Cold Calling Students and Hot Calling Questions

Cold Call: identify an appropriate question before determining how students are ask to resolve it,

(term, denotation, connotation, rhetorical question) and present the class with a question and ask them to share the answer with their partners. Students never raise their hands for answering questions.  Call on students by pulling an equity sticks or through the use of a class roster to ensure all students contribute. Scaffold questions from an easy task to increasingly complex hot question, probing for much deeper explanations. When student share a correct response have all students re-teach with a think-pair-share. Connect students opinions, facts and ideas by returning to previous misconceptions and or comments, connecting them to correct concepts. When students share ideas have their peers praise them for sharing. In this way, listening and sharing with peers is valued, and even after a student has been called on, s/he is part of the continued conversation and class thinking. Think-alouds help make the unapparent, apparent and develop student thinking.

Cold Calling students is all about adding overt randomness to the formative assessment process, that helps increase student engagement.

"Cold Calling vs. Hot-Calling" on individual students is about front loading success and scaffolding new knowledge through cooperation, helping students grasp the information. Before calling on students it is helpful to give quick think time, and then ask the entire class to share with a partner before grabbing the equity sticks . If a student answers incorrectly give a micro lecture on the concept and have the students re-teach each other using a Think-Pair-Share. Giving students study cards can help with hints to alleviate fear and help focus their attention. Finally, teachers can use a roster to track engagement and understanding, a spot check that is easy to track a students degree of engagement.

RBC Glow and Grow |Praise Engagement

Write “unique” thank you notes when students engage and shine on listening activates!

Ø     "Your ideas are marvelous, never stop being brilliant.”

Ø     “Your brains gorgeousness is shining through!"

Ø     "You are always so happy and kind to your partner, it's like a big breath of fresh air when I see you thoughtfully listening to your partners!"

Ø     "You impress me with your maturity and responsibility."

Ø     "I love your funny ideas and talking with you"

Ø     “Wow, that was insightful; your reflection was exemplary and brilliant." 

Ø     "I love seeing your smile; it brightens my day, it brings joy to our class.”

Ø     “Thank you for shining in class!"

Ø     "I wish I you would make me laugh like that more often.”

Ø     “You're dazzling and amazing when share.”

Ø     "I am proud of your amazing attention and your thoughtful listening."
  
Fair Play Cards or Equity Sticks: Wood sticks (example. tongue depressors or Popsicle sticks) with every student’s name on one stick. Equity sticks are often useful for random cold calling on students or developing cooperative groups which have mixed abilities. " A set of Popsicle sticks or index cards, each with a student's name on it, shuffle the order by which you call on students and replace students that are called on so they don't check out for the rest of the discussion.