How to get started in Classkick
“I am amazed by what I’ve seen others do with Classkick, how do I do that!?” “I want to try Classkick, but what do I do first?” We consistently hear teachers asking these questions. Our product is a blank canvas — you can do so many things with it, but where is the best place to start? Below you will see our tips from great teachers on what can make your first Classkick assignment successful and fun!
Step 1: Identify a classroom goal or objective you want to work on
Just like best practices in teaching, it is imperative that when implementing technology, you start with a goal. You shouldn’t just use Classkick because it is fun and exciting. Rather it should be serving your larger objectives. If you start with your end learning goals in mind, Classkick will help support your classroom in ways unachievable without the platform.
Step 2: Start Simple
Don’t put pressure on yourself. Using a new app for the first time can be stressful! Things might go wrong, students might do things you didn’t know they could, and you might forget how to do something you wanted to do. That’s okay! Give yourself time and a low-stakes environment. We encourage teachers to use this Classkick Assignment that allows students AND teachers to play around in the app. Students can try out features and figure out how things work, while you can practice some of the teacher-facing features.
Step 3: After students have practiced logging in, working through an assignment and getting feedback, try another simple task.
Don’t dive right in to 45 minutes of independent practice or a lesson using Classkick. Instead, focus on a small win. Have students complete a “Do Now” or an “Exit Ticket”. Feel free to use a Classkick created template like this. In the moment, practice looking over student answers and pulling trends, give out some pre-made stickers and project some student responses as exemplars or to display common misconceptions.
Step 4: Always have directions written in-app AND projected on the board.
As teachers, we know that students often need to be reminded of directions and steps to follow when completing an assignment. Similarly with Classkick, it is helpful to remind students how to log in, what to do when completing the assignment, and any other useful information like what specific stickers mean. See below how Ms. DeSalvo projects directions during her class.
We’d love to hear from you after trying out some of these steps and suggestions! Feel free to tweet us @classkick, join our Facebook Classkick Community Page or email support@classkick.com. We look forward to hearing about how Classkick is used to accomplish your classroom goals!
