I've gotten the opportunity this semester to work with some great teachers and see the awesome ways they're adding technology resources to their classrooms. This week, I went to visit Mrs. Kalinowski's 5th grade Science class to see a great formative assessment tool - Kahoot. Kahoot is different from other formative assessment sites or apps in that it uses a game-based approach. The teacher or students creates questions, then starts a Kahoot It session. Kids join the session, and then it's game on! Participants have 5 seconds to read each question, then they pick the correct answer. They have 30 seconds to answer each question. Once the question is answered, Kahoot shows how many teams picked each answer. At the same time, participants see their points and how many points it will take to pass the team ahead of them. Kahoot then shows everyone the top 5 teams, and then it's time for the next question. It's engaging and intense!
Watch the video to see Kahoot in action:
After the game is over, kids get the chance to rate the program and the questions. Was it fun? Did they learn? Would they play again? For me, Kahoot is a definite A+ of a resource. The energy level in the room was focused, fun, and positive. Kids were having fun and learning. But don't just take my word for it! Here's what Mrs. K's teams had to say:
Thank you to Mrs. Kalinowski for inviting me to her classroom to learn about Kahoot, and thank you to Mrs. K's kids who let me play along! I had a great time!