If you have yet to open flipgrid, here is your friendly reminder and gentle nudge to give it a try this school year. While there is no substitute for students speaking directly to a teacher or peer, flipgrid can be an amazing way to encourage students’ communication and dialogue. This is especially true for our English Language Learners who may benefit from extra time and practice before speaking.
Wait, what is Flipgrid?
Flipgrid is a video discussion platform that allows all student voices to be heard. Students respond to prompts posted by their teacher by recording a video response. There are opportunities for student-to-teacher interaction, and also student-to-student interaction, in a monitored and safe setting. Learn more about the power of student voice, with the video below.
Okay, but why should I use it?
Flipgrid Educators Katie Toppel and Sarah Said led an important conversation surrounding how we, as educators, can do more to empower our English Language Learners using Flipgrid. (You can read more about their conversation here.) Below are my three big takeaways from their conversation on how Flipgrid best helps our EL students.
Boost confidence – Speaking aloud in front of peers can be intimidating, even for the most confident student. Flipgrid provides a space where students can work on practicing and perfecting their spoken language without the pressure of others watching and listening to their every word.
Wait time and Repetition – Flipgrid allows students to practice their speaking multiple times without penalty. They have the opportunity to think through their answers and come up with a plan for what they are going to say, prior to recording. They can record, and re-record, as many times as they need until they are satisfied with their language and their response.
Practice Speaking and Listening Skills- Flipgrid allows students to respond to each other’s work through student-to-student replies. This not only gives additional speaking practice, but helps to hone listening skills.
Alright, I’m in. How do I get started?
Looking for step-by-step help? Here you can find a playlist on Flipgrid’s YouTube channel on how to get yourself started in Flipgrid. See the first video of the series below.
Looking for an instructional example on how to use Flipgrid with math? Check out our blog post about Number Talks, below.
