Thursday, January 15, 2015

Plickers

Inline image 1Two of our elementary teachers, Mrs. Brenner and Mrs. Caley, attended a technology conference in early December. One of the ideas that they brought back to CCS was a formative assessment tool called "Plickers."   According to the app's website, "Plickers is a powerfully simple tool that lets teachers collect real-time formative assessment data without the need for student devices."

Mrs. Caley explains, "Students each have a numbered code card they can position to answer a question. The teacher scans these codes via an app on either the iPad or iPhone to gain instant data revealing student understanding of material or to survey the class on predetermined topics. Students love it!"

The Plickers website encourages teachers to use the product to "tailor instruction with instant feedback" and to "use Plickers for quick checks for understanding to know whether your students are understanding big concepts and mastering key skills." Wow, instant feedback to give insights to teachers so that they know how to proceed with further instruction!
This is just one more way that technology can enhance both teaching and learning!