Working Smarter, Not Harder: Using Student Response Systems

Kevin Cown

Autrey Mill Middle School

“Who does this guy think he is and why is he presenting to us?”

• Kevin Cown

• 6th grade language arts at Autrey Mill Middle School

• Activotes 4 years, and Activexpressions 2 years

• Participated in the Fulton County Technology Leadership Forum 2010-2011

• Because I was asked to

SRS…what does that mean?

• Student Response Systems are simply a device that allows a teacher to acquire instant feedback.

• Think of a polling device.

Ah, Capitalism

• Just like any good invention, there are many different types and brands of SRS. I will hit some in detail later in the presentation.

Show me, not tell me

• Power on the Activexpression

• It will ask you to “name the device”

• Enter your “username” and hit “send”

Question: What does “SRS” stand for?

• A: Somewhat Responsible Students

• B: Some Random Students

• C: Systematically Responding Students

• D: Student Response System

How is Kevin Cown doing on his presentation?

• Answer with an adjective.

“Wow! This is fantastic information Kevin! What do I do with it

though?”

• Formative Assessments

• Checking for Understanding

• Teacher Data

Formative Assessments

• Weekly 5 question assessments on a concept being taught.

• Must obtain an 80 or better to be considered “mastering content”.

• Any student with a 79 or below will have remediation and will be assessed again.

Tired of grading?

• I have given multiple quizzes using my activexpressions.

• One error I found is that some students need something to write on.

• Give students a sheet of paper or a paper copy of the quiz.

Why check for understanding?

• Has anyone done construction or built something?

Pop Quiz! Should we use pop quizzes in class?

• Yes

• No

Why or why not?

Teacher Data/Differentiation

• How many teachers would like to hold individual conferences with their students to ask them how they are doing in class?

• How many teachers would like a portfolio on a child that explained the areas in which they excelled or needed improvement?

Assess the problem, address the problem.

• Once a teacher has data on a student, they can address any problems they might have.

• Otherwise this student might have flown under the radar.

Proof in the pudding…or research

• In a study done by Marzano (2009), he found that, “Using voting devices was associated with a 26 percentile point gain in student achievement.”

• Sartori did a study in 2007 that showed 5 out of 5 classes scoring higher on post-tests after the use of SRS and all 5 teachers found the devices to be necessary in their classrooms.

• My own experience…

“Enough with the sales pitch, show me the goods!”

• Activexpressions or Activotes

• Work with Activinspire and Promethean boards

• www.prometheanworld.com

Smart Response System

• Most compatible with SMARTboard technology. Uses SMARTnotebook and Microsoft Office programs to run interface.

• www.smarttech.com

Got It! Response Systems

• One of the more affordable and accessible SRS. Simple interface and works with any computer.

• http://www.califone.com/products/9300.php

Quite a few other options…

• http://www.qwizdom.com/education/hardware.php

• www.irespond.com• http://www.einstruction.com

/products/student-response-systems

My money tree needs watering.• Grants-there are plenty of Grants out there to

fund technology. You can even quote my presentation in your proposal!

• Ebay-believe it or not a lot of people sell refurbished items on Ebay. You can’t view it at school though.

• School packages-The county has accounts with Dell and other companies. Sometimes you can get a better deal through them, or you could see about a discount if you order in bulk.

• Share-Most teachers will not use their SRS every day. Many brands will allow you to set them up on multiple computers.

Free ways to use SRS?

• www.polleverywhere.com

• www.surveymonkey.com

• For those with Ipads, Iphones, or Itouches, you can use an app called “EClicker”. The host app is 9.99, but the student app is free.