Flipgrid in the Language Classroom

This is a collaborative post written with Flipgrid Ambassador Kristen Lyon.  Kristen is a Spanish teacher at Middletown High School in Middletown, RI.  She has also worked as a guidance counselor at MHS and was named the Middletown District Teacher of the Year for 2017.  She currently teaches AP Spanish Language and Culture and Spanish III. 

"Our motto at Flipgrid has always been ‘Bring the back row to the front,’ where all students have a respected voice and learn with and from one another." 
Dr. Charlie Miller, Fligrid Co-Founder

One of the problems that language teachers face on a daily basis is finding time for ALL students to practice oral communication.  Given the time constraints of most schedules and the lack of language labs in some schools, individual students speak for a limited amount of time each day. Additionally, a small percentage of students tend to dominate discussions. Flipgrid allows the silent majority an opportunity to be heard in a non-threatening environment.  Learn about this wonderful platform by visiting Flipgrid's Official Website and/or by viewing their extensive following on Twitter with the hashtag #FlipgridFever.  The video below also provides information on student voice.

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Flipgrid is a video response system that allows students to respond to prompts that the teacher sets up. But it is so much more than that. Creative teachers are finding new ways to use this very popular tool daily.  We will concentrate on the use of Fligrid in the language classroom.  We have used it with English Language Learners and with students learning Spanish in a high school setting.  Below are some of the ways that we have used it.  Please feel free to share ideas that you may have. We are always looking to learn from our colleagues. 

Flipgrid in Language Classes

 1.   Introductions-  Have your students introduce themselves at the beginning of the school year.  This helps the teacher to learn about the students and to get some background information.

 2.  Connecting with other classes-  Flipgrid is a great way to connect with classes from around the world through Global Connections.  Global Connections is a component of Flipgrid that allows teachers to setup grids/topics to connect with classes from around the world. Flipgrid's asynchronous platform allows us to connect with classes in countries that are in different time zones.  Students in one class leave a response in the grid and the students in the other class are able to respond at their convenience.  This is a wonderful way for the students to practice the languages they are learning. 

 3.  Thanking presenters-  Our students have used Flipgrid to send thank you videos to a biologist from the Tucan Rescue Ranch in Costa Rica after a Skype in the Classroom Virtual Field Trip.  The students were able to let Sr. Montero know how much they appreciated his time.  

 4.  End of year reflections-  Have the students leave reflections about your class at the end of the year.  Students are able to let you know what they enjoyed about the class and offer suggestions on areas of improvement. 

 5.  International festival feedback-  We had the entire school community respond to a Flipgrid topic after our annual International Festival. Students and faculty members had the opportunity to let us know what they enjoyed about the festival and ways that we can make it better. We will consider these suggestions when planning the next festival. 

 6.  Connecting with former students-  Former English Language Learners who have returned to their countries are able to share with current students how they are using English while attending a university or in their current careers.  The current students see the real-world value of learning English and the former students are able to stay connected and give back.  It is a win-win situation.

 7.  Giving advice to new students-  Students graduate, move, or finish your course.  Having them leave advice for the next group of students is a wonderful opportunity for self-reflection as well as a way to contribute to the education of a new group of students.  Students tend to listen to their peers.  Using that information at the beginning of the year helps to set the stage for learning.

 8.  Minimizing effects of absences-  Unfortunately, absences are a challenge to every school year. For a teacher who is absent, Flipgrid assignments can be created and assessed at any time, from anywhere. Students can respond to topics and stay current with their work despite being absent from class.

 9. Formative/summative oral assessments-  Videos can be used as a formative tool to analyze students' level of oral proficiency or as a summative assessment at the end of a chapter, theme, or unit.  

10.  Sharing opinions on multiple topics-  Topics may include favorite foods, childhood memories, life in the future etc.  We use these topics as opportunities to practice the different tenses while concentrating on thematic vocabulary (clothing, food, occupations, etc.)

11.  Native speaker exchange-  Having native speakers record Flipgrid videos on a variety of topics is a wonderful way to provide language students with examples of authentic language.  

12.  Book/literature reviews-  Students can reflect on articles, poems, or books that they have read.  You may try having students speak directly to the author and let him/her know what they liked about the book and what they might do differently if they were the author. 

13.  Current events-  The study of current events at home and abroad provides extensive cultural learning opportunities.  In responding to current event topics using Flipgrid, students formulate and share opinions, summarize, and critically analyze.   Great sources of news are Newsela, Veinte Mundos, CNN en Español, and various other international on-line news sites.  

*This is by no means a complete list. We will be adding ideas as we come up with other uses.  Please let us know ways that you are using Flipgrid to enhance student voice in your classes.  We would love to hear your ideas.

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"Él que sabe dos idiomas y se comunica en ambos vale por dos." 

"He who knows two languages and is able to communicate in both is worth two."