Love the Smart Responders

The first time I tried the clickers, it was a disaster. The students were so excited about using them and then they didn't work correctly. So Kelly came in and helped me teach one of my classes how to use them. It was a huge help! Since then they have become one of my favorite things. Everyday the students come in and ask, "Miss, are we using the clickers?!" The students are much more excited about doing work and the whole class is engaged every time we use them. The results make it very easy to create small groups because of the instant feedback they give. Right away I am able to see which students will be able to work on their own and which students need to be pulled into a small group.

I have also begun to use the smart slate. Right now I have been the only one to use it and have found it handy to walk up and down the rows while we are taking notes. I plan on having some students come in during lunch to practice using the smart slate. These students will become additional "teachers" to help other students learn how to use the slate.

My mentor and I have been discussing the best way to use a web presence in our classrooms. We have decided to create a joint website for parents and children. We plan on having our students blog on certain topics in math and then read and respond to the blogs from the other class. We also plan on smartcasting all of our lessons and post them on the website. This will give parents an easy tutorial if they want to help their child at home. They will also give students an easy way to review in small groups without depending completely on the teacher.