Since spring 2007 I have used a Smart board (an interactive whiteboard) in my classroom. Sometimes I also use an interactive response system. With the push of a button on their wireless remotes, students can instantly tell how much they know. They do not need to raise their hands and wait to give their responds. Everybody answers at the same time.
How it works
Smart Response interactive response system combines handheld wireless remotes (or clickers), a receiver and assessment software that allows the teacher to create test and manage, track and evaluate the results. Questions may be oral or shown at the IWT (interactive whiteboard). The students respond with their remotes. They can be anonymous or log in with a personal ID. The result can be saved or shown with tables and charts.
What you need to use this resource
To use Smart Response you need a Smart board with the software Notebook (where Response is an integrated part), a set of handheld wireless remotes and a receiver that connects into an available USB receptacle on your computer.
The Smart Response interactive response system is available in four models to suit a variety of learning environments, such as 1:1, K-12, early education, special needs and advanced math and science. Our school uses a model called Smart Response PE interactive response system, which is suitable for K-12 classrooms. Our system consists of 24 remotes and one receiver stored in a bag that makes it easy to move the system between different classrooms.
How teachers and pupils can use this response system
The Smart Response system makes it easy to prepare quizzes, tests and exams or spontaneously add questions to lessons. The software allows you to create your own test material that can be integrated into any lesson or assessment activity. Compile tests for formative and summative assessment, prepare quizzes or exams in advance and ask spontaneous questions to gauge student comprehension at any point during a lesson. Design assessments using six question types – true or false, yes or no, multiple choice, multiple answer, numeric and text response.
You can also choose from hundreds of ready-made Smart Response question sets available on Smart's education website (www.exchange.smarttech.com or www.smartklubben.se), or import question and quizzes from third-party software applications, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and PDFs.
Once students respond to questions using their remotes, the software summarizes results in a pie chart or bar graph. This instant response enables the teacher and students to see if the majority of answers are correct, or if further review is required. By seeing results right away the teacher can adjust the teaching on the fly and be assured that every student in the classroom understands the lesson.
The results are also automatically added to the built-in gradebook and saved in a single file, which helps organize the data. The teacher can create reports, from pie charts showing individual student achievement, to bar graphs comparing class performance. Teachers can generate PDF reports or export results to Microsoft Excel.
All students can respond to the same question at the same time. The response system is a useful tool to investigate student opinions or knowledge. It can also be used at parent meetings or conferences to easily gather opinions and get an instant visual basis to discuss.
Considerations before using this resource
The Smart Response interactive system may seem as rather expensive equipment for a school to invest in. But the system is mobile and can easily be moved between classrooms. One system is sufficient for several classes.
It is also important to consider what type of questions that are used in teaching. Are the questions designed correctly? Do the questions provide answers of what is meant to be investigated? What is measurable?
Therese Lennhager
I can really see the use of this tool but I also see your point in asking if this is something for our school to invest in. You write that it is rather expensive but not how expensive it is. It's good that it is moveable though. I have often wanted a tool like this. Both for checking things with my pupils but i also think you got a good point in useing it with parents. You write that you can get individual students achievements and that is good, I think. If one pupil missed something you can help that individual but if there are several pupils that missed something you certainly have to think of ways to adjust your lesson. But as you make a point of in your considerations I think you have to be sure of what your purpose is and how you are going to use it.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard about this tool before so thank you for your share.
Monica Lundahl