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16 May 2017

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The magic recipe for connected kahoots from Gina Ruffcorn

Kahoot!’ing with other classrooms – that’s when global learning is unleashed! We asked Gina Ruffcorn, a true champion of connected kahoots, to share her magic recipe for learning across borders.

Kahoot!’ing with other classrooms – that’s when global learning is unleashed! We asked a true champion of connected kahoots to share her magic recipe for learning across borders. Meet Gina Ruffcorn, a 5th grade teacher, Skype Master Teacher and an enthusiastic tech integrationist.

Gina, your specialty is playing Kahoot! across distance. How, would you say, it differs from playing in one room?

Connected kahoots make learning content universal. Students are excited to find out that other students are learning the same things they are. When we share and discuss, ideas and approaches of others, this helps my students learn concepts differently. Practicing their skills in a way that is interesting and fun is a ‘win’ for both classes.

Worksheets and other forms of homework are not as interactive as the results from Kahoot! questions. If there is a part of the lesson that needs to be retaught or reinforced, the Kahoot! responses will show that information immediately. So, teachers can adjust lessons based on the instant formative feedback.

 

For those who haven’t tried connected Kahoot!’ing yet – do you have any recommendations on how they can find classrooms to team up with?

Twitter is a great place for making those connections. Reach out with a tweet, include your content area, grade level, date and your time zone. Invite your personal learning network to come and Kahoot! with your students!

Skype in the Classroom also has some wonderful collaboration opportunities. Make a free teacher account and search the Skype in the Classroom sessions for teachers looking to connect using Kahoot!

Thank you for these tips. What about learners’ perspective – how do your students feel about playing against other classes

There is of course, the competitive edge. My students ‘perk up’ a bit and become slightly more attentive – they enjoy competing against other classes! The feeling in the room grows a little more intense. The authenticity and relevance of the content becomes incredibly real as they answer quickly. Especially in Math lessons, I want my students to have automaticity, and Kahoot!’ing with other classes helps a lot.

That’s really great to hear! Do you see some long-term effects of global Kahoot!’ing among learners?

Being from a very small district, my students have been learning together since they were in preschool. Reaching out of our classroom has brought quite a few positive changes.

I noticed they are more curious about the world around them. Connecting with a variety of classrooms has broadened my students experiences and understandings of other people. Sharing content with new classes and learning together has taught my kids how differences allow us to learn from each other and similarities give us a common bond with others.

Being globally active has also given my learners a new appreciation and pride in their own communities. My kids enjoy sharing thoughts, ideas and information. They think it’s cool to have friends all over the world!

"Connecting with a variety of classrooms has broadened my students experiences and understandings of other people."

- Gina Ruffcorn, global learning enthusiast

Learning truly knows no boundaries! Is there some specific type of game that you think is best for connected Kahoot!’ing?

Math kahoots are my favorite for global classrooms! Math skills are easy to use to make connections: the concepts are globally universal which makes them relevant to everyone. Also, my students enjoy making their own math kahoots. They think it’s amazing that students anywhere in the world can play the learning games they created!

We absolutely love to see learners becoming leaders! What tips would you give to other educators for making the best of Kahoot!?

My biggest classroom tip is – USE KAHOOT! Sites, apps and educational technology platforms are more than plentiful. They come and go, while Kahoot! consistently remains my ‘go to’ tool. There is no other educational software program that is as teacher- and student-friendly as Kahoot!

Kahoot! has something for everyone. To save time, try to search, duplicate and modify games from other educators. Together we are all stronger and smarter!

Also, I’d recommend the fantastic feature of marking kahoots as ‘favorites’. The games you enjoyed will always be at your fingertips.

Try out the many options that Kahoot! has available. Introducing a concept? A Blind Kahoot is perfect. Need to practice a skill? A classic quiz works great. Want your students to work together? Team Mode will do.

Gina, thank you so much for a great conversation! We hope it inspires other educators to try connected Kahoot!’ing 🙂

Want to learn more about using Skype to facilitate connected kahoots? Here’s a bonus for you – watch this video where Gina shares even more practical tips.

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