Welcoming Team #EdBeat

Everyone likes to feel celebrated, to feel as if they are doing something well, moving forward and making progress. It’s the idea behind our new Highest Climber feature that rewards progress within the game.

But we don’t just want to acknowledge the achievements of players – we want to celebrate everyone in our community. Kahoot!’ers like Principal Sean Gaillard and Fourth Grade Teacher Natalie Krayenvenger who help bring educators together for a weekly #EdBeat Twitter chat with music at its heart.

We love their focus on the positive and on rewarding achievements. And as they regularly celebrate Kahoot!, so we decided to celebrate them by inviting them to write a guest post.

We asked them why #EdBeat? And why Kahoot!? Here’s what they had to say.

A beat in music resonates

Think about a favorite song. What makes it a favorite to the point where an entire room’s attention can be garnered in a second? Is it a hook or a harmony? What about the lyrics or a catchy chorus? Perhaps it’s the building crescendo that causes you to lean your head back and just feel the music pulse through your veins.

Regardless of which element in a song grabs you, it all goes back to the beat. The beat which compels us to move with sheer abandon and possess a sense of freedom. The beat that causes dance floors to swell and stays with us for a lifetime. There are many musical examples of compelling beats from Santana to James Brown to Motown.

Beats are universal

They transcend language, generations, politics, race, religion and cannot be contained. A beat drives a culture from Classical to Bossa Nova to Samba. Beats crossover and meld like The Beatles did in their 1967 Indian Raga tribute, “Within You, Without You.”

Beats are interactive and engage the listener to respond through foot tapping, leg slapping, steering wheel drumming, or whole body moving. They have even inspired a host of computer-based DIY programs like Garage Band.

A beat can uplift and inspire

Nowhere is this more true than in the schoolhouse. Whether it is welcoming learners as they walk through the door, engaging them in a lesson, or helping them remember a process in math or science, a beat can be a game changer.

Through our weekly conversations with educators via #EdBeat (an inspirational and inclusive chat for all educators) and #CelebrateMonday (a way to start the week on a positive and celebratory note) we have found beats of all kinds are being used to engage and stimulate learners in every type of learning environment. Why? It works!

Celebrating the positive

With #EdBeat, we are always tuning into the positive in Education. Our aim is to help other educators find their personal beat in the schoolhouse, and we unequivocally believe a beat that universally resonates, captivates, and encourages learners is the beat of Kahoot!

You only have to listen for a moment before you realize Kahoot! fits the beat so many educators are looking for and using to inspire classrooms in the name of supporting our kids.

The sound of learning

In our respective schools, we have seen the positive impact of Kahoot! resonate like the powerful drumbeat of Fleetwood Mac’s epic song, “Tusk.” Once the Kahoot! music starts playing, learners and educators alike can’t help but dance to the music and get excited for what is about to take place.

The seemingly reluctant student becomes alive with the beat and stands ready to engage in critical-thinking, while the typically shy student jumps up with glee and gets ready to rock it out.

Much like Led Zeppelin, Kahoot! has no boundaries or limitations with regard to when and where it can be played. We have seen math classes come alive with students shouting out with glee, as their answers are confirmed, or crying out in disbelief as they realize they were too quick on the draw.

The collective energy of Kahoot!

Equally as inspiring was witnessing an entire school (including teachers and parents) participate in a Kahoot! about the values of fairness, during an assembly. Picture students circled around a teacher eagerly discussing a scenario and then voting to determine their collective answer.

As you looked around the room, you saw learners who were excited to discuss and apply their learning. There was a collective energy in the room and Kahoot! provided a unifying beat. Instead of a room full of squirming bodies and disengaged children, the value of fairness was imparted to kids in a way that was energetic and sustainable thanks in part to the innovative teacher’s use of Kahoot!

Standing with Kahoot!

Just as Kahoot! engages the student, #EdBeat strives to engage the educator through innovative, creative, and empowering methods, and of course compelling beats. We are honored to stand ready with Kahoot! as we all continue our journey as educators seeking to eradicate boring classrooms and helping students keep the beat to their own learning through this innovative resource.

With students and teachers undergoing more microscopic scrutiny in an age of changing shifts in accountability, achievement and perception, Kahoot! is captivating the educational landscape on a global level.

If you’ve got an awesome story of using Kahoot! in the classroom and beyond, we’d love to hear it. Get it touch via Twitter or drop us a line on our Facebook page.

Guest authors credits

Natalie Krayenvenger is a fourth grade teacher at St. Paul’s School in Brooklandville, Maryland.

Sean Gaillard is principal/lead learner of John F. Kennedy High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He blogs at Principal Liner Notes.