Enter these cards. I even managed to make them even more low tech and less fancy than Sam and Kate did. Theirs are by far more creative and well thought out and great.
One index card per kid....quick and easy. Not fancy. I had the kids make them yesterday and it took about 20 seconds. Now I don't think there's anything groundbreaking or creative about what I did here, but it has been rather effective so I figured it was worth sharing.
I have always used these dry erase boards and done the "hold up all your answers so I can see" method of quick assessment but sometimes they won't hold them up for some reason. It could be because they think the boards are lame, but I think that more often they are insecure about their answer and don't want anyone else to see what they did.
I've gotten way more participation with these little cards. I think it's because they don't have to hold up anything big and they don't have to show off all the work they did for anyone to see. All they need to do is flash me the letter they chose. Most times they are just holding it up right in front of them and that way no one else has to see their answer and I am able to give them quick feedback via a nod or shake of my head. For me, it's just an easy way to gauge whether it's a problem I need to really go over or if it's one they're good with.
For more extensive and open ended type problems these obviously aren't the best choice, but for test prep stuff right now they are perfect. Eventually I might like to make these a little more durable and have kids keep them in their ISN's. Maybe even laminate them...or color code them. Just some ideas, for now these are good enough.
I use these sometimes! You can also make them add, subtract, multiply, and divide.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this only works with younger students, but I tell my students not to show me their answers on their white boards until I say "1,2,3 show me". That usually helps not to pressure the other students who need a bit more time.
I like that with the operations. Unfortunately even holding them up together doesn't always work with my older ones . One class is a handful of seniors that haven't passed their state test yet (after 2 attempts) and have a major case of senioritis. I can sometimes get away with the more "fun" stuff with my 9th and 10th graders though...especially when they're feeling extra silly :)
DeleteI taught my students a, b, c, d in sign language so we use that too!
ReplyDeleteI'm just getting caught up on your blog after finding it on pinterest. I have my kids hold up fingers for multiple choice answers. A is 5 fingers. B is 3 fingers. C is 1 finger. D is a fist. Really simple and easy!
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