Clickers in Action
Clickers seem to be a very good idea on paper, but what about clickers in action? Well, believe it or not, as good as they seem on paper,
they're even better in action!
If you've never seen a classroom full of kids using clickers, you are missing out. The enthusiasm is contagious,
as the entire demeanor of the classroom changes when kids are using clickers. Learning is fun!
At a higher level of education, it is thrilling
to see a quiet lecture hall filled only with the droning sound of the ever-going professor turned into a buzz of activity as
students try to convince each other why their answer is correct.
Clickers are truly changing the dynamics of the classroom.
We've gathered videos below of clickers in action, both at the elementary and higher ed levels. It is exhilarating to see teachers so
excited about teaching and kids so excited about learning when using clickers in the classroom. Just try to watch the first clicker video without smiling!
- This fantastic video, Technology in Elementary Spanish, provides a great peek into an elementary Spanish classroom
and includes real student opinions on their classroom technology. It was posted on TeacherTube and demonstrates the technology used in
their Spanish classroom: individual response systems (eInstruction Classroom Performance System), an interactive white board, 2-to-1 laptops,
Internet resources, and educational software. Their equipment was provided by grants from Qwest Foundation for Education, Tanque Verde
Educational Foundation, and tax credit donations. This teacher is to be commended for teaching from a kids? perspective and obviously makes
motivating her students to learn a high priority in her classroom.
The teacher makes use of CPS in her learning time and uses both the random student picker and the jeopardy game. The student excitement
is so high during the CPS time; it is great to watch! And, of course, you won't get more honest opinions than you do from the kids.
Their comments get even better the longer you watch!
- A session presented by Tom Haffie from the Department of Biology at the University of Western Ontario
and recipient of the 2005 Fellowship in Teaching Innovation award. This podcast draws on experience with large
first-year Biology and Physics classes, research data and demonstrations to help participants make informed choices regarding
clicker use in their classes. The beneficial session is both lively and humorous - a great podcast to see clickers in action in a
room of 70-80 attendees.
See the podcast...
- Several videos of Dee Silverthorn from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin
talking about using CPS in her classes. Professor Silverthorn covers several topics related to clickers, and there is some great
footage of clickers in action, specifically CPS, in a college lecture hall.
See the videos...
- A very nicely done video of a Grassroots Project at the British Columbia Institute of Technology: Engaging Students in Large Lectures.
The video features Glenn Pelligrin, faculty member in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology. This clicker video contains footage of clickers in action, as well as comments from some of his students. I absolutely loved the student's comment that using the clicker "rushes the mind"
after a long day of many classes whose teachers use the same presentation techniques hour after hour.
See the video...
- A video excerpt of "From Questions to Concepts: Interactive Teaching in Physics with Eric Mazur" showing Eric Mazur,
physicist and educator at Harvard University, demonstrating his model of peer instruction in his own lecture class. A great example of clickers
at the university level and Eric Mazur's peer instruction model.
See the video...
- This description could be describing your class and link to a movie of your class using clickers while you teach!
If you'd like to submit your own video of clickers in action, contact us!