1CoolThing: Flipgrid and Canvas

Below is an email I sent our staff on October 10th. For most, this was the very first time they had heard of Flipgrid.  

I wanted to share a new digital tool that has been picking up a lot of interest by educators around the country, and the world, for that matter.  Our world languages departments have been looking into it and some (such as Sarah Voorhees) have already been piloting it in their class with very promising success.  It's called Flipgrid and the applications are endless.

In short, it's like a video discussion board, but presented in a way that kids enjoy.  It is similar to the social media they use daily.  Before you stop reading :) watch this 2 minute video that describes it in a nutshell.

It's become so popular and widespread, that Canvas has integrated with it.  On Monday I showed SHS World Languages how they can link the two services.  You can even use rubrics in Canvas to quickly assess the videos.  Here's a full breakdown of how to do it.

Here's how to link the two services: 

It's perfect for world languages for obvious reasons, but could be applied to any subject.  There are uses in math, social studies, science, and more.

As always with 1CoolThing videos or topics there's zero pressure to adopt, but I hope you'll at least entertain the idea. If it's something that interests you, reach out to me and I can answer questions, help set it up, or even demonstrate it in your class for you. I'm here to help.

Cheers!

Kristofer

PS: Want more?

1. Subscribe to 1CoolThing You Tube Channel to see more videos as they're added.
2. Follow #1CoolThing on Twitter where I share the great things I see teachers doing daily.
3. Follow what other educators are doing with Flipgrid on Twitter via #flipgridfever and #flipgrid

Since this email was sent out, I've already worked with several teachers on using Flipgrid with Canvas.  So far I find the integration to be a little clunky. Basically once a teacher links the two accounts, students can only access the "grid" by first going through Canvas.  They can't just pull out the phone, type in the code, and go.  That's awkward. 

There's also no way to subdivide topics into class section. Right now if a teacher teaches 3 periods, all 3 will be blended into one big one.  That's ok for some, but not for all.

For now I'm advising teachers to just stay within Flipgrid only until things get worked out.

I will say though, the ability to grade the video within Canvas is AWESOME.

I'm currently playing with Flipgrid with our "Google Masters."  I've had them share their goals for our cohort.  Additionally, I'm experimenting with Flipgrid as a way of getting teachers to share what they learn from PD days.  I'll do a blog post on this in the future....