Using Flipgrid to Get to Know Your Students: Building Community and Language Skills

By: Matt Rhoads, Ed.D

Dr. Matt Rhoads is a Tech and Instructional Leader and Innovator with hands in Adult Ed, K-12, and Higher Education. He is the author of several books and is the host of Navigating Education – The Podcast.

Flipgrid Basics and Background

Flipgrid is an interactive audio and video recording platform where students can respond to a teacher’s activity, prompt, or question as well as responses created by students. Teachers and students can add emojis, graphics, augmented reality, and more to their recorded response. Responses generally are short and last from 15 seconds to a little over a minute. Student responses can be assessed and graded by the teacher. Last, Flipgrid is very straightforward and easy to and can be shared to students quickly on Canvas, Zoom, an email, or anywhere you can send out a hyperlink. 

The goal is to demonstrate the basics of Flipgrid as well as demonstrate the instructional uses of this tool (as there are many!). After reading this post, you will know how to use it in at least eight different ways to amplify your instruction for your students within any classroom setting!

Watch to Learn More About Flipgrid: What is Flipgrid in 2 Minutes

Getting Started with Flipgrid – Build your Own Flipgrid Group and Topic!

1. Sign-up at www.flipgrid.com by using your school email. 

2. Once signed up, go to “Create a Group,” which is also known as a grid. 

1. A “Group” is considered a “Classroom” or “Community” that can use Flipgrid by responding to a question or activity created by a teacher. 

3.  To create a “Group”, watch the following video to learn “How to Create a Group”

4. Learn to “Create a New Topic” on Flipgrid by watching the video. 

5. Once you create your own Group and Topic on Flipgrid, you can share the hyperlink for students to access the Flipgrid through email, Canvas, a Document or Slideshow, or through Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams. 

Instructional Uses

1. Building classroom communities and learning students’ names. 
2. Online discussion boards where students can respond to the main question posed and respond to their classmates. 
3. Practicing language vocabulary, grammar, and phrases. 
4. Student led podcasting. 
5. Social-emotional learning tasks and activities
6. Student assessment
7. Student presentations

Above are several instructional uses of Flipgrid that you can place into your classroom. It is a great tool to integrate into your instruction and provide an opportunity for your students to use their voice in many ways to articulate what they know to you and their classroom community.