CPS-+helpful+hints,+strategies,+and+cool+stuff

I'm not the most savvy user when it comes to CPS, but I have discovered a few things that make their use in my classroom easier.

The first thing: always assign ALL 32 keypads to every class. If you have only 24 students, assign clickers 25 - 32 as "extra keypads." That way if one DIES in the middle of a session, you can hand someone an extra and keep on rolling.

Next: ever given a test or quiz on the clickers and realized AFTER the results have been tabulated that you had an error on your key?! I have. Not to worry: go to the Report tab, select the session, click Edit from the top toolbar on left, click on "Regrade Questions", then scroll through and find what you need to change, then click OK. Give it a few seconds to do the work. Then you can click out of the screen and your results will reflect that change.

Last tip (for now): ever been giving a test or quiz (or something else important) and a student's keypad DIES and you have to give them one of those extra keypads? Go ahead and give them the keypad. After the results are tabulated you can change their keypad number by going to the Prepare tab then classes and students. Change the student's information to reflect the keypad they used for that quiz/test. Then when you go back to the results page, the correct keypad is connected to that person's name (helpful if you're importing, I imagine). NOTE: you must make that change BEFORE the next session with that class--I think this only changes keypad numbers for the most recent session. Once the clicker is repaired, be sure to reassign the number.*


 * tentative--I need to play around with this a little more. But I'm pretty sure it only changes most recent session...obviously it remains for all sessions thereafter unless changed again.

TO CHANGE CLICKER ID # IMPORTANT NOTE!!! This process will have to be performed again to return the numbers to their “original” state. The pad’s original number is printed on the “front” of the pad to remind the user of the number it should be reprogrammed to. Now, this may sound complicated – but once you’ve done it a couple of times, it only takes about 10 seconds per pad. Good luck and let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help. // eConsultant //
 * 1)  Turn the clicker on by pressing any number on the pad.
 * 2)  Place the pad on a flat surface.
 * 3)  Push the keys SIMULTANEOUSLY. If you hit them exactly at the same time, the display won’t change. If the display changes, hit CLEAR and try again. It takes a little practice the 1st couple of times you do it.
 * 4)  Then push the +- key.
 * 5)  The pad’s display should now say “Channel”. Don’t change that. Just hit the “SEND” button.
 * 6)  Now, the screen will say “Address”. That’s the clicker number. You can change the pad number here to whatever number you want. When you finish this process and turn the pad on, you’ll see the “new” pad number in the upper left corner of the LCD screen.
 * 7)  After you’ve entered the new pad number, push “SEND”. The display will now show you a pad summary. The pad and channel number will show in the upper left corner.
 * 8)  Push “SEND” one more time and the pad will power down.
 * 9)  When you power it up the “new” pad number will show – as mentioned earlier.
 * // Scott LeDuc //**