about them — and things to be aware of.
Using Flipgrid in the classroom is easy! Whether you are using Flipgrid in Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams, adding Flipgrid to your teaching and learning repertoire is one of the finest ways to incorporate technology into your classroom. In this post, we will dig into how to add to Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams give you a few quick ideas to get your started.
If you are new to Flipgrid consider checking out the FREE online course and become a pro in under one hour.
What is Flipgrid?
When I first heard about Flipgrid, I threw my hands up in joy and considered jumping up and down in my classroom, because I had been looking for something like Flipgrid for my entire career. I had longed for a tool that would allow me to hear from every student in my class – and give them a platform to easily making their thinking visible and better understand where they were in the cycle of learning.
Flipgrid is a response system that allows students to explain or show their learning using video. It then takes these responses and places them in a grid for easy viewing and access by the teacher and other students.
Using the Flipgrid environment, teachers can easily gather information about their students understanding and growth. Teachers are also afforded the opportunity to hear from all of their students – even the ones who are shy or might be too scared to speak in class due to language barriers, speech impediments or lack of confidence.
Flipgrid and Google Classroom
Once you get started with Flipgrid, using it will probably become an obsession and you will be dreaming up new inventive ways to impact learning using this meaningful tool.
Flipgrid and Microsoft Teams
The best way to incorporate Flipgrid with Microsoft Teams is through the Tabs feature. Create a grid with topics and then in Teams add your Flipgrid as a tab.
You can also share to Teams straight from Flipgrid, but this option just adds a link in the Post area – and is not the best option because students can’ not interact with the chosen grid straight from within teams.
Need ideas for grids? Check out the three blog posts listed below – but let’s begin with this quick start guide.
Quick Start Ideas for Using Flipgrid in the Classroom:
Here is a list of my 5 favorite ways to use Flipgrid in the classroom
Social Studies – AppSmash with a Chatter Pix to have the students take on the persona of a president – maybe do a grid of the first 10 presidents. Don’t stop there…do this with world leaders, the crusades anything you can personify – yes, you can even personify the quadratic equation!
Math – Students talk though their solutions, showing and describing how they solved a particular problem.
Language Arts – Pre-Writing: Have students record their writing ideas. They use the recording to talk through their ideas. As they write they can refer back to the video to help them remember their original thoughts and stay on track. This really helps the reluctant writer. Other students can record responses that offer ideas and ways to make the writing piece even richer.
Using Flipgrid in the Classroom Collaboratively:
First, think about how you want to collaborate with Flipgrid. Then, go to Grid Pals at the top right of your dashboard and look for another teacher that wants to collaborate. You can look at grade and interest level too. Then reach out and let the connections begin!
For example, learning about states? Collaborate with a teacher from another state. Share a grid with each other with one topic being your state and another topic being their state. As students begin to learn about their states, they post fun facts about each state – and ask questions of each other. This is a really fun and collaborative way to share and learn with students from another geographic area.
Try this collaboration with a novel – find another class in a different state reading the same book and answer the prompts together – you might find they have completely different perspectives on some of the content based on geography or their unique cultural landscape.
Foreign Language – collaborate with a class in Spain or France – use the grid to help teach each other accents and language rules
Back to School Flipgrid for introducing students to each other, and the teacher before class begins.
Flipgrid in the Classroom: Video Tutorial Series:
Video 1: Setting up a Grid and Topics (Updated after 8.1.18 updates)
Video 2: The Different Ways to View Student Responses