How I use Poll Everywhere

My fourth grade class is running a 1:1 iPad pilot program, meaning currently every student in my classroom has an iPad. This idea started when I raised money through a school fundraiser, Race for Education, and purchased an iPad 2 for the classroom. Before the iPad came into the classroom, our technology consisted of a computer that was probably being used new when I was in high school. Okay, so I'm not that old, but still, it was time for some upgrading.

With the money I raised, I was able to purchase the iPad 2 and a computer table to replace our old table which was broken. The iPad quickly became a favorite item in the classroom, the students were excited to use it and even with one iPad everyone was engaged. I still remember my class playing Rocket Math multiplication and all the students screaming out answers, which caused my principal to walk into my room one day and be surprised by seeing a classroom full of engaged students. 

Shortly after, I was asked to begin a 1:1 iPad program for the fourth grade class. What is exciting about running this type of program is the students' excited about learning. Slowly, I have been transitioning the students to doing more and more with the iPads, but we originally started using the iPads with one website, Poll Everywhere. 

Poll Everywhere is a free website and takes less than 30 seconds to register, just like the website says. Trust me, even though you can use the website without registering, you want to register, so you can preload your polls and reuse them. 

The main way I use Poll Everywhere is to review students homework. Currently, I teach a math FLIP program, and the polling gives me a better understanding of whether or not students understand the concept for the video I posted on youtube the night before. The way it works is I post a question with multiple choice answers and project it onto the Activboard. I ask students to submit their answers using their ipad. Each answer choice has a special code to type into the ipad, so that it sends directly to my poll. Typically, the first time I post the question, I will not receive the correct answer for 100% of my class. Instead of taking over, I ask the students to discuss their answers with their group explaining how and why they chose their answer. Students rethink their method based on hearing how others solved the problem and then resend their answer to the same poll. I would say 90% of the time 100% of the students will send the correct answer. 

This method of teaching works great in a 1:1 classroom and can also be used using a simple cell phone. The reason why I love using Poll Everywhere in this way is because there seems to be a huge concern that if we put technology classroom, it will cause our students not to socialize with others. But my goal as a 21st Century Educator is to use the tools of the time, while fostering an appropriate social atmosphere for my students and Poll Everywhere allows me to do this.