Crazy for Kahoot!

Kids love Kahoot! If you have not heard about this interactive educational game, apparently you and I have been living under a rock! I was recently introduced to this exciting trivia game by some of my friends, as we were discussing our favorite memories in our high school classes. We actually decided to play a few rounds on this program as we were hanging out. Instantly, I became wrapped up in the competition and laughter. Since our evening together, I have decided to further explore this resource as a possible lesson for a review day in the classroom.

Upon reviewing the Kahoot! website in depth, I found even more uses for this nifty interactive tool! I discovered a blog post in Kahoot!'s KJournal titled "8 Ways to Use Kahoot! Beyond the Basics" by Mickie Mueller which described ways to increase the program's applicability in the classroom previously unbeknownst to me.

Jumble

The first tool described is the site's most recent feature, Jumble, which further enhances an individual's gaming experience. In this new program, players must place their answers in order rather than simply select a correct answer. With this feature, students move beyond recall and must understand the sequence of certain concepts.

Ghost Mode

Another feature described in the article is called Ghost Mode. With this tool, students can physically watch their comprehension of a concept grow. Individuals play a Kahoot! session before beginning a unit to see their current knowledge in the subject area. Once they have completed this portion of the course, players can revisit the game and turn on Ghost Mode to play against their "old self" and compare their new knowledge and speed.

Student Creation

Mueller also suggested encouraging students to make their own Kahoot! games. By developing their own trivia matches, individuals will gain a deeper understanding of the concepts at hand in order to formulate quality questions and answers. In my opinion, this use would be great before students take a comprehensive final. An instructor could assign groups to create Kahoot! games over each unit covered in a semester. As the test draws near, the teacher could have a relaxing yet competitive trivia day where kids can share their quizzes and compete to review the course content.

Overall, I think the tips offered in this article are great ways to revamp the use of Kahoot! in the classroom. By using these tools, we can further challenge students, encourage deeper understanding of content knowledge, and monitor educational growth. In the words of Mickie Mueller, it is time to "dust off your account" and utilize these new tools. If you are behind the times like me, it is high time to check out this resource and use this technology to improve our instructional abilities.

Image Source: Kevin Jarrett