The cost of quiz answer buzzers and assessment trackers is $6085, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
I teach at St. John's High School which serves the Sea Islands near Charleston, SC. Our population is 85% free/reduced lunch and/or below the poverty index. Forty-eight percent of the students live with one parent or other family member. The islands served by St. John's have an average income of $50,000 to $74,999. That amount is double the average family income of the students attending the school. Motivation is often a problem. It is not cool to be smart.
Last year, I borrowed a Quizdom system from a friend at another school to use for reviewing electron configuration for chemistry and Newton's Laws for physics. We used the fast track racetrack game. The use of questions within game scenarios made the students want to do well. They asked for calculators, more time, and more in depth explanations so their car could be on the board. They became good-naturedly competitive and spent more time listening, learning and revising before we did another session.
Qwizdom moves away from the traditional pencil and paper environment. It has individual as well as team testing options. The data recording system breaks down the values for the teacher but shows team scores to the class allowing a weaker student to have a chance at and experiencing the success of being on a winning team. The recording and analysis systems within the software is a dream for teachers and means you can track progress and provide feedback much more easily and intervene with pupils much earlier than would be possible with other forms of assessment.
Quizdom allows students to respond with numerical answers or multiple choice letters and will let you adjust the number of significant figures and range for calculations which is ideal for science. The motivation for the students was amazing. Both student and teacher can see if the student showed a lack of understanding via right (green)/wrong (red) flashing LED's on the remotes providing feedback instantaneously. It is also private which protects the student who has not yet reached mastery. The kids have asked when am I going to get Quizdom again, but it has not been feasible in our budget and my friend's school now uses it on a regular basis so borrowing is no longer an option.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. R. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.