Mobile phones: the future of classroom interactive voting?
http://olliebray.typepad.com/olliebraycom/2009/06/mobile-phones-the-future-of-classroom-interactive-voting.html
In this post Ollie Bray mentions experience with the ActivExpression classroom polling system by Promethean (that name makes me sad, I know the point they're trying to make, but still....), which will be investigated. What Bray discusses in this post is their desire for a mobile based polling system not dependent on a wired environment. They mention that there is a web based free-ish service for doing polls, which can be voted on via SMS or the web. The downside to such a system would be having mobile phones/PDAs/DSis/etc in the classroom, something I think most schools will not allow at this stage.
Scottish Learning Festival 2008 - Its going to be hectic!
http://olliebray.typepad.com/olliebraycom/2008/04/scottish-learni.html
This is the best candidate I could find for Ollie Bray's discussion of the ActivExpression voting system, and its an advertisement for a presentation they are giving. So the distillation of what is mentioned is that it has been used in the class to help promote discussion, debate and ideas gathering and the students enjoy using it. An interesting point it makes is: "Developments of this kind have created a whole new learning environment." But what sort of development is it? And what sort of learning environment does it create?
Promethean ActivExpression : Learner Response Systems
http://www.prometheanworld.com/server.php?show=nav.15997
From Promethean's website (when unsure, go to the source) it sounds like the ActivExpression is a handheld quiz tool which connects wirelessly to a central server (the ActivHub, this is a great naming scheme). The quizes can be tailored to individual students level or used to present the same question/s class wide. The power of the tool comes from multiple response types, but why not use a laptop or tablet which can do much more?
PollEverywhere: Classroom Response System
http://www.polleverywhere.com/sms-classroom-response-system
The affore mentioned free-ish web based polling system. The system is a web based polling system where the instructor sets up the poll and makes it available for students to vote in. Each polling option gets a keyword which is required for that particular option in a particular poll. If the instructor desires, the poll can be displayed interactively, updating as votes are cast. Voting options appear to be SMS, web interface and Twitter. The free-ish part is that a class of under 32 students can use it free. It seems like something that you need to try before you can decide if its worth using.
Google Tools For The New Year
http://web20classroom.blogspot.com/2009/12/google-tools-for-new-year.html
In this blog post Steven Anderson brings up a range of tools Google has brought out in 2009. The one he brings up which is relevant here is Google Moderator. Its a tool where a question is created and a range of supporting material can be included. Participants can then respond to specific options or ask additional questions. It sounds like it is worth trying.
Interactive Whiteboards-Sage On The Stage?
http://web20classroom.blogspot.com/2010/01/interactive-whiteboards-sage-on-stage.html
I brought this blog post by Steven Anderson up yesterday. It contained a point relevant to this context:
Some even would argue for the polling devices. Honestly, can we really say that polling is interacting? Ok so a kid might care for 5 seconds to punch in an answer but then go back to non-interaction. And how many times do we give a poll in a class?This is a negative viewpoint on polling devices, but it a valid point.
What it comes down to, I believe, is what we mean by "interactive classroom" and how we want to achieve it. Steven Anderson views the tools as "anything that gets all kids using technology and interacting with technology, together".
The "together" I feel is the most valid part.
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