Welcome back!
The caffeine question of the day is this: Have you ever tried a drink off of the Starbucks Secret Menu? I’ve tried the Twix Frappuccino and it is honestly one of my favorite summer pick-me-ups. Comment your answer below!
By now the school year has come to an end, FINALLY! So, I found it fitting to talk about ways to make the end of the year fun for students, while also giving them a way to show what they learned in class. This brings us to today’s platform: TikTok. TikTok is a social media platform geared towards Gen-Z and Millenials. Instead of posting pictures like on Instagram, TikTok allows its users to post their content through thirty-second to one-minute videos. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, TikTok saw a rise in content creators as teachers, celebrities, influencers, etc. began to use the platform as a way of communication. I for one fell down the TikTok hole during quarantine, and that’s actually how I found out about the new secrets on the Starbucks Secret Menu! Now that we’ve acknowledged that we’re all on TikTok watching history videos and probably learning new coffee recipes, let’s talk about how to incorporate this platform into teaching.
When the end of the year or the end of the semester starts to come into view, the idea of planning a final comes right along with it. But, what if there was a different way for your students to show what they’ve learned during the year? This brings us to how you can create final projects the allow the students to showcase what they found interesting in class.
Enter TikTok.
Creating a final project on TikTok can allow students to look forward to the end of the year final, while also keeping them engaged throughout the year. This project can be as simple as letting the student choose what they thought was the most interesting thing they learned in class, to planning different topics beforehand to assign them to teach. Do keep in mind that these videos are short, but don’t forget to have fun planning them! They can make a series of videos about World War II to the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, do their favorite hobby while talking about the who Abraham Lincoln was, you name it!
Everyone knows that the end of the year is tough. You’re dealing with students who have senioritis or spring fever. And let’s not forget your own spring fever too. With this in mind, keeping students engaged at this point can be tough, especially when it comes to testing time. By incorporating this idea into your form of grading, students will be eager to remember what they learned throughout the year, and excited to showcase their knowledge in their own way. As a result, students are given a fun and refreshing way to stay engaged in their history classes, while giving you more resources to continue to use during your teaching career!
Have any questions or comments about this idea? Leave a comment below, or send a message through the contact page!
Until next time!
THE CAFFEINATED HISTORIAN 