As educational technology advances, there are an increasing number of educational tools that are useful to help make learning interactive for students in the classroom. This tool has a significant number of uses that can turn any lesson into an interactive experience for students in any subject.
Flipgrid is a web-based program, which can be accessed in a wide array of settings, for in-person, hybrid, or remote learning, and can be accessed on any device that the student has access to. The program is easy to use for all teachers, simply create a free account with a google or Microsoft account, and connect to your students with a simple code or link.
The Functions of Flipgrid
This very diverse tool is focused primarily on the use of videos that make student interaction with the content more engaging. The teacher is also able to create groups for classes where students join through a code. This allows the teacher to better view student progress as students complete assignments in this online program.
Students can view a video and then respond to a question in the program about the lesson or the topic that the video was about. As the lesson or activity proceeds, this allows additional processing time and a safe space for students who may not be as keen on interacting in the live classroom. As a result of the pandemic, there is an increased rate of students with anxiety, and using a platform such as Flipgrid that allows students to develop and engage with the content in a way that reduces the number of stressors that those students may feel in the traditional classroom setting.
The ability for students to add emojis, text, and stickers adds another level of engagement for students as they let their creativity show in the responses they share in a way that they are most comfortable with. These are tools that are used in social settings through social media, bringing their personal lives with the things that they are learning in the classroom. Students are also able to record and edit their video submissions so that they can submit their responses when they are ready, which can be important when it comes to students who are traditionally anxious in the classroom when it comes to sharing in public.
Opening the World with Flipgrid
One thing that has become abundantly clear in education over the last five years is that there needs to be further accessibility and flexibility in schools to ensure that teachers are reaching all of the students in their classes. A significant number of features can further help students, including an expansion of accessibility features such as closed captioning for viewing videos or the development of full transcripts for the videos that students are watching.
There is also a feature that allows a teacher to put the class in Guest Mode, where a guest speaker can be invited to speak with the students through the program. By having visitors join the class through the use of the Flipgrid program, students in a variety of educational settings can get a more in-depth look at the concepts being taught in that lesson or unit. This also expands the possibilities of what visitors can be invited into the classroom without extensive travel or going over budget.
When students are absent from school, this can also be a great way to help them catch them up with the material that they missed during their absence. There can also be a student job in the classroom that involves a student creating a video about the assignments that were missed in that day’s lesson. Along with helping students who were absent know what was missed, it also promotes leadership and accountability among the other students in the classroom.
Using Flipgrid in the ELA Classroom
In the ELA classroom, Flipgrid can be an extremely useful tool in further developing critical thinking and analysis skills. Rather than standard reading response questions, using the tools that Flipgrid has to offer, student interaction with the material and their classmates is invaluable to making deeper connections to the material.
There are new features with a new AR feature in Flipgrid that allows students to share book reviews with the other students in the class about books that they have read. This can be a great project for students to dig deeper into a novel study, or even to recommend books to other students.
Using Flipgrid in the Science Classroom
Using Guest Mode in Flipgrid, inviting industry experts in the sciences can be a great way for students to get a deeper look into specialties as they connect to the topics being taught in the classroom. Through the use of videos, these scientists can show processes for experiments. Students could also create a project with a focus on the scientific process or host a virtual science fair in which they post videos about their projects in a virtual environment.
Using Flipgrid in the Math Classroom
A great way for students to understand the topics they are learning in math class is to have those students explain the process they took to solve a problem. Through the use of the annotations feature, students can show their work in a video with an annotation over the video explaining their process. This allows students to not only complete the steps but gain a deeper understanding of the processes that are associated with solving that type of problem.
Using Flipgrid in the History Classroom
In the history classroom, along with some of the same functions associated with the ELA classroom for processing material that they read, students are able to also complete long-term projects by walking through a specific event or time period in history in the form of a video. Through feedback and video responses to projects, all students in the class can interact with a specific part of history.
In each subject, there are unique ways that Flipgrid can aid in interactivity and accessibility with the material, and promote collaboration among peers. Through a free account, this tool is a great way to engage all learners in any classroom or educational setting.