My Favorite Yes: The Answer Pad

During an inservice this past year, I was introduced to a strategy called My Favorite No. We watched this video




about the strategy and I really liked it (video AND strategy!). If you don't have time to watch the video right now, here is the gist: Give kids a quick bellwork assignment to complete on an index card. Collect and quickly sort into right and wrong answers. Then choose the best wrong answer and use a document camera to project it to the class. Ask the students to identify everything that is done well in the incorrect response. Then ask them to suggest a correction and identify why the teacher chose it as her favorite "no."

I like how quick it is, how it emphasizes that everyone makes mistakes sometimes, how the class starts with what is good and corrects the mistake. I like that everyone gets better at editing his or her own work. Today I stumbled upon a way to do with without index cards or document cameras.

One of my favorite web tools (and apps) is The Answer Pad. I use it most often as a student response system in interactive mode. I was demonstrating this tool today and showed an airplane icon that allows you to broadcast one student's work to every student's device.

What I didn't realize is that when the image is broadcast, every student has the chance to edit the student's work. If you look at my images from above, you might notice that Joe's work is incorrect. If I chose that as my favorite no," I could broadcast it to everyone and ask for verbal information about what is done well. Then ask everyone - not just the student or two I call on - to correct it. Maybe I would get something like this:

That's awesome! I love that it's as fast and easy as index cards without the stack of index cards in the trash at the end of each class. This is one I will definitely start to incorporate more next year!