Activotes

Training sessions this week are a refresher for using Activotes in your classroom.  I will go over the "how-tos" and share some ideas, but I'd like to do some brainstorming, too.  What ideas do you have for using the "Votes" in your classroom?  Let's see what we can come up with. 
So far: (some from a discussion on Promethean Planet)

• taking a poll- favorite color, food, etc.  for graphing

• formative assessment during a lesson- "do they get it?"

• When you ask a hard question - immediately ask a follow up - "How confident are you of your answer?- A very - F none at all"
• You'll see me make reference to the 'Learning Mountain'. I get kids to rate where they think they are on the mountain (A=Summit, F=Base camp) at the beginning of a unit of work and then we can compare results as we progress though the unit and at the end.
  Loads of discussion in this and it encourages kids to be reflective and self-evaluate their learning.  
• A great use of Activote is to get discussion going. Use A-F on a scale of agreement, choosing an apropriate issue to debate.
  he reslts of the vote can be pasted and referred to later if a revote is taken perhaps at the end of the lessonto se if anyone has changed their mind. It's great evidence of an oral lesson.
• I really like using the voting to get the children writing. I would start with a character and ask "What is going to happen to this character?" In groups the children then generate the responses, and then the individuals can vote on which way they would like the story to go. Then go onto - what would they say next - and so on. Really nice way to give a voice to those children who are too afraid to fight for their idea!!
• We also use them a lot in PSHE or RE, with the sliding scale, from 'a' - this is very important to me, through to 'f' - this is not important to me at all. We then discuss the results. Great twist on the idea of 'I value this for myself, I value this for others, I value this for no one', which is used with older children. (mine are only 6!)