Clickers
Today was the first day of Integrating Technology in to the Classroom and on this very first day, we were introduced to Clickers (I guess that’s what they’re called). The purpose of these little blue remote controls was to instantly assess the class as a whole. It was brilliant. What better way to ask a question in class and get an answer from every student? To instantly know how well the class as a whole is following along. Even the shy kids who would never raise their hands to answer a question would feel safe participating. And you have the power to know which kids are following along and which ones are lagging behind. Brizilliant.
Application: Show a picture of a quarter note, have kids tell me how many of these are in a measure. . . etc. Fast, efficient, fantastic.
More info at this link:
http://www.rpi.edu/about/inside/issue/v2n4/iclicker.html
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I agree with you on the clickers. I think they are great for the classroom.
I do have to make a comment on spelling though. “Assess” has two “s”’s, not one. You spelled a bad word that shouldn’t be used in school.
June 2nd, 2008 at 8:38 pm
LOL! Thanks for the heads up, Josh! I’ll get on that right now!!!
June 5th, 2008 at 10:50 am
It was my first time to use the clickers too. I loved them!!! Like you stated, using clickers to respond makes students feel safe and that is such an important component to the classroom environment. They are easy for the students to use and the software is easy for the teachers too! I like the idea of using the data received from the clicker system — it can help a teacher adjust their teaching style.
June 6th, 2008 at 11:50 am
I really enjoyed using the clickers as well in the classroom. I do feel that the clickers are a great way to assess whether the class as a whole is understanding the topics being discussed. It is an effective method that does not embarrass individual students but still makes them accountable to answer. The teacher can use the results from the clicker data and assess whether the students need more repitition or whether they are ready to move on to another topic.