Behind every teacher’s desk there are many jobs to do every day. You provide grades on papers, design lesson plans, monitor student’s progress, and conduct classroom activities. Not everything is easy to handle at once. It’s easy to get overwhelmed.
However, technology can help the good news. Some of your work can save time by using helpful tools like Gimkit. And some tasks can even be done automatically. This can be made to happen with Gimkit and Zapier working well together. You can give them the tasks which you have to repeat on a regular basis. You’ll not have to do everything yourself. Therefore, you will have more time to teach and support your students.
This guide will show you how to link Gimkit with Zapier. The best way of connecting apps and working automatically in an easy way through Zapier. It will also explain how using automation will help your classroom run smoothly. You will also be given easy steps to set up your own workflows.
Table of Contents
What is Zapier?
Zapier is a digital helper. It allows you to connect different apps and perform tasks for you. In other words, you do not need to switch from your app to another app to do things. The Zapier way to do this is to ‘Zap.’ A Zap is a simple set of steps that run by itself. For example, if you receive an email Zapier can add the details to a Google Sheet or add it to your list.
In simple words, Zapier helps your apps work together without you doing anything. It connects apps like Gimkit, Google Classroom, Slack, and many others. This will help to save your time and make your tasks easier.
The Power of Automation in Education
Today, many teachers use automation as a way to make their job easier. It will save time and will run smoother in the classroom. Students enjoy learning with Gimkit. Some of these tools also require more work from teachers. That’s where Zapier can help.
Zapier is a tool that helps different apps connect and work as a team. You can make something called a “Zap.” A Zap is a set of steps that runs by itself when something happens. This is helpful for teachers who use many EdTech tools work with Gimkit, like Google Classroom, and Slack.
Zapier lets you skip setting up each Gimkit game by yourself or sending game links to students at a time. You also won’t need to check student progress on different websites anymore. Zapier can do these jobs for you. This saves you time and makes your classroom more organized.
How Automating Gimkit with Zapier Works
Gimkit is not too difficult to automate with Zapier once you get the hang of it. In this article we will be telling you how it works. And go through the steps that you should take to set up your own automated workflows.
How to Set Up Your First Zap to Auto-Assign Gimkit Games
Sending Gimkit games to your students automatically is a helpful and popular way to use Zapier. It can do that for you whether you want to assign a new game every week or trigger a game based on certain student actions.
Step 1: Create a New Zap
Start a new Zap from your Zapier account and log in. To start your first automated workflow, you have to click the “Create Zap” button.
Step 2: Set Up the Trigger
Then you will set up a trigger. This begins the automation. For instance, you can pick to send out a Gimkit game each Monday morning.
- In the “Choose App & Event” box, also search and select Schedule by Zapier.
- Select Every Week as the Trigger Event. Then choose Monday and set the time (e.g., 8:00 AM). When you really want the game to be assigned.
- Click Continue to set up the trigger.
Step 3: Choose the Action App
After that, you need to decide what action will occur as a result of the trigger being set. Select share a Gimkit game with your students as the action.
- In the “Choose App & Event” box, search Gimkit.
- Choose the Create Assignment action (or a similar option, depending on what’s available for Gimkit).
- Click Continue to proceed with setting up the action.
Step 4: Connect Your Gimkit Account
To connect Zapier with Gimkit, click Sign in to Gimkit. Next, log in to your Gimkit teacher account and grant Zapier access to it.
Step 5: Set Up the Gimkit Assignment
Once connected to your Gimkit account, you can enter the assignment details. Assign the game to the Kit (the quiz or game you’ve created) you want to give and the class or classes that should play it. If necessary, you can also set a due date.
Click Continue to move on.
Step 6: Add Extra Actions (Optional)
Treating your automation as a set of actions is liberating and you can add more actions to it. So, you can share the Gimkit game link to the Google Classroom or send out a reminder email to your students. Zapier can handle it. And just choose the appropriate app (such as Google Classroom) and set it up as you would like.
Step 7: Test Your Zap
Before testing your Zap you should first make sure it works correctly. To ensure everything works correctly, Zapier will simulate the automation. Verify that the game was assigned as expected on your Gimkit account and other platforms.
Step 8: Turn Your Zap On
After your Zap passes the test you can give it a name (e.g. Monday Gimkit Game Assignment). And make it active by switching the switch on. Every Monday morning, your students will be automatically assigned to your Gimkit game.
Benefits of Automating Gimkit with Zapier
There are some advantages to using Zapier to automate Gimkit tasks. Here are a few key benefits:
Save Time on Repetitive Tasks
Such automated work will allow you to lessen your administrative time and interact with your students. Zapier does it for you instead of manual sending links or creating assignments through the week.
Increase Consistency
Automation will help you make sure your Gimkit games are assigned and on time. Zapier posts the link or assigns the game automatically. So there’s no need to forget to post the link or assign a game. Your students will always have access to their assignments.
Reduce Errors
Human error is prone to manual tasks. Automating repetitive actions will help you reduce chances of mistakes including mis-assigning a game or missing a deadline. To get it always accurate Zapier handles the details.
Improve Student Engagement
However, when you don’t have to spend so much time on paperwork and other tasks. The time you have to use in making better lessons for your students. Automating your work makes it successful faster. This helps you in planning fun and exciting activities. There are ways of thinking on new ways to keep your students excited with learning.
Other Ways to Automate Gimkit in Your Classroom
While auto assigning Gimkit games is a good place to start. There are other ways to use Zapier to take a slight bit of your class automation. Here are a few ideas:
Automate Posting Game Links to Google Classroom
Once the Gimkit game is created. You can also automate and post the game link to Google Classroom. Keeping in mind that students should always have easy access to the game. This removes the requirement to copy and paste the link every time.
Track Student Progress Automatically
You can have Zapier track student’s progress in Gimkit. And send the results to a Google Sheet. This is very easy to track student progress. And also those who may require some extra assistance.
Send Completion Reminders
Automate the reminders to students to complete their Gimkit games. You also have the option of sending them reminders via email or even via text. This helps keep them on track and ensures they meet deadlines.
Create Custom Reports
After completing the Gimkit game, Zapier can automatically generate and send you a report of the results. This will also be useful in order to try to quickly assess who’s the students that excel. And who could possibly need dedicated extra practice.
Troubleshooting Your Zapier Workflows
Zapier is generally user friendly. But there may be some bumps on the road. Now, we will discuss a few common issues and their respective solutions.
Check Your App Connections
Make sure your Gimkit and any other app accounts are connected to Zapier. In case you have connection problems, re-authenticate your accounts.
Test Your Zaps Thoroughly
Make sure to test your Zaps after you build them to confirm. They take effect the way you have configured them by running them first. In the test mode, Zapier simulates the workflow.
Review Your Trigger and Action Setup
Make sure that your triggers and actions are all correct for your workflow. However, your Zap can fail because of a simple mistake in setup.
Conclusion
If you want to save time, make fewer mistakes. And keep your classroom running smoothly. Using Zapier to automate use of Gimkit tasks can also be interesting. It can be used for assigning games, sharing links, or measuring performance of students. This gives you more time to focus on teaching. And also see what are the key features of Gimkit.
Start with easy tasks. As you learn about Zapier, you can try new ways to make your work easier. Automation is not just about saving time. It also helps you enjoy teaching and spend more time helping your students.
