Popsicle Stick Learning Method: Evidence and Student Welfare Report

This report examines the Popsicle Stick learning method as a strategy for enhancing student participation and engagement in the classroom. The assignment analyzes the method's evidence-based principles, drawing upon research on learning and student motivation, including concepts like growth mindsets and the impact of classroom techniques. It explores how the method, which involves randomly selecting students to answer questions, can foster a fair and inclusive learning environment, addressing issues of unequal participation and encouraging shy students to contribute. The report further investigates how the Popsicle Stick strategy can help teachers meet the goals of student welfare policies by promoting a supportive and equitable classroom atmosphere. References to relevant research support the analysis and provide a comprehensive overview of the strategy's benefits.

Running Head: POPSICLE STICK LEARNING METHOD 1
Popsicle Stick Learning Method
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

POPSICLE STICK LEARNING METHOD
Popsicle Stick Learning Method
Popsicle sticks are simple and less expensive teacher’s tool kits that can help the students
in a classroom to achieve the most benefits from the educators or teachers. A teacher or educator
needs to be a bit more creative to ensure that the entire class is participative in the learning
process. This type of learning method provides equality to all the students because they are able
to share all their experiences. The Popsicle sticks allow the teacher to generate a strategy that
helps every student or learner to participate in the class discussion without discrimination
(Putnam et al., 2016). Participation is achieved through writing the names of the students on both
sides of the popsicle stick and drawing them whenever the teacher asks a question in the
classroom, and he or she wants every student to participate in answering the question one at a
time and thus encouraging movement and enhancing focus and concentration. The discussion
technique offered by the Popsicle method ensures that every student is offered an equal
opportunity to contribute their ideas and opinions in the classroom (Wylie & Lyon, 2015). The
randomness provided by the Popsicle sticks when drawing the names of the students also helps
the educator to manage the classroom effectively and efficiently.
The traditional method of classroom participation is that the teacher draws the student
name at random. Popsicles can be used at any point of the lesson to engage all the learners and to
express their value to you in the classrooms. We can use popsicles to ask interest queries before
an introduction of new material to tap into prior knowledge. Further popsicles can be used to
casually call on learners to gauge their understanding on a particular prior lesson or during a
lesson. Also, when assigning groups, roles, tasks to students popsicle method can be used. It can
further determine which learner will receive a special privilege without the rest feeling
undermined or unappreciated. When using the traditional method of class discussion and

POPSICLE STICK LEARNING METHOD
participation, there is the tendency of the teacher being inclined towards one group of students.
In most of the times, the teacher would most likely ask the smart and bright students to answer a
participative question (Whitney, Cooper & Lingo, 2017). This method only favours the students
who can learn a concept fast and leave behind those who take much time to internalise an idea.
Therefore, the traditional approach where a teacher draws a student randomly in class is not as
effective as the Popsicle method since only one group of student will keep participating in the
classroom while neglecting the other group.
The Popsicle sticks are especially useful when the teacher wishes to increase engagement
of all the students and show each student that they matter and their teacher values them. It would
be most beneficial to use the Popsicle sticks when the teacher wants to introduce a new topic,
and he or she wants to tap into the student’s prior knowledge about the subject. Randomly
calling a student’s name increases the attentiveness of the students since they think that they will
always be asked to participate in the classroom discussion after the lesson (Alejandro, 2017).
Therefore, this method increases the effectiveness of the education administered to the students.
Also, the use of popsicles sticks increases the willingness of the students to learn since this
method is reward oriented, and students get motivated since they understand that they are all
valued by their educators.

POPSICLE STICK LEARNING METHOD
References
Alejandro, L. L., (2017). Briefcase Recitation System with Random Name Generator: An
Alternative Recitation Tool. International Journal of Computing Sciences Research, 1(2),
36-45.
Putnam, A. L., Nestojko, J. F., & Roediger III, H. L. (2016). Improving student learning: Two
strategies to make it stick. From the Laboratory to the Classroom (pp. 106-133).
Routledge.
Wylie, E. C., & Lyon, C. J. (2015). The fidelity of formative assessment implementation: Issues
of breadth and quality. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 22(1),
140-160.
Whitney, T., Cooper, J. T., & Lingo, A. S. (2017). Increasing student engagement through
opportunities to respond. Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the
Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children, 3(2), 3.