High School Math Department Uses Classroom Clickers to Prepare for State Tests

Introduction

“My name is Lori Bolz Johnson, I have been teaching Math for the past 30+ years and I’ve had my Q4 clickers for over 10 years. I am a Virtual Math instructor for VWCC (Virginia Western Community College) which frees me up to tutor at (a local high school).”

Needs and Challenges

“(I work) with students to prepare for their SOL (Standards of Learning test) and with teachers that need extra help in the classroom.”

Solution

“All year long I use them to review for quizzes and tests.  During the middle of the year, I start using them to remind the students what we did at the start of the school year. At the end of the year, I use the clickers to prepare for the SOLs.”

Ms. Johnson has also found that incorporating the game features with Qwizdom has helped improve student engagement during math sessions. Not only does she and the class enjoy playing the games, but she is able to learn what concepts and skills need further review. She says, “I like that when we finish a (Fast Track or Mission to Mars) race, the student has an idea of his or her knowledge of a topic, as well as the teacher has an idea of the student’s knowledge of the topic – ‘Do I need to reteach the topic?’ By the time we have covered all the topics covered on the SOL, we have a good idea who is prepared for the test.”

She also appreciates that her quieter students can participate without stepping out of their comfort zones, saying, “It’s neat to see my shy students sit in the back and beat the whole class!” Overall, her students’ motivation for learning while using Qwizdom is a joy – “I love to hear the students say ‘When do we get to play the game again?’”

Feedback

“I love the (Fast Track) car race! As a teacher, I know who knows the material and who does not.  At the end of a race, if everyone does poorly, we start over.  If everyone’s scores are good, we will pick a new topic.”

Ms. Johnson isn’t the only one looking forward to another year with Qwizdom. She relates that the teacher she will be working with next school year is “very excited” about using Qwizdom student response again and has shared that excitement with the rest of the math department at the high school. She promises that her Qwizdom response set will be “put to good use.”

Lori Bolz Johnson, Math Teacher, Roanoke County, VA