SMART Lab

SMART Lab

        Smart Notebook is something I use every day in my classroom, so I am so excited to have discovered a very cool interactive piece of SMART Notebook. Each day my lessons are prepared and put up on the SMART Board in a kid friendly way. I always have some sort of mild background, clear text, and fun pictures or graphics. Me just talking in from of them is not as effective as having a visual with my topic. We discuss each slide as we move through the lesson. Occasionally, we will stop to add in some movement breaks that relate to the topic. One way I do this is by having the kids actually come up and use the SMART Board.

        Since I use SMART Notebook every day anyway, I did some digging to find out if there was anything new I could use in my classroom. SMART Lab is a link that adds games to your SMART Boards. This tool is definitely something that I have come to love. Not only can you access these games as the teacher, but students can use iPads to interact with the teacher created game.

This video gives an overview of SMART Lab:

        I love using the sorting or flash card games for our spelling words each week. It is a great way to practice the phonics patterns and spelling of the words. These particular games do not need any additional technology; however, there is a quiz game that I enjoy where additional technology is needed. Each student will use an iPad in order to participate. They can choose the correct answer to the questions given by selecting their choice on the iPads. When I've done this in my class, the students really loved it and the competition was a really big push! I enjoy seeing my students so excited to participate and be involved. That is not something that is always easy to see 100% of the time.

Here is an example of one of the sorting games I've created using SMART Lab:

        When using this sorting game, I pulled sticks with student names on them and as I pulled each name, that student had to come up and drag a word to the correct ship. The other students are then able to politely agree or disagree using hand signals. After sorting, a discussion is always held regarding the various sounds and patterns.

If this is something you are interested in using, click here to get started.

To access SMART Lab, open a new slide and click the icon shown below.

Next, this screen will pop up! All you have to do is select which game you'd like to use and insert your topic related information.

   

        One of my favorite games, as mentioned above, is the Monster Quiz. I am a huge fan of the website called Kahoot, and this game reminds me very much of how that site is set up. Monster quiz consists of teacher created questions that can be true/false or multiple choice. Students are able to work in teams and compete against each other.

Check out this video showing one of my favorite games!

In case of any problems or questions, visit this user guide.

1 to 1 iPads

     

1 to 1 iPads in the Classroom

Photo from apple.com

        Using iPads in the classroom is very beneficial for all. iPads are an up-to-date piece of technology that interest this generation's children. This post includes my personal experiences with iPads in my second grade classroom. As you read, you will learn my lesson ideas, how these apps work, and my feedback on past lessons. 

        In my experience, I have been able to use iPads throughout the school year with my second grade class. At my school, we have three iPad carts that rotate throughout the school and teachers are able to sign them out. Unfortunately, that does mean we have to rotate through grades 1-5 all year. When I am lucky enough to grab a cart for a few days (or week), my students and I use the iPads as much as possible. I have previously integrated both reading and math lessons on the iPads. I also like using them for whole group games that review current concepts. There are thousands of applications that are relevant to what we are currently working on in class.

        One application that I love using in the classroom is called Kahoot! Students are able to be involved and have a competition. This is a really engaging resource. Kahoot is a website that teachers are able to log on to and set up quizzes. Teachers have to create questions and possible answer choices, as well as, select the correct answer. Students then are able to log on to the Kahoot app and enter the code given on the teacher site. Students will then enter their name and it will pop up onto the teacher's screen. When it is time to begin, a question will be displayed on the teacher's site, which should be projected in a way students can see. They select the corresponding symbol to the answer they believe is correct. After a selected number of seconds, the correct answer will be displayed along with how many students picked each answer. Finally, the students will pop up on the next screen ranked in order of who answered the most correct the fastest.

Check out this video showing exactly how Kahoot works:

        An example of a time I've used this app in my classroom is last year toward the end of the year when we were about to have our final MAP test. MAP is a standardized test our school uses in order to measure student growth. It is taken three times a year. We used Kahoot in order to practice skills and review important concepts that may have shown up on their test. When making this quiz, I viewed MAP skills and practiced tests. I found what was included the most on these resources and used that information to form my questions. I made the quiz and then displayed it on my SMART Board and gave each student their own iPad. They logged on and we began our review game. It was awesome watching the students get super involved and excited to see who was at the top of the leader board. Everyone was smiling and getting many answers correct. Overall, it was a fun, yet meaningful, review/practice.

Click this link to get started!

        Another really awesome application that I've used in my classroom is called Splash Math. This is something I've used in my past years because I currently only teach reading. When I did use this app, the positive student responses I got was incredible. The students were really engaged and excited to be able to "play" this game. Splash Math is a great resource for students to practice their math skills. They are able to log on to their personal account and click the different concepts/main ideas to practice. It is very colorful and interactive with great sound effects. Teachers can also choose to assign various concepts for students to complete. As each level is completed, stars are earned, and students may then use them to buy fun things.

This video gives a great explanation of Splash Math for students:

        Splash Math is a homework resource we have used now for the past few years. Students are able to practice their math skills at home. When we have the iPads in the classroom, one of the apps we use is Splash Math. I assign the concept I want the students working on at that time and encourage them to use paper to help them solve their questions. Students get very excited when they answer the questions correct because the app will cheer them on and award stars.

Follow this link to begin using Splash Math! 

        Overall, I love using iPads in my classroom when each student is able to have their own device. 1 to 1 technology is extremely beneficial in the classroom for both students and teachers. A goal I have for myself is to integrate more and more technology in my classroom. Think about your classroom and answer the following questions:

1. What technology have you used in your classroom? 
2. Are there any resources that you would recommend to other educators? 
3. What applications do you like and dislike?

Please comment below to share your answers.