Use Kahoot Better

The other day I was supporting a teacher who was using Kahoot as a review task. Gamifying learning can be a great way to get students interested in the lesson and this one had plenty of interest.

While the students were playing, I was standing in the back watching what was going on. This perspective allowed me to notice a few ways teachers might make Kahoot more fun and inclusive for students.

Image from Wikipedia

Read questions for students - the text can be quite small

My eye sight is getting worse as I get older. And it was really hard to read the questions projected on the board. I think teachers can help students -- all students -- by reading out the questions and answers for them. This is a quick way to help those -- me! -- who have a hard time seeing.

Read the answers - for the same reason and the contrast is sometimes lacking (orange with white text)

Just like above, the answers were also a challenge to read for me. The text was small and sometimes the text was white on a yellow background. This made it e

Review the answer after seeing the correct answer

One strategy that could help students retain the information longer might be to discuss the answers after seeing the results. Instead of allowing the students to celebrate, OK, maybe a short celebration, spend some time discussing why the correct answer is correct.

Using Google Calendar and Google Maps Together

Photo by HT Chong on Unsplash

My school had a sports day on Saturday. It was a really good event that was really well organized. 

And as good as the organization was, I got a little frustrated with a few things, mostly how Google Calendar was ignored in favor of Google Docs and Sheets. Most of these were linked together, but still, trying to follow links and read documents on a mobile device -- in the sun -- was not the best experience, but with a few tweaks, I think it could be better.

1. Use Google Calendar

2. Put all information in the event description

I think this would make the information easier to disseminate and would give everyone a single place to look for the information. 

Utilizing Digital Tools would also help cut down on paper. You could print out two or three copies for the event site and post information in a central location for teachers, students, and parents to view.

A bonus would be to put the directions in Google Calendar as I did in the video below. 

Quietening

In this episode of Coaching Conversations with Jim Knight, towards the end of the episode around the 35:20 mark, Christian van Nieuwerburgh talks about the concept of quietening and quieting your inner voice during a conversation.

We can usually tell when we will be distracted in a conversation, I know there are situations when  Will be distracted - it's usually when I am in a noisy environment and there are conversations happening around me. I know that happens to me, so I should choose places of quiet to have conversations. And I know my mind wanders more with some people than with others as well. 

What can I do to quiet my inner mind? 

How can I better prepare for these conversations?

How can we be better at listening?

[Coaching Conversations with Jim Knight] Christian van Nieuwerburgh & Robert Biswas-Diener #coachingConversationsWithJimKnight 

https://podcastaddict.com/coaching-conversations-with-jim-knight/episode/195481937 via @PodcastAddict

Belonging

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

The following are my reflections for the Senia Conference in Cambodia. I wrote the below paragraph for our school newsletter. 

The prompt was about one takeaway. When thinking about what to write, I kept thinking about my reflection after the conference. When I was at the conference I felt included, valued, seen, and heard.

It felt good. It felt distant. 

I have not felt like that in a long while. It felt good. 

When we feel included, we’re more likely to take risks, which helps us grow and reach our potential. When all voices are heard, people feel valued and respected. That sense of validation encourages self-expression and motivates participation.

The Head of Inclusion summarized my thoughts to be: 

Thomas Hammerlund, our MYP/DP Inclusion teacher, underscored the power of inclusion in encouraging risk-taking and personal growth. He pointed out that when all voices are heard, individuals feel valued and respected, leading to greater self-expression and motivation to participate.

My first draft was a paragraph that somewhat slighted my school. "How dare you ignore others' opinions and not allow outside opinions!"

We are an interesting little school. There are definite cliques and I have heard that some teachers have not felt as welcome as others when they joined. 

I wonder how we can start to make that change here so that everyone feels welcome.

Senia Cambodia 2025 Resources

Here are the resources I shared with the participants to my [our] workshop in Cambodia. 

The presentation

The resource sheet

A resource list I didn't share out

How to use the sample data with the data set (linked)