BP4_Stick Pick

Introducing... Stick Pick!

How many teachers out there have this jar sitting on your work station? We try so hard to call on all students equally, and many of us (myself included) have resorted to a cup and a popsicle stick for each student. This becomes a problem when you teach multiple classes and need multiple cups. The sticks get physically misplaced, the cup gets knocked over and sticks spilled, "naughty" students can remove their stick when the teacher is not looking, and once you have called on a student in the lesson and move the stick out of the cup, that student ultimately shuts down since he knows he will not be called on again.

Out of this problem comes a solution from a teacher ~ aren't the best teacher tools created by teachers? The app is called Stick Pick, and it goes far beyond the old fashioned can of sticks. When a teacher makes a stick for a student, she can assign the appropriate level of Bloom's questioning for the student's ability. When the teacher taps or shakes the can, a name randomly is chosen. When the student's name is selected, there are appropriate Bloom's question starters ready to go. Taking it even further (and in my humble opinion this is where this app will be most useful) the teacher can record to what level the student answered the question (1-5). The following rubric is used in Stick Pick:

Bloom's & Bloom’s Revised: After selecting “correct,” “incorrect,” or “opinion,” a 5-point "Critical Thinking Rubric" will appear on the screen. Rate the student’s response from 0-5. The choices are:

0= No Response;

1= Shows No Understanding;

2 = Partial Understanding;

3 = Adequate Understanding;

4 = Clear & Accurate;

5 = Insightful & Confident

This can be useful for ongoing, formative assessments. At the end of each day, the teacher has the ability to search the student rosters to determine how many questions each student answered, and how well each student answered. This information is valuable for data-driven instruction.

The app itself is fun to use. The graphics are bright and clear. The sound effects make it really come to life. It is simple and straight forward. Teachers even have the option to randomly OR intentionally draw a student's stick from the can. I have this app downloaded on my iPhone, and the stick can be drawn with a swipe, tap, or shake. It is exciting for the kids to see. After the question is answered, the teacher can place the stick back in the can to use again, or can be placed in the "used" can.

I like the idea of using this app as the teacher, but also having my students run the app in small group settings. Picture a group of 8th graders asking each other thought provoking Bloom's questions, and having those questions starters at hand, all with a shake, tap, or swipe.

I can not wait to start in my new classroom next week. One of the first things I do when I receive my class roster is to put my students' names into Stick Pick. I believe this will be a fantastic tool to take questioning further in my classroom, and in turn collect data to drive instruction. And never again will I be picking popsicle sticks off of my floor!