Kahoot!

What is Kahoot!? 
Kahoot! is a game based learning program that teachers can use as a formative assessment.  Formative assessments are a way for the teacher to see where their students are at in their learning.  These actives are low stakes and are not graded.  Anyone can make a free account on Kahoot!.  All you have to do is click the sign in button in the top right corner.  You will be prompted to put in your email and then make a password and then you are ready to begin using Kahoot!. Kahoot! allows teachers to make multiple choice questions and invites students to respond electronically on their own devices.  Kahoot! tracks how each students answers each question and how quickly.  Together these two criteria is what determines how the students are ranked from first to last place.  The students are competing to win the game, but at the same time are getting a review on the content.  Teachers can make their own quizzes or pick from ones created by other teachers. To search quizzes already made on Kahoot! click here. The answer choices can be either two, three, or four options.

How Kahoot! is Used 

The Kahoot! game will be displayed on the interactive whiteboard at the front of the class.  The game pin will appear which students must type on their electronic device at khaoot.it . Once students have entered the game they must create a nickname.  Typically students should be asked to use their own names, so teachers can identify who needs additional help with the questions.  Once all the students are in, the teacher will start the game. The first question will appear on the board and will only give students a certain amount of time to answer it.  This requires that the students are quick with their responses because if they do not answer before the time is up they automatically get it wrong.  After every question, the top five students will be shown on the leaderboard. This tends to make the game competitive and engaging for the students.  After the game is complete teachers can even download the results into an excel file and have data about which questions students are struggling with.

Advantages of Kahoot!
There are many advantages to using Kahoot! in the classroom.  Kahoot! is very engaging for students.  It is presented in a game, so it will not feel like a typical quiz that students have anxiety about. Students enjoy using Kahoot! because it is visual and fast past and allows them to be on their electronic devoices. Kahoot! allows teachers to give a formative assessment as whole class that is automatically graded, which is another advantage. Also, if the teacher does not have time to create their own quiz there are thousands already made to choose from on multiple topics.

Disadvantages of Kahoot!
A major disadvantage to using Kahoot! is that it requires every student to have access to an electronic device.  In elementary school typically students do not have a cell phone yet, so this game would only work if there was a class set of laptops or iPads. Another disadvantage is that there is only a certain number of characters allowed to be written in the question and answer spots, so this limits what the teacher can ask.  Also, opened ended questions cannot be asked on the Kahoot! quizzes.
My Experience with Kahoot! Some students may get too excited while playing this game causing the classroom environment to become chaotic, which could be another disadvantage.

Personal Experience using Kahoot! 
I personally have been using Kahoot! since it first launched in 2013.  My high school teachers all began incorporating it into their classrooms as soon as they first heard about it.  I know as a student my friends and I all enjoyed playing Kahoot! as a way to review material.  Playing Kahoot was always my favorite activity to do in class as well because it was fun and allowed me to compete against my classmates.  I was the type of student that enjoyed competing and trying to win the game. Playing also allowed me to get immediate feedback about what I needed to study more for an upcoming test and what I already had mastered.

References
Hyett, A. (2018, September 13). What is a Kahoot Quiz and how does it work? Retrieved from https://www.hyetteducation.com/hyett-education-blog/what-is-a-kahoot-quiz-and-how-does-it-work

Pros & Cons. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://kahootinfo.weebly.com/pros--cons.html

2018 Agency In-service Game - Kahoot! (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.optionsforlearning.org/apps/video/watch.jsp?v=185575