Kahoot before, but so much is new since then. So I thought I’d compare two really good vocabulary review tools that I’ve been experimenting with in my classroom to maybe save you some sifting time.
The availability of so many tools to support review and formative assessment can be both a blessing and a curse for the blended classroom (traditional/technology hybrid) . There is literally something for everything, but it’s so easy to get overwhelmed and bogged down in all the apps and tools out there. I’ve blogged about
Quizlet Live
Most of us know all about Quizlet. I’ve been using it for years in my own classes, so all of my vocabulary is already in there. This makes Quizlet Live appealing for me. It’s absolutely no extra prep.
In the past, I’ve given students a link to the set, had them study the flash cards, play the games, and take practice quizzes. Quizlet Live is a new feature that is still in beta version. You simply click on Quizlet Live and Quizlet does all the work for you. Here’s how it works:
1. Students go to quizlet.live and enter the code for your game.
2. They type their name to enter the game.
3. Quizlet groups them.
4. They take their devices to their groups. This is where it gets fun. They have to collaborate with their group, as only one of them will have the correct answer on their screen.
5. The first group to finish wins (I give each member a piece of candy–that really motivates my kids).
You can play again in the same groups, but I think it’s way more fun to have Quizlet re-group them each time. That way they are always moving and getting to work with different students.
Quizizz
Quizizz.com is an individual quiz game. The class is all playing at the same time, but they work separately on their own screens. When everyone finishes, Quizizz ranks them.
You can create your own quizzes or use existing public ones. I tend to get overwhelmed sifting through existing ones and editing, so I generally create one from scratch.
A bonus feature of Quizizz is that you can assign a quiz for homework–it will post right to Google Classroom for you, or you can grab the link and send it to your students on another platform. You can control the time that the link is live right down to the minute.
So, What’s the Verdict?
I think it’s valuable for students to both collaborate and work individually, so I will continue to use both of these tools in the future. I like that Quizlet Live requires no prep on my part. Quizizz takes a bit more upfront planning, since I have to generate the quizzes, but the homework feature is very useful.
What types of tools do you use in your blended classroom for review and formative assessment? Leave a comment below to let me know!
