Indicator 3.A

3.A- Create experiences for learners to make positive, socially responsible contributions and exhibit empathetic behavior online that build relationships and community.

In the spring, my students completed their learning distantly. I liked to include some fun "STEM" challenges for the kids to complete while they were learning at home. One of the online resources that I love using with my class is called Flipgrid. Flipgrid allows students to record videos of themselves completing the task assigned to them. Then, students can watch the other children’s videos and respond to them. For this assignment I had my students create a paper plate maze with materials that they had around their house. They had to move a small ball through the maze by slowly tilting the paper plate. It was so much fun to watch their video and see how they each used their own creativity to complete the assignment.

Flipgrid is such a great resource for students to communicate with each other in a fun and engaging way. Being a first grade teacher, it is hard for the children in my class to share their learning through reading and writing as we are still learning the foundations for this in first grade. Flipgrid allows the students to share their learning through a video form. I really like how you can still see all of their personalities shine through their videos and as they respond to their classmates. This was an optional activity for my class to complete during distance learning so I did not get to see all of my students’ creations and hear them respond to what their friends created. In the future, I would like to use flipgrid in my classroom as a required assignment. I would like students to collaborate with each other by responding to what their classmates said in their videos. This allows for my students to build on their relationships with other students in the classroom. I would also like to include topics that are related to what we are learning in class to enhance their learning about a certain subject. I think that flipgrid is very beneficial to my classroom.