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We always take pictures when we visit our babies' classrooms - but even our children sitting at their laptops is an interesting memory.

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The role of feedback and reflection are key strategies in best middle level practice for students and educators alike. Finding engaging ways for this exchange to take place in meaningful and relevant ways is, for many of us, a challenge.

Enter Flipgrid.

What is Flipgrid?

Billed as a video discussion platform, flipgrid has been a game-changer for encouraging learners to get more comfortable sharing their reflections with classmates. Each learner records their own video response to a group question. The videos are all available for all learners to watch, reply to or simply "like".

Students in particular, seem drawn to Flipgrid not only because of its functionality but because it echoes popular social media platforms. Likes, replies, hashtags and the ability to enhance/manipulate your images seems to resonate. (Think: Snapchat, or instagram). This also feeds into the middle-level urge to explore different aspects of your identity.

Here's what students say about Flipgrid and reflection:

"FlipGrid can be an easier method to express your thoughts on a topic. It is much quicker than writing a reflection or idea down, and of course, you don't have to worry about grammar mistakes! I enjoy FlipGrid because it is a helpful way to get my thoughts out effectively and quickly in a meaningful way that makes sense to everyone." ~ A Colchester Middle School 8th grader

"FlipGrid is a great way to spread ideas in an interesting and fun way. It is enjoyable to go through and watch other videos." ~ A Colchester Middle School 7th grader

1. A new avenue for students to provide feedback on curriculum

Students at Shelburne Community School have been engaged in project-based learning, but are interested in how to maximize student voice and choice in the process. Educators Sam Nelson and Diana Rich have used Flipgrid to check in with students and capture moments of reflection along the way. What a great piece of evidence to include in a PLP!

The 90-second video window pushes students to be concise. They share:

what's on their mind

what they might need for support

questions for classmates

and where they think they will go next with their learning.

It's always great to hear what students think about their learning. In this case the feedback was specific to a newer structure of learning.

From an organizational lens, this type of evidence would make for great conversation at a faculty meeting. The videos capture true emotions and thought processes.

From a workflow lens, it can be difficult to check in with all students in a given class period. Flipgrid extends that opportunity for students to share their thoughts and progress, needs, and wonderings on their own time and in their own way. The real power here is students can respond to each other in comment threads and capture a rich dialog focused on learning. The asynchronous, out-of-classroom window for capturing syncs up with the middle school brain.

Similarly, Robyn Alvin from Stowe Middle School posed three questions to her students after a stations learning experience.

2. A new avenue for reflection between colleagues

Shelburne Community School recently hosted a visit for some fellow Vermont educators. After the visit, the hosting educator was interested in gathering some feedback from the visitors. Flipgrid provided an easy avenue to complete the loop and add to the conversation. It functioned like a "super-easy digital guestbook".

Could you see using this tool as an exit ticket for school visits or exhibitions?

3. Build a closer cohort during distance learning

The social connection many of us crave with our learning can sometime be absent in the online world. Many times we have professional learning opportunities that are distant, online, or far and few between. But the addition of video conferencing can greatly improve these opportunities.

There is just something about being able to see someone's face, hear your name mentioned in a comment, and understand tone and expression. It's also easy to go back and listen, have the conversations archived and easily sharable.

The VT Learning Lab has taken advantage of the power of Flipgrid to support the personal and social experience of this learning cohort.

Here, Flipgrid was used as a virtual introduction and sharing of one's action research question prior to the start of the class. Just like students, adult learners want to know who's in their class and what they've signed up for. This quick video introduction sets the tone for building a supportive and collaborative cohort.

Similarly, the simplicity allows for quick updates along the way. Learning Lab participants share regular updates with their cohort.

So how is this changing learning?

If we think of the components of the reflection - description, feeling, evaluation, and conclusion - it's that final step that makes an impact. ACTIONS. As students become more competent in their reflection they will have clearer ideas and action steps for their next phase of learning.

What tools besides Flipgrid have you seen be successful in collecting these types of reflections?

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3 ways to use Flipgrid for reflection : Innovative Education in VT

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The role of feedback and reflection are key strategies in best middle level practice for students and educators alike. Finding engaging ways for this exchange to take place in meaningful and relevant ways is, for many of us, a challenge. Enter Flipgrid.

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Art Classes, Camps, and Parties for Kids - Abrakadoodle

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Since 2002, Abrakadoodle has engaged kids with creative art classes for kids, fun themed summer art camps, holiday art camps, art parties and special events such as art activity days, school art assemblies and other programs. We bring our Academic Art Program to Charter Schools, Private Schools and Public Schools where we become the school's academic art program.

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Unite for Literacy provides free digital access to picture books, narrated in many languages. Literacy is at the core of a healthy community, so we unite with partners to enable all families to read with their young children.

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My daughter recently participated in a virtual party. Everything she needed was placed on our porch in a brown grocery bag.

-Bingo Board with scavenger hunt items that kids would need to find and show within the Zoom Meeting
-Decorate your own robot - cardstock picture of robot and stickers to decorate
-Students then wrote a mini story about their friend's robot (break-outs of 2)
-Finished with something they liked from this year

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*Video/Powerpoint Comp.* Drive by Activities * Virtual Pandemic Yearbook* Photograph positive images from the pandemic around the community/home* Write about your virtual experiences and share in a creative way with voiceovers to pictures/videos*Tik Tok Challenge

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*Video/Powerpoint Comp.* Drive by Activities * Virtual Pandemic Yearbook* Photograph positive images from the pandemic around the community/home* Write about your virtual experiences and share in a creative way with voiceovers to pictures/videos*Tik Tok Challenge

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If the teacher is willing, allow the children to meet in small groups simply to show/tell or share something new.

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Book Creator - Love Learning - Book Creator app

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Teachers love it. Students love it. Book Creator is the simplest, most inclusive way to create content in the classroom.

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Teaching students about diverse cultural and religious traditions holds a host of benefits, including increased empathy and kindness. And in this time of heightened anti-Muslim bias, we can all use more of both.

Ramadan (or Ramazan) is a month-long spiritual period of fasting and prayer that commemorates the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad, according to Muslim tradition. During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn to dusk, and the month culminates with Eid al-Fitr, a three-day celebration that involves praying, visiting relatives, giving gifts to children, remembering deceased loved ones and helping those experiencing poverty.

For Muslims all over the world, Ramadan and Eid are the most significant festivals of the year. Ramadan is celebrated in the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, which means it starts on a different date each year. Eid follows around a month later, depending on when the crescent moon appears. Usually, children start fasting at least for a few days during Ramadan once they turn 7 or 8 years old.

Pointing out the aspects that Ramadan and Eid have in common with other religious celebrations will help Muslim children take pride in their religious identity and help non-Muslim children develop empathy and understanding. It can also provide an opportunity for Muslim children to share their culture and broaden the horizons of their classmates. You can discuss these festivals at any point in the school year.

For teachers interested in including a discussion around Ramadan and Eid in class, here are some ideas:

Parent or Family as Cultural Ambassador: If there is a Muslim child in your class, you can reach out to the child and their family to ask if they would be comfortable sharing more information about the festival and its traditions with the rest of the class.

Using Books as Resources: There are some fun and insightful picture books you can use to lead a discussion on Ramadan, such as Lailah's Lunchbox. In this story, Lailah struggles with sharing her faith and traditions with her teacher and classmates. Eventually, with the help of her librarian and teacher, she gains confidence, acceptance and admiration from her peers. The book also comes with a lesson plan. Another alternative is Drummer Girl, a delightful story about a young girl named Najma, who wants to challenge the gender norms of an ancient Ramadan tradition. Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. and Growing Up Muslimare wonderful for the middle grades.

Making Connections: Discuss parallels between Ramadan and fasting during Lent in the lead-up to Easter. Other religions also encourage fasting, such as Hinduism and Judaism. One can discuss how, across traditions, fasting teaches self-control and builds resilience. It can also foster appreciation and gratitude for food, empathy for people who are suffering and, of course, pride in accomplishing a fast. These concepts would be great discussion points, especially in middle schools.

Teaching about Ramadan and Eid is just one step educators can take toward making religious diversity a regular point of discussion in the classroom. See these other TT resources for more on teaching about Islam, countering Islamophobia and bringing religious diversity into the classroom safely and legally.
Extreme Prejudice Expelling Islamophobia Who Are American Muslims? Countering Islamophobia Through Education Confronting Students' Islamophobia Religious Diversity in the Classroom Manglik and Siddique are the founders of KitaabWorld, an online platform and bookstore through which they advocate for South Asian representation and diversity. In early 2017, Kitaabworld ran a "Counter Islamophobia Through Stories" campaign to create a framework for parents and educators to showcase positive representations of Muslims to children growing up in the United States.

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Teaching students about diverse cultural and religious traditions holds a host of benefits, including increased empathy and kindness. And in this time of heightened anti-Muslim bias, we can all use more of both. Ramadan (or Ramazan) is a month-long spiritual period of fasting and prayer that commemorates the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad, according to Muslim tradition.

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