I am the type of teacher that can’t move on to a new
topic unless I know for sure everyone understands what I am teaching. During my
first year teaching, I would use the method of raise your hand if you agree and
use some tricks to make students doubt their answers. I taught at an elementary
level, but I will use an example of what I would have done if I was in grade
7-10 math class.
For example, Solve: 20-10(5-3) = ?
a) 0
b) 2
c) 4
d) 6
e) None
of the above
During this period, as educators, we know which
students are doing well in class and which students are struggling. Using my strategy
of raise your hand if you think (a) is the right answer, students that have no
idea will raise their hands with the majority of the class. That doesn’t help
me as a teacher know who actually understands. To doubt that students I would
say “but 20-10= 10 and 5-3=2. 10(2)=20. I think the answer is none of the
above, would anybody agree with me.” Then we would start a classroom discussion.
The following year, I used the strategy of the mini
white board and had students write down their answer on it and raise it up for
me to take a look. I noticed a big difference in answers and I had a better
idea of who understands the lessons and who needs help. I would fix the problem
right there by reviewing the lesson and using different strategies.
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ReplyDeleteGreat idea! Very practical too! To be honest, I was that student who looked for the smart kid in class and just raised my hand when they did. For so long, this was my strategy, without ever thinking about math, it's how I would answer. The white boards are such a practical idea, almost like clickers, except a bit more economical. More importantly, students have think about the problem, come up with and write down their own answer. My only question is did you find students would copy one another? Can you control the environment so it won't happen?
ReplyDeleteHello, some students sill do try to look and see what the person next to them is writing for an answer. But now that is only looking at one person and not the entire class. Also, I pair up students or have them sit into groups based on their academic levels in class.
DeleteI would also have students to make sure they cover their answers.
Great idea. I think it's awesome that you don't continue with your lesson until everyone is on the same page. That can get difficult with increasing class sizes and the ever changing landscape of learning styles we have. This might be going on a tangent, but I like to have the discussion with students that they need to take control of their own education. It might not be effective with elementary students, but when I teach senior level classes (or even grade 10) I feel it's important to help them understand that they're in the class for a reason. It's important that they take ownership of their own education and that can sometimes deter them from relying on other students for answers or assistance. My rant is over. Great stuff Abdul!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your reply. I think using the white board is a basic, easy, and cheap way to see where the students stand. If we want to push it up a notch, we can introduce and use clickers in class. I used it as a student at the university. It was effective, but we did have up 300 students in the class. So people would have the opportunity to discuss their answers before submitting. But when using it in a regular classroom setting where the number of students don't exceed 27, we can monitor for any conversation going on during a question asked.
DeleteI love mini white boards in class. You can do so much more then just multiple choice questions with it as well. Students can post actual answers they calculate throughout the lesson. This is a great way for you to see who is grasping the topic at hand and who isn't. It is important to make sure students know it is okay to be right or wrong on these. You want them to feel comfortable and unjudged so that they post accurate answers to their learning. I feel as if some students who may not understand would be more willing to look at the smart person next to them and copy instead of really trying so that they can solidify their learning. As a teacher you do not have to call out on who got it wrong. You can gear how you handle it to the situation. If only a few have it wrong you may want to ask why they think their answer should be right or you yourself can do the explaining. If everyone got it wrong I would go into depth why the answer is what it is and try another one before moving on.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea!
Hello,
DeleteThank you for replying. I agree with you. There are so many different ways of using it in class. It is a cheap resource that could be very helpful in class to be able to identify which students in class require that additional help or explanation.