FTT - Quizizz, Where Motivation Meets Mastery

Quizizz

Where Motivation Meets Mastery

@LisaBerghoff@MrKimDHS

Sometimes in the excitement of looking for the next new tool, it can be easy to overlook tools that already exist. Sometimes it can be helpful to simply be reminded of these tools that have been around a while but most often there have been updates that are worth looking into. Remember that technology moves much faster than education does so just because you used it three years ago does not mean it looks or acts the same now. I also love thinking about using these tools in new ways. Today's post is one of those tools that is not new but has been updated and also there are lots of ways to use it.

I took a look at the Tech Tool Tuesday archive and the last time Quizizz got it's own post was back in 2015 when it first launched. It has been mentioned in several other posts, including one on formative tools, one on tech tools to know, and another on bringing games into the classroom. While Quizizz is not new, it does have several new features including one that could make it a viable alternative to Quizlet since Quizizz is on our SOPPA approved list and Quizlet is not.

In case you have not heard of Quizizz, here's the elevator speech. According to the website,  "Quizizz is a Learning platform that offers multiple tools to make a classroom fun, interactive and engaging." It is in the same category as Kahoot and Gimkit in that it's a great tool for review games.  

I made a game just for D113 staff so you could try it from a participant perspective. The questions are a little silly, but you will get the idea. 

Click to play the FTT Demo Quizizz For District 113. 

You can also go to joinmyquiz.com and enter the code 31790907

As a teacher, you can create lessons, conduct formative assessments, assign homework, and have other interactions with your students in a captivating way. 

Quizizz is fun and engaging. Ask your students and they will confirm. As the teacher you have lots of options but I also really like that it also gives students options. When they start a game they can toggle on to have questions read to them. They can also choose whether or not music plays or memes come up after they answer questions. For students who are easily distracted, this can really help as we teach them to work on self awareness and attending to a task. Allowing the students to make these adjustments gives them an opportunity to tailor the experience to their needs.

Quizizz is most commonly used as a tool for review of information.  Students can play the game asynchronously or you can play in class. You can decide how many attempts they get. Students can also use flashcard mode (Quizlet replacement) to review. 

You can also use Quizizz to take a poll in class and there is now a new feature where you can create interactive slides in Quizizz. 

Quizizz features: 

1. Instructor paced Lessons/Quizzes: Teachers control the pace; the whole class goes through each question together.
2. 
   Student paced Lessons/Quizzes: Students progress at their own pace and you see a leaderboard and live results for each question or lesson. The free version allows for 100 players for a given game. 
3. Sync across devices: Students always see the content on their own devices, be it  PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
4. Access to millions of Quizzes: Import any public quiz as-is, edit and customize them.
5. Quiz+Lesson editor: Several question types to choose from. Add images to your questions. 
6. Reports: Get detailed class-level and student-level insights for every quiz. Share with parents/guardians to monitor student progress.
7. Sharing & Collaboration: Share your quiz with other instructors and/or ask them to be collaborators.

What's New In Quizizz?

Pre-Game Features-

Question Types:

There are some new question types. Many of them are part of the premium subscription but not all. For those of use using the free version, we have the original multiple choice but we now also have fill in the blank, drawing, and open-ended questions. 

New quiz editor:

Now you can search and add Google images and YouTube videos directly from the editor.

Create from a spreadsheet or an existing Google form:

You can easily import your existing questions or vocabulary lists from a spreadsheet. Or, if you already created a quiz in Google forms Quizizz will create a Quizizz game for you from your multiple choice, open ended, or poll questions. Click here to see more information about importing from Google Forms.

Asynchronous Settings:

Assigning for homework? You can decide how many attempts students will get. Decide whether or not they see the correct answer after each question. Allow students to review questions and the answers when they are done. A new feature is the "redemption quiz" where you can allow students to answer the questions that they got wrong at the end in order to improve accuracy. There is also the option for an "extra life". Turn off redemption quiz mode to give your students another chance to get some types of questions right. 

During Play Options:

There are now power-ups. This is a nod to Gimkit, another online game tool. 

Scores and grades are not affected by power-ups so you won't get an inaccurate measure of their learning if you choose.

Click here to see the list of power-ups and learn what they do. 

You still have the activity settings that you have always enjoyed. Choose to shuffle the questions or the answer options (for multiple choice questions), show the leaderboard, play music, show memes. You have lots of controls to adjust for your particular group of students.

After Play Options:

Print the quiz for students who may benefit from a hard copy. Just click where it says Worksheet. 

Click Reports to take a look at the stats for all of your Quizizz activities. Based on the level of accuracy you many want to assign more practice. 

Flashcards: When students have completed the game. They can review the questions and answers and are given a button to click for Study Flashcards.  When they click on the button, the questions are given in flashcard form, with the question on the front and answer on the back. If they click "view options" they can also see all of the answer choices from the game. They can just press the space bar or click to flip it over and see the correct answer. 

Pushing games out to students is simple and you have several options.

You can share the link, just add it to your Schoology materials page or updates.

You can also have students go to joinmyquiz.com and enter the game code.

Finally, there is also an option to embed. When you are on the editing screen, click "embed" and you can grab the embed code. Switch to html mode on a Schoology assignment and copy the code there. That way your students don't even need to click to access your game.

Try it now!

Want to give Quizizz a try from a participant perspective?

Play the FTT Demo Wordwall For District 113. 

You can also go to joinmyquiz.com and enter the code 31790907

 

FTT - 8 Digital Skills Every Teacher Should Know

8 Digital Skills Every Teacher Should Have

@LisaBerghoff/@MrKimDHS

Coming straight from The Learning Technology Center for Illinois is a short list of 8 practical digital skills every teacher should be comfortable with in today's classroom. Luckily for us, remote and hybrid learning was probably the most effective (albeit forced) EdTech professional development educators around the world ever engaged in. So without further ado, here are 8 digital skills with some examples of supportive programs.

Blending Learning:

The pandemic signaled a major paradigm shift regarding society's professional and educational workspaces, as well as how individuals interacted there. While no one is eager to return to asynchronous eLearning, remote or hybrid work has been embraced by myriad firms worldwide and is having a lasting impact on the labor market, as well as the commercial real estate markets. Luckily for our district, we were already embracing blended learning by adopting the learning management system, Schoology, by the time our doors were shut. Teachers should no longer be limited by the physical space and contact time of their classrooms. Schoology, and other programs like it, allow instruction to manifest itself digitally which aligns expectations for future work.

Examples: Schoology, Canvas, Google Classroom, PowerSchool.

Content Creation:

Now no one is threatening to take away posters and tri-folds, but students now have the ability to express their creativity through digital mediums. Visual arts and design skills are exceptionally important, and there are accessible ways for every teacher to experiment and design content to support their instruction. Canva and Google apps like Youtube, Draw, and Sites, are increasingly popular ways for teachers to infuse their instruction with visually appealing content.

Examples: Canva,  Adobe Spark, Google Apps

Video Creation:

Important enough of a distinction with other forms of content creation - instructional videos are becoming increasingly relevant in a digital world. With mini televisions/video recorders in every pocket, this type of accessibility can be educationally helpful if done correctly. Movies or music videos can be a fresh alternative to traditional presentations or written assignments. Utilize students' mastery of iMovie and social media for fun, and interactive assignments.

Examples: WeVideo, Flip (formerly Flipgrid), YouTube, Animoto.

Screencasting and Recording:

We've all probably benefited immensely from the expertly crafted videos from Khan Academy. While our production value may not be on par with Sal Khan, your students may get more from your personally created videos than those made for a general audience through Khan Academy. I hope this does not bring out too many bad memories from Remote/Hybrid learning. Screencasts and recordings can be powerful tools for students who may need to revisit a topic/concept without having to meet individually with a teacher.

Examples: Screencastify, Google Meet, Zoom, Screecast-O-Matic

Presentations:

While most of us are comfortable with Microsoft Powerpoint and Google Slides by now, you can augment your presentations with programs like NearPod or Pear Deck. While undoubtedly your expertly-timed jokes and anecdotes are doing wonders in tethering students to reality during your lessons, we can all use a little help. Check out district-funded programs like Pear Deck to take your presentations to the next level.

Examples: Pear Deck, NearPod, Google Slides, Prezi

Data Collection:

How do you know if your students are learning in your classroom? Thumbs up and head nods? Staff should feel comfortable aggregating (or disaggregating) student data, qualitative or quantitative. You can take traditional modes of data collection through Google Forms and Sheets, or you can work with programs like GimKit, Survey Monkey, or Kahoot! to feel the "pulse" of your class. You can also take advantage of Panorama Education's ability to collect, organize, and categorize student data pulled directly from Infinite Campus.

Examples: Panorama, Google Forms/Sheets, Gimkit

Digital Assessments:

Now I know that this is somewhat of a sore subject, what with our digital assessment security program, Lockdown Browser, failing somewhat miserably for us the last few years. But let's face it, when it works well, digital assessments have too many perks to ignore. Instant grading, data storage, and easy access/dissemination are all benefits of digital assessments. If only we can work out test security, retakes, extended time, etc....

Examples: Schoology Assessments, Google Form, EdPuzzle

Resource Collection/Sharing/Organization

Let's face it, we should just call this one Google Drive. As an educator and colleague, do you have the skills to create, organize, and share content on Google Drive? Do you know where your most important documents are? Are they organized in a coherent manner? Can you easily share and access documents in a timely manner? Google Drive is quietly one of the most impactful programs in education today, and it's worth taking the time to learn.

Examples: Google Drive, Microsoft OneNote

OK, that was a lot. We're not saying you need to be able to effectively use everything listed in this blog. But you should strive to be more and more comfortable with these digital skills. Perhaps make it a point to touch upon these skills throughout your semester. The more you are comfortable with these skills, the better model you can be for your 21st century learners. Need more help with these digital skills? Please reach out!

FTT - ChatGPT - Fascinating or Frightening? Maybe Both

Chat GPT

Fascinating Or Frightening? 

Maybe Both

@LisaBerghoff/@MrKimDHS

I'm always interested in the buzz but I am also skeptical. I don't jump on the newest shiniest thing in my personal life and I certainly don't jump on the bandwagon when it comes to education. I do however believe in being well-informed and staying curious about what could help our students be best positioned for whatever the future holds for them. 

In case you have been living under a rock, Chat GTP is an artificial intelligence chatbot that was launched by Open AI in November of 2022. It uses enormous language models to predict and generate the next word in a series of related words. The world of academia was understandably wary of its capacity to answer questions and write papers. I saw a demonstration where a teacher asked it to write an essay about the thirteen colonies in the style of a third grader and cite two sources. In a matter of seconds, the essay was written. There is also a fair amount of buzz from the education world in the positive column in terms of utilizing AI in the classroom. Teachers can generate models of writing for students to analyze and edit. It's far from perfect, and according to several news sources, it will soon be behind a big paywall. 

Regardless of what you think, the notion of AI in schools is not a new one and is most likely heading in our direction. It opens up many good topics for conversation. Should students do most of their writing in class? Does this help with equity since we know that students already work with tutors, some of whom are writing papers for students? 

At any rate, I thought I would ask the chatbot to help me out by writing a post for educators on the benefits of AI in classrooms along with addressing the issue of cheating. Here's what it came up with.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in the high school classroom has the potential to revolutionize the way students learn and teachers teach. Here are just a few benefits of incorporating AI into the classroom:

1. Personalized learning: AI can analyze data on each student's learning style and abilities, and adapt the curriculum to best suit their needs. This can lead to increased engagement and motivation for students, as well as improved academic performance.

2. Improved efficiency: AI can assist teachers with tasks such as grading assignments and providing feedback, freeing up more time for instruction and interaction with students.

3. Enhanced assessment: AI can provide immediate and accurate assessment of student work, allowing teachers to quickly identify areas where students need additional support.

4. Increased access to information: AI can provide students with instant access to vast amounts of information, expanding their knowledge and understanding of subjects.

While these benefits are significant, the use of AI in the classroom also raises concerns about cheating. To mitigate this risk, teachers can take the following steps:

1. Clearly communicate expectations: Clearly communicate expectations to students regarding the use of AI, and the consequences of cheating.

2. Monitor student work: Keep an eye on student work to ensure that they are completing it independently.

3. Use multiple forms of assessment: Use a variety of assessment methods, such as open-book exams, oral presentations, group projects, to ensure that students are demonstrating their knowledge in multiple ways.

4. Use plagiarism detection software: Utilize plagiarism detection software to check student work for plagiarism.

5. Be aware of the latest cheating techniques: Stay informed about the latest cheating techniques and be aware of how they might be used in the classroom. 

Overall, the incorporation of AI into the high school classroom has the potential to significantly enhance the learning experience for students and teachers. By taking steps to mitigate the risk of cheating, educators can ensure that the benefits of AI are realized while maintaining academic integrity. 

(end of ChatGPT)

Additionally, if you'd like to try out an AI text detector, here are a few options you can utilize to check for plagiarism. Note, they are not 100% accurate, but probably better than you:

• GPT-2 Detector
• GPT-3 Writer

 

FTT - Most Common Errors - IC-Schoology Sync Edition

Most Common IC-Schoology Sync Mistakes    

(and how to avoid them)

@LisaBerghoff/@MrKimDHS

Our first go-around with the new IC-Schoology gradebook sync was full of fun and exciting challenges for mostly everyone involved. But as one of my favorite characters in one of my favorite books would say, "What do people want? Only that things go on as normal and tomorrow is pretty much like today." I think what he meant was that regarding some things, we crave consistency and reliability and the good kind of boring that we can depend on. We can certainly get there with the IC-Schoology sync if we avoid some simple errors:

Infinite Campus Setup

• Make sure that your IC grade-calc setup is done correctly. If you want to weigh your categories, make sure "weight categories" is checked (and vice versa). Double-check that your category percentages are set the way that you want them to be and that they match with Schoology's grade setup. Click here for updated instructions.
  
  

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

Syncing Courses that have been Section-Linked:

• If you have multiple sections of the same course and you section-link them on Schoology, you MUST set up the actual sync in each section. By clicking on the "Infinite Campus" tab on the left-hand side of Schoology, you can access each section by toggling the names on the top left.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Setting up the sync really just means creating categories in IC and matching them in Schoology:

Schoology Gradebook 

• Make sure when you create assignments in Schoology, that the grading task reads "In Progress" and the Sync to SIS button is checked. These are defaults so you shouldn't have to mess with them too often.

• Factor 0 does not sync over to IC. If you wish to continue using "Factor" for your gradebook entries, you can either directly add them to IC and utilize the "Multiplier" or create a separate category with a default multiplier.
  

  

  You can find the multiplier in IC when you create an assignment
  

  

  
  

• Find issues using "Bulk Edit." If you click on the 3 dots in the top right corner of your Schoology Gradebook, you can find the "Bulk Edit" option which gives you an aggregate overview of all of your assignments. You can quickly identify and fix issues here all at once.

The bottom line is, staff are being asked to keep two separate gradebooks that operate in two separate systems with two different sets of rules. On top of that, you only set them up once or twice a year. That's a ton to remember. So take a careful look at the resources provided, and don't be afraid to ask for help! Good luck and happy New Year!