C5 Griner

PollEverywhere as Attention-Getter

The Lesson:  I decided to utilize Poll Everywhere as attention-getters/focusing activities for two different lessons with a English 4--College Prep English class.  We have been analyzing and evaluating rhetoric, as well as examining arguments for logical fallacies.  On the day we were to read a particularly one-sided but influential essay called "I Want a Wife" by Judy Brady, a noteworthy text for the feminist movement in the 1970s,  I asked the students to read the short essay in class, then text in their initial reaction to an open-ended poll on PollEverywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com/) so students could get the initial personal reaction comments out of the way, as well as use it as a springboard for discussion.  For the second activity, a few days later, I created several multiple choice style polls to use to review logical fallacies before a quiz.  This allowed us to discuss why certain fallacies did or did not correctly describe a rhetorical situation in the question. 

Technologies Used:  PollEverywhere.com, student electronic devices, Epson Projector
Reflection:  The students really liked the activity the first day, but we had lots of technical issues.  Many students (at least 6) were encountering errors in trying to text in their comments and codes, and my student teacher's response kept getting sent back with a "Bad Words" or "Inappropriate Content" error.  (There was obviously nothing inappropriate about her message.)  Other students would get error messages that may have been particular to their phones.  However, it served its purpose, and allowed us to discuss the stereotypical reactions first, transition into a discussion of different intended audiences (men/women) and how student reactions represented similar reactions in the 1970s, and finally move into a more in-depth discussion of Brady's strategies. 

The second activity had no technical difficulties, but only 18 of the 24 students in class could participate (they did not have phones with them, or do not have text capabilities, and refused to get on the computers in back to participate that way).  It worked well to review the material and kept all students engaged, but with my novice experience switching back and forth between polls and the transition time of waiting for EVERYONE to text in, it took 15 minutes to complete what should have been a 5 minute review.  I would try this again for both purposes, definitely as an open-ended discussion starter or as an end-of-discussion wrap up activity.  I think other technologies (like the Promethean flipcharts or just even OneNote would be more effective with the review activity.  I can accomplish the same thing in a much quicker time period just by having the students write a response, and once the novelty of texting a response wears off with the multiple choice polls, I worry it would be as effective at holding their attention.