Teacher Treasure Hunter Spring 2015 | Page 22

Tech Spotlight

Continued…

split the time up so the sessions aren’t
so long. You could have ½ the class
take a turn and then go back to it later
and have the other ½ of the class
finish their turns. Everyone once in a
while you can have the whole class
answer and the teacher taps the
answer on the device. Again, mix
things up to keep them interested and
learning.
Small Group Use
If you just have one device or a few, it
will work perfectly for small groups.
Bring the devices to a group table and
use an app that offers focused math or
reading practice.
I use the iPads during our Daily 5
rotations. I have a pocket chart that
shows the students their rotations. I’ve
just added a card for each of the iPads
(I classify them by the color of the
case). I set a timer for 7 minutes and
when that goes off they know they
have 1 more minute (reset the timer)
to finish up and be ready to leave the
iPad station quickly. This system allows
each of the students to have a short
time on the iPad each day.
My students also love to listen to
reading. I have some QR code cards
that I’ve created that link directly to
stories being read on YouTube
(through SafeShare so the comments
and ads are removed).

You can even buy
a headphone adapter
that allows for multiple
headphones to be
connected for each
device. My favorite is the
Rockstar Headphone
Splitter that connects 5
headphones to 1 device. A group of
students can listen to a story. If you
have multiple copies of the book, they
can follow along in their own book.
Individual Use
There are many uses for one student
with a tablet or other smart device.
Just take a look at pinterest or the app
store to find apps for your grade level
and you will find a plethora of ideas.
The challenge, of course, is finding
time for each student to get a turn.
A few ideas:
*Use an app to let
students create a story
or multimedia project.
*Let students use the camera to take
pictures of work in the classroom
(word work, writing samples, centers).
This is a great way for teachers to
assess student work that is “paperless”
- like building words with magnets. It
also provides some student
accountability.
*Record students reading
There are so many ways to get your
students connected!
©2015 Teacher Treasure Hunter