When I think of gifs I first think of how I use them to express emotions and reactions to conversations with friends. If gifs can be used to express meaning in conversation, why can't they be used to provide a visual support for students during instruction? Not only that, but they are FUN and ENGAGING!
Some examples of when I use gifs in the classroom:
showing meaning of vocabulary words
reacting to student work
to engage students in a topic
students also use gifs in response to each other's work
students use gifs to show comprehension of content
use gif of the day to guess the day's instructional content or vocabulary words
What are some instructional ideas you have for ways to use gifs in the classroom to engage students in learning?
How do I add gifs to my Google Docs or Slides?
1. Extension Must-Have: GIPHY for Chrome
This extension allows you to copy or drag & drop a gif into a Google Doc or Google Slide.
2. Insert - Image - BY URL
Copy image address after a Google GIF search. Then, in Google Docs or Slides, insert image by url and paste the link to the gif.
Watch the video below to see how to add gifs using the extension and/or the image URL.