As educators we really want our students to speak and listen, to share and comment, and to find the confidence to use their own voice, but so often in classrooms this is difficult. There’s not enough time. There’s not a good platform for sharing. There aren’t enough devices to go around. I can think of a million reasons why amplifying my students’ voices just won’t work…but when you try Flipgrid I think you’ll see just what amazing things can be done when we do allow our students to talk.

Last week I was lucky enough to hear Dr. Charlie Miller, founder and chief design officer at Flipgrid. I was blown away! I had used Flipgrid once or twice over the last few years, and I was impressed with what it could do, but I didn’t have the vision to see what it could do in a classroom. Flipgrid is a discussion platform where teachers can post discussion topics and students share their answers. Its flexibility is amazing!

With your FREE Flipgrid account you create a grid for your classroom. Name your grid and set the privacy settings. Only those with the grid url can access it. Then add the topics – the questions and themes you want your students to discuss. You can start with just one…but then can add unlimited discussion topics throughout the school year.

A big positive of Flipgrid is that students do not need to create an account. They simply click on the grid url (or scan it from a qr code). There’s a free flipgrid app for all devices you can use, or students can use any computer. Then the magic happens! Each discussion is on its own url, so viewing is only allowed for those students with the link.

Using Flipgrid isn’t about recording videos though. It’s about learning! Learning that is social, personal, can happen anywhere and anytime. It’s about making connections, exploring deeply, and promoting the idea that everyone is a learner and everyone is a teacher. Check out the free complete Flipgrid eBook vol3.  It includes everything you need to know to set up your account, create your first board, and get your students talking!

Another great Flipgrid resource is the Flipgrid Tips post on the Flipgrid blog, posted at: blog.flipgrid.com/news/gridtips.

Curious about how Flipgrid can be used in your classroom? Here are a few examples from different grade levels:

High School

Act it out:

Take on the persona of a historical figure you have been studying. Offer up comments on what that person would say if he/she were alive today. Or tell an event in history from your person’s point of view.

Middle School

Show what you know:

It can be terrifying for middle school students to get up in front of class and share what they know. With Flipgrid, rather than creating the video, students can choose to upload a video they have recorded with Screencastify! Or they can simply use the Flipgrid to explain how to find the area in a triangle, or to pose their solution to any problem.

Elementary School

World Read-Aloud Day:

Sean Forde, a friend of mine who teaches in Italy, created a World Read Aloud Grid where people around the world read a page of a book to create a collaborative masterpiece. Here is Sean’s first World Read Aloud Flipgrid, reading Oh, The Places You’ll Go. 🌍

Through these projects, Sean’s students were able to see the power of connection, experience other languages and cultures, and see the world through a different lens. (I helped with the reading of Ada Twist, Scientist – flipgrid.com/fdfebf)

Any Age:

The 30-second Book Talk:

Have students write, and then read, a 30 second “book trailer” for a book they recommend to others. Check out this sample: https://flipgrid.com/c5fa6c

Would you rather?

Check out http://wouldyourathermath.com. Select a question and have your students record their answer, justifying their answer with mathematics.

Looking for another way to use Flipgrid in your classroom? Let me know – and let’s work on it together!