I've been in a rut. If you've been teaching a while then you've been there. If you're just starting out, you'll get there. I keep reading all this research about integrating technology and going to a more blended/flipped approach to learning. It looks great. It's engaging and interactive. It gives teachers more freedom to work on individual student levels. Wow, I thought. I wonder what that would look like in Kindergarten? Last week my principal sent us a link to an article she found on Twitter about a school district who had piloted a blended classroom program, one of those being a kindergarten class. I was so encouraged reading about all she's done and how much more productive it made her and how much more her students learned. I e-mailed the teacher and now have a partner for collaboration. I'm going to start small this year by completely blending math from the start. Once that takes off I plan on adding other areas as I can. I plan to blog about the process over the course of the year. In the meantime, here are a few great apps I found for math.
The following apps are from Classroom Focused Software, the same people who created 10 Frame Fill. Most are free or .99.
1) Line Em Up- students are given a number line and number tiles and have to put the numbers in sequence. You can vary the layout of the tiles, sequential or random, and set the starting and ending number. FREE
2) Count Sort- students can count, sort, estimate and amount, use a 10 frame, and practice more/less using digital counting chips. You can set the min/max numbers of chips. On the sort feature you drag the chips into a small grid which keeps a running total of the number in that grid. It also keeps a total on the top of how many you've used altogether making it a part/part/whole mat. Lots of good stuff in this one. FREE
3) Pattern Blocks- this app is from Braining Camp and is laid out like a SmartBoard. There are grid options (I like the triangular grid because the pattern blocks fit nicely into it) and piece options. Students manipulate the digital pattern block pieces just as they do wooden ones. Really like this one. (.99)
Welcome to my blog! I am an 18 year teaching veteran. I taught kindergarten for 17 years and am moving to THIRD GRADE to live out the rest of my teaching career. I am very excited for this move. I am super excited to be working with older kids and having the ability to do more in depth technology with them. I am a Google Level 1 Educator, Osmo Ambassador and Seesaw Certified Educator. This is a place to share ideas, tutorials, favorite finds, and all things third grade! Come with me
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