Tech Tuesday: Socrative, Mobile Classroom Response

Tech Tuesday (again...late, by 6 days!  oy vey...):  Socrative.com

My apologies for my tardiness.  Last week, I was able to demonstrate a fantastic mobile app and website that allows teachers to create response activities for students.  The fifty or so teachers who sat in on my demonstration were so very patient with my technology flubs and mishaps.  I promised to be more organized in my blog post, so here it goes!


Overview:

I'm the queen of sticky notes.  I love sticky notes for reminders,  annotations, brainstorming, and exit passes with my students.  Sticky notes were my go-to tool for a quick glimpse at what my students walked away with from our lesson that day.  Now, although still love, sticky notes are a little archaic (and costly).  Socrative (socrative.com) offers a way for teachers to engage students in checking for their understanding before, during, or after a lesson.  Students and teachers can access the various tools through the website or the free app. 

How does it work?

The teacher creates an account and is provided with a room number.  After creating an activity (multiple choice, true/false, short answer), students can then enter the classroom by typing in the number the teacher provides them.  That is all they need to do!  No creating an account, logging in, etc.  Easy-peasy.  Socrative asks for the student to enter their name before responding to the activity, allowing the teacher to see who submitted which responses.  Once the time for the activity is up, the teacher can view the results.

Applications

Socrative would be a quick and engaging way to assess student's prior knowledge, enthusiasm, and attitudes towards concepts and topics that will be discussed in class that day.  During a lesson, students can also submit a response as a "check for understanding."  At the end of the day, the teacher can post an activity as an exit pass that will help him or her plan for learning.

Limitations

Since Socrative allows for multiple students to use the same device, this is not one of those apps that requires one device per student.  

I invite you to try it out!  Let me know what you think.  Did this mobile tool help to enhance student engagement and learning?