# Stick Pick — Teaching companion

> Random student selector and question generator for differentiated instruction. (iPhone/iPad app by Buzz Garwood.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stick-pick/id436682059 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Buzz Garwood](https://appshunter.io/developer/436682062)
- Category: Education, Productivity
- Price: $9.99
- Rating: 3.80/5 from 29 App Store ratings · 21 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.1 · 61 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2011-06-02
- Data updated: 2026-08-20
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stick-pick/id436682059/reviews.md

## What is Stick Pick?

Stick Pick

Ask better questions. Capture learning. Differentiate with confidence.

Completely rebuilt from the ground up, Stick Pick transforms everyday classroom conversations into meaningful insights.

What began as a smarter way to randomly call on students has evolved into a complete teaching companion for questioning, assessment, small-group instruction, attendance, and instructional decision-making.

Choose from more than 400 organized question stems across Bloom's Taxonomy, Costa's Levels of Questioning, Webb's Depth of Knowledge, and English Language Development (ELD). Whether you're teaching whole class, guided reading, intervention, or small groups, Stick Pick keeps the right questions within reach.

But asking great questions is only the beginning.

As students respond, Stick Pick captures formative assessment that would otherwise disappear the moment class moves on. Record language development, response quality, participation, and learning progress in seconds—without interrupting instruction.

Over time, Stick Pick reveals patterns that are difficult to spot in the moment. See who's consistently growing, who's ready for greater challenge, and who may benefit from additional support. Smart instructional suggestions help you make informed decisions while keeping every teaching decision in your hands.

Designed for real classrooms
• 400+ organized question stems
• Bloom's Taxonomy, Costa's Levels, Webb's DOK, and ELD frameworks
• Whole-class instruction and integrated small groups
• Attendance tracking
• Fast formative assessment while you teach
• Progress tracking and learning trends
• Instructional suggestions based on student performance
• Flexible class, student, and roster management
• Free backup files, with optional cloud sync across devices
• Built to be fast enough for live classroom instruction

Built by a classroom teacher

Every feature in Stick Pick was designed around one goal:

Helping teachers spend less time managing information and more time teaching students.

Whether you're leading a whole-class discussion, rotating through guided reading groups, checking attendance, or tracking student growth over time, Stick Pick helps you capture the learning that matters—and turns it into insights you can use tomorrow.

Teaching is full of moments that matter. Stick Pick helps you capture them.

Stick Pick Sync is an optional auto-renewing subscription: $2.99 per month or $24.99 per year. Everything else in Stick Pick is included with your purchase and requires no subscription.

Stick Pick Sync is an auto-renewing subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase and renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your device Settings.  Terms of Use: https://stickpick-terms.carrd.co Privacy Policy: https://stickpick-privacy.carrd.co

## Key features

- Random student selection
- Differentiated question starters
- Student response tracking
- Progress assessment
- Cloud sync across devices
- Bloom's Taxonomy integration

## Recent user reviews (10 of 21)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stick-pick/id436682059/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Okay, I made it…so I might be biased

*2026-08-10*

I’m the teacher and developer behind Stick Pick. I originally created it years ago because I wanted a better way to call on students and ask questions at the right level. After the original app disappeared, I decided to bring it back — but instead of simply rebuilding it, I reimagined what it could be after many more years in the classroom.
Stick Pick 2.0 has been rebuilt from the ground up with better questioning, formative assessment, differentiation, small groups, attendance, and tools that help teachers notice student progress while they’re actually teaching.
I’ve spent a ridiculous number of hours sweating the little details because this is an app I genuinely want to use in my own classroom.
So yes, the developer is giving his own app five stars. 😂 But I hope other teachers will give it a try and decide for themselves.

### 3/5 — Please add a feature

*2020-01-07*

I am a music teacher which means I have many, many classes. I like that I can make many “stick buckets” but need to be able to move a student’s stick from one class to another as they are moved around. When I choose to edit a student’s stick I would love to see a class name button to scroll through and easily change. Right now I would only be able to delete and recreate a student from one class to another which means I would lose all their data.

### 2/5 — Used to be good

*2018-11-02*

I’ve been using this in my classroom for 3 years. Just recently, it’s stopped working properly. When I try to restart my class, the app crashes. Huge bummer!

### 3/5 — Here’s a suggestion-

*2018-07-14*

I’ve enjoyed using this in my classroom. I wish that I could mark a student “absent” and have them stop popping up for that day.

### 1/5 — Cannot Link to Dropbox

*2018-02-20*

The connection to Dropbox cannot be created because the Stick Pick app is frozen for further review and Dropbox will not accept additional users. This makes the app useless for me as Dropbox is the only way to import a class list.

### 4/5 — Stick pick

*2017-06-08*

This app helps me pick just way easier without causing drama in my classroom. My kids love it and so do I. I love that you can reset the stick and mark the stick. Without stick pick I don't know what I would do.

### 3/5 — Help!

*2016-10-16*

I have used this app for years. I updated my phone to iOS 10 and now can't save a class name or save a student name when entered one at a time.

### 5/5 — Great app and great support

*2016-10-13*

My app was doing the same thing as other people's...not loading classes, etc. I emailed Buzz for help before I read the reviews. (If I would have read here first I could have just uninstalled and reinstalled it without having to ask for help.) But he got back to me very quickly and told me know what I needed to do. It was a super easy fix. I've used this app for at least two years and this was the first time I have ever had trouble with it.  I love the app because it makes my job easier...and who doesn't want that?! :)

### 5/5 — Awesome App

*2016-09-06*

I have been using this app for several years, and I have only positive things to say about it! It is user friendly, and my fourth grade students love it. We use it in the classroom daily. When I had a question about the app, I emailed Buzz and had a response from him within the same day. Great app- highly recommend it!

### 5/5 — It works!

*2016-09-02*

Works perfectly if you delete the app & reinstall. I've used this app for over 3 years. It's great. I like the added feature of the question starters.

## Frequently asked questions about Stick Pick

### How does Stick Pick help differentiate instruction?

Stick Pick allows teachers to link question stems to the cognitive or linguistic needs of individual learners. Teachers can choose question categories based on Bloom's Taxonomy or ESL skills, and select the degree of difficulty for each student.

### Can I track student progress with Stick Pick?

Yes, teachers can track formative assessment data by tapping correct, incorrect, or opinion buttons for student answers. They can also rate answers on critical thinking or elaboration rubrics, with progress recorded and averaged automatically.

### Does Stick Pick offer offline functionality?

The description mentions cloud sync for iOS devices, implying an internet connection is needed for this feature. However, core selection and tracking functionalities may work offline, though this is not explicitly stated.

### What is the pricing for Stick Pick?

Stick Pick is a paid application, with a price of $3.99. There are no mentions of subscription tiers or in-app purchases in the provided data.

### How often is Stick Pick updated?

The latest version mentioned is 1.1, updated on December 6, 2017. This indicates infrequent updates in recent years.

### What is the age rating for Stick Pick?

Stick Pick has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for use with younger students as well as older ones.

### How does Stick Pick compare to using physical popsicle sticks?

Stick Pick replaces the need for physical coffee cans and popsicle sticks, offering a digital and convenient way to manage student selection and data. It also adds features like question starters and progress tracking that physical sticks cannot provide.

### Can Stick Pick be used for small group work?

Yes, students in small groups can use Stick Pick to take turns asking each other questions based on Bloom's Taxonomy, making group work more productive and on-task.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.0.1 — 2026-08-13

• Fixed a brief flicker of the stick can after tapping Done in Small Groups.
• Added a new No Response reason: "Needed more time to think."
• Clearer wording for learning modes and ELD language levels.

### 2.0.0 — 2026-08-09

Stick Pick has been completely rebuilt from the ground up!
• Redesigned interface throughout
• Small Group instruction
• Personalized instructional suggestions
• Attendance tracking
• Backup & Sync
• Hundreds of organized question stems
• Faster, more reliable performance

### 1.1 — 2017-12-06

This update from Apple will improve the functionality of this app. No new features are included.

Bug fixes

### 1.10 — 2016-04-21

• We've migrated synchronization services away from Dropbox to our own free service we call Stick Pick Cloud.
• Conveniently sign in to Stick Pick Cloud with your own Google or Facebook account.
• Other minor UI enhancements
• Notifications

### 1.09 — 2015-11-24

Make application compatible for iOS 9.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-20.*
