Ok, this is cool. For years I’ve been intrigued about integrating the popular student response tools into my classroom teaching. The thought of asking quick questions and having my students’ answers populate automatically on the screen seems both engaging to the student (kind of like being at an American Idol show) and a great way for an instructor to receive formative feedback too.

However, like most types of classroom technology, I have not been able to engage its use due to the lack of a budget for technology. But, hey, I think I’ve found a solution. Check out Poll Everywhere. This site provides the ability to create a simple poll that audience members can respond to via a cell phone. Polls for audiences up to 30 are free and for larger groups there are many account options to choose from.

This is exciting and holds many possibilities for higher education, as nearly all of our students have cell phones tucked away in their back packs! Let’s put those pesky phones to good use, folks!