I decided to take a look and set up an account. This is a quick video of what to expect during setup:
While the walkthrough of the setup shows some of the nuts and bolts, this short video speaks to the "how it looks" piece of the equation. We can use this tool periodically during the process of teaching, clump it into an entrance or exit ticket, or give a whole quiz in this manner.
How does it feel to the always-on generation? I have not yet implemented this yet in my classroom (I still have to set up a Remind account to remind myself to set up a Remind account), but what I have seen from other educators is very positive. The students don't directly interact through technology, but they do get instant gratification in immediate feedback right in front of their eyes. This system is ideal for a classroom that is able to use something like a Smartboard, but has not yet implemented a 1-to-1 system of Chromebooks or other devices; the kids still get a quick reaction, the teacher gets logged data, and it's something interesting and unique.
The obvious downside would be the need for a student to keep track of a piece of paper - and the teacher to keep a stock of 2-3 spares somewhere. But the front-load of rosters and printouts is well worth the ability to track data on all your students. And it's free!
This is a great way of looking at Plickers! I currently use it in my classroom and my students love it! It is a great way to do bellwork or take simple surveys or ask questions to the class. The immediate feedback that our students get is, as you allude to in your post, very engaging and helps students positively interact with each other. Your post and videos do a good job of breaking down the basics of Plickers.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely have to check this out. I did not even know that it existed. I don't think I will use it as we all use Chromebooks and I have other ways of doing something similar. But still really useful and interesting.
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