Student Response Systems in YOUR Classroom

As a teacher, I’m always looking for great ways to gauge my students’ learning. Do they understand this concept? Can they apply this skill? Can they describe this event? I don’t use formative assessments nearly as much as I should, but with these fantastic tech tools, I can monitor student learning more effectively. Both of these are FREE tools, so check them out!

Socrative
Socrative is a great student response system in which teachers can monitor student learning from a variety of platforms. Socrative apps are available for iOS devices, Android devices, and the program can be used anywhere with an Internet connection. In order for the program to work, however, teachers and students need to make an account…this could be a downside if your students have trouble keeping up with all of the usernames and passwords they have for their classes. Teachers can create quizzes (and share those quizzes with colleagues), create exit passes, and so much more through this awesome free tool.

Edmodo Quizzes and Polls
You already know my feelings on Edmodo…it is simply amazing! Teachers can use Edmodo so many ways in the classroom, and you can add formative assessments to that list. Teachers can create polls through Edmodo asking students to select an option for virtually any question. I’ve often used these polls as Bellringers or lecture launchers in my classroom. For example, during the Presidential election of 2012, I would often start by posing a question about who the students believed would win the election, or which candidate “won” a recent debate. My classes even took part in an Edmodo-wide poll in which teachers entered their classes in a mock presidential election. Students simply indicated who they would vote for if they were able to vote, and Edmodo provided the results from all of the responses collected. It was really neat for my students to see not only how their classmates voted, but also how students in other environments would have chosen the next president.

Teachers can also use Edmodo quizzes as formative assessments. Edmodo quizzes can be used as Exit Tickets, or as true formal assessments. The possibilities are endless with the wonderful LMS, Edmodo.