What Every Classroom Teacher Should Already Know
When a teacher uses a method to randomly choose students in order to call on them, they pay attention better.
Joanne Jacobs has the skinny about a computer program that does this through the use of a "random name generator."
For years, I've used a set of 3"x5" index cards with the students' names written on them.
The deck is shuffled and cards may be drawn from the top, middle, or bottom.
No expensive computers, fancy software, or re-invention of the wheel needed.