Gimkit Takes Learning to the Next Level

I'm really starting to like Gimkit! There are so many great tools out there to assess students, like Kahoot and Quizizz; however, Gimkit takes a different spin on assessment.

It provides a gamified approach, where students earn fake money in order to buy and implement certain strategies, such as increasing point values and throwing a monkey wrench into your competition.

Gimkit can be used as a live game (much like Kahoot) or as an assignment (much like NearPod). Plus there are many accessibility features, which makes it easier for students of all abilities and disabilities. Students learn through repetition and at their own pace!

Want a tutorial on how to use it? Check out my crash course below:

How Do You Recap? A Great Way to Use Formative Assessment in the Classroom

Formative assessments are a great way of helping gauge student understanding and there are a variety of tools available to help teachers. I was recently made aware of a really great tool while in a Twitter chat with Karen (@Teach4SpclNeeds). She told me about Recap, a video formative assessment tool that can be used on a multitude of devices.

Getting Started 

To begin, teachers have to sign up for a Recap account and create a class. When you create a class, you will have to enter in the names of students much like SeeSaw.

Once you have your roster set up, students can access your class by going to the following link. You can choose how you want your students to sign into the App, whether using a PIN or email account (for older students). When students login to the course, they will need to choose their name from the list of students.

Creating Your First Assignment

Assignments are known as Recaps. You can create your first Recap by signing into your account and accessing your class. Once you are in your class, you can develop a Recap with a question (or questions) and / or a video explanation.

There are also ways to customize the way your students respond. For instance, you can choose the maximum recording time (15 seconds to 2 minutes), due date, and adding an assess yourself poll question.

Student Responses

Students can access the assignment by using the following link to log into their accounts and entering the PIN (or email address) associated with the class.

Students choose their name from the class roster and open up the Recap assignment in their dashboard. Once they access the question, they can record their video response.

Increasing Engagement

Once a video has been posted to Recap, teachers can use a variety of tools and features to check understanding, showcase learning to parents, or automatically combine all Recaps into a class video called the Daily Review Reel.  Videos can easily be shared with parents or other educators through a link or Twitter.

Conclusion

When I think of formative assessment, I am sometimes reminded of an episode of The Office. The main character, Michael and his sidekick Dwight, drives into a lake while using a GPS. Why? They did not have an understanding of where they were going.  I am a firm believe that when we don't understand where our students are going, we can end up with a sinking lesson or unit.

Our students can end up in a similar predicament if we are unsure where instruction is headed. Are students understanding material? What misconceptions do they have? What are they struggling with? This is why formative assessment is a great tool for gauging student understanding.

Recap is an excellent tool to help students develop a deeper understanding of content, so that can articulate where they are going and where they have been.

Bridging the Gap One Recap (App) at a Time

What does your classroom typically look like during the last five minutes of class? Be honest! It sometimes is a collection of backpacks zipping, talking, and the occasional student who wants to get homework done. The last five minutes of class is critical to the comprehension of our students. Yet, how many of us are guilty of wasting 5 minutes a day? If we waste five minutes a day for a week, we have wasted 25 minutes of instructional time for a week, 2 class periods a month, and 18 class periods a year. How can we better use this time period?

I believe the key lies Carol Ann Tomlinson's quote, “Formative assessment is the bridge between today's lesson and tomorrow's.” How can we better bridge the gap between today and tomorrow?

Recap:

An excellent tool to accomplish this important task is called Recap. Available on the web or as an iOS App, teachers can develop classrooms where students can respond and reflect on what they have learned through short video messages.

How Does It Work?

Teachers have to create an account and create a class for students to enroll in. Students have the option of enrolling in a class via email address or with a pin. This is a very helpful feature for students without email addresses.

Student Login with a Pin:

In order to use the pin feature, teachers will have to manually enter in the names of their students. If you are familiar with SeeSaw, the process is very much the same. If you are having students use the pin to login, they will enter the pin and then choose their name from a list (much like SeeSaw).

Creating a Recap:

Assignments are known as "recaps." Teachers can enter in a question via text and / or with video instructions. This is perfect for students, who may have difficulty with understanding what you are trying to ask and may need to hear your voice.

As a teacher, you can set how long you want student "recaps" to be (2 minutes or less), when it is due, who to send it to (perfect for differentiation), and include an Assess Self Poll question.

Student Recaps:

Students will receive a notification that they have a Recap due and have to respond to the question(s). Students will open up the Recap and use their device's camera to record a brief message answering your question.

Receiving Student Work:

Once students are done with their Recaps, teachers can access their dashboard and watch student activity. They can see who responded, view poll responses, and leave timely feedback for students.

I also like the daily recap feature, where teachers can see the Recap question(s) and responses of their entire class in one video. Very cool!

Conclusion:

Providing students with options for how they respond is an important component of learning. Recap provides students with the ability to verbally share their responses, which is helpful for students who struggle with writing or typing. I also like the fact that students need to quickly respond to a question in 2 minutes or less, essentially creating an elevator speech. It is so important for our students to quickly gather, assess, and state their thoughts in a logical and organized fashion. This can be a great tool for helping students do so.