While I like to give the students an opportunity to do a game-like review before a test, the time and resources are not always available for me to create an appropriate amount (and type) of questions. But now I have the students generate the questions and then it just takes a cut and paste to build the review into Socrative.com.

Pairs Share 1 Device

The review session is done in pairs with students sharing an iPad (or netbook). In a couple classes there was an odd number of students so there was one group of three, but the third person seemed a bit left out and could not read the screen very well with the others. In most cases, as they worked through the review, one student read the question out loud and they both discussed the answer before selecting.

The review game in this case is Space Race, which is part of Socrative.com. At first appearance it may seem a little “young” for high school students but my freshmen and senior classes have found much enjoyment in it. Student pairs are assigned a colored space ship and with each correct question it slowly advances. The display is projected from my laptop on the LCD projector and students can see (and comment on) the progress of all the space ships. It is the lack of progress of certain color ships that garner the most comments. There are usually two or three teams assigned randomly to each color and then they ask out loud who else has the same color to figure out who they are working with. The game continues with words of “encouragement” for each other which adds a fun and competitive spirit.

Students Build the Question Bank

To build the question bank, students were asked to create one or two multiple choice questions (with 4 or 5 possible answers) that deal with main points or themes of the readings. I tried to get them to focus on what they thought was important and relevant (hint, hint – our notes) and not random, minute details. Reading over their questions gives me a chance to see if they are on the right path in looking for the ideas (as opposed to the trivial facts) that matter in the readings. Some of the questions end up appearing several times in different form, depending on how the student worded it. One student commented on how helpful that was to him in remembering some of the key points. Heading into the last test, students asked to do this review game again because many of them thought it was a great help in preparation. But the student generated questions can create some controversy.

Warts and All – Lively Discussion

These sessions have been very lively. The student generated questions are included, warts and all, which creates constant debate. At first I thought that this was something that was not going to work but that changed.
“That’s a (insert your choice of adjective here) question!”
“They spelled that wrong.”
“That is NOT the correct answer!”
These were just a few of the comments directed at the question creator/offender, even if he wasn’t in the room at the time. Would they feel as comfortable discussing these problems and mistakes out loud if I had created all the questions? Probably not. It seems they have no problem letting each other know when they have made a mistake and I think a lot of good connections comes from these comments and the discussions that follow. It reminds me of the way gamers comment to each other, whether they are playing together in the same room or online. Certainly it has some similarity to group study and the way they argue, discuss, and, hopefully, laugh. In any case, it is not a quiet, individual activity and that is exactly what I was looking for.

Question Building Process – So fast it can be done in class!

The process: The students create the questions in a Google form I have created. I copy the information from the Google spreadsheet to the spreadsheet template from Socrative. At that point I upload the quiz through Socrative and it is ready to go. The process has become so quick that on the last one, I completely forgot to do this before class and was able to complete it as they walked in the room.

Once students finish a quiz or assessment on Socrative, you’ll receive an email with a detailed, color-coded breakdown of their responses. This data feature turns a fun, interactive app into a powerful diagnostic tool that helps to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses in your content area. That information, in turn, allows you to tailor your instruction to meet students’ needs.

Color coded reports help you quickly identify and target the concepts students are having the most difficulty with.  Which of these questions would you give more attention?

Here are a few activity ideas that’ll help you to create a data-driven classroom in no time:

Pre-Tests

Whether students are preparing for a yearly state exam or a test in your class, designing a Socrative quiz for a pre-test will give you a clear picture of how students are performing individually and as a group. Just last week, I gave my 8^th grade students a practice exam for the Pennsylvania State Writing Assessment. They completed the multiple choice section on Socrative, and afterwards I was able to see where students’ deficiencies were. For this particular group of kids, the report showed that they really struggled with the questions regarding verb tense and subject-verb agreement, but they performed well with capitalization and punctuation. So as we work throughout the year, now I know that those are the areas we need to focus on.  The same type of diagnostic activity would be great at the beginning of the year or at the start of a new unit to gauge their prior knowledge.

Quick Check Exercises

These types of activities are shorter, quick assessments to check student comprehension before moving on to something new. For instance, if you’re working on a math concept, having students answer a few quick check questions on a Socrative quiz and viewing their data will tell you whether they need more modeling, or they’re ready for independent work. You could also begin class with a quick check to make sure that they understand concepts from the day before.

Exit Tickets are another great quick check method. Consider posting a few questions for students to answer before leaving class. This will let you know whether they got your lesson that day, or if you need to spend some more time on it.

Bottomline

If you do choose to use Socrative for a diagnostic test, try using quick check assessments to see whether students are improving in the areas in which they originally struggled. With the numbers as a roadmap, Socrative helps to take the guesswork out of designing a curriculum that’s centered on our students.

SPECIAL THANKS TO JESSICA RESIG FOR AUTHORING THIS THOUGHTFUL POST!

Empower Students and Have Fun!

Invite students to bring in videos and images that they make themselves and find on the internet. You’ll find they are even more engaged when it is their content.

Photos

Create a slide with different images.

Design a Quick Quiz with a question or more related to each image.

• Ask Students to write a caption for the Image
• Ask Open-Ended questions in various tenses. 
• Ask Open-Ended questions that elicit target vocabulary.
• Utilize MC questions to target specific misconceptions by including them as choices.

Play a video clip and pause it at a specific moment.  

Activate the Short Answer feature and ask a question.

• Ask “What do you think the character will say next?” (future tense)
• Ask “Write a two sentence summary of what’s happening.” (sentence creation, open-ended observation)
• Ask “Describe the scene using at least 3 new adjectives.” (new vocabulary)
• Ask ” What did the main character do?”  (past tense)

Have students read their answers out loud to practice pronunciation.

Discuss as a class

Have students vote on their favorites

While putting the “final touches” on Wednesday’s lesson plan, I was struck with a decision about the class ending activity. It’s early in the year so I know students have questions and concerns about the readings and the term project.  I wanted the freedom and flexibility to choose the culminating activity in the moment.  What could I do?

I imported all 3 thinking routines into Socrative, and then allowed myself to choose the culminating activity in the moment.  It was a very freeing feeling to know I was prepared for a great class, and still able to be responsive to the day’s flow and demands.

Here are the 3 Thinking Routines - Click on the Thinking Routine to download the Socrative import template.  Then import it to your own room! (How-To Video on Importing/Creating Activities)

Thinking Routine: I Used to Think…, But Now I think…

Purpose: “This routine helps students to reflect on their thinking about a topic or issue and explore how and why that thinking has changed. It can be useful in consolidating new learning as students identify their new understandings, opinions, and beliefs. By examining and explaining how and why their thinking has changed, students are developing their reasoning abilities and recognizing cause and effect relationships.”  (Project Zero)

Thinking Routine: 1 Better, 1 Puzzle

Purpose: This routine helps students reflect on their growth in understanding of a topic or issue and then reflect on an area which is still puzzling or confusing.

Thinking Routine: Connect & Extend

Purpose: “A routine for connecting new ideas to prior knowledge” (Project Zero)

So in the end, we used the 1 Better, 1 Puzzle routine.  It fit our needs in the moment and was only a click away.  Later in the evening, we gained many insights into the levels of understanding and could follow up with students on an individual basis before the next class. Who knows, next class we could choose a different routine, the same, or none at all…but we’re prepared!

This routine draws on the idea of newspaper-type headlines as a vehicle for summing up and capturing the essence of an event, idea, concept, topic, etc.

Activity Flow with Socrative - 

• Identify a subject matter topic in which students will gather a fair amount of new information or opinions about it.
• Communicate to students before the activity that they will be asked to write a newspaper headline capturing and summing up the essence of the materials.
• Work through the lesson and then activate the Socrative Short Response feature.
• Ask students this core question:

If you were to write a headline for this topic or issue right now that captured the most important aspect that should be remembered, what would that headline be?

• Students should individually reflect on the task and then discuss in pairs or small groups.
• Have each group co-construct a headline and enter it into Socrative.
• Make the headlines visible for the whole class and have students read aloud their contribution.
• Initiate Socrative’s Short Response voting option.
• Task pairs to review all of the headlines and vote on which one best captures the essence of the material.  Have them be prepared to discuss why.
• Hold a full class discussion in which students reflect on their summarization process and support their choices.

Extension: Revisit the headlines in future classes and discuss potential changes as more information is uncovered.

CLICK TO WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL 

Collect Student Bios

Build a Socrative Quick Quiz to gather pertinent student information.

• Name
• Address
• Phone number
• Class schedule
• Parents’ names, workplaces and phone numbers
• Allergies
• Birthday
• Favorite Food

Remember: The report will be emailed to you!

Play Guess Who?

Ask students a fun question and project the responses using the Short Answer feature.  Then have students guess who said what.

• If you could be granted 1 wish, what would it be and why?
• Which place would you definitely like to visit?
• If you could have dinner with anyone in the world who would it be and why?
• What is the greatest thing you have ever done, so far?
• What was the scariest moment of your life?
• What is the best book you have ever read?

Brainstorm and Co-Construct your Class Rules of Conduct

• Let students individually reflect on acceptable behaviors.
• Use Socrative Short Answer to make their ideas visible for the whole class.
• The responses are anonymous so everyone should freely participate.
• Highlight themes and build a collective responsibility to meet everyone’s goals.
• Capture the class rules and post them on the wall!

Take a Snapshot of Current Student Understanding

Get a pulse check of the overall level of your students’ current content understanding. 

• Gather 10 Multiple Choice questions and make yourself a Quick Quiz before class.  The questions should be a mix of review and preview.
• Divide your students into small groups and have them come up with a team name.
• Have a Space Race!
• Review the data report to better understand your class’s proficiency.  You may want to do this with your students to build a level of trust and openness.

Generate your Class Motto or Slogan

Create a bond amongst your students and identity for this particular group.

• Set the tone by providing examples for your students.

Today a reader. Tomorrow a leader.
Education is Power.
Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Achieving Excellence Together.

(more examples here and here)

• In small groups have your students brainstorm 2-3 slogans.
• Use Socrative Short Answer to make the ideas visible for the whole class
• Initiate the Socrative Voting feature to choose your class’s slogan.
• Make a banner or write the slogan on the top of the board.  It’s your slogan!

Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers. Josef Albers

• Start class with an engaging activity

• Empower students to design, evaluate and reflect about a student check-in activity

• Foster a more collaborative student centered classroom

Activity Plan: Students as Designers

Start the year by discussing with students your Do Now questions and make explicit your daily goals.  Shift the responsibility to your students while supporting them as they create the check-in activity.

• Organize your class into pairs, then assign each group a week and topic during the fall term. 
• Meet early each week with 1 pair and discuss their preliminary design for a 2 or 3 question entrance ticket.
• Explore their goals for the activity and finalize the questions by Wednesday.
• Task pairs with completing the Quick Quiz Template for their Do Now activity.
• Initiate the activity in the latter part of the week.
• Analyze the results as a class and the effectiveness of the questions.
• Discuss where the questions would fit on Bloom’s Taxonomy.
• Finally, task pairs to submit a reflection on the experience.

Pre-planned Multiple Choice questions in your Quick Quizzes can now have between 0 and 5 correct answers. Gather opinions, group students by preference, check depth of understanding. 

Using “Create a Quiz”

You can CHECK 0 or up to 5 boxes

Using “Import a Quiz” with an Excel Template 

Choose between 0 and 5 correct answers from DROP DOWN BOXES in rows H-L

Tell us what you think!