Harnessing the Power of Cold Call

Harnessing the Power of Cold Call 

I'll start off with this. I am a fan of cold calling--calling on students to answer questions at random, not only calling on volunteers. 

In online learning, I believe it's an even more effective strategy. As we know many students keep their cameras off. It's easy for students to feel anonymous and for students to even question "Would it make a difference if I logged off?" Conversely, we're wondering, "Is that student still online?"

I've seen several teachers using Cold Call in online learning and I think their tweaks may help all use Cold Call. 
  1. Be positive. "John, I'd love to hear from you and your thoughts about this..." "Juan, you do a great job of explaining, how would you explain this?"
  2. A method. Instead of using cold call as a means to catching students who are not paying attention or have left their computers, I've seen teachers go down their rosters, use popsicle sticks and random generators like this one.
  3. Give students a helpline. When a student struggles to answer the question or incorrectly answers the question, instead of moving on or giving a clue, I've seen teachers use statements like, "Check out your notes...." "Would you like to call on a friend for help (but still requiring the original student to answer)?" 
  4. Providing recognition. By providing positive, warm feedback we reinforce that we care and we're focused on building relationships and on learning. 
Cold calling can also be differentiated and scaffolded. By knowing who you are going to call on before the question, you can modify your question to ensure that it is an appropriately challenging question for that student. 

When using Cold Call as a learning tool instead of a gotcha', we are holding ourselves and our students accountable and we are showing students that we want and value their participation. 

You Owe It To Yourself to Watch This

Please take a couple of minutes to watch this.

Tasks/Important Information 

http://bewell.albemarle.org/programs/Pages/flu.aspx  For info on flu vaccinations. Last WEEK!

https://bit.ly/WAHSannounce To request an announcement, calendar event, etc. 

https://bit.ly/TWCStuRec Together We Care Student Recognition

Please remember to have grades as up-to-date and accurate as possible by Tuesday. 

Safety Protocols All staff should be checking in through the main entrance to complete the COVID screening process.

Birthdays

My dad's is on Tuesday but otherwise I don't see any on our list

Worth Your Time




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