Rochester Public Schools (RPS) is proud of the amount of teachers we have who challenge themselves and learn new tools to aid in their teaching. Some of our teachers love to use technology to promote classroom engagement in a fun and educational way for students. For educator Andrew Brue, Kialo does the trick.
Kialo is a free online discussion platform educators use that allows students to engage in various ways. It is specifically designed for classroom use, helping educators teach critical thinking, facilitate rational classroom debate, and explain controversial issues.
Andrew Brue is in his tenth year of teaching at RPS and has been teaching 9th through 12th grade at RPS Online for the past three years. Since being at RPS Online, he's been using Kialo for his classrooms.
He begins the conversation with his students with single or multiple thesis statements. From there, students can support or refute the thesis with pro/con evidence-based responses. Students may also engage in the discussion by voting on the "impact" of the evidence. The higher the evidence, the higher it rises in the discussion platform. After the discussion, students and teachers can view a "Topology" to see which areas received the most discussion and had the highest-rated evidence.
"My favorite experiences are when students are still lingering in the discussion even after the 'required' class time portion," Andrew commented. "They become invested in the discussion and want to continue the conversation."
Andrew believes that Kialo is an excellent tool for him and his classrooms. It has helped keep all students actively involved and engaged in discussions, rather than waiting for a few vocal students to carry the conversation. He finds that it engages the quieter voices in the classroom. Everyone can find a way to share their perspective, whether by sharing evidence, responding to another student's claim, or voting on others' proof for a claim.
We love seeing how teachers use technology to impact our students positively. If you are an educator who would like to learn more about Kialo, go to Kialo Edu's website to view how to host a classroom debate.