Teacher's Toolkit - Flipgrid - #Digiuri 2015

    I attended a professional development opportunity last April as part of the Comebackcity High Expectations Project (CHEP 2015).  One of my favorite sessions describing a scope and sequence of rhetorical habits to improve to improve the rigor of group discussion in a classroom.  The sequence of eighteen positive discussion habits ranging in difficulty, was developed by teachers at Uncommon Schools and Northstar Academies.  

    Explaining a skill in rhetoric is never as effective as modeling the skill directly for students.  Unfortunately, not all of the eighteen habits will occur naturally within a group discussion.  For several months I have looked for a way to model the skills students need to add rigor to group discussion.  I wanted the subject of the model to be neutral, allowing the video to be used across Science, Social Studies and ELA curriculum.  I also wanted to include a very short audio visual element I can use to cue students in any classroom subject.   Flipgrid was used with a group of teachers as an ice-breaking activity at the Summer Institute on Digital Literacy conference held at the University of Rhode Island this summer. Intrigued, I decided to create a Flipgrid discussion about Flipgrid.  Then I added a Jedi.  

Preproduction:

    Flipgrid, developed by the University of Minnesota, allows a teacher to ask a question and record the response of students.  When used in its traditional teacher asks/student responds format, it is an engaging way to get to know students, to help them listen to and communicate with one another, and it can even be used to engage parents at home.  There is a limit of ten Flipgrids, which, when used regularly across five classes can dwindle quickly.  However, I learned that each grid can contain an unlimited number of questions.  Instead of creating one grid per Flipgrid assignment, I can create one grid per classroom and add a question for each assignment.  There is an annual cost for Flipgrid depending on the user and institute using the program.   The cost for a K12/Private institution is $65 per year, this allows for 10 grids with unIimited questions and responses. I found a demo on the same page and signed up for a free trial lasting 21 days.

 

On Set:

    My son and I set out to film this Flipgrid question and response series reflecting each of the eighteen group discussion habits I needed to model in class.  Once within the Flipgrid program, there were ample video tutorials and the administrative page was very intuitive.  Each video has a maximum length of ninety seconds.  Flipgrids can be viewed permanently or until removed by the administrator. However, nothing can be added to a grid after the 21 day a trial period.  

   The series can be shared with a weblink or embedded in a webpage.   The grid can be easily edited, but the hash cannot. (You can but to do so produces a new weblink and embedding code.) The series can be deactivated, meaning no one can add further videos. Each grid has its own set of security options, so it can be managed by the administrator to moderate the content displayed.  Each video requires a picture of the user, and agreement to the Flipgrid terms of service. When I asked a random group of parents to respond to a question online, the agreement process was off-putting. But the parents in our PTO did not have a thorough explanation in advance. As you can see, the picture function was enormously entertaining for Baby Wolverine.

 At the end of each video, the speaker can record a one word first and last name in separate boxes.  A first and last name must be entered.  Only the first name appears on the video.  Instead of typing a name, I used this feature to label each of the core habits illustrated in the video.  

One of the most attractive features of the product is my ability to run my mouse across the videos to find the exact video to play as a model for the class.  I can also email a specific video clip to a specific student assigning them a “secret habit” to practice during discussion that day.  For example, Johnny is asked to play the “Devil’s” advocate.  If he models the habit correctly, then students watching the discussion should be able to identify his assigned secret habit.  

Post Production:

  Flipgrid is a very flexible tool for engaging students in an assessment.  I can easily see this used as a way to assess speaking in a foreign language classroom.  Its content is unlimited and the program is quick and easy to use.  A teacher can also demonstrate a step by step process visually. The audio/visual element of Flipgrid makes it an interesting alternative for students with special needs.   I would consider creating a personalized grid for each student and posting to their grid any step-by-step instructions they need for the day’s the lesson.  

The Reviews:

   I give two thumbs up for this program.  It is easy for students to use.  My son had as much fun taking still pictures with the webcam as he did recording the videos.  He even enjoyed the ability to reorder videos by the date or the number of likes and views.  The format is basic enough to use in many different kinds of classes.  When I become the head of my own classroom, I would consider this to be an excellent investment.  

The Perks of Being a Not-so-Wallflower

I like to think of myself as sitting in a dark theater or in the corner of a bar musing in quiet mystery. Seeing myself as a enigmatic rogue is completely divorced from reality.  I have many, many abilities; maintaining a low profile is not one of them.  

Whether it is "Miss Tracey" or "Mrs. Dann"  people everywhere seem to know me.   Sometimes I am "Mama Bear", sometimes it is "the lady with the hat."  Usually the descriptor "crazy" is attached to my epithet somewhere.  Regardless of what people call me, one thing remains true, I suck at anonymity.  

 It is a blessing. It is a curse. But it is always intentional.  

    One of my biggest disadvantages as a student teacher is time.  Relationships are a key element of classroom management, engagement, and every aspect of learning.  With only three hours a week to spend with a hundred different students, it is very difficult to make a connection and establish trust - unless you find a shortcut.  

Each morning I drink two cups of chai tea from the beat up head of a Star Wars villain. It is my favorite shortcut.

  Sometimes a Storm Trooper, sometimes Boba Fett, and sometimes I drink from Vader himself. Every morning my mug and I perform a Jedi Mind Trick.  Students don't realize my mugs match the exact calorie count of a Starbucks latte or that I found them on clearance at Rite Aid filled with old Valentine candies.  They don't care. Yet, when I greet them at the classroom door once a week, some of them will look up from their shoes and say "cool mug."   The Jedi mind trick worked.   I have made eye contact, I have their attention and perhaps a common interest. The students who engage with me on their way into the classroom are more likely to listen and learn once they get inside.  It is a tiny middle school miracle.

    While Star Wars is fairly universally known, the Force does not run strong in every family.  My mugs do not always work.  Following the same logic, I began to look for other props and trinkets that might crack the shell of different class members.  My daughter, Princess Grace, received a "golden snitch" necklace for Christmas last year.  I put it on one morning and headed into my teacher’s classroom.  Before the final bell I could tell you which students read the Harry Potter series, which students preferred the movies, who their favorite characters were and much more. Each morning since, a student asks me what book my necklace is from. I am constantly looking for jewelry that reminds me of a piece of literature. I have even used it to generate inquiry at the beginning of a unit.

Here are just a few of the examples I've found:

And where would this hitchhiking student teacher be without a pair of earrings?  

    I recently attended the Summer Institute on Digital Literacy with over 180 other teachers.  I carried my mug with me every day.  The final day of the conference I was approached by one of my fellow attendees.  She said "I've watched your mugs all week. Why do you carry them with you?"  My answer is always the same "because now I've met you."

While they work against my love of anonymity, my mugs have taught me something important; what someone notices about you, helps you learn about them.  Learning about each other is the business we are in.

Right Sean Connery?