This week I brought a new tech tool into my classroom, with the hope of using gamification to motivate, inspire, and engage my 9th and 10th graders. The site is called Kahoot and is used to create interactive quizzes and discussions with gaming elements. Using the novel Bless Me, Ultima, I've created three reading quizzes on the site. Questions are displayed on the teacher's device, which is projected onto the screen for the class, and time limits are given to answer each multiple choice question. Upon using this for the first time, I immediately got an email from a parent whose child has a 504 plan related to anxiety. Given that each question on the quiz must be answered within 30 seconds, this student performed poorly on the activity, so now I'm forced to find alternative activities for said student.
Additionally, several students are incredibly excited to use this site, asking me at the beginning of each period if we're going to take the quiz. Sadly, however, their excitement did not lead to them actually doing the reading for the quizzes. Instead, it seems they are motivated purely by the fact that they get to "play." Overall, I feel good about using this site. Like all other resources though, it seems differentiation is necessary and it may not reach those students I need it to reach most. The struggle continues.
Additionally, several students are incredibly excited to use this site, asking me at the beginning of each period if we're going to take the quiz. Sadly, however, their excitement did not lead to them actually doing the reading for the quizzes. Instead, it seems they are motivated purely by the fact that they get to "play." Overall, I feel good about using this site. Like all other resources though, it seems differentiation is necessary and it may not reach those students I need it to reach most. The struggle continues.