Showbie in ACTION!

Skeptical on what kindergarteners can do on iPads beyond apps?

Don't be! Kinders can TOTALLY do more on iPads than we can imagine. I mean, my attitude has completely changed over the course of this year, and I am sure I will continue to be surprised!

When I started teaching with two iPads last year, they were a way for me to reach students who were A) disengaged, B) bored, or C) in need of an extrinsic motivator.

Now, I can use each child's iPad to differentiate to ability level, in addition to using apps. Through the app Showbie, I can provide differentiated instruction, while using iPads.  Don't tell my kids, but I am tricking them into learning by making it fun AND relevant.

I have already posted on Showbie here and here if you are interested - but this week I wanted to talk about how we are actually using it in the classroom.

One of which is during Read to Self. Oh. em. gee. Read to Self was a little painful for those non-readers for a bit. Enter the iPad... and not so much anymore! After my littles spend 5 minutes practicing their book in Read to Self, I let them take out their iPad and record a video of themselves reading.  And BAM, reading is fun again.

After they record, my littles upload to Showbie so that I can see what they did, I have a record of what they are reading, and I can provide differentiation based on their comprehension, fluency, etc.

Here is a PERFECT example - a child who is very shy and talks little to adults in class. And look at all these uploads!

It is also absolutely hilarious to see what is going on in the background and the conversations I am having with other students.  Want a good laugh? Subscribe to my Showbie account, I wish you could. Hilarious. But then again, you know that because you also teach primary - I am assuming. :o)

Anyways, I digress. 

Another great daily Showbie routine is morning calendar. Each morning, the kids have a choice to do either the calendar app, or their Showbie calendar. Credit goes completely to our bilingual teacher, Lily, here for coming up with this idea. 

In Showbie, there are three pages which the kids can use to tell us the date, day, number of the day, weather, sight word, etc.  I usually then project one of my lil volunteers on the SmartBoard to keep engagement high.

Next post I will give out some more Showbie ideas and maybe talk about parental involvement? We shall see, there is just SO MUCH you can do!

Thanks for stopping by, leave me a comment or two!