Kahoot! Answer Streak Bonus = Good News For Math Class

Today I used several “Kahoots!” to review for a quiz students will be taking tomorrow. Math 8 kiddos have been translating, writing, solving, and graphing inequalities in one variable.  While students adore Kahoot! and many would prefer to play every day, I approach activities that primarily reward speed in math class with caution.

I made a BIG deal this morning about Kahoot’s “Answer Streak Bonus”.  In a nutshell, students earn piles of additional points for being correct for multiple questions in a row.  Breaking this “streak” also means losing precious point opportunities along the way.

Students hoarded scrap paper, and worked harder than I’ve EVER seen during a Kahoot. They cautiously rang in only after being SURE they solved, translated, wrote, or graphed the inequality correctly.  The spooky Halloween music was even spookier as a quiet calm came over the room for each problem.  Today, Kahoot was NOT about being speedy, but being correct, and earning the coveted Answer Streak Bonus!

The Answer Streak Bonus Pays Off! Student Literally Goes Coo Coo With Delight!

My FAVORITE moment today was during the very last question of one of our Kahoots.  One young lady appeared on the leader board with a fiery “Answer Streak Bonus” banner on her name.  If you would have seen her face, heard her gasp, and seen her physically jump out of her seat… well, you would have loved it!  Those moments of affirmation for hard work and understanding material that wasn’t once understood are what make teaching so much fun. Multiple students used their iPads to capture the leaderboard in a photo.  No one’s going to forget about the Answer Streak Bonus after today!

Taking Proud Photos of the Leader Board and Answer Streak Bonus!

After one Kahoot today, I launched a round of Kahoot “Ghost Mode”.  Most of my students today were unfamiliar with this game-play option, so it was fun to introduce them to the idea!  After students realized they’d be playing against their virtual “ghosts”,  some students who’d just recycled their precious math work literally went on a dumpster dive! Hilarious!  Once students retrieved their precious math work from the recycling bin, they went bonkers at the opportunity to play the same Kahoot again, keeping all ghosts from making an appearance on the leader board!

How do YOU use Kahoot! in math class?

What do YOU think of the Answer Streak Bonus?

What ideas for improvement do YOU have that would encourage you to use Kahoot more often for math?

We’re Playing GHOST MODE? I Just Threw Away My Math Work! (Not Too Proud To Dumpster Dive!)