tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post6466129724653208244..comments2023-07-20T04:22:29.680-07:00Comments on Whole Brain Teaching Book Club II: Chapter 25: Smart CardsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02799364836309543715noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-30820895059087383552016-04-04T19:00:12.810-07:002016-04-04T19:00:12.810-07:00The Smart Cards are a great tool to have in your &...The Smart Cards are a great tool to have in your "big back pocket" for a quick informal assessment! Nice post, Geni! Here are 25 points!Nancy Stoltenberg Director of WBT Certificationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17613151984108431940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-29864800489400966152016-04-03T15:13:41.700-07:002016-04-03T15:13:41.700-07:00As a teacher and mom of 5, I love cheap and easy w...As a teacher and mom of 5, I love cheap and easy ways to know how well all my kids are doing. Smart Cards provide just that. The cards allow me to determine comprehension of the content by students in an inventive and fun way. I can easily judge the student’s level of understanding during lessons; and in turn, make teaching decisions on the fly such as if students grasp the concept or if re-teaching is needed. I can also quickly see if a student is looking at another’s answers or if they are able to answer on their own. Strugglers can be noted right away. The “vote” and “unvote” options adds a little bit of variety to keep students on their toes. Use of the “Prove It” strategy allows me to incorporate higher order thinking skills and allows students to demonstrate a deeper level of understanding. Using the peer teaching allows struggling students to gain more understanding by discussing the content with a fellow student. I love my Smart Cards, they are a simple, fun, and inexpensive way for me to do formative assessments. <br /><br />Geni AingeAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09465895949895049758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-10096727903527868322015-10-17T02:47:39.157-07:002015-10-17T02:47:39.157-07:00Thanks Michelle!Thanks Michelle!Christina Chapanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14398723410419941899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-63602325688802830302015-10-16T20:18:20.029-07:002015-10-16T20:18:20.029-07:00Chris,
I'm glad you are finding success with t...Chris,<br />I'm glad you are finding success with these! (I think you meant Smart Cards though :). Here are 25 certification points!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12741828664350486574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-39545085153074319112015-10-16T03:14:33.904-07:002015-10-16T03:14:33.904-07:00
I am excited to continue to use Star Cards in ...<br /> <br /> I am excited to continue to use Star Cards in my classroom. I have used them before and the kids really like how they can answer yes and no and give their opinion. Another benefit of the Star Cards is I like the fact that they have moved away from looking at each other and can answer the problem without the fear or concern of what answer that their neighbor gives to a question. Most of my students are either resource or self-contained students so they hate to write and this gives them a chance at review without having to put their thoughts down on paper. Other variations of the Star Cards that I have used are thumbs up for yes or true and down for no or false. I am also going to try to incorporate ASL in my teaching with having the students sign A, B or C for their answers to their review questions as well. Christina Chapanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14398723410419941899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-30658541204954674432015-10-16T03:11:27.417-07:002015-10-16T03:11:27.417-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Christina Chapanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14398723410419941899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-21959958481181337222015-10-11T14:43:34.428-07:002015-10-11T14:43:34.428-07:00Kelly,
Great job! Here are 25 certification points...Kelly,<br />Great job! Here are 25 certification points!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12741828664350486574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-74016532086085530132015-10-10T06:59:38.999-07:002015-10-10T06:59:38.999-07:00Smart Cards just might be the most ingenious tool ...Smart Cards just might be the most ingenious tool for teachers to perform a quick assessment and check their students’ comprehension. Although I do have an interactive whiteboard with a set of classroom clickers, it is time consuming to distribute them, and not to mention, it never fails that someone’s clicker is going to need the battery replaced the moment I am ready to use them. <br /><br />I love the convenience of Smart Cards. Smart Cards can easily be stored in students’ zipper pouch, and in less than 10 seconds, students can be ready to respond and demonstrate their understanding of a skill. The concept of “vote” and “unvote” allows the teacher a chance to pinpoint students that may not have a skill mastered. By implementing this assessment technique in my classroom, I feel that it will have the power to guide my instruction and provide me instantaneous data that will prove which students have successfully achieved the skill/standard. <br /><br />Kelly Avery<br />WBT InternAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13403020163808085972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-46238057109378510772015-09-07T09:48:00.283-07:002015-09-07T09:48:00.283-07:00Wendy,
That's a great idea to use them in our ...Wendy,<br />That's a great idea to use them in our PLCs! Here are 25 certification points!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12741828664350486574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-8949875823339032862015-09-06T19:43:49.669-07:002015-09-06T19:43:49.669-07:00Smart cards are something I have not tried yet for...Smart cards are something I have not tried yet for WBT. I initially see some great benefits to this strategy. I like the fact that it is cheap, quick, and easy to implement. Another positive is that it is a quick check for understanding which is critical. It could take the place of time consuming day to day or weekly check in written assessments. Giving the kids 3 choices: Yes, No, and Uncertain is great. It was also beneficial to have the different ideas of implementation listed for literacy and math. My favorite of these was the Prove It. I believe this is a loophole that can work against a con I will mention later. Lastly, I think that it will lesson anxiety for students that are afraid to say they don't understand. I think if i see kiddos that show a wrong answer or an uncertain, I would approach them later for reteaching. This fits in great with our district wide PLC( professional learning community) where we combine kids into like needs at PLC time to work on reteaching or enrichment. Groups could be made according to this information from Smart Cards. <br />The main con that would come out of using the Smart Cards would be the kids that quickly try to look at their neighbors' to see their answer. By using the Prove It strategy this could help to find the kids that really are confused by subject matter. Also, if a teacher really knows the personality and level their kids were working on, I think they would catch onto the ones who are guessing quickly. <br />Overall, I think it is a great tool. The pros outweigh the cons. It is a great way to hold students accountable and check for understanding. I will try it in the future. wee3850https://www.blogger.com/profile/17066421660921433819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-84274530818849637432015-08-29T12:18:39.734-07:002015-08-29T12:18:39.734-07:00Susan,
These are very effective! I find that if I ...Susan,<br />These are very effective! I find that if I hold a clipboard with a class seating chart (to help me find that student quickly on my page) I can just make a quick mark in their box and then later revisit the list to gather assessment information. Nice job, here are 25 certification points!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12741828664350486574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-80955075630846803382015-08-28T11:16:29.224-07:002015-08-28T11:16:29.224-07:00 The Smart Cards are a very easily used tool for ... The Smart Cards are a very easily used tool for both students and the teacher. The cost is low, and they are easily made. If you laminate them, their durability will be even better. Students, no matter what their level, will understand the cards and be able to participate in using them.<br /> The cards will definitely help better assess who knows what.<br />There will be students who still will find a way to watch what others are doing and copy. I like the Vote/Unvote idea and Superspeed Vote. Both these methods will help more students give a real answer and not copy their neighbor. I will definitely have students turn the card with the edge pointing to the teacher if they don’t know. It is important for students to learn not to just guess or copy someone else if they don’t know. Students are often afraid of showing that they don’t understand and will work very hard to cover it up. <br /> It may be a bit difficult at times to gather the assessment information, if you have a wide variety of responses. The teacher at times would need to be discreet in recording who still needs help, who knew and didn’t know during responses. I would love to hear more on this from teachers who have had experience using it.<br />Susan Abrahamsehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05548084076545310607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-23560412367900771132015-08-14T12:36:37.147-07:002015-08-14T12:36:37.147-07:00Christina,
You made some good points! Practicing t...Christina,<br />You made some good points! Practicing the procedures and using right way/wrong way practice will help the cards be even more effective! Here are 25 certification points!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12741828664350486574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-50622390445286801412015-08-14T11:32:53.329-07:002015-08-14T11:32:53.329-07:00The use of Smart Cards is a simple, easy technique...The use of Smart Cards is a simple, easy technique for teachers to quickly evaluate student understanding. When the teacher asks a question, students simply need to silently hold up either the Yes/Green or the No/Red side of the Smart Card. If a student is unsure of the answer, he/she may hold the card out, horizontal to the floor, with the leading edge facing the teacher. <br /><br />The purpose of the cards is twofold: to combat the “I don’t know’s” and to remove the fear of the wrong answer. As well, the cards allow the teacher to assess understanding and decide whether to go on with or re-teach the lesson.<br /><br />The technique is not without its flaws however. First of all, it is important that the students are silent when they are using the cards. If a student blurts out an answer, others will be influenced by this and risk changing their answer. Practicing both the correct and the incorrect way of using the Smart Cards as well as reviewing Rule 2, “Raise your hand for permission to speak”, will help to eliminate this problem.<br /><br />Secondly, some students will find it hard to resist looking at the responses of their peers before holding up their answer. Using smaller cards that fit in the hand of the student and having students place the cards on their desk top after every vote will help to control this problem.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00324827913439758318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-9617168936813999132015-07-31T10:53:31.951-07:002015-07-31T10:53:31.951-07:00Courtney,
These will be faster than the clickers! ...Courtney,<br />These will be faster than the clickers! You can still use both, it is nice to have options! Here are 25 certification points!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12741828664350486574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-84011216405080844262015-07-30T16:53:43.737-07:002015-07-30T16:53:43.737-07:00I think Smart Cards would be a wonderful asset to ...I think Smart Cards would be a wonderful asset to my classroom. They are very inexpensive, easy to store, and a great assessment tool. I am lucky enough to have a promethean board in my classroom and we can check out the clickers that were discussed in the book. I had an entire set in my classroom last year however they take up a lot of time. I had to pass them out, remind the students how to turn them on, and deal with dead batteries and wrong buttons being pushed. It is a quick assessment once you get through the marathon it takes to get every third grader in the room ready to go. I am sure it gets easier with time but the Smart Cards would solve all of those dilemmas. I would use red and green cards so that I could quickly see the answers around the room. I love that the book gave readers so many ideas for using the cards. My favorite was the additional of the critical thinking component of having the students explain their answer choice. I am looking forward to stapling my own set together before the end of summer.<br /><br />-Courtney WoodAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14676379263804066525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-38331812503629635132015-07-06T10:37:07.885-07:002015-07-06T10:37:07.885-07:00Thank you for sharing those ideas. I will incorpo...Thank you for sharing those ideas. I will incorporate those into my own classes for Spanish reading fluency to help spice things up. <br />Beebarnemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15716483013691309831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-29335349651050070502015-07-06T10:00:51.972-07:002015-07-06T10:00:51.972-07:00Bethann,
You have identified some fun ways to use ...Bethann,<br />You have identified some fun ways to use smart cards. 25 certification points! <br />Another way that I have used them is for reading fluency, partners read to each other and when their expression, speed, and accuracy are on target, they are on green, when they need to work, the partner will turn it to red. It helped my students with their 'Crazy Professor' reading. We also used them in group work too. There are so many ways to employ this inexpensive tool! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00086870005219375048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-36401874113121327492015-07-06T03:21:27.906-07:002015-07-06T03:21:27.906-07:00I believe that smart cards can be an effective WBT...I believe that smart cards can be an effective WBT strategy to assess student understanding. Similar to this idea, I use mini whiteboards to do quick assessments using simple questions or yes/no responses. The students record their response using a dry erase marker and while the Jeopardy music song plays. Once the music ends, the students all at once hold up their white boards for me to see. Like the smart cards, the students are unable to view their neighbor’s response. I am able to quickly assess student comprehension and potential gaps in my instruction. Both strategies allow students to demonstrate their knowledge in a non intimidating format. This will encourage students who may be less likely to participate, to share a response. I have not used the Prove It strategy, but would be able to apply this during culture units, such as with Bullfighting or Cinco de mayo. Students would respond si/no to a historical fact and then “prove it” using what they have learned about the event. <br /><br />Bethann Barneman Beebarnemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15716483013691309831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-84368582986068069082015-06-16T20:14:06.674-07:002015-06-16T20:14:06.674-07:00Shila,
Sorry! It looks like I didn't see this ...Shila,<br />Sorry! It looks like I didn't see this post! Here are your 25 certification points!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12741828664350486574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-37351087951464632602015-05-07T09:42:14.326-07:002015-05-07T09:42:14.326-07:00Hannah,
Smart Cards are a low cost but effective m...Hannah,<br />Smart Cards are a low cost but effective method of assessment with an added flair of fun! Your variation should be very effective and keep them honest with their responses. Here are 25 certification points!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12741828664350486574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-30347890812065678092015-05-06T09:35:07.988-07:002015-05-06T09:35:07.988-07:00I love the idea of Smart Cards. They are an easy w...I love the idea of Smart Cards. They are an easy way to quickly check for understanding. As I was reading this chapter, I started to realize that I was nodding my head in agreement when I read how Smart Cards can be used in Language Arts. Just the other day, I had a short assessment on parts of speech. I have been frustrated recently because my students are having a hard time remembering the parts of speech. To help them remember, we put gestures with the parts of speech and acted them out. One of my other blog responses actually had the script of how I used gestures to teach parts of speech! My assessment was a short five-question “quiz.” I say “quiz” because it is merely a way of checking for understanding. At the end of the day, I sat at my desk and graded all of these “quizzes.” We all know that grading is both boring and exhausting! The idea of Smart Cards is absolutely blowing my mind right now! Instead of giving them a paper to check for understanding, I can simply ask yes or no questions to check for understanding. <br /><br />One way that I will use Smart Cards is when we are discussing Mesoamerican culture. We have been doing a Mesoamerica and Mysteries unit in Social Studies and Language Arts. I ask simple yes or no questions about the three civilizations in particular: Maya, Inca, and Aztec. We are reviewing for our big unit test that will happen in two weeks, and I know, for certain, that using Smart Cards will help me to identify who needs help in understanding the three different cultures. <br /><br />Every classroom has the type of kid that is too shy to answer. Every classroom also has the kid that picks on the kid that is too shy to answer and likes to point out when kids are wrong. I also have those kids that look around the room searching for someone to follow. This bothers me because I won’t really know who is struggling if the kids are not being honest with me. I discuss with them often how important it is to answer based on what they think and not what others think. I don’t think it matters whether it is first grade or sixth grade; there will always be some students that will try to make a decision or choose an answer based on others! <br /><br />One way that I will change the use of Smart Cards in my room is by having kids put either the green or red side facing out, cover the back side with both of their hands, and gently, but not all the way, fold the card so that only I can see if they are putting up yes or no. Slightly folding the paper acts as a blinder so that the other kids can’t see other responses. Kids will make choices based on what they know or don’t know, and not based off what others are choosing. To insure that the cards stay in good shape, they will be laminated. This is just one variation of Smart Cards that I will use in my classroom.Hannah Meachamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03911654286814990276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-32142173860458351392015-05-03T19:53:32.814-07:002015-05-03T19:53:32.814-07:00As stated in the chapter, many underperforming stu...As stated in the chapter, many underperforming students are good at hiding their lack of knowledge. Smart cards provide a simple cost effective strategy to formatively assess student knowledge and understanding throughout a lesson. I have noticed when students are asked to give a choral answer, some students that are not sure will “fake” answer or have a delayed answer to hide their underperformance. Having students hold up the cards with a “vote” and “unvote” cue gets students to participate and requires them to rely on their own knowledge and not rely on copying another student’s answer. Additionally, I like that students are not encouraged to guess. If they are unsure, holding the card showing the edge informs the teacher that reteaching needs to occur. I think this strategy could also be used during step 4 of the five step lesson plan in place of “yes/no way”. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07432576385138784835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-91954442850815281132015-01-20T19:43:08.721-08:002015-01-20T19:43:08.721-08:00Brianne,
Smart Cards are a quick, easy, and cost ...Brianne,<br />Smart Cards are a quick, easy, and cost effective tool that everyone should be on board using them! They are a fun way to quickly assess our students and move right along with the lesson. Here are 25 certification points!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12741828664350486574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293751270204245792.post-66072590096513083642015-01-17T06:14:39.648-08:002015-01-17T06:14:39.648-08:00Please excuse my multiple removals- technical diff...Please excuse my multiple removals- technical difficulties!!!<br /><br />I really enjoy this idea of Smart Cards and can't wait to put it into play in my classroom! I am currently using the QT (quick test) frequently with thumbs up, down, or in the middle (to show unsure), which is very similar to this method. Everyone has paper in their classroom, so in my opinion, this assessment strategy is free! Having each student equipped with a set of these cards can help to easily and decisively assure which students have the material and which do not. If too many students do not understand it, this would be the time to go back and reteach! With proper practicing of how to hold the cards up quickly so no one can see them, Smart Cards make it so that each student’s true thoughts come through without the temptation of peeking at a peer’s response. I also enjoy the idea of adding “Prove-it!” along with these cards to help further prove their beliefs and to weed-out and reteach any uncertain students. Even if a student did not know the correct response, with the “Prove-it!” afterwards, they can now see the other students’ reasoning and better understand the concept, perhaps in a way that is different or easier to comprehend. Students are the best teachers, after all!<br /><br />At first I thought about coloring these cards; for example, red for “no” and green for “yes.” But then I realized that this would probably make it easy for students to get that color in their peripheral vision and potentially influence the decision on which card they hold up. I think I would rather avoid this by using the same color/no color for both Smart Cards or by printing them front-to-back so it is just an easy flip of the card to show a response.<br /><br />-Brianne Betz<br />Toms River, New JerseyAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18153138585006464659noreply@blogger.com