Learning Kahoot

 What the heck is a Kahoot?

Welcome back everybody. I would like this blog post to be about Kahoot. Some of you might already know of this tool, but I kind of wanted to go through some of the advantages I had in the class room with Kahoot. I have been able to lightly use Kahoot for the last few years of teaching. However, I have only recently started to look into all their tools and advantages, and oh boy... There are so many ways to use this amazing app.

I first wanted to start by saying that Kahoot has free and premium options, and since I like saving money I wanted to go over most of the free advantages. I tell all my co-workers that it leaves very little excuse not to add it to your teaching/training tools.

Well, what exactly is Kahoot? Well, it's a website where you host a quiz that students in person or over Zoom can join. The questions can be true or false, or multiple choice. (There are more options for the premium versions). Then the question appears with a time limit and the students answer. Depending on how quickly they got the correct answer, they get points. There is a score board which shows the top students playing the Kahoot. At the end, it shows the top three and that's the game. I personally review a topic with my students, and either at the end of class or start of the following class I'll do a Kahoot, to help reinforce some of the subjects we covered.

That's pretty much the basics of Kahoot. For anyone reading this blog and my other ones now knows how I like to make lists, so let's get started! Here are four things I think adding Kahoot to your training/teaching will help take your class to the next level.

1: Helps Review Content

My idea of a useful tool is one that not only helps my students, but helps me. I usually make a Kahoot to help review topics or prepare for an exam. If I forget to cover something or covered something poorly, it will show up during the Kahoot! Instructors are people too. After all, we sometimes forget to cover a certain topic. It's a great tool to make sure you're covering the topics needed but also fun for the students.

2: Promotes Comradery With Your Class

Anyone who has played a game of Kahoot in class knows about how competitive it can get. Who would have thought some artificial numbers would strive some students to patriciate. I am always surprised how some students don't pay attention during the lectures, the readings or homework... But the Kahoot! They seem to remember getting second place behind their classmates. It's always fun seeing students who have never engaged with each other start a friendly competition. 

3: Generates Reports

I am a numbers' instructor. Which means I need numbers to understand if something is good or bad. Every assignment that I give students I generate a report based on how effective that assignment actually was. This is why I like Kahoot. Kahoot at the end of every game generates a report with each student not only showing you who is struggling in what subject, but also shows certain topics that the majority of the class might have failed and needs assistance on.

4: Can Be Used In Many Fields

Teach welding? Well, you can design a Kahoot around welding as a whole, or just cover a smaller subject like welding safety. Maybe you teach English, Math, Health Science, Electrical, Engineering, ect. I have seen Kahoot literally used on every topic. I first came across Kahoot in my Pre-Calc class. The teacher would put a formula on the board, and then we would have to solve it. It really helped me out. Talking with classmates I found out that Kahoot, helped most of us understand some of the harder concepts.

At the end of the day Kahoot is a great tool you can add to your teaching or training program. I hope to keep improving my ability to use it. The best way to get started is to sign up and just mess around with it for yourself. I challenge anyone reading this to give it a try!

More?

Hey there, welcome to making it this far. If you made it here maybe you want to learn more about Kahoot? 

Here is the Kahoot library, which has many resources including guides! My favorite.

https://kahoot.com/library/

Here is a pretty good blog about taking Kahoot to the next level if you are more advanced at using Kahoot.

https://blog.tcea.org/kahoot/

All pictures are provided by Freepik.com a royalty free picture website. (adding this just in case anyone was wondering where I am getting these photos from.)