Flipgrid

Let's talk about the awesomeness that is Flipgrid.

Flipgrid is a website that teachers can use to ask students questions and students respond by recording up to a 90 second video using a mobile device with a camera.  Teachers can make the grids they create be private by using a password for access and can turn the grid off and on as well.  Video answers can also be set to be approved by the teacher before they appear in the grid.  Flipgrid can also be used for projects, like Andy Plemmons' Barrow Peace Prize project.  Flipgrid gives students a voice, and that's what I love about it.

I started using Flipgrid four years ago, but really didn't use it much after the first year until this year. Now that our students are 1:1 Chromebooks in 3rd grade and up, it is much easier to find a way to incorporate Flipgrid into media lessons.   You can read about my first experience with Flipgrid HERE.

Recently I used Flipgrid as a way to assess fourth and fifth graders understanding of genres and as a way for them to recommend their favorite reads to classmates at the same time.  I did not require students to participate in the Flipgrid, but left the link along with the password to access the grid on our Media Center Google Classroom.  Over the last few months, students have been sharing their favorite genres and books and I have seen the books mentioned in the Flipgrids have a rise in circulation.

Recently I had a brainstorm idea while I was getting dressed for work.  Why not use Flipgrid for messages of good luck for our state testing?  I ran this idea by our counselor who is usually in charge of "cheerleading" our classes during testing. She liked the idea so we are going to try it out soon. We will pair up each class who is testing with a lower grade level class who is not testing.  Students who are not testing will record, either as a class or as individuals, messages wishing their adopted class good luck on their testing. We are also going to open it up to parents to send messages to their child's class.  We will need to set some guidelines of course, but I am excited about the positive energy this can create.

In the summer of 2017, Flipgrid began offering badges for teachers to get Flipgrid Certified.  I knew this was something I wanted to do and could easily do as I had been using Flipgrid for awhile.  But actually finding the time to go through the steps took awhile.

Last month, I finally found the time and became a Flipgrid Certified Educator! My next step will be to become a Flipgrid Certified Educator Level 2.  I hope to have that accomplished by the end of the school year.

If you've used Flipgrid, what are some of your favorite ways to use it?