The Best Apps to Gamify Your Classroom!
TLDRThis video explores the use of edtech tools to gamify classroom learning, offering a variety of game-based learning experiences and strategies. It discusses the concept of gamification, from playing games in class to incorporating game elements into everyday activities and behavior management systems. The script introduces several tech tools and platforms, such as Flocabulary, Quizlet, Typing Club, Breakout EDU, and others, that can enhance student engagement through personalized and immersive educational games. It also touches on the integration of these tools with different blended learning models and concludes with a resource for finding more edtech tools on Common Sense's EdTech Reviews.
Takeaways
- 🎮 Gamification in the classroom can involve using tech tools to play traditional games or incorporating game elements into daily activities and behavior management systems.
- 🚀 The presenter introduces various edtech tools designed for game-based learning, personalized learning platforms, and immersive educational experiences.
- 🌐 There's a growing field of educational games that emulate video game experiences, such as one designed by the creators of Assassin's Creed, focusing on Ancient Egypt.
- 🔍 Digital breakout games are mentioned as a way to engage students in problem-solving activities that can be conducted in a digital format.
- 🏫 The concept of turning an entire class into a role-playing game for a year is introduced, involving experience points, gold, and character building.
- 🔗 A connection is made to blended learning models discussed in a previous session, suggesting that some games may be suitable for group activities in a blended learning environment.
- 📚 Slides Mania offers customizable game templates for classroom use, such as trivia and 'Two Truths and a Lie'.
- 🎶 Flocabulary is recommended for its engaging videos and vocabulary games, which can be played in a team or individual format with a whiteboard.
- 📚 Quizlet allows students to create flashcards and engage in competitive study games, enhancing review and retention of material.
- 🔑 Breakout EDU provides both physical and digital kits for conducting breakout room activities, promoting team building and problem-solving.
- 🎲 Quizizz and Gimkit offer interactive quiz and game experiences, with Gimkit featuring a 'game within a game' component for a more immersive experience.
- 🏹 Blooket and Prodigy are highlighted as games that continue throughout the school year, allowing students to collect items and power-ups, and practice math skills in a role-playing environment, respectively.
- 🎲 Classcraft is presented as a tool for gamifying non-game-based elements of a class, allowing for the assignment of experience points, creation of quests, and Boss Battles for formative assessment.
Q & A
What does gamifying learning mean according to the transcript?
-Gamifying learning means incorporating game elements into the educational process. This can include playing games in class, turning day-to-day activities into game-like experiences, or even gamifying behavior management systems, essentially turning the entire class into a large game.
What are some of the tech tools mentioned for playing traditional-type games in the classroom?
-Some tech tools mentioned include Slides Mania for game templates, Flocabulary for vocabulary games, Quizlet for flashcard-based games, Typing Club for typing practice games, and Breakout EDU for breakout room kits.
How does the Flocabulary vocab game work in the classroom?
-The Flocabulary vocab game involves engaging videos. Students team up or use individual whiteboards to write answers as they appear on the screen. The teacher manages the game, ensuring everyone has the correct answer before moving on, making it interactive and musical with a 'build a beat' component.
What is the purpose of using Typing Club in the classroom?
-Typing Club is used to improve students' typing skills, which is an important foundational technology skill. It offers lessons and fun typing games to engage students while they practice.
Can you explain how Breakout EDU's digital kits work?
-Breakout EDU's digital kits offer a virtual version of the traditional physical breakout room experience. They provide various subjects and puzzles that students must solve to 'break out' of the virtual room, fostering teamwork and problem-solving skills.
What is the difference between Quizizz and Kahoot?
-Quizizz is similar to Kahoot in that both are quiz games. However, Quizizz offers different game modes and the ability to create custom quizzes or use existing ones, which can be assigned as live quizzes or homework.
How does Gimkit differentiate itself from other quiz games?
-Gimkit differentiates itself by having a 'game within a game' component. It allows for multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions, but also includes elements like earning cash to shop for upgrades and different game rules that add a layer of complexity and engagement.
What is unique about Blooket's game structure?
-Blooket's uniqueness lies in its continuous game structure where students can build throughout the year, collecting items and power-ups. It offers different game types and maintains student progress over time.
What is the main goal of using ST Math as a learning platform?
-ST Math aims to provide a personalized learning platform for math practice. It allows teachers to assign students to practice math on a personal path or set up a class path where students work at their own level, focusing on building conceptual understanding.
How does Prodigy gamify math learning?
-Prodigy gamifies math learning by offering an adaptive math game in a role-playing environment. Students play as characters, choose avatars, and engage in battles that involve practicing math skills, making learning interactive and immersive.
What is Classcraft and how does it gamify classroom elements?
-Classcraft is a gamification tool that allows teachers to gamify various classroom elements, including behavior management. It involves assigning experience points, creating quests, and conducting Boss Battles, turning the class into an engaging game-like experience.
Why is Common Sense's EdTech Reviews a valuable resource for educators?
-Common Sense's EdTech Reviews is valuable because it provides reviews and information on various educational tools, including games. Educators can search for specific subjects, find engaging games, read reviews, and check compatibility with different devices.
Outlines
🎮 Introduction to Edtech Gamification
The speaker introduces the concept of using edtech tools to gamify learning, explaining that gamification isn't just about playing games in class but also involves integrating game elements into everyday classroom activities, group work, and behavior management systems. The session will cover a range of tech tools for traditional games, game-based learning programs, personalized learning platforms, and immersive video game-like experiences designed for educational purposes. The speaker also connects today's topic with last week's discussion on blended learning models, suggesting that some games are better suited for group settings, whether in-person or remote.
📚 Gamified Learning Tools and Platforms
This paragraph delves into specific edtech tools and platforms that facilitate gamified learning. Slides Mania is highlighted for its customizable game templates, such as trivia and 'Two Truths and a Lie'. Flocabulary is recommended for its engaging videos and vocabulary games. Quizlet and Typing Club are mentioned for their educational games that help students review and improve typing skills. Breakout EDU is introduced for its physical and digital kits that promote problem-solving and team building. Popular quiz games like Quizizz and Gimkit are explained, with the latter offering a more complex, game-within-a-game experience. Blooket is also discussed for its continuous gameplay and collection mechanics.
🏫 Advanced Gamification with Math and Role-Playing Games
The speaker discusses more advanced forms of gamification with platforms like ST Math and Prodigy, which offer personalized and adaptive learning experiences in mathematics. ST Math focuses on building conceptual understanding, while Prodigy presents a role-playing game environment where students practice math skills through battles and character progression. The paragraph also touches on the trend of educational video games that emulate mainstream video game experiences, with an example of a game about Ancient Egypt designed by the creators of Assassin's Creed.
🌟 Gamification Beyond Games: Classcraft and Common Sense Reviews
The final paragraph explores gamification tools like Classcraft, which allows teachers to apply game elements to non-game activities, such as assigning experience points and creating quests and boss battles for formative assessment. The speaker also recommends Common Sense's EdTech Reviews as a resource for discovering and reviewing new educational tools, including games for various subjects, and provides guidance on how to search for and evaluate these tools based on engagement, cost, and platform compatibility.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Gamify
💡Edtech
💡Game-based learning
💡Personalized learning
💡Digital breakout games
💡Typing Club
💡Quizlet
💡Kahoot
💡Gimkit
💡Blooket
💡Classcraft
💡Common Sense
Highlights
Discussion on various edtech tools to gamify learning.
Explanation of what it means to gamify learning.
Overview of using tech tools to play traditional-type games in the classroom.
Introduction to personalized learning game-based platforms.
Highlight of a game designed by the creators of Assassin's Creed to teach Ancient Egypt.
Explanation of digital breakout games and how to use them.
Discussion on how to use digital tools to gamify the entire classroom.
Recommendation of Slides Mania for customizable game templates.
Description of Flocabulary's vocab game and its interactive features.
Overview of Quizlet for creating flashcards and playing review games.
Introduction to Typing Club for enhancing typing skills through games.
Explanation of Breakout EDU for physical and digital breakout room kits.
Highlight of Quizizz for creating and playing quizzes live or as homework.
Description of Gimkit's game-inside-of-a-game component.
Overview of Blooket's continuous game progress and power-ups.
Introduction to ST Math for personalized math learning.
Highlight of Prodigy as an adaptive math game with role-playing elements.
Overview of Classcraft for gamifying classroom elements and assigning experience points.
Description of Classcraft's quests and Boss Battles for formative assessments.
Recommendation of Common Sense for finding reviews of new edtech tools.
