FLIPGRID is the ultimate tool for blended learning! By incorporating FLIPGRID within classrooms, students can integrate both technology as well as face-to-face interaction. The students have a voice- let’s celebrate that voice! Teachers give assignments and then the students sometimes use technology as part of the activity. FLIPGRID is a program that makes this integration meaningful and seamless! By using FLIPGRID within a lesson, students have the face-to-face interaction and then take ownership in their own learning through the use of technology. If needed, even after class, the students can still have access to the teacher and get responses via the program. This just continues the interaction even though the class time has ended. Blended learning continues well beyond the physical class time.
Our Journey to Integration within the Curriculum: Teachers came to me with a few problems.They wanted a program that would allow our students to talk with others outside of our school with not having the constraint of time zones. Some teachers wanted recording options for oral presentations. Others wanted to communicate with other grade levels within our own school community. I put together a cohort of teachers to help find a program that would solve some of these problems. Our 4th grade science teacher, Robin Rutherford, came to me with FLIPGRID and we have never looked back! To begin integrating FLIPGRID in our curriculum, first I reached out to foreign language teachers. Since oral-speaking is a huge component of learning a second language, I thought this would be the best subject in which to start. Yes, I did the goofy demo and had the teachers all be a part of my class. While this was silly, it was the hook that was needed! It did not take long for foreign language teachers in grades 1-12 to be using the program. The teachers started using it for individual work and then for collaboration within the classroom. This grew to collaboration within the school and around the world. Now came problem #2: the excitement spread and other teachers in other subject areas and grade levels wanted to use it, too! Both the teachers and the students using the program became a stronger and more effective voice than I could ever have been! I am a strong believer that technology is a tool and that if overused then it loses its allure. I went back to that cohort and we decided that as long as it was used in a meaningful way, then FLIPGRID could become the blended learning tool of choice at our school. We have used it in grades 1-12 and in all subject areas. Students and teachers continue to love this program!
Promoting Digital Citizenship: Students must recognize their responsibility to work and learn in an interconnected digital world. Insuring their safety is a priority. There are two ISTE standards for Digital Citizenship that go along with using this program: 2a Students cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world and 2b Students engage in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using technology, including social interactions online or when using networking devices (https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students). Becoming a digital citizen does not happen after one or two lessons are taught within a classroom. It must be a lifestyle and a conscious choice. By incorporating FLIPGRID regularly, our students and teachers constantly practice and model proper digital citizenship. Only by practice do habits form! FLIPGRID is a secure site what takes into consideration digital footprint as well as the safety of anyone using the program. There are various levels of security that make it an even safer environment. Students take ownership on what they are posting and are acutely aware of what is becoming their digital identity through FLIPGRID.
Transforming the Educational Experience: FLIPGRID transforms work with students and teachers because it opens the lines of communication and promotes both dialogue and collaboration. We used to have constraints such as different schedules, different time zones, different states and different countries, just to name a few. What about a student having a question and not being able to reach that teacher in a timely manner? FLIPGRID allows for communication like never before! After recording a video, all a student or teacher has to do is share a code and the person who receives the code can respond. It is that easy! We now communicate without the barriers of location and time. Wouldn’t it be great for students to hear themselves practice their speaking and be able to record again and make changes? Don’t we want students to gain confidence and know they are truly putting forth their best effort? FLIPGRID empowers student learning by allowing for students to create, design, redesign, and finally publish their work. The students can be as creative as they like when doing a video response. The students take ownership of their own work. Because FLIPGRID allows for re-filming, the students can practice, which means they build confidence. This leads to taking pride in the finished product. They also have the ability to make real life connections, which brings more meaning to the work. Since FLIPGRID also promotes communication, students and teachers can collaborate to make sure there is timely and meaningful feedback.