Low-Tech Student Response System

For the past two years, I've had clickers. I adore them. I could ask a multiple-choice question during instruction and receive instant feedback about what my students thought. I could even print fancy graphs to impress my administrators with my use of data-driven instruction. Then along came our district's mandatory update to Windows 10, which does not play nice with my amazing clickers. And I've been pouting even since. Each time I open a PowerPoint from last year, I see these beautiful multiple-choice questions and I angrily delete them or re-write them.

This week, I was introducing Polynomials, and I had great multiple-choice questions already formatted and ready to go. I decided to leave them in and just have students raise their hand for the correct answer. Lame, I know. 

We did these fun {free} notes to introduce the vocabulary and then it was time to practice with multiple choice, and I had a stroke of genius. I went to my supply cabinet and took out a stack of index card. I told students to write the letter A large with a marker. Then, turn it 90 degrees and write B (yes, upsidedown!). Then flip it and do the same with C and D. 

I posed the question, and they then held up their answer choice so that I could see it. 

I was able to quickly assess what students thought (just like my clickers used to allow me to do) and collect data that helps me drive instruction. I can't print out fancy-pants graph (one point clickers). BUT unlike the clickers, were I could only see a break-down of which students responded with each answer after the lesson, the index cards allow me a quick visual of who needs extra help (one point cards). Plus they actually WORK! (100 points cards) - and they will work with all future Windows updates as well ;) 

At the end of 1st period, I collected the cards and reused them throughout the day.  The students had much more fun with this than just raising their hand, and I saw less guessing/cheating/looking around. Another win for active engagement!

Here are the questions I used about classifying polynomials if you want to try them out.