The classroom is a unique environment where many students and a core educator exchange ideas and build concepts all year long. Teachers are constantly on the lookout for new ways to engage their classes. However, with attention spans dwindling by the decade, it’s more important than ever to grab the students’ attention and keep it for the duration of the lesson. Classroom response systems offer teachers a simple way to gain the class’s attention while integrating technology into grading and other evaluation needs.
What are Classroom Response Systems?
A basic classroom response system incorporates clickers or remotes with a data receiver on the teacher’s computer. The teacher asks a question of the class, and they respond by pressing their clicker. Answers could be phrased as multiple choice, true or false or open responses. As a result, everyone has a chance to respond without any stress over saying the wrong answer out loud. The teacher collects all of this data with the receiver on the computer. This information gives the teacher an accurate view of the class’s progress regarding a subject or topic.
Review Core Concepts
One of the simplest ways to use these systems is basic review periods. The moment students walk into a classroom, they can immediately answer review questions posed by the teacher. These questions could cover yesterday’s lesson or even a review of the entire semester. It’s up to the teacher to see how the review process works for his or her class. The resulting answers tell the educator if the class understood the concepts or if they continue to struggle with them. With that information in mind, the teacher alters the current lesson plan to help the students where they’re showing weakness.
The Classroom Discussion
Response systems were initially designed for the classroom discussion period. The teacher poses a question to the class, and students should raise their hands in response. This traditional teaching method is full of limitations, however, only a handful of students can show off their knowledge while the remaining pupils are left out. Clickers in each student’s hand allow everyone to respond simultaneously to the one discussion question. In response, the teacher looks over the answers on the computer screen and continues the lesson as necessary.
Group Work Enhancement
Teachers also have a chance to incorporate response systems into group work. Initially, ask a question of the classroom and record the individual answers through the clickers. Divide the class out into groups and ask them to discuss their answers and subject matter. After ward, the groups should report their collective answer to the original question. In many cases, the group will come up with the right answer after everyone discusses a mixture of right and wrong responses. The response system simply quantifies this fact, and it allows the teacher to see that concepts are being solidified in the students’ minds.
Take a Poll
An exciting way to see students contemplate an idea or concept is by taking a survey. The teacher asks a question of the class, and they quickly respond on their clickers. In a matter of seconds, the teacher has a percentage scale of everyone’s different answers. This poll can be discussed as a class or formed into an assignment for further evaluation. Discussions over controversial subjects, such as history topics, make surveys an exciting addition to the classroom.
Pop Quiz Time
Teachers still use the classic pop quiz to see if the students are grasping certain subjects. Instead of handing out a written test sheet, educators can use the response system for a quick pop quiz. In fact, the ease with which these systems can be used makes the pop quiz even more prevalent in modern classrooms. Students shouldn’t be memorizing facts for big tests, but they must be forming long-term memories of these concepts for application in everyday life.
Who’s Here?
It’s possible to use response systems in the most basic way by taking attendance. Every school system relies on attendance for state funding and student safety. Students can punch in their school ID number on the clicker, so that the teacher knows the person is in attendance. There is no wasted time taking roll orally. As a result, teachers can start their lesson as soon as the bell finishes ringing.
Keep the Class Alert
Some subjects can be monotonous, such as discussing certain government policies, but these concepts must be ingrained into students’ minds. They’re still important ideas, so teachers should keep their students on their toes by integrating a classroom response system. A lecture could last 15 minutes, for example, and then the educator uses the clicker for a rapid discussion of the covered facts. Teachers could use the clicker several times during one classroom period to just keep the students interested in the topic. In the end, they’ll remember more information compared to a lesson without the clicker involved.
These response systems can be used for every school year as developers slowly add new components, such as software enhancements. However, teachers still need to be creative with their lesson plans to use the clickers effectively. In the end, it’s still the teacher who makes a class interesting and useful for the students.
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