Flipgrid, Edpuzzle, Screencastify, Oh My!

                                            Flipgrid, Edpuzzle, Screencastify, Oh My!

Technology is fascinating and teachers are always trying to find the latest and greatest. Well, you’ve come to the right place!  Flipgrid, Edpuzzle, and Screencastify are three of the best tools for all ages of learners and easily accessible by teachers and students alike! Check out all of the details on these great tech platforms!

Flipgrid

Looking for something original for your students? Flipgrid is totally the way to go. This platform allows students to respond in various prompts by using short videos of themselves. They can trim them, add stickers, and even take a selfie to use as the cover shot. The process is super simple and easy to follow. 

A few more tips to get started:

• Your classes are called “grids” and students are given a code to join!

•  When you post a topic, you control all aspects. 

• There are various filters, you control student responses to one another and you can even preview videos before they post to your class. 

• You can even link outside sources to your topics and students can do the same if they need support for what they are discussing!

• You can check out the “Disco Library” for premade prompts to share with your class. 

Here are a few ideas on ways to use Flipgrid in your class!

1. Build student portfolios. Allow students to reflect on their work by explaining what they have learned through the process. What a valuable tool!

2. Reteaching! Mastery happens when you can teach someone else. Allow students an option of creating a video teaching a concept to prove they understand it fully!

3. Guest Speakers! You can invite authors or really any valuable speaker to join and have conversations with your students through Flipgrid!

4. Vocabulary work! Students record videos for their classmates defining new vocabulary words. This packs a punch in the learning department.

5. Exit tickets get a brand new look! What a great way to reflect on what students have learned by using videos

6. Speaking standards are definitely covered by using this tool!

7. Icebreakers! What better way to meet your students! One of the classics is would you rather questions and you can find them in the library of resources already created!

8.  Book Reviews! Check out the blog post: WAYS TO USE FLIPGRID TO SHOWCASE BOOKS to read even more about how to do this on Flipgrid!

Edpuzzle

Edpuzzle.com is this exceptional tool that uses YouTube videos, Ted Talks,  Khan Academy, and your very own videos to teach all of your standards! The best part of Edpuzzle is the customized questions. There are editing tools that allow you to add the questions wherever you want students to stop and think and they are absolutely required for the student to move on. You can make multiple choice or short answer. There is also the option to copy videos from other Edpuzzle users (your own school included). You can copy videos with questions or without, but don’t worry if the questions don’t fit what you need, you can just edit them in your copy of the video!

Here are few of my favorite ways to use Edpuzzle:

1. Teaching plot elements, or characterization with short animated videos. Think Pixar shorts or short CGI films! Check out, “Don’t Croak” by Daun Kim or “First Comes Love” by Daniel Ceballos for all of your plot needs! 

2. Use music mashups to teach poetic elements. There are a bunch of already created YouTube videos to choose from!

3. Edpuzzle videos are also great for substitute plans and engaging for the students too!

4. Instructional videos created by me as a resource they can rewatch over and over again!

Edpuzzle takes the art of using videos to teach to the next level with the ability to use questions, edit and cut videos and there is even an option for voiceover. Check it out at: Edpuzzle

Screencastify

Oh my, this one is a staple in my teaching as well. Screencastify is a simple to use video recording tool. It simply records your screen as you are talking. Google Slides works well for this, but you can show anything on your screen! You can opt to use the camera option and you will appear on the screen as you talk through your lesson. The free version does limit how many minutes you have, but the paid version is completely unlimited. 

If you have ever thought about any of the following, you need screencastify:

• Have you ever thought about flipping your classroom? You will need screencastify. These can be the instructional videos students watch at home to work the next day.

• If you ever wanted to use instructional videos for students to work in stations with, screencastify is your new best friend. 

• Ever wanted your own YouTube channel of resources? Use screencastify to create them!

• Have a  substitute in the room, but want your students to hear your lesson? Screencastify it is!

• If you want to use  Edpuzzle,  but with your own videos, you can screencastify and upload then upload them into Edpuzzle and add your custom questions!

The possibilities are endless with Flipgrid, Edpuzzle and Screencastify. Using them all together in your teaching will put you at the top of your game and make our students excited about learning. Oh my!

Keeping Collaboration Alive: Discussion Boards for Distance Learning

          Keeping Collaboration Alive: Discussion Boards for Distance Learning

 

A passion to share the power of words is at the core of every English teacher’s soul. One of those ways to share the power of words is through collaboration, conversation, talk, dialogue, debates, and even heart-to-hearts. These are all tremendous parts of an English classroom. Students become stronger with their vocabulary when speaking or writing and listening. But, what happens when your students that exchange in discourse with you are only through a screen? This is where we keep collaboration alive with discussion boards. Discussion boards allow for the critical thinking and crucial communication in every classroom, even if students are at a distance through their computer screen. 

Google Classroom Discussion

First, let’s talk about Google Classroom. Did you know the classroom organizer you already use has a feature for discussion? It is so simple and easy. Set it up just like any other assignment by clicking create, and then question. Ask your question and students can answer, but the best part- they can also respond to one another!  (They also can’t see what any other student wrote until they respond. )Keep the conversation alive, even from a distance! 

My favorite way to use this is by posting a video clip right in Google Classroom as a resource, and having students respond to the video. One I have used is how the clip compared to the novel we were reading! You could do this with a time period piece too! By using this feature students are able to make connections, inferences and see the perspective of their classmates also. It is a great way to keep the discussion alive and give opportunities for reflection and build their understanding.

Jamboard

Distance learning presents many challenges and students working together is one of them. One of Google’s new platforms is Jamboard. What a cool site and it is completely compatible with Google Classroom. You can assign groups a “Jam” or create one for the whole class. This can be used to have online discussions, but also to collaborate on group projects. Jamboard is a tremendous opportunity to include student thinking on an accessible platform. You can edit the background, add images, write with a pen or type. It is easy to use because it incorporates all the Google tools students are used to using already in Docs and Classroom. One idea for a great opportunity is using famous quotes for groups of students to analyze. Each group can dissect the quote, discuss and then present their “Jam” back to the entire class.

Versoapp

Versoapp is another incredible tool for online discussions. This platform could easily be used for asynchronous distance learning, responses to reading, responses to quotes, film clips, images, or even mentor texts for writing. Again students are able to respond to the teacher’s question, can’t see their classmate’s answers until they respond themselves, and then can comment or “like” other answers. The teacher has control of the features and can turn certain tools on or off. This platform will upload your rosters from Google Classroom and students are given a code to enter. There is data percentages to track participation and students can remain anonymous to one another. This is my favorite part. Teenagers can be shy, or fearful to share their real thinking and this allows them to be anonymous,  alleviating some of that social fear. Don’t worry though, from the teacher view, the teacher can see each student's name! 

Ideaboardz

Next up is Ideaboardz. This site can definitely be used for reflection, feedback,  closing, exit tickets, or brainstorming. This site reminds me of Post-its, that you would use in an in person classroom, so it is a great way to continue those Post-it activities in distance learning. To share an ideaboardz, all you need is to share the URL with the students and they can jump in and share their ideas. 

Parlay

Parlay is this really interesting site that incorporates  a whole library of already created prompts that you can choose from or of course make your own. All of the prompts are also customizable and there are a variety of topics covering every subject and more. There are even social emotional prompts that could be very beneficial in a distance learning setting, especially because our students haven’t all chosen distance learning. The teacher has the ability to provide feedback and customize rubrics to use. After student submissions, there is opportunity for a whole class reflection. If you are in a hybrid situation, (distance and in person learning alternating) there is also a great feature for live socratic seminars, allowing you to use this site in even more ways!

 

All of the above sites are opportunities to keep our scholars thinking critically, be active participants in class, even if it is from a distance, and even build community. Collaboration could be seen as a challenge for distance learning, but with the right tools, discussion can stay stronger than ever in distance learning!