We are in our 4th school year of selling and training teachers on eInstruction’s Classroom Performance System and have hundreds of teachers now on our newsletter distribution list.  One of the best things I hear from teachers who use CPS daily is how they’ve developed a sense for asking creative Verbal and Chalkboard questions on the fly.  In addition, they now develop their daily lessons with the clickers in mind.  The more they use it, the better they get!

 Here is a sampling of unique ways to use CPS - beyond assessment, beyond review, beyond knowledge level questions:

Spark Discussion

In the book, Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry, which character do you relate to most of all?

a. Henrik
b. Peter
c. Lise
d. Annemarie

Spark Debate

Do you agree or disagree with this statement:

An isosceles triangle has exactly two congruent sides.

a. Agree
b. Disagree

Do you agree or disagree with this statement:

Zero is an even number.

a. Agree
b. Disagree

Get Students to Commit (to an action or opinion)

I will do the following project for our book report due May 1:
a. Written report
b. Character cube
c. Theme mobile
d. Musical interpretation
e. Oral report

“Whoever…utilizes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet… without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person…who receives the communications…shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”

a. Strongly Agree
b. Agree
c. Disagree
d. Strongly Disagree

What is your position on the new “zero-tolerance” for cell phone use at the middle school?

a. Strongly Agree
b. Agree
c. Disagree
d. Strongly Disagree

Smile Sheets

This face best expresses how well I understood today’s science lesson:

a.

b.

c.

d.

Community Building

For the relief map project, I would best accomplish the learning objective by:

a. Working alone and creating the whole map
b. Working in a small group together on the whole map
c. Working in a small group creating one section of the map alone

Conflict Resolution

We need a solution to the after-lunch restlessness issue.  What do you think would be the best solution:

A.  Swap the afternoon silent reading time with the morning project time 

B.  Give lunch detention to those who interrupt the learning. 
C.  Do a “calming down” exercise every day after lunch. 
D.  Have those who interrupt go immediately to the Safe School Aide Room
E.  Do a series of calisthenics after lunch to wear students out. 
F.  Move our learning centers time to after lunch so there are more transitions. 
G.  Move our math time to after lunch so there is more teacher-led control. 

H.  Reward students who stay calm and on task through the afternoon.
Posted by Amy