How To Get Teens Excited to Talk About Reading: Flipgrid!
Did you know you can use Flipgrid to get your students more motivated and engaged with responding to texts? Struggling and reluctant readers- students who are typically not excited to talk about reading- can use Flipgrid to engage in responding to texts. Meet students where they spend their time: on their devices. Use Flipgrid to make reading response more natural. Students can either speak to the teacher or they can speak to each other.
Start Small
Here’s a tip, start by having students’ responses visible only to you. Then, open up videos for small groups to view but not comment on. Finally, bring the discussion beyond the boundaries of the classroom by allowing all responses to be visible to all students to comment and respond.
Improve Convenience
Flipgrid allows you to give personalized feedback with great ease. What’s more, teachers can grade and provide feedback on the go. Grading with Flipgrid is a cinch.
Foster Relationships
When you incorporate Flipgrid, students get to see each other in their home environment. They also see each others’ personalities because Flipgrid provides for a one-on-one conversation. Flipgrid also allows people to add stickers and draw on their image - kind of like Snapchat or Instagram. Students and teachers both have fun with this.
Remove Barriers
Flipgrid can improve the critical lenses through which students respond to books. Students may feel more comfortable expressing dissent, frustration, and even dislike of a book. Shorter video limits are the best. Students only need 2 minutes or so to get their point across. Shortening the amount of time students have to respond can also improve their clarity and help them be more concise.
Reasons Why You Can’t Wait to Start Using Flipgrid!
If you watched the video above then you heard Mr. Dutrow explain:
It’s worth doing just because there’s an amazing community that will support you with ideas & technical support.
Use Twitter and type in #flipgridfever or @flipgrid
It’s so easy! Students enjoy the effort of trying something new. You can create not just videos but whole themed lessons that fit within Flipgrid. You can find what people are doing and use others’ ideas as well.
According to Mr. Dutrow and us here at Literacy Teachers, Flipgrid is an incredible tool that will help your students break down barriers to their responses to reading and engage more deeply with books.
A Final Consideration
Concerned that students won’t have access to this at home? Be sure to open the assignment to written responses.
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