| Much has been said and written lately about | | | | or groups. They are great for class |
| providing students with choices. I'm all | | | | discussions, since students cannot just be |
| about any methods which will improve student | | | | quiet and disappear; every discussion |
| involvement in class, giving them ownership | | | | question can be answered by several students |
| in their learning. There are many ways to | | | | in succession, who must either build on |
| give students choices, options, or just to | | | | previous information given or generate a new |
| provide random results and change up the | | | | line of thinking. I also use them to ask |
| monotony. This article will discuss how to | | | | questions before students are dismissed. If |
| use random results in typical class | | | | the question is answered correctly, I let |
| situations.Ever wonder if you choose certain | | | | that student leave early.The cards can be |
| students more (or less) often in class than | | | | shuffled each time you use them, or you can |
| others? Or would you like to be able to | | | | leave the order and pick up there again |
| completely call on students at random?A great | | | | later, ensuring you've called on every |
| technique is to make and use an index card | | | | student before repeating.Now, can you stack |
| deck with your students' names on the cards. | | | | the deck? Of course! Because you hold the |
| On the first day of any of my classes, I pass | | | | cards, only you know if you've chosen truly |
| out blank lined index cards (we use the 3 x 5 | | | | at random. This is useful when you just know |
| size) to all the students. I then have them | | | | a student isn't paying attention, or if you |
| fill these out with information we can use | | | | want to check understanding by a specific |
| later on in class. Then I collect them and | | | | student.Should you worry about students who |
| keep them separated by class with a rubber | | | | still seem to never be called upon? That does |
| band. Then I can quickly access the names of | | | | happen, but it will even out as the year goes |
| all of my students. This helps for learning | | | | by. I've had the opposite happen too, where a |
| their names quickly too.The random calling | | | | student was actually chosen three times in a |
| technique will increase your students' | | | | row, even though I shuffled the deck each |
| attention, since any one of them could be | | | | time!Student hobbies or activities can be |
| chosen at any time without you playing | | | | great for making connections to class |
| favorites or ignoring anyone. Always try to | | | | material. As a warm up or sponge activity, |
| choose several students each time you use the | | | | for example, use your cards to randomly call |
| cards, and everyone will quickly understand | | | | on students to state how what they learned in |
| that they may be the next person called. No | | | | class could be applied to or connected to |
| student wants to be embarrassed, so they will | | | | their hobby. |
| all formulate some type of response to give | | | | |
| in case their card is drawn next. | | | | The cards are great for choosing students to |
| | | | read aloud in class. And as the teacher, you |
| What information needs to be on the cards? | | | | can still stack the deck to match up |
| That depends on what you want to know about | | | | appropriate students with a paragraph's |
| your students. I ask for at least their | | | | difficulty level. I also try to assess |
| names, parent's names, and phone contact | | | | student's reading ability by choosing |
| numbers.In one upper corner, write in the | | | | particular passages I want them to read |
| student's hour (I also like to circle the | | | | aloud. Then I make sure the student's card is |
| number) so you can sort them out easily | | | | chosen.-------------For this article, and |
| later. Other useful information could include | | | | more on teaching and education, be sure to |
| text book or calculator numbers, birth dates, | | | | check out our website: |
| and even students' interests or hobbies.How | | | | |
| often do I use the cards? Several times each | | | | Holes, Jr. is the editor of the |
| hour! We use the cards in warm ups so | | | | StarTeaching website and the bi-monthly |
| everyone has a random chance of being picked. | | | | newsletter, Features for Teachers. |
| The cards are used for choosing random teams | | | | |