Tech Planning & SLM Leadership

Screenshot from the homepage on Flipgrid 

https://admin.flipgrid.com/manage/discussion

Social Studies Educators,

I hope this letter finds you well as our first couple weeks of school are coming to a close.  We all are feeling differently about Technology as it has taken a seat in the spotlight; to some it is a friend, to others a frenemy.  Wherever you are in your feelings about it, we all realize how important tech integration is for making this exceptional school year a success.

I'm writing because I've found a really effective tool that is easy to use;  it's not technology for the sake of technology (as referenced in "A Technology Plan" by Overbay, Mollette, and Vasu), but rather technology that pairs perfectly with the new, thematic standards you've been given to teach.  It's also a "student-centered constructivist activity" that will help students feel connected to you and your class during this time of remote learning (Smith, 2010).  After all, technology is about the people who use it (Overbay, Mollette, and Vasu, 2011).

I realize 7th grade Social Studies has been turned on its head with these new standards that focus on geographic regions and their cultures.  Your new content pairs perfectly with an online tool called Flipgrid, which may be exactly what your class needs to stay relevant and engaging in a virtual learning environment.  Our students are "digital natives" and Flipgrid fits right in with the video worlds of TikTok, Vine, and other social media that they are so accustomed to (Smith, 2010).  

Flipgrid is simple to use; here are the directions that greet you upon creating your free account:

Screenshot from the homepage on Flipgrid 

https://admin.flipgrid.com/manage/discussion

Basically, the teacher posts a video introducing a topic; you could introduce a geographic region, a part of culture (food, belief, traditions, etc.), or a topic of debate.  You can create your own video or post someone else's; just remember to give directions about what you want the topic of discussion to be (for example, a question you would like students to answer).  Topics can also include attachments of articles or other websites you want for students to view.  Then, you share the join code so that your students can participate in the discussion by posting their own videos in response to your prompt.  An impressive feature of Flipgrid is that you can share these assignments directly to GoogleClassroom.

Flipgrid is really cool because it enables students to create videos that include cool features like filters, text, and even emojis.  This teacher created a great video that shares Flipgrid's unique features and how you can use it for remote teaching:  https://youtu.be/aLzX13jw7bw

There are so many settings a teacher has control over within this program.  For instance, if you're concerned students might post inappropriate content, you can turn on the "Video Moderation" control which allows the teacher to view and approve videos before they are posted.  Another feature you have control over is Student-to-Student replies (which you can allow or deny).  Feedback can also be provided within the website so that teachers can leave students comments or rubric scoring directly on their video posts. 

This Edutopia blog post has some great ideas for our how integrate Flipgrid into curriculum:

https://www.edutopia.org/article/9-new-ways-use-flipgrid-classroom

I also love this idea of combining Flipgrid with Chatterpix to create hilarious media featuring famous historic figures:

https://www.hollyclark.org/2020/04/24/15-ways-to-use-flipgrid-for-social-s

Stop by our Cougar Den Cafe in the Library Media Center for a cup of hot tea or coffee and I'll be happy to walk you through how to use this awesome program.  Please let me know what you think and if you have any questions!  

References:

Clark, Holly. Flipgrid Ideas for the Social Studies Classroom.  Infused Classroom.  https://www.hollyclark.org/2020/04/24/15-ways-to-use-flipgrid-for-social-s

How to Use Flipgrid to Teach Remotely. New EdTech Classroom. Sam Kary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLzX13jw7bw

Nieves, Kathryn.  (2020). 9 New Ways to Use FlipGrid in the Classroom.  Edutopia.  https://www.edutopia.org/article/9-new-ways-use-flipgrid-classroom

Overbay, A., Mollette, M. & Vasu, E. S. (2011). A technology plan that works. Educational Leadership, 68(5), 56-59.

Smith, D. (2010). Making the case for the leadership role of school librarians in technology integration. Library Hi Tech, 28(4), 617-631. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/07378831011096277