Denim Column

About The Author

My photo
Alabama, United States
Educator and Lifelong Learner, Asst Principal at @cmslions, #NBCT, #EdD from @ucumberlands, @Google Educator Lvl 1 & 2, Google for Education Certified Trainer

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Why the ActivExpression2?

I received an amazing gift in my classroom last week! I received a set of Promethean ActivExpression2. My students respond with, "Thank you, Mrs. Whitehead, for getting these for us." or "Thank you for letting us use these again." Their excitement in learning is refreshing.


What is an ActivEpression2? It is a student learner response system that gives every child in the classroom a voice. I can ask questions on the fly or prepared in a flipchart. Each child can answer in text entry, number entry, multiple choice, etc. I get immediate feedback. We use the for vocabulary practice, math lessons, science and social studies integration, and sometimes just for fun. My students feel comfortable stating if they don't understand something when answering with an ActivExpression2. As the teacher, I can control how the responses are viewed. They can be viewed in a bar as a class or as who answered what graph. 


What are some of the benefits of the ActivExpression2 over other clickers? The ActivExpression2 has a fully QWERTY keyboard. The first thing my students said when pulling them out of the case is, "These look like a Blackberry." They feel comfortable typing on the keyboard. My students also like that they are given a chance to review their answer before sending it. The kids are also fascinated that the "glow in the dark." The ActivExpression2 is backlit. A lot of times, the lights are off to make the ActivBoard easier to view. Students can easily see what they are texting with the backlight. The biggest benefit according to my students is that they "make learning fun."


In a time where many school systems are strapped for cash, I know that purchasing a set of ActivExpression2 may not be feasible. I can assure you that the benefits far outweigh the cost. If you are given an opinion in how money is spent, this would be my recommendation. The ActivExpression2 supports 3rd party whiteboards. In fact, they don't even require an interactive whiteboard to function!


Don't forget your chance to win a Promethean Prize Pack with a copy of The Response Revolution. This book will give you ideas on how to integrate ActivExpression2s into your classroom. The giveaway ends tonight, so enter quickly by clicking {here}


From time to time, I will be blogging about projects and assignments we complete with our ActivExpression2. Stay tuned for this exciting adventure!

~Cara
Pin It

2 comments:

Lori said...

We have the clickers at our school, but these sound great! I like that they can type on them.
Lori
Conversations in Literacy

Elizabeth said...

How exciting! We have had the Qwizdom Connect "clickers" for a few years, but the quizzes were hard and time consuming to create. This past October, we bought a license for the online "already made" quizzes. I used it last week for the first time. The kids loved it!

Yours sounds so much better, but I feel like I'm at least at a good starting point.

Elizabeth
Fun in Room 4B