Gimkit Tutorial for Teachers

Gimkit is an educational game platform developed by a high school student and his friends, offering a unique game-within-a-game approach. Sam Kary introduces Gimkit on his YouTube channel, The New EdTech Classroom, and encourages viewers to subscribe for updates. Gimkit stands out for its engaging style, which can be utilized to review content in a different way. Educators can sign up for a free trial at Gimkit.com and, after the trial, a monthly subscription is required. The platform offers two main options: Gimkit Live for game-based learning and Gimkit Ink for student publishing. The video focuses on Gimkit Live, starting with creating a 'Kit', which is a set of questions and answers for games. Educators can manually add questions with multimedia support or use pre-made Kits from the platform's question bank.

The process of creating a new Kit in Gimkit involves naming it, selecting a language and subject, and choosing a cover photo. Questions can be added manually with multimedia enhancements like images and audio recordings for accessibility. A symbols keyboard is available for special characters, and answer choices must be clearly marked as correct to avoid disrupting the game. Gimkit also supports Text Input questions and has a Flashcard feature for rapid question creation. The platform offers a Question Bank where educators can find and add pre-made questions to their Kits. It's noted that having a large number of questions is beneficial for fast-paced games. Before assigning Kits to students, teachers can create a class to ensure only enrolled students can join, to prevent inappropriate names, and to access reports and continuity features.

Gimkit offers various game modes for Live Play, including Classic Mode with options for time-based or race goals and earning money through correct answers. Educators can customize game settings, such as starting cash, handicaps, and answer checks. The teacher's screen displays student progress and a leaderboard, which is crucial for gameplay. The game-within-a-game element involves students using earned money to purchase Upgrades, Powerups, and Themes. Upgrades increase earnings per question or implement multipliers, while Powerups can help or hinder players. Themes are cosmetic. The Team Mode allows for cooperative play, with earnings going to the team rather than individuals. The Floor is Lava is a cooperative mode where the class works together to prevent the lava from overtaking the game board.

In the Humans Versus Zombies mode, two teams compete with health points decreasing over time, and players can sabotage the opposing team or repair their health. Infinity Mode involves purchasing Infinity Stones with earned money, adding a strategic layer to gameplay. Boss Battle mode has the class working together to defeat a chosen 'boss' student. Super Rich Mode allows for higher earnings and more expensive items in the shop, with negative Powerups playing a significant role. Hidden Mode conceals game stats, and Drained Mode causes players' balances to automatically decrease, requiring more effort to win. Trust No One is a unique mode where players find and vote off imposters, using Power for various actions based on their role.

Draw That is a Pictionary-style game where students draw responses instead of answering questions. The game can be configured for students to draw questions or answers, with adjustable round durations and term reveal percentages. Student guesses are displayed in real-time to help the class determine the correct answer. Gimkit filters out inappropriate content, and the game ends with a winner based on points earned for correct drawings and guesses. The video concludes with an invitation to learn more about instructional technology through Sam Kary's online course, The 21st Century Classroom, and to follow his social media for teaching tips.