Reflecting on my initial year of one-on-one teaching, Kahoot! stood out as the most popular app among both teachers and students alike. Its ability to gamify the classroom environment was unparalleled, as even the most reluctant participants in the class were able to engage and demonstrate their understanding of the material through the games. It was truly remarkable to witness the previously disengaged boys in the back of the classroom emerge as victorious participants in the games.
A few weeks after Kahoot started to roll in my classroom, I asked my students about an upcoming unit and activities. When Kahoot was brought up the melodiac groan filled Room 420 to the seams. Kahoot was done, it had burnt out, every teacher was using it, and the excitement quickly faded.
Like other apps, Kahoot made its splash and continues to be a valuable tool for assessment and teacher productivity. Yet in some teacher's minds, Kahoot is long gone. From raising costs to repetitive support, many apps fall to the wayside for the newer, flashier, cheaper models that offer more engagement for students.
Yet here is the interesting part to think about...
Just because an app has gone by the wayside in one's mind doesn't mean that improvements, advancements, and innovations aren't happening. Kahoot is an excellent example of this with the integrated AI and advanced reporting systems now built in. Assessment data is much more detailed and available within the premium version of the app. Additionally, with AI support, questions, quizzes, and games are being created faster for teachers.
Though the app burnout might be real in your mind, it's time to humble our thinking and possibly revisit those apps that we loved so much in the past.
Some apps don't keep up. Some apps look the same as they did 10 years ago. Shame on the companies for not upgrading, or building a growth mindset. Shame on us for continuing to pay for licenses that are offering us the same product year after year.
This is where, as leaders, we need to Chase Innovation. Innovation doesn't come to us, it is something that we have to pursue. When we innovate we are diving into the unknown, trying out something new because we are searching for something better than what we have already been doing. In the hurricane of apps and tools that are released every day, it is an important role of the leader to be able to discern, test, try, fail, and decide what is best for their company or school. This also means that the leader does not get stuck in comfort, but has a mindset of innovation and development to continue to improve over time.
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