FLIPGRID

WHAT IS IT?

Flipgrid is a free, education-focused platform to create and share short videos. Users create videos around topics, then upload those videos to a ‘Grid’ for sharing, feedback, and topic-based response videos.

It’s really about ease of use (through Topics) and privacy (through Grids). The former is what the videos are about while the latter is where they’re shared and who they’re shared to and with.

Some ways you might consider using FLIPGRID in your class include:

KEY TERMS

GRIDS classroom or learning communities; you may have a Grid for your Ancient Rome course

TOPICS prompts or discussion questions for your students or groups; a topic may include discussion of a reading on housing structures in Ancient Rome

RESPONSES the videos students record on their laptops or other devices and upload to the Topic. This is how they share their voices!

REPLIES if activated in your topic settings, this allows any member of your grid to reply to another response. A great way to seek back and forth discussions from your students.

+CREATING An ACCOUNT

1 Visit flipgrid.com and select EDUCATOR SIGN UP 

2 Use your CSW google account to log in

3 Tell Flipgrid a little about yourself and then select Create Account



+CREATING A GRID

While students create short videos around Topics, the primary structure of Flipgrid is the Grids themselves. Grids are like groups–you can create one for a class, a school or a club, for instance, and ‘close’ them or make it open and ‘global.’

1 From your dashboard click on the Add New Grid button

2 Name your grid. Allow students to join via their Google Accounts or Share the access code with them that is listed here.

Whenever you create a new Grid, it automatically adds a "Welcome, Say Hello!" Topic. This is where your students can introduce themselves or answer an initial getting to know you prompt.


A NOTE ABOUT PRIVACY: 

You can add a password so that your Grid can’t be joined and videos can’t be viewed with the password. Anyone with the Flip Code and Grid password (if activated) can join and view the videos on the Grid. Also, to record a video, participants will verify their email using Microsoft or Google.

+ADDING TOPICS TO YOUR GRID

Topics can simply be text-based or include a resource such as image, video, giphy, emoji, and attachment. All educators can add unlimited Topics to their Grids. Sharing a Grid with someone will give them access to everything on the Grid.

Whenever you add a new grid, it automatically creates an Intro Topic. To add additional Topics and get more responses from students, 

1 Navigate to the "My Grids" tab

2 Select the name of the grid you would like to add a Topic to

3 Select the New Topic button.

4 Include a Title and a Prompt. Adjust the Recording Time to match your requirements for responses.

5 Click the Create Topic Button

A NOTE ABOUT PRIVACY:

You can also choose whether or nor the Topic is moderated or not, as well as other privacy levels, and ‘Launch/Freeze’ dates for your Topic, and more (including documents and links).

+ OTHER TOPIC OPTIONS

There are even MORE OPTIONS when you create a topic. You can add Media and Other Resources to engage your students with the Topic.

You can also add Topic Attachments, Tips, and Student to Student Replies. You can even turn on Sticky Notes, which will allow students to include these in their video responses. There are LOTS of options. 

PRO TIP: Try a bunch out and see what you like best. Be playful with it!


These are other tools you can add to your Topic.

Consider adding additional instructions or Helpful Hints to students. Even links to resources they should consider.

You can only activate video responses after you've viewed them or allow student-to-student replies.

You can even turn off or freeze a Topic when you want it to "close" to responses.