Introducing Mic Mode on Flipgrid

 

If you didn't think Flipgrid couldn't get any better, think again. Flipgrid added a small, yet potentially powerful feature called Mic Mode. What Mic Mode does is allow students to simply record audio of their voice without video. 

At first glance, this doesn't seem super impressive, but after using Flipgrid for years now, I see great potential in this small tweak. Many students get anxiety when on camera. I have had many students who simply will not respond to Flipgrid prompts because of the uncomfortable feeling they get when they look at themselves on camera. 

Oftentimes, when I use Flipgrid, I am using it so I can hear the student verbalize their understanding. Normally, I would tell students to put a sticker on the camera, but Mic Mode solves this issue. Students who aren't comfortable on camera can still respond and I, as the teacher, can gauge their verbal understanding of a concept. 

When students open a Flipgrid link and begin the recording process, all they need to do is click the Options button. From there, in the menu that appears, they will click Mic only.

After clicking Mic only, the camera view is replaced with the screen you see below. From there, everything is the same when they record their response as it was before. They follow the same steps to complete the task and submit.