Slido

Slido is a web-based interactive polling and Q&A platform. Students access teacher-created polls via a simple join code, and teachers activate polls one at a time for student response. Polling options include multiple choice, word cloud, rating scales, and short answer, and teachers choose the length of time sessions will remain active. There's also a Q&A feature where kids can submit questions by name or anonymously and reply to others or up-vote questions they'd like answered. This gives teachers real-time feedback to assess student understanding and provides opportunities for teachable moments. Teachers can edit user-submitted questions, which is useful for kids who struggle with spelling, syntax, punctuation, or grammar. Presenters may also choose to hide results as they come in, which gives students a chance to think about their responses without being influenced by their classmates. For added convenience and interactivity to in-class presentations, consider installing the Slido add-on for Google Slides. This lets presenters create and launch polls directly from their Slides presentations, which may provide timely boosts to student engagement. 

The large library of videos on the developer's YouTube channel makes it easy to learn different features to engage students. Topics include customizing the interface to reflect school colors and conducting polls directly from Google Slides presentations. If teachers want fresh responses for each class they teach, they'll have to reset each poll individually, which is a bit tedious. One workaround is to duplicate polls and run separate sessions by class. It's easy enough to do and saves time, as long as each class receives the correct join code.

Audience response tools like Slido tend to be fun and engaging, but teachers will want to be thoughtful in their planning. If teachers provide students opportunities to submit questions or ideas before they teach a concept, kids will activate their thinking while teachers get a handle on areas of interest or confusion -- informing instruction without calling out anyone specific. Teachers can also do this in real time, but they'll have to be quick about moderating students' questions so they don't interrupt the lesson flow. Giving students, especially quiet ones, a voice by asking thought-provoking open-ended questions can give teachers a sense of how the students think in a way that promotes critical thinking and suits their comfort level. 

Depending on the questions posed or the ones students ask, there are real opportunities for impactful dialogue and deep learning. And assessing individual and group understanding is a snap when kids have a chance to both answer and ask questions, especially when teachers encourage them to reply to one another. Slido isn't limited to students: The real-time Q&A or feedback can help guide professional development (PD) workshops as well.