You and that Darn Flip-A-Grid Thing!!!

“You and that darn Flip-A-Grid Thing!!!”

“Do you work for that company or something?”

“Uh-huh, we know! Flipgrip!”

“Flip Grade again?!?!”

Yes!! Me and that Flipgrid again! No, dear colleagues, not because Flipgrid is popular on Twitter. Not because they sent me a sweatshirt or stickers (although I do love my hoodie 😎). Not even because I’ve met members of Team Flipgrid and a bunch of inspiring ambassadors in Minnesota.

So then why Flipgrid?

Student voice. Meaningful integration. Endless possibilities. Empowering community. 

Student Voice
One of the many reasons I use and promote Flipgrid is that it truly gives every student in the classroom a voice. I feel strongly that each and every one of our students deserve to have their voice heard, valued, and appreciated. For years morning meetings were a part of my daily routine. Students would share what they did on the weekend, one of their favorite toys and deeper topics like, “Where do you feel most safe?” This routine helped me learn about each of the students in my class, but some students were often too shy to share in front of their peers. Some children would give one-word answers or repeat what their friends said. When you post a question as a Flipgrid “Topic,” every student gets an opportunity to respond and just as importantly, listen to their peers’ responses. After all, when you take the time to share, don’t you want someone to listen?

Meaningful Integration
Flipgrid is less about students sharing their favorite pizza toppings or ice cream flavors and more about deliberately making student voice (and choice) a part of your everyday instruction. It helps to integrate these very important aspects of education into meaningful lessons. Does Flipgrid do an outstanding job of engaging teachers and sending swag to EdCamps/events? Yes, for sure, but ultimately that is not enough of a reason to add it to your “bag of tricks.” It’s more important that the Flipgrid team has created a tool which is accessible for all types of learners and allows the teacher to unleash his or her own creativity when using the tool. I personally started with “book talks,” a very common use of Flipgrid. I quickly moved on to math tutorials, read-aloud collaboration reflections, and even a student-led campaign against world hunger for Red Nose Day. These lessons were not “because…Flipgrid” lessons. They had a measurable impact on my students’ learning and gave them an authentic audience to share their voice with.

Endless Possibilities
If you ask any member of the Flipgrid crew, I am sure they would tell you that Flipgrid has taken off due to the creativity of the educators using it. There’s no doubt that Flipgrid has created a fun, easy to use app, but if it weren’t for the ingenious ideas of the educators using it, it would only be a tool. If you take a look at #FlipgridFever (also a creation of an inspiring educator, Stacey Whitwood), you’ll find a diverse amount of ideas that truly range from PreK-PhD and beyond. Teachers like Bronwyn Joyce set the world on fire with her What If grid. Claudio Zavala‘s viral Sing-a-Song and Positive Noise grids are inspiring teachers and students everywhere. Sean Fahey and Karly Moura have created resources that are used globally to help teachers learn and enhance their use of Flipgrid. Educators are connecting their students with other students across the world- literally! Is there a more authentic audience than that? More ideas are stored in the Flipgrid Discovery Library, a place where educators share their Topic ideas with each other to be easily added to their own Grids. There’s no limit to what you and your students can do when using Flipgrid because it all comes from you (and hopefully your students).

Empowering Community
Another great benefit of being a part of the #FlipgridFever community is that it’s a true community of educators. We brainstorm ideas, collaborate, share, and empower each other. I think back to when I first tweeted that I was going to give Flipgrid a try in my classroom and now I’m leading the #FlipgridFever chat. At first, I was honored to be asked to help with the chat, but the real honor is being able to connect so many inspiring educators with each other! The positivity spreads like…well…a fever. #FlipgridFever!!

So…

YES!!! Me and that darn FlippyGrade thing again! Not for Flipgrid. Not for me.

For my students, and students everywhere who have a voice and deserve for it to be amplified!

Thank you for reading!!

Are you feeling a hint of #FlipgridFever? Check out the slideshow below, created by @Flipgrid for some great information and resources. Of course, you can always reach out to me via Twitter at @sdtitmas.

(Disclaimer: I’m absolutely not making fun of you or anyone who has every used FlippyGrade, FlipAGrid, FlipGrid, etc. Just having a little fun 😉)

PS: The stickers actually ARE pretty awesome. If you want one I’ll mail some to the first 5 people who ask.

Getting started with Flipgrid? Check out this “First Flipgrid” Topic I posted in the Discovery Library: https://admin.flipgrid.com/manage/discovery/1648&