by – Jessica Listi

During the Lilly conference, I met Stephanie Klenzendorf who introduced me to Squarecap – a web-based application for personalized learning. One teaching technique I struggle with is how to engage my students during a lecture. Aside from taking notes, another way to encourage active listening in the classroom is to allow students to ask questions anonymously during a direct teaching presentation. This way, the student is not embarrassed or afraid that he/she will be singled out. Other students can also view the questions asked during a lecture to see if they have the same question(s). The teacher is in control of which questions to show the class, which eliminates irrelevant/distractive questions and/or comments. Furthermore, I notice that students’ confidence builds when they are allowed to ask questions during a lecture via Squarecap. For example, while reading “Axolotl,” by Julio Cortazar, one student asked if it was possible that the narrator was always an Axolotl, never a human. I loved to share this question with the class because it revealed that the student was thinking outside the box. Like a domino effect, other students started asking higher-level thinking questions about magical realism and how to interpret other challenging material we previously read in class.

Additionally, I use Squarecap for warm-ups and exit tickets to reflect on homework, reading assignments, and to gauge whether or not the students grasp higher-level thinking by the end of the lesson. Using Squarecap also creates a positive environment through technology in the educational setting. Squarecap can be used with phones and computers. I find that allowing the students to use their phones for an activity in class boots participation and an eagerness to become more involved in personalized learning. Students must be given the opportunity to give feedback and reflect on how they learn, and Squarecap allows me to see immediately if students are getting the big picture.

I teach in a portable, so the Wifi does not always cooperate with students’ phones. I also do not have access to computers in my classroom; therefore, I had to find a way for the phones to work. I invited a Squarecap technician to visit my classroom, and he made sure each device was connected to the Wifi and worked properly for my warm-up. The technicians are more than happy to meet at your school and troubleshoot any issues you might be having with phones and/or computers. I highly recommend Anand Sankaran for technical support! He is amazing! Stephanie Klenzendorf is also available to come to your classroom as well. I felt extremely supported with this new technology, and was hesitant to try it by myself. However, Stephanie and Anand were there to support me every step of the way!

As an ACC instructor, it is important for me to learn new technology and find innovative ways to connect with my students’ learning. It is not always easy to embrace new applications in the classroom, especially when it involves computers or phones. However, incorporating Squarecap into my curriculum made it easy for me to create warm-ups, surveys, exit tickets, and facilitate class discussions in order to truly connect with and gauge how my students were learning.

*Squarecap costs $10.00 per semester per student. The application is free for the instructor and affordable for most students. For English 1302, I did not require a textbook, so students were more willing to purchase the application. Good luck everyone! Squarecap rocks!