Clickers
After attending the tutorial on Clickers given by Robert and Chris I have several thoughts about using them in the classroom. Its immediate advantages are that they involve the whole class, gather information quickly and children like the interaction that comes from using them. It’s new, different and fun and it lets children see what others in the class are thinking. They can be used to deliver short tests, multiple choice questions, quizzes and to gather statistics. This article further discusses some of the advantages of using clickers.
It was great to be able to use them ourselves in the class and I believe that children would really enjoy using them. However, I don’t believe that I would use them on a regular basis. I would definitely use them every so often to bring variety and something different into my learning program.
Some of the disadvantages were discussed in the tutorial and include the initial cost, lack of open ended questioning, initial set up and the fact that teachers may see it as an easy way out using multiple choice tests. These are all things one must consider however I really do think they are a great tool and I would love to trial them with students myself. I can really see children in years 2 and 3 loving the use of clickers and I think it would be a great lesson idea to provide the students with something fun, interactive and inclusive of all students.
