Popsicle Sticks are Not Cold Calling

One of the most common misconceptions I hear about Cold Call has to do with using popsicle sticks or other random generators. Teachers tell me all the time that they use this as a form of Cold Calling. I get that it's fun and I get that it's psychologically easier than actually calling on a specific student but IMHO it's not as effective. I just wrote a blog post about why.

The reasons include:

• You give up your ability to choose a specific kid to participate for a specific reason--e.g. you want to give her more practice or a chance to shine
• It takes longer and disrupts the flow of discourse
• It erodes "inclusiveness"- the idea that when I (Cold) Call on you it's because I am actually pretty interested in you as a person and what you think.
• I want to balance my Cold Calling with opportunities for kids to raise their hands because I WANT them to want to raise their hands.

In addition to going into detail about this point, the blog post has a killer video of Jamila Davis Cold Calling, and that makes it worth checking it out right there. Here's the link:

https://teachlikeachampion.com/blog/cold-call-not-popsicle-sticks-hands-key-differences-matter/