Student Contributor: J. Walser
This tool is a call and response. The teacher calls out “Boomer” and the Students yell back “Sooner” while stopping side conversation and facing the teacher.
This is a call and response taken from the University of Oklahoma fan base. The tool should be used as a quick attention grabber when making small changes to direction during work time. This tool should not be used to bring students back together for long discussions or reflection because it gives students no time to finish their thinking. When students hear the teacher say “Boomer” they should immediately stop conversation reply back with “Sooner” and turn and face the teacher for more direction. It is important to consistently use this tool for quick additions or changes from instruction– if students are prepared for a long, drawn-out discussion after they hear the signal, they will want to finish their thoughts and not respond with “Sooner”. This defeats the entire purpose of the tool.
I placed this tool in the supportive phase and decided to place it in all categories in the theories of influence. Because this is a quick attention grabbing tool, it does not lean toward either end of the continuum for theories of influence. A teacher on any part of the continuum would find this tool successful because it does little to alter the kind of learning students are doing. One may argue that it could sit farther to the student- centered/collaborative side of the continuum because this tool is used to interrupt student work/discussion. I believe even in the most teacher-centered classrooms, the teacher would have a need to interrupt student work-time to alter their directions. I chose the supportive phase for this tool because it is used mid-lesson or mid-workshop.
More Information –
Tool Source: University of Oklahoma fan base
