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Man, I thought that calling on people at random was just sort of standard practice. At the college level it forces people to be ready or at least think even if
by hyperion2010 12y ago
Man, I thought that calling on people at random was just sort of standard practice. At the college level it forces people to be ready or at least think even if they aren't. Glad someone is actually going in an measuring these things. The political problem is still there, but having the words to actually talk about technique is vital for improving it.
- sp332 12y agoRelated point: a study found that science teachers call on boys more often than girls, even when they think they are being fair. To combat this, it helps to keep a list of names (even an attendance sheet) and make a tiny mark when you call on someone. Then you can see who you haven't called on in a while. http://www.narst.org/publications/research/gender.cfm http://www.narst.org/publications/research/gender.cfm
- taeric 12y agoThis seems like it is begging for a small app that can be on a smartphone/watch/whatever and will randomly provide a name.
- edtechdev 12y agoEven better are classroom response systems which let all students answer at the same time using their phones or computers. Examples include Socrative or Poll Everywhere.
- taeric 12y agoAre you certain these are better? I would love to see studies and whatnot.
- caminante 12y agoI can't see JustAnotherApp™ helping in a meaningful way. How would that work? I fear the teacher would need to bring another device or pull out their phone, distracting the lecture. It sounds like the biggest problem's awareness (teacher bias). From there, a class roster and a pen would address tracking in the simplest form.
- hyperion2010 12y agoMy main take home from the article is that it is important to get all the kids to think. Which requires them to focus and not become distracted. To me introducing technology into the situation actually makes the situation worse because it is far more likely to serve as a distraction regardless of any good intentions. Kids need to learn to sit with their thoughts and really mull over them. Really all the teacher would need is a RNG for the number of kids in class that would pick randomly with the restriction that you discard numbers that have been picked 2 (or n) addition times from the lowest picked number. That way there is still some fear that even though you have been called on you may still be called on before everyone else has been.
- dragonwriter 12y ago> How would that work? I fear the teacher would need to bring another device or pull out their phone, distracting the lecture. How is using a phone/tablet for this purpose any more distracting from the lecture than using a paper + writing instrument + writing? A mobile device isn't going to get in the way than keeping an attendance sheet on a desk/podium/clipboard and using that.
- caminante 12y agoI disagree. Think about the implications of using an app v. pen + paper. I assume the device would need to remain unlocked, have notifications turned off (e.g. email), and the screen isn't currently synched with a projector among other assumptions. Are these reasonable? If so, can you elaborate on what you're envisioning for both scenarios (app v. pen)?