Imagine for a second that you’re back in high school. You walk into your history class, sling your backpack down on the floor next to you, and pull out your aged textbook. Just as you start to zone out, the bell rings and your teacher begins to speak. “Will everyone please take out their cellphones?”
Wait a minute.
“Take out your cellphones?”
It’s seems to be a grand contradiction of learning, but if your teacher is one of the many using Geddit in the classroom, then you heard them correctly. Geddit is a new technology that allows students to evaluate their confidence and understanding and then relay it back to teachers in real-time using smartphones, tablets, and laptops. For example, during a lesson a teacher will ask a series of questions through Geddit and then students will be able to answer accordingly and privately through their mobile devices. Teachers can then save and track the valuable data, and in turn, adjust their lesson plans to the pace of their student’s knowledge.
According to its website, 350 students are currently using the technology in 5 schools with 20 teachers, with much of those numbers coming from their trial school in Australia, where half of their teachers are using the technology full-time. When asked how he came across the idea, co-founder Anton Troynikov spoke candidly about the process:
“The real problem teachers were trying to address was getting feedback from students while they were teaching them. In modern teaching, you have formative feedback – so you are meant to get feedback from everyone in the class. The problem is that the methods were too difficult for the teachers to use. We realized we could simplify the technology if teachers have iPads and students have their own smartphones.”
The technology seems to be working, as the start-up is receiving positive feedback from its initial users. Invisible Children understands the importance of innovation in the classroom and is proud to spotlight teachers and organizations who are utilizing these exciting new types of learning tools.
This August, during the Fourth Estate Leadership Summit, we will take classroom innovation to the next level and are inviting 300 educators to join us for this exciting opportunity to learn how to actively engage students in the conversation of human rights and social justice. If you’re a teacher who is committed to innovation and excellence, we want you to join us at the Fourth Estate Summit. Click on the links below to learn more. The deadline to apply is May 15th.
Check back more inspiring stories of teachers and organizations who are committed to innovation in the classroom.
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