Yayyy! Our Tune into Technology is back for summer #2! We’re teaming up with our blogging bestie, Kristin, over at iTeach1:1 for four weeks of technology ideas. Please link up here or on Kristin’s blog for any tech ideas you have that fits our theme of the week– we can’t wait to read your ideas- we were so happy with all the new ideas from this linky last year!
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| Thanks to Megan Favre and Ashley Hughes for the fun graphics! |
Week 1:
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| Thanks to Graphics From the Pond and Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs for the graphics! |
I just love working with Kindergartners in reading at the very beginning of the year. The iPads have been so helpful in keeping these squirrely little friends engaged in learning their letters/names. I often use the iPads at the beginning of the school year to practice identifying letter names/sounds, practicing identifying letters in names and making simple CVC words. ABC Phonics Rocks, ShowMe, Skitch and Kids Doodle are my go to apps for back to school basic practice!
At the beginning of 1st grade, which I also absolutely love, we generally spend time working on CVC words, word families and sight words. ShowMe is my go to app for working on all these skills! My little friends will listen to a word I say and practice writing it under the correct word family, sort words by beginning sound or practicing recording themselves reading sight words.
I’m a big proponent of using technology intertwined with real books and journals within a 30 minute lesson. One way I include iPads in our writing portion of our reading groups is through the use of Popplet. My friends will brainstorm ideas for writing by drawing and labeling pictures in Popplet. They will then use those ideas to create actual sentences in their journals- it’s a great way to get them motivated to write.
We also use Reading A-Z for texts to use in our guided reading groups. I love putting these on the iPad “bookshelves” and having students then read texts at their independent and instructional level. Reading these books on the iPad is a nice change of pace for my little friends and by including these along with real books, it keeps them engaged!
Making copies isn’t super fun and also isn’t super for the Earth, so for my reading groups, we do a lot directly on the MacBooks or iPads. I oftentimes use my own Mac as a display screen for my small groups. I’ll simply open a PDF on my Mac and make it full screen so it is as large as it can get…students then can easily see whatever we are working on in reading groups (word families, close reading passages, etc.) that day via my computer without any paper at all!
The “no copy” thing also extends to snapping a picture of a PDF on our iPads and having students work directly on the iPad to record their responses. (Screenchomp and Skitch are great for this!) I also will create a Keynote/Powerpoint with a specific reading objective in mind and then have my little friends type directly on their computers. These are simple substitution activities…nothing fancy, but will make your life simpler if for no other reason than you don’t have to run to the copier!
Oh, Evernote, how I love you! I use Evernote multiple times on a daily basis for teaching and for everything else in my life. In the classroom, I primarily use Evernote as my anecdotal notebook for each of my little friends during guided reading. I pull open Evernote during my guided reading groups on my iPad and take notes while they read, record them reading and take pictures of their reading responses. It is a wonderful {free} tool to refer back to with parents, teacher meetings and just for yourself as the teacher to reflect day to day. Check out my other posts on how to get going with Evernote in your room here and here!
8 Responses
Love all the iPad ideas that I can use next year with my littles.:)
Kristin
iTeach 1:1
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Can you come to Pulaski, WI to do a tech demo? 🙂 Smiles and stop by anytime?
So glad this is back. It make me realize I need to practice with Evernote more. I love seeing the little kids going crazy with all the tech. So cool.
Matt
Yay! I'm so glad the linky is back! I really underuse Evernote, but you just inspired me to get my booty in gear. All of the iPad activities with your little ones look great! Do you ever use a stylus when they're writing on iPads? I only have a few personal ones, but I'm trying to make a case to my district so I can get a classroom set. 🙂
Erin
Short and Sassy Teacher
I am so glad you guys have the linky back up and running…I just wrote on Kristin's blog that I will be linking up next week. Thank you for sharing again what you are doing with Reading. As always…everything you are doing can be adapted to fit in any classroom. You guys continue to amaze me always with all of the wonderful technology resources you are using! XO
Alison
Rockin' and Lovin' Learnin'
Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful ideas! Love this linky idea–is it possible to link up a previous post from my blog that fits your topic of iPads and QR Codes? They are two things I plan to do again this year, and the kids loved the learning!
Smiles,
Sarah
Can you tell me how you use Skitch with your Kindergarteners? I am looking for good uses for the tablets I have in my classroom. Thanks!