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.