Using Clickers to Learn About Florida in First Grade

First graders had fun using clickers in the lab this week. Clickers are small, hand-held devices that allow students to respond "anonymously" to questions asked on screen via an infrared signal. Since each student has his or her own clicker, each student has the opportunity to engage in answering questions. They are a wonderful way to introduce new concepts and ensure all students are participating. There are benefits to using clickers for teachers too. They can be used as an assessment tool to help guide instruction. Students receive immediate feedback as a class of their performance (i.e. 95% correct), while teachers can review information about individual student performance as needed.

After answering questions about Florida (capital, flag, state symbols, etc.), students proceeded to the computer to create a state symbol web in Kidspiration. They practiced navigating the picture library within the program, adding pictures to their work space, and linking those pictures to their main idea, Florida.