Objectives+and+Rationale

Student Response Systems (SRS), commonly referred to as “clickers,” are hand-held devices that allow teachers and students to interact during lessons or assessments. These systems are generally comprised of student remotes, teacher remote, a large display, and some sort of presentation software. However, there are many varieties and features offered by different manufactures to choose from. The common goal is to make traditional classroom activities more engaging and interactive through the use of technology. One particular system that is currently available for all teacher use in my elementary school is called Qwizdom®. My district purchased a set that includes one teacher remote, thirty student remotes, an infrared broadcasting hub, and an Interact® presentation software license for all teachers. While this technology is easily accessible, few educators are aware of it or take advantage of the benefits of integrating it into their classrooms. Through the completion of hands-on and interactive professional development sessions, my goal is to help my colleagues discover the benefits of an SRS and learn how to create and facilitate SRS based activities. Ultimately, the overarching goal is for the participants to learn to effectively and efficiently integrate the Qwizdom® technology into their classrooms to enhance the learning of all students. This professional development is also necessary for the educators to become proficient and confident with the technical aspects of using the Qwizdom® student response system. Participants will need to learn how to create and edit an activity or assessment using the Interact® presentation software. It will be essential for the educators to become familiar with setting up, using, and troubleshooting each piece of hardware in the system. Finally, they will experience how to use the software to extend the benefits of using these systems, not limited to: assessment reporting, presenting in answer key and game modes, and advanced editing and creation techniques. Implementation of professional development regarding the incorporation of the Qwizdom® SRS into classroom activities has many benefits. To begin, educators who participate will gain a fresh set of tools to add to their bag of highly effective instructional and assessment strategies. They can instantly gauge the entire class’ level of comprehension as opposed to traditionally calling on one student at a time for a response. Competence using the Qwizdom® SRS also provides educators the ability to elicit student interaction from even the most reserved students. By using this system students who may not voluntarily contribute to class activities have the opportunity to respond without pressure or anxiety. Individual students will experience a new form of motivation, inspiration, and empowerment by using this technology. The majority of today’s students’ self-selected media comes in a digital form. This technology takes the integration of this medium beyond the traditional PowerPoint® lesson to a hands-on interactive experience where student participation and understanding can be instantly assessed and recorded. The overall benefits of the integration of an SRS in education are very exciting to teachers and students alike.
 * Objectives and Rationale**