A while back I shared a new and fun resource called Flipgrid. Flipgrid is a fantastic platform that lets a teacher post a prompt, a video to view, or other question and then have students create a quick video response that goes into a "grid". As students complete their responses, they become a part of the grid where others can see their videos. (See example photo below.) Students can get feedback on their feedback!
One of the best features of Flipgrid is that students can respond with their iPads, Chromebooks, or even on their own smartphone. They do not have to have a different device than what they already have in their hands. Another neat feature of using Flipgrid is that students are not turning in an assignment to an audience of One. This helps produce a better, more thoughtful response from the students. I know my work is better when I know I will have a larger audience to critique my response.
Recently, Mrs. Nelson used Flipgrid in her Project Lead the Way class as students worked on designing games for those with cerebral palsy. Mrs. Nelson posted the assignment as follows:
You and your group need to record a commercial that explains what your toy does and why it would be good for therapists to use with children who have cerebral palsy.
As of this blog post, just this one assignment has the following statistics:
- 32 responses
- 148 replies
- 2263 views
- 42.1 HOURS OF ENGAGEMENT!
Um yeah...you read that right! How cool is that?! As a math guy, I love stats and these cannot be ignored. Kudos to Mrs. Nelson for engaging her students in a new and interactive way that has really paid some dividends for her and her class!
So as first semester closes and as we begin to create goals for the 2nd semester and think about what we would like to try or change for second semester, I recommend you try giving Flipgrid a whirl. I doubt you will be able to say "Hum bug!" to it.
