Figma - 5 FigJam Widgets that boost student voice | Figma
Fig Jam is a free online whiteboard and collaboration tool designed for educators and students. It includes features like sticky notes and diagramming shapes, but its standout feature is widgets. These are interactive apps that can be added to the Fig Jam board to facilitate student interaction and engagement. The video discusses five specific widgets: the voice memo widget, which allows students to record audio clips; the photo booth widget, which lets students take selfies; the simple vote widget, which enables quick voting; the alignment scale widget, which helps gauge student opinions; and the dice widget, which introduces randomness for activities. Additionally, a bonus quiz widget is mentioned for quick assessments. These tools aim to transform passive participation into active engagement, making learning more collaborative and fun.
Key Points:
- Fig Jam is a free tool for educators and students, enhancing collaboration.
- Widgets include voice memos, photo booths, voting, alignment scales, and dice.
- Voice memo widget aids language learners and provides alternative participation.
- Photo booth widget builds community and documents project stages.
- Quiz widget allows for quick assessments and instant feedback.
Details:
1. 🎓 Introduction to Fig Jam in Classrooms
- Fig Jam widgets are designed to increase engagement in classrooms by providing interactive and fun ways to capture student responses and activities.
- For kindergarten teachers, Fig Jam offers tools to capture student responses in a playful manner, enhancing participation and interest.
- High school biology teachers can utilize Fig Jam for encouraging students to engage with lab projects creatively, such as snapping fun selfies, fostering a more interactive learning environment.
- In kindergartens, teachers could use Fig Jam to make learning more playful and interactive, thereby increasing the enthusiasm and participation of young learners.
- For high schools, the creative use of Fig Jam in biology labs, such as through interactive projects and creative selfie capturing, can make practical learning more engaging and memorable for students.
2. 🛠️ What is Fig Jam?
- Fig Jam is a free online whiteboard and collaboration space designed specifically for educators and students, fostering interactive learning environments.
- It includes versatile tools such as sticky notes, markers, and diagramming shapes, which facilitate effective collaboration and enhance classroom engagement.
- Educators can use Fig Jam for brainstorming sessions, creating interactive lessons, and developing group projects, while students benefit from its intuitive design for sharing ideas and organizing thoughts.
- The platform's user-friendly interface supports real-time collaboration, making it an ideal solution for both remote and in-person educational settings.
- Examples of use include virtual workshops, collaborative mind mapping, and visual project planning, which have been shown to enhance learning outcomes significantly.
3. 🔧 Exploring Fig Jam Widgets
- Fig Jam widgets are interactive tools that can be integrated into the Fig Jam canvas to enhance student interaction and engagement.
- Widgets support creative sharing, reflection, and collaboration, fostering a dynamic learning environment.
- The video reviews five distinct Fig Jam widgets, each designed to amplify student voice and increase collaboration.
- Key features include enhancing enjoyment and significantly boosting engagement through interactive and creative means.
- Each widget is tailored to provide a unique contribution, such as facilitating real-time collaboration or enabling personalized feedback mechanisms.
4. 🎤 Voice Memo Widget
- The voice memo widget allows students to record short audio clips directly on the Fig Jam board, catering to those who prefer speaking to writing.
- It's particularly beneficial for language learners practicing pronunciation, providing an alternative method for students who struggle with writing to participate.
- The widget is useful for activities like spoken exit tickets or quick reflections after a lesson, enhancing engagement.
- From the teacher's perspective, it facilitates quick feedback, as teachers can simply record their responses, making the feedback process more efficient.
5. 📸 Photo Booth Widget
- Implementing the Photo Booth Widget in Fig Jam can enhance community building by allowing students to take and share selfies.
- Using the widget at the start of the year can help in building community, while during projects, it can document the stages of student work.
- It can be utilized for class challenges such as scavenger hunts, adding an element of fun and engagement.
- In remote or hybrid learning environments, the widget can help students feel seen and connected.
6. 🗳️ Simple Vote Widget
- The Simple Vote Widget allows students to cast quick votes on the FigJam board, facilitating interactive decision-making in the classroom.
- By adding the widget next to sticky notes, images, or ideas, it helps the class decide what to focus on, making it a versatile tool for various classroom activities.
- It can be used for voting on project topics, choosing class rewards, or reflecting on parts of lessons that resonated most with students.
- The widget is designed to be simple and fun, ensuring every student has a say without feeling pressured or put on the spot.
- The interactive nature of the widget engages students, who show enthusiasm when participating in the voting process.
7. 📏 Alignment Scale Widget
7.1. Functionality and Purpose
7.2. Benefits and Engagement
7.3. Examples and Scenarios
7.4. Challenges and Considerations
8. 🎲 Dice Widget
- The Dice Widget is an effective tool for enhancing classroom engagement by introducing randomness, which can be used to form student groups, select review questions, or break ties during classroom games.
- It keeps students engaged and attentive, which is crucial for maintaining an interactive learning environment.
- The widget is compact, requiring minimal resources while significantly impacting classroom dynamics.
- For example, in a math class, the Dice Widget can be used to randomly select students to solve problems on the board, encouraging participation from everyone.
- In language classes, it can be utilized to randomly assign speaking topics, ensuring diverse practice and reducing student anxiety over predictable patterns.
- Overall, the Dice Widget serves as a versatile tool in various educational contexts, fostering a dynamic and inclusive atmosphere.
9. ❓ Bonus: Quiz Widget & Conclusion
- The quiz widget allows adding quick questions for instant student feedback right in the Fig Jam file.
- Ideal for reviews, comprehension checks, or fun activities like bell ringers.
- Facilitates collaboration by allowing students to co-create questions for assessments.
- Designed to transform passive participation into active engagement by giving students a voice.
- Aims to make learning more collaborative and visual while adding fun to the experience.
- Fig Jam is free for educators and students, encouraging widespread adoption in educational settings.