Reimagining Review : Rethinking Kahoot Activities

Hello, all! We’re so close! The bright, sunshiney light at the end of the tunnel that is the 21-22 school year is getting SO much bigger! We can do this! As the school year begins to wind down, I always find myself looking for fun ways to review course content. My students quickly grow weary of the same type of games and, to be honest, so do I! While some of these tools may be “old favorites,” the way we use them in the classroom can be the change or boost we need to finish the year strong! Let’s get to it …

TOOL: KAHOOT
I remember waaay back in 2014/2015 when I stumbled upon a different way to review course concepts – Kahoot! This was before my students each had a Chromebook, so I signed up for one of our building computer labs for “test review.” All of my students logged into a desktop computer and entered the code for their first Kahoot. We played the game, reviewed the questions in real-time, and fixed content-related misunderstandings. When the game was over, I asked … so, how was it? The response was – “THIS IS AWESOME!” I knew I was onto something!

Kahoot’s popularity grew … I don’t have to tell you that, though … and it quickly became a staple in classrooms all over the world. Student engagement increased because they were playing a game to demonstrate what they knew and it felt less like a chore! Kahoot allows students to compete against each other, individually or in teams, to demonstrate and reflect upon their content understanding. Teachers can provide whole class feedback and reteach necessary concepts in real-time. It’s great! It’s wonderful! And sometimes it can get … stale.

Just like everything, doing the same thing over and over again, even if it is as amazing and fun as Kahoot, can get dry and even a bit boring.

So, how can we reimagine a great tool like Kahoot and utilize it in a different way in our classroom, especially during the time of year when we need motivation and a bit of a spark?

Student created Kahoots! During our Landmark Case project (which just so happens to fall around this time every year – it’s amazing how that happens, isnt’t it? ?), I offer students bonus points AND XP (check out Chapter 8 of Illuminate for information on XP!) if they create a review activity (most choose a Kahoot!) to help their classmates review the landmark case they presented. EVERY SINGLE GROUP took advantage of this opportunity this year because, “it’s fun to make one for the class!”

What’s the why behind having students create their own content Kahoots for review? I’m so glad you asked!

1. Creating review activites helps students reflect upon the content they’ve learned in a different way
2. When students create review activities, teachers get an AMAZING glimpse into what ideas, skills, or concepts students think are important – this can help us develop clarity in learning targets and success criteria!
3. It’s a FUN way for students to review content, especially at the end of the year when motivation and, for lack of a better word, “ooomph for learning” is a bit lower than at other times during the year.

You may be asking ..how can I use this idea in my classroom? Start by identifying a standard/learning target/objective/success criteria you plan to review with your students. Ask students to work individually or in groups to review the learning target notes, activities, instructional videos, etc. Then, provide them with choices on how they create their review activity – check Chapter 4 of Create for ideas, tools, and a scan few QR Codes to access ready-to-use templates! Give ample time (for my high schoolers, this would be 30-45 minutes, depending on the learning target) for creation. Then … PLAY!

When my students create and share their review activities, I gain valuable insight not only into what they think is important about the content, but also the clarity of our learning targets/success criteria AND, most importantly, what they have learned about the content.

Do your students create review activities? I’d love to hear your experiences!

Thanks for reading 🙂