Blog

There’s a difference between asking students to put up their hand to vote, and voting using technology – such as voting on a mobile phone. One of my favourite tools is Socrative.  Here’s a lesson idea.

Prepare your quiz on the Socrative teachers’ app. Click on ‘Manage quizzes’. Click on ‘Create a quiz’ and give your Quiz a name, such as: ‘controversies’. Then, follow the on-screen instructions. Quiz formats include: Multiple Choice, True / False, Short answer. Devise questions of interest to your group. Finally, click ‘Save and exit’. 

In class, ask students to download the Socrative students’ app onto their Smartphones or tablets. Students without a suitable device can pair up with a colleague. Link your tablet to the electronic projector and give the students the room number. Students are asked to type in their names. Click on ‘Start a quiz’. Select your quiz and choose the option ‘Teacher Paced’. The students see the questions on their screens. After each vote, you can click to display the result. Voting using mobile devices can provide variety to a lesson, and produces a high level of student interest when the result is revealed.