PORTFOLIO ASSIGMENT NO.

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A Report on the Different Web Resources for the

ePortfolio Assignment No. 2

Nina Chipman

Regent University
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For the Assignment No. 2 for the ePortfolio, I chose to create a Kahoot. The information

being tested in my Kahoot was derived from Standard 8.5 of the English Standards of Learning

Curriculum Framework (2010) for Grade Eight (Virginia Department of Education, pp. 10-14).

This standard focuses on the student’s knowledge of “literary form and its characteristics”

(Virginia Department of Education, 2010, p. 10).

I personally chose Kahoot because I have seen how effective this tool can be in creating

excitement in the classroom. I’ve seen kids in elementary schools and even high schools being

actively engaged and truly learning with this resource. It’s easy to use and share. With more

schools moving towards a 1:1 technology policy, Kahoot is a viable option. Once the teacher has

either found a ready-made quiz or chooses to make her own, she must press play to begin the

quiz. Then the option to play either classic or team will pop up. I always choose classic because

this allows each student to play and test their knowledge individually. If this Kahoot quiz is

being used as a sort of pre-assessment or review before a test, it’s important for each student to

test their own knowledge. A game pin is needed so that each student can enter this pin and join

the game. The teacher doesn’t have to choose the game pin, Kahoot makes this pin

automatically. Once all the students have joined on their devices, the game can start. There’s an

option when creating the game to make it run automatically so that the teacher doesn’t have to

pause after each question. However, if the teacher would like she can allow for these pauses in

order to reflect after each question and provide clarity for students who missed the question.
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The game pin “797514” is displayed above. This preview of the game allows for a simulated device/student to enter

the game pin and play. In the device above, I have already entered both the pin and my name. I’m waiting for the

game to start in two more seconds.

Now that the game has commenced, the device to the right shows how the student can interact with Kahoot. The

question relates to some of the vocabulary from Standard 8.5 (Virginia Department of Education, 2010, p. 10). The
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student can choose the correct answer by tapping the colored shape that corresponds with the correct answer on the

main screen to the left.

This is the final screen in the game. I was the only one playing and the one who made the quiz, so I won. Usually

when there are more students playing, the top three have their names appear on the podiums. I would most likely

give a piece of candy or some other reward to the top three. By rewarding the students, this gives an incentive to all

the students to be engaged and try their hardest during this activity.

Overall, I found Kahoot to be easy to use and effective. The only downside I’d see to this

application would be the need for individual devices. In a classroom where not every child has

access to a computer or iPad, this application doesn’t serve each student as well. However, if

Kahoot is play in “team” mode, then less devices are needed. I enjoyed the background music to

the game because it creates a level of excitement. The sound effects make the game very

dramatic. I could see myself using this resource to review before a quiz. Or even using this as a

reward at the end of class as an exit ticket. I think that the GettyImages provided in making the

Kahoot were very useful, but next time I think I’ll use my own images that more closely relate to

the question. Again, I think that Kahoot is easy to use, but next time I think I’ll search more into
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the ready-made Kahoots to see whether or not any of them cover SOLs that relate to my own.

My Kahoot can be accessed by the following link: https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/cf9aa8a5-40f4-499c-

a317-a5bfcd4cb9b2

I did, however, attempt to familiarize myself with two other web-based applications.

Both “Plickers” and “Nearpod” had different pros and cons to them, and these pros and cons

contributed to my ultimate choosing of Kahoot over both.

One of the major cons to Plickers that I saw was the fact that it’s not completely web

based. One of the major components of game play relies on the teacher printing out playing cards

for the students. These cards have a sort of QR code on the back of them with the question and

multiple choice answers on the back. Although I think that having a physical component can

make this game play more interactive, and cater to a classroom that has less access to devices,

this web-based application didn’t fit my needs or goals. I wanted to have a game that is easy to

play with little set up for a quick review with the class. I think that Plickers would take just a

little bit more time to set up. I liked that Kahoot made the gameplay intense with the background

music and timer, and that the students could see the results quickly on both the main screen and

their own devices. I could see Plickers being used to teach the kids rather than review. Plickers

allows the teacher to save the data and see where students are missing the concepts. A

spreadsheet of student answers can be printed out, so I think that Plickers is good for more of a

formulative assessment rather than a cumulative one.

Just as I thought that Plickers could be used more to teach and get a view of where

students are at with a concept, I thought that Nearpod leaned even more so towards teaching

rather than reviewing. Whereas Kahoot is great for reviewing concept that are already known,

Nearpod allows the teacher to interact more with the students and provide video, audio, and
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drawings for the students to view together in real time. These are basically PowerPoint slides

where the students access the slides that the teacher is on through choosing “Live Lesson.” The

teacher can respond to student questions, highlight certain slides, and move the lesson forward. I

think that using Nearpod would be good for class time to get the student actively engaged and

following along with the teacher. Like Kahoot, the students join the Live Lesson through

entering both their name and the pin on their personal devices. I like that the presentation allows

for many different types of media within one presentation. The teacher can have the class answer

questions in an assessment, read a slide while she speaks, or even watch a video together.

Whenever the teacher progresses in the presentation, the student’s screen progresses as well. I

think that Nearpod is excellent for a truly interactive lesson.

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References
Virginia Department of Education, Curriculum Framework,. (2010). English Standards of
Learning. Richmond, Virginia: Board of Education, Virginia Commonwealth.