randon student name generator

[slhenry]

Does anyone know of a random student name generator that works with the Activboard? Is there something already created on a flipchart somewhere?

[Peter Lambert]

There are a few on this forum. Use the search facility and look for "random" or "name generator"

[gillilandd]

I have a random number generator (called Student Picker) I created for the Mac OSX in an authoring program called Revolution. It isn't a flipchart but I use it along with it when I want a student to come to the board.

My students sit in numbered seats and Student Picker selects a seat at random. It flashes random numbers on the screen for 5 seconds then calls out the number it displays. My 9th graders really like it - and I don't have any complaints that I am picking on the same student all the time.
If you are a Mac user and want to download and use it for free email me at: douggilliland@gmail.com
Doug Gilliland
Sarasota High School

[jepatton]

Hi Doug --

It's interesting that your students don't mind being called on randomly. I've tried using Dan Bunker's random name generator (also on my Mac - you have to run it outside of Activstudio) and they hated it. They much prefer to be called on when they raise their hands - and most of them will if they think they know the answer.

[Lara]

If you give the children time to think and/or discuss their answers, the overwhelming majority are happy to be acalled on randomly - also ensures they all get involved rather than some just sitting there and not engaging.

[caryn]

I couldn.t agree more Lara. Since I started using the random names ALL the children have to think as they may be asked for their opinion/answer/guess. Before I found that some didn't bother because they knew someone else would answer - and it always seemed to be the same hands that went up!!!

[Daniel Bunker]

The comments and feedback i've had from teachers who use this, or a similar application, is that without it, it's surprisingly difficult to truly select pupils at random - and that can lead to some students not participating in lessons.

You may not want to select pupils at random when asking a closed question, posed perhaps to advance a particular lesson down a predetermined route, however, when asking more open questions where you are really trying to elict thoughts and ideas it can be very useful and importantly, it's perceived as fair by the class.

As with most things, it comes down to how a teacher uses a particular application.

Miraz Triggs attached article gives a bit more backround on how and why she uses a similar tool.

Dan

[scaulfield]

If the Random Name Generator is a bit to much for you, or your students don't like it, try this flipchart out;

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/us/server/show/ConResource.11851

It was made by Kelly Gilchrist (Teacher Feature in November), and she uses it to select students.

[markrobinson]

Another classroom rule you can add to a random selector is "pass it on"... where if the person picked at random is not confident answering - then they can either ask for a reroll or pick some one of their own choice to answer it for them.

There are variants of this - but the teacher would have to use that one that suited the general nature of the class.

[rexboggs5]

(1) Barry Bennet writes in Where Hearts Meet Minds that in a typical classroom where students raise their hand to answer, over 90% of the questions are answered by the same 4 students. So there needs to be some mechanism for getting all to participate more equally.

He also writes that most teachers do not give students enough time to formulate an answer.

So a random name generator is very useful, but slow down! Give thinking time before asking for the answer.

(2) A cool questioning strategy that I read about in an NCTM publication (the middle school maths journal) was to ask questions in two stages: Ask the question. Give thinking time. Now ask "Who thinks they have the correct answer (or for a more open-ended question, maybe 'a good answer')?".

All students who think they know the answer can safely put their hands up, because the next question is, "Who would like to share their answer?"

It encourages whole class participation, but is done in a very non-threatening way.

Cheers

Rex

[Lara]

And a low-tech alternative is names on lolly sticks in a jar. Pull one out and ask the questions to the child on that stick - having given thinking time first - hese can either be put back once a questions has been asked to make it truly random, or kept out to ensure children who haven't answered get a turn. (Well there are days when a fuse goes and one is without a board!)

Another strategy we use a lot is talking partners - children nearly always get the chance to discuss the answer to the question with the person next to them before being asked for a response. Not only does this help thinking, but many children feel less worried about answering when the idea isn't just theirs.

[LisaD]

Of course there's also Activote as a way to encourage participation from the whole class!

Gautam Saha's approach is quite interesting. See his video here:

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/us/server/show/nav.1998

Also, as Activote really allows answers to be A, B, C... I would be very interested in how the new Activexpression will be used to encourage whole group discussions as well since students will be able to enter text now.

Lisa

[Another Tim]

No Hands (http://www.eHyde.com/No%20Hands%20v1.0.1.19.zip) may be just what you want, its also free. Its a proper application, no spreadsheet, powerpoint or internet browser in sight!

[eimearh]

I love the idea of the random name chooser for the board but find it time consuming and a bit of a distraction to always be flipping between 2 different flip charts - especially when my kids (2nd class) cannt reach the top of the board to do it as they go along. Anybody got a way to have the name tabs for the flip charts down the bottom of the board or an idea to flip between 2 charts with little fuss??

[rexboggs5]

You can put the name tabs for the open flipcharts at the bottom by clicking on Files > Settings > Layout > Document Tabs > Dock Bottom

Rex

[LisaD]

That's cool. I didn't know about that one!

Lisa