Your Guide to getting Started with Flipgrid!

edtech flipgrid google online education online learning tech tips Jun 19, 2020

Flipgrid is an amazing collaborative tool specifically designed for use in the classroom. The basic gist of it is that teachers post prompts and students respond to the prompts, just like they would in a discussion but in Flipgrid, these responses are in video form! Then, students can reply to each other’s videos, with more videos!
In my online teaching, this has been a great way for my completely online students to interact with each other and with me. I can put a face to the name and get to know them through their videos.
Flipgrid provides some amazing opportunities so give one of the options below a try with your class!

Feature #1: Good Ol’ Fashioned Discussion

This is the way that I have predominantly been using Flipgrid. I have them read a story or article or watch a video and then they respond in the Flipgrid topic. They can respond to others and I can respond to them. It is the easiest way to incorporate Flipgrid into your classroom.

Feature #2: Mixtapes!

Mixtapes are cool because you can curate student responses to one topic or multiple topics. I have used these as exemplars at the beginning of the year to help students see what a great response looks like. Each year we do Science Fair and I created a Mixtape of Tips from other students on how to be successful. I can add to this as the years go and have students see it every year!

Feature #3: Disco Library

The Disco Library is like a Lesson Plan marketplace but everything is FREE! Other teachers can post their topics in the library and then you are able to use them and integrate them into your Grids and classes with just a couple of easy clicks! Flipgrid has also partnered with amazing organizations like The Met, Code.org, Flocabulary, Skype, and Nearpod to create amazing topics to implement in the classroom!

Feature #4: Shorts!

Flipgrid has an amazing video recorder and now teachers can use the video recorder to create videos to be used ANYWHERE! You don’t have to have the video as part of a grid or anything! What makes the Flipgrid video recorder so unique is the overlays, filters, stickers, and all sorts of other things you can do with your video. Now you can do that in order to amplify engagement with your lessons. I was thinking this could be a really fun way to send home announcements! Check out these awesome examples of shorts from Mike and Scott!

And finally Feature #5: #GridPals!

I am just getting started with this, but I am excited about the opportunities it provides. You can connect with other teachers from around the world and connect your classrooms through Flipgrid! No more worrying about Time Zone differences when trying to Skype with a class in a different country. Students from both classes can post whenever it works for them and they can connect easily and learn from each other! I am in touch with a teacher in Turkey whose students are learning English and am hoping to connect our students so they can help each other! I can’t wait!

-Emily