Student Response Systems Reflection

SRS Blog Post

            I remember very clearly the first time I used Kahoot in a classroom. There was something very special about being able to communicate and respond to concepts, and something even more exciting about being able to compete with my classmates. Still to this day, there are few things more exciting then learning a class or presentation involves a Kahoot. Yet, the more I learn about the varies types of Student Response Systems (or SRSs) the more I believe there are more ways to make the classroom engaging. And even, dare I say it, systems better than Kahoot.

I really enjoyed learning about the different Student Response Systems that we used or talked about in class. I was excited to learn about something that was exciting and think about the different ways I would be able to incorporate them into my classroom. One of the things I am most excited about is being able to form relationships with my students, and I believe that by encouraging engagement between myself and my class will improve that relationship greatly. For example, in many of the SRS websites, there was some sort of way to check in on students personally. In some, that was a mood evaluation line that would allow a teacher to ask students how they are doing or feeling as they walk in the classroom. And an easy tool for students to use at it relies only on them choosing a face that describes how they are feeling. This is something that I believe passionately in and would want to implement in my classroom.

Another tool that I really enjoyed about the SRS tools was some of the tools that made presentations more interactive and exciting for students. For example, Nearpod was a tool that allowed you to make much more interactive presentations than simple other presentation tools allow. Nearpod allows you to incorporate activities into the presentation, as well as, take virtual tours of different locations. Additionally, the website included a tool that allows you to incorporate Common Core Standards into your presentation. The presentation, that is accessible by code to all of your students, then becomes a lot more interactive and engaging. When my group did a sample presentation on Nearpod, we had students who were so engaged and that they then became slightly frustrated when we moved the slide forward. Nearpod is different than other presentation tools because it allows students to view the slides on their own device. The instructor can choose if the students will proceed through them at their own pace, or at the pace of the presenter. One of the downfalls of the accessibility to students that the presentations allow is that they may easily cause a distraction to some; students may become so involved in the interactive measures of the slides, or quickly answering the questions, that they are not able to listen to the speaker. However, this could be adjusted so that students are not shown interactive slides until all information is given out. Nearpod was one of the Student Response System tools that I learned about that I would love to incorporate into my classroom.

Another tool that I learned about and enjoyed was Quizizz. Quizizz is a SRS that allows teachers (or students) to create quizzes and provides immediate feedback. Though more than just another quiz tool, Quizizz allows educators to incorporate learning standards into their presentation. Additionally, by selecting a grade level, subject, and typing in a title, Quizizz allow educators to import questions from already created presentations. They then have the option to rearrange the question order and to edit the questions in anyway they wish. When the quiz is finished, educators have the options to share it in many ways, including posting it to Google Classroom or creating a code that students can access. Quizizz is another tool that I hope to incorporate into my classroom someday. I like the concept that a creator can be sure that the quiz or material follows along with a standard and that the quiz allows for immediate feedback to students. Additionally, at the end of the quiz, students can take the quiz questions and turn them into flashcards to study. There are many aspects of this tool that I think are strengths. Quizizz is another tool that I find would be useful as an educator, and very engaging as a student.

Slido is another tool that I think would be interesting to use in a classroom. Slido allows for students or other participants to ask questions during a presentation. The moderator can select which question are being answered and highlight them. Additionally, there is an option for the presenter to moderate which questions are being shown on the screen, which would eliminate the possibility of any inappropriate questions showing on the screen. Participants can like or reply to any comments or questions which allows for further engagement and conversation. I am interested in how this SRS would work in a classroom. I think it would be very exciting to have a question and answer section of a lesson, or for students to interact with the tool, both as the participant and as the moderator. And there are many different ways it could be incorporated into a classroom. I think this SRS system may be slightly more complex for younger students, as it relies heavily on students typing and forming questions quickly; however, I believe it could be adapted so that those younger students can enjoy it as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the many different types of Student Response Systems that have been created and that can be used in the classroom to create a more engaging environment. As someone who is attempting to form the kind of classroom environment she hopes to create, any sort of tools that encourage excitement and learning are very exciting.