shapes on a geoboard- with the iPad

The Butterflies' understanding of shape attributes was supported through the use of the Hands On Math Geoboard iPad app.

The Geoboard app was mirrored on the SMARTboard from my (the teacher's) iPad to introduce the app, explain "how" to utilize the app, and as a common visual reference for reinforcing the students' understanding as shapes were created, attributes identified and discussed, and...

The Butterfly Mathematicians created shapes on the Geoboard app cooperatively with a partner on the student iPads.

The Butterfly Mathematicans collaboratively identified and determine defining and non-defining attributes of shapes and collaboratively determined a shape, created a shape, and described a shape relevant to shape attributes.

The Geoboard app mirrored on the SMARTboard
from the teacher iPad

    

Butterfly Mathematicians collaborating
to identify and describe a shape based on attributes

Addition Top-It

Reinforcing the Butterflies' learning of adding two quantities and of comparing quantities, the Butterflies played Addition Top-It with a math partner on the iPad.

The Butterfly Math Partners alternated "dealing the cards" for each play.
During each play, the Butterfly Math Partners alternated finding the sum of their two dealt cards and explaining-justifying their thinking to their partner.
The Butterfly Math Partner with the greatest sum identified their sum as the greater of the two sums and pushed the corresponding arrow on the iPad.
The Math Partner who had the lesser of the two sums "read" aloud the quantity comparison displayed on the app (for example: with the displayed comparison of 12<15, the partner read "twelve is less than fifteen).

Math Partners explaining their thinking when adding two numbers
playing Addition Top-It on the iPad

Butterfly Mathematicians adding two quantities and identifying the greater quantity
using the Addition Top-It app

partner reading on the iPad -with the Storia app

As readers, the Butterflies grow and develop through daily independent reading and partner reading.  

The First Grade Butterflies have learned how to "read with" a partner using "I Read You Read" (alternating pages), "Copycat" (rereading each page), and "Jinx" (reading simultaneously).  The Butterflies have learned how to "talk with" a partner before, during, and after reading by making predictions, making connections, asking questions, checking for understanding, retelling, and reflecting on the reading.

The Butterfly readers have learned the importance of "reading with" a partner, to support decoding and fluency, and "talking with" a partner before, during, and after the reading, to support comprehension.

The Butterflies learned how to access the books available in the Storia iPad app to "read with" and "talk with" a reading partner.

Available books are organized on bookshelves.  Bookshelves are titled using the language of the organization of developmental reading levels in our classroom library (for leveled texts) and/or titled using the language of the organization of books in our classroom library.  The titles of the bookshelves support the Butterflies identification of "just right" books for independent and/or partner reading.

The Butterflies used their understanding of the organization of our classroom library to identify "just right" books for partner reading and to cooperatively choose a book(s) to "read with" and "talk with" their reading partner.

The Butterflies were excited to read books on the iPad and actively engaged with their reading partner in "reading with" and "talking with" one another as readers! 

Butterfly Reading Partners reading a Fly Guy book on the iPad

a Butterfly referencing a part of the text
to explain his thinking to his reading partner

Butterfly Readers partner reading on the iPad

word study on the iPad

The Butterflies have been developing their phonetic understanding and application through word study.

Utilizing the Word Wizard app on the iPad, the First Grade Butterflies cooperatively worked with a Word Work Partner to "use words we know to read and write other words".

The Partners used letter tiles to "make" and read a known word (example- "jump") on the Word Wizard app.  Partners identified the "helpful chunk" (word family) in the know word (example- "ump" in the word "jump") and manipulated the initial part of the word to read and "make" other words (example- read and make "bump", "clump", "lump", "dump", "stump"...).

Utilizing the capability of the app to provide individual and/or combined letter sounds, the Butterfly Partners monitored the word "made" for accuracy and generated a sentence (orally) that demonstrated an understanding of the word's meaning in context.

The Word Wizard iPad app
mirrored on the SMARTboard

Butterfly Partners using the Word Wizard iPad app

Butterfly Partners using the "helpful chunk" (word family) in a known word
and manipulating the initial part to read and write other words-
with the Word Wizard app on the iPad

Read Word identification with the Reading Eggs Sight Words app

Butterfly Readers were introduced to the Reading Eggs Sight Words app on the student iPads.

Partners cooperatively and collaboratively engaged in identifying sight words with the Reading Eggs app.

Partners alternated identifying ("touching") the appropriate word and reading the word (prior to "touching").  The Butterflies challenged themselves to increase the speed of the words and the difficulty of the app.  Partners were excited to share their progress!

Butterfly Word Work Partners cooperatively identifying Read Words
using the Reading Eggs Sight Words app on the iPad

Butterflies as "shape detectives" on the iPad

Supporting their identification of shapes and understanding of attributes... the First Grade Butterflies cooperatively searched for shapes in the classroom environment as "shape detectives".

With a math partner, the Butterflies imported the "shape detective" recording sheet (from the Butterfly shared "iPad MATH" folder in the class Dropbox account) into the Notability iPad app.

The Butterfly "shape detectives" utilized the capability to "take a photo" within the Notability app to photograph shapes recognized within the classroom environment.  The partners then inserted the photograph into the relevant location on the recording sheet and resized the photograph to fit in the specific area provided on the recording sheet.

The "shape detectives" accessed the pen function (and chose a color that would be visable on the photograph) and traced the corresponding shape in the photograph.

After completion, each "shape detective" exported the completed recording sheet to his/her individual math journal folder within the class Dropbox account and emailed me (the teacher) the completed recording sheet.  ("Shape detectives" wrote their names on the recording sheet prior to beginning their "search".)

"Shape detective" recording sheets were accessed through my (teacher) email and displayed on the SMARTboard during our processing of the learning.  Partners referenced their recording sheet on the SMARTboard while sharing examples of shapes identified in the classroom environment and explaining their identification of the shape- relative to the shape's attributes.

"Shape detectives" taking a photo of a circle
identified in the classroom environment 

Butterfly math partners cooperatively completing
the "shape detectives" recording sheet on the iPad 

"Shape detectives" resizing a photograph
after inserting into the recording sheet through the Notability app on the iPad 

"Shape detectives" utilizing the pen function
to trace the shape identified in the photograph
taken and inserted in the recording sheet on the iPad 

a "show" of appreciation

As a "show" of appreciation to The Mason Schools Foundation for their generous support in funding the Innovative Progress And Development for Students In Learning ("iPads In Learning") grant, a video trailer was created to share how the student iPads are supporting and enhancing students' greatest learning and achievement.

View the Butterflies' "show" of appreciation through the link below...

iPads in Learning

...beyond words

Because of the support and generosity of the Wilks and Glinski families, the First Grade Butterfly classroom will now be a classroom with a 1:1 student iPad ratio!

My appreciation of this AMAZING gift is truly beyond words!

The support, trust, generosity, and encouragement of the Wilks and Glinski families has forever changed my teaching and my students' learning... beyond words!

retelling with Toontastic

Supporting their development of the reading skill of oral retelling, the First Grade Butterflies were introduced to the Toontastic app on the student iPads.

Together, we read Hermit Crab (Rigby PM Reader). 

Throughout the reading, we stopped and retold the story to the point of reading, to support our understanding and check for our understanding.  Post reading, we retold the story in it's entirety.

Butterfly Reading Partners using the Toontastic iPad app
to create a retelling of Hermit Crab

The Toontastic app was "mirrored" on the SMARTboard through my (teacher) iPad and students accessed the Toontastic app on the student iPads with their Reading Partner.

Guided instruction was provided to introduce the Butterfly Readers to the Toontastic app.  Supporting learning for independent application, the students were guided and supported through "creating a new cartoon", "drawing your own setting", and "drawing your own character(s)".

A demonstration was then provided (through "mirroring" on the SMARTboard) on the process of "animating" and "recording" each part of the retelling.

Students then actively engaged with the app using their (Reading Partners) voices, setting illustrations, and character illustrations to create a retelling of the shared story, Hermit Crab.  Support and reinforcement was provided to Reading Partners during their independent application.

A demonstration on titling the retelling and including "Directors" (the Reading Partners' names) was provided prior to Reading Partners completion of retellings.

Reading Partners viewed their "animated" oral retelling of Hermit Crab for accuracy and meaning.

Next...
Toontastic will continue to be used for reading retellings of partner readings and for independent readings and the Butterfly Readers will learn how to "share" their retellings with other readers.

Butterfly Readers collaboratively creating the "setting"
for their retelling of the story, Hermit Crab,
on the iPad with the Toontastic app

Butterfly Reading Partners cooperatively "animating"
an important event in their retelling of the story Hermit Crab...
recording their voices to orally retell the story
and using the setting and characters they collaboratively created
on the Toontastic iPad app

greater than, less than, equal, and the iPad

A "greater than and less than story" was created with the Scribble Press iPad app to introduce students to the symbols of greater than and less than and reinforce the symbol for equal when comparing quantities.

The Greater Than Less Than story was "mirrored" on the SMARTboard from the teacher iPad.


a page of the Greater Than Less Than
story I created on Scribble Press

Guided opportunities to compare quantities and apply the symbols of greater than, less than, and equal were provided to support students' understanding and application.

Independent opportunities to compare quantities and apply the symbols of greater than, less than, and equal were provided through the utilization of the "A Number Math" app on the student iPads.

Students cooperatively compared two quantities and identified and applied the corresponding symbol of greater than, less than, or equal between the quantities. 


a page of the Greater Than Less Than story
created to introduce students to
the symbols of greater than and less than

Partners supported and encouraged accurate understanding and recognition through dialogue. 
Partners alternated with each problem...
Partner 1= "identifying" the appropriate symbol, "reading" the comparison, and "explaining" his/her reasoning-thinking  
Partner 2= asking questions to clarify explanation and "moving" the symbol if she/he agreed with her/his partner's thinking-reasoning or encouraging his/her partner to think about...

math partners identifying and applying symbols
of greater than, less than, and equal
to compare quantities on the A Number Math iPad app 







reading focus lessons utilizing the Storia app on the iPad

Butterflies "turning and talking" with their reading partner
-sharing "predictions" for the story
based on the title and cover illustration of the mentor text
mirrored on the SMARTboard and accessed through the student iPads

Prior to "just right" (independent) reading, when reading instruction is provided to first grade readers through conferences (one-on-one instruction), strategy groups (small group instruction focused on a specific skill, strategy, or reading behavior), and/or guided reading groups (small group instruction with a focus for learning and with "guided" instruction unique to each reader during reading)...
instruction is provided to all of the first grade readers through a reading "focus lesson".  The reading focus lesson is focused on a specific skill, strategy, or reading behavior relative to the learning and development of the community of readers.

A "mentor text" is used and/or referenced during the focus lesson to embed the reading skill, strategy, or behavior of focus in context.

Utilizing the Storia app on the iPad, the mentor text can be...
-accessed through the Storia app on the teacher iPad and mirrored on the SMARTboard
and/or
-accessed through the Storia app on the student iPads


Butterfly readers referencing the "mentor text"
on a student iPad during the reading focus lesson

The capability to "mirror" the mentor text on the SMARTboard creates a "digital big book" of the mentor text.

The capability to access the mentor text on the student iPads provides a "digital individual copy" of the mentor text for students.  

sharing math progress with parents through Splash Math

The Splash Math app includes the capability to e-mail a weekly "report" that includes the mathematical concepts the student is demonstrating understanding of and the concepts the student demonstrates difficulty with and is developing his/her understanding of.

The capability to e-mail a weekly report was activated when the individual Splash Math Grade 1 accounts were created for each student. 
Weekly "reports" are e-mailed to my teacher e-mail.  I review the report for each student and then share the report with the student's parents through e-mail (I forward each student's individual Splash Math weekly progress report to his/her parents).  Each student's weekly progress report is then saved in the student's individual folder (I created an individual e-mail folder for each student). 

Receiving and reviewing each student's individual weekly progress report provides additional data to identify the student's independent mathematical understanding and application relative to various mathematical concepts.  Combined with assessments, observations, and other forms of "data", the data provided in the Splash Math weekly progress reports are utilized to identify and determine instruction supportive of individual student's needs and the instructional focuses for the Butterflies as a community of mathematicians.

Sharing the weekly progress reports with each student's parents provides an additional form of communication with parents relative to mathematical learning and development.

cooperatively identifying Sight Words on the iPad

Butterfly "iPad Read Words Learning Partners"
cooperatively identifying Read Words (sight words)
on the Sight Words iPad app

Individual Read Word (sight word) assessments were administered to identify "mastered" Read Words and to determine each student's "instructional" list for Read Word learning.

Utilizing the Read Word assessments, students were partnered relevant to their instructional list for Read Word learning.

A three column "iPad Read Words Learning Partner" chart was created. 
The initial column of the chart lists the iPads in numerical order (#1-#13).  The proceeding two columns include the student partner names (one student name in each column).  Between the two "iPad Read Words Learning Partners" names is a "box" listing the instructional Read Word list for the partners' learning focus.  Each "box" is labeled with the name of the list on the Sight Words app (for example: "LIST 2 orange") and is color coded to correlate to the color of the "box" on the app (for example: the text "LIST 2 orange" is in black font in an orange colored "box").

"iPad Read Words Learning Partners" reference the chart to identify the iPad for use, his/her Read Words Learning Partner, and the list for focus.  Partners cooperatively identify Read Words on their instructional list for individualized learning utilizing the Sight Words app on the iPad.

"iPad Read Words Learning Partners" will reflect the current Read Words instructional learning needs of each individual Butterfly reader.  Assessments will be administered every 3-4 weeks and utilized to identify "iPad Read Words Learning Partners".

Butterfly "iPad Read Words Learning Partners" cooperatively identifying Read Words
specific to their instructional Read Word list for learning

learning as spellers with the Spelling City iPad app

two Butterfly "iPad Write Words Learning Partners"
learning as spellers with the "Hang Mouse" activity
on the Spelling City iPad app

Utilizing Write Word (spelling words) assessments to identify the "instructional list" of each student, "iPad Write Words Learning Partners" were created, partnering two students within the same instructional list of developing Write Word mastery.

An "iPad Write Words Learning Partners" chart was created for student reference and to support students' independent use of the Spelling City app.
The initial column on the chart lists the iPads in numerical order #1-13.  In the two proceeding columns on the chart, each of the "iPad Write Words Learning Partners" names are listed in one of the boxes in the two columns.  Between the two "iPad Write Words Learning Partners" names, a circle with the number of the Write Words list of instructional learning specific to the two students is included.

Students reference the "iPad WriteWords Learning Partner" chart to identify his/her Write Words Learning Partner, the iPad to use, and the Write Word list for learning on the Spelling City app.

"iPad Write Word Learning Partners" referencing the Word Wall
and discussing possible word choices for the unknown "Hang Mouse" word
while utilizing the Spelling City app on the iPad

Step by step directions for locating the MECC First Grade Write Word Lists on Spelling City was created with corresponding visuals of each step included in the directions to support the students' independence with the Spelling City app.  The directions are available for students to reference on the SMARTboard.

The "iPad Write Words Learning Partners" chart will be reviewed and revised every 3-4 weeks, utilizing the most current Write Words assessments for each student, to support the optimal learning for each Butterfly, as a "speller".

learning with Number Lines on the iPad

the "Line Em Up" iPad app by Classroom Focused Software
"mirrored" on the iPad to support students understanding of a number line
and to teach the students how to utilize the Number Line app on the iPad

Supporting students "counting of numbers to 120" (Common Core Math Grade One), Number Line apps are utilized.

Students actively engage with the Line Em Up app by Classroom Focused Software and the Number Line app by MQuiz.

Apps were "mirrored" on the SMARTboard during the focus lesson for instruction to reinforce the mathematical skill.

Promoting independent understanding and application, students learned cooperatively and collaboratively with an "iPad Math Learning Partner", utilizing and engaging with the apps on the student iPads.

"iPad Math Partners"
cooperatively applying counting skills
utilzing the Line Em Up app on the iPad

Math Partners encouraged and supported each other's understanding and application of the mathematical skill of counting by taking turns moving a tile to the appropriate location and explaining their thinking and reasoning to their partner- who asked "Why?  How do you know?" before the tile was moved.

a Butterfly mathematician explaining her thinking and reasoning
to her "iPad Math Learning Partner"
before moving the tile to a corresponding location
on the Line Em Up iPad app

utlizing iPad apps as "Math Choices" for cooperative learning application

iPad Math "choices"
for cooperative learning on the iPad
with a "Math iPad Learning Partner"

iPad app "cards" were created for each app available on the student iPads.

Each "card" includes: the "folder" name where the app is located, the app name, and a picture of the app icon. 
The "cards" provide a visual reference for students to identify apps available and to identify the location of the app within the folders on the pages of the iPad.

"iPad Math Learning Partners" are determined based on the individual understanding and independent application of the mathematical concept of focus for each student. 
Considering the individual understanding and stage of mathematical development of each Butterfly, two Butterfly mathematicians are partnered to provide the optimal experience for cooperative learning as mathematicians for both students.

Students reference the "Math Choices" chart to identify and locate the apps available for cooperative mathematical learning on the iPad that are supportive of the mathematical content of focus.

Word Work on the iPad

chart listing "folder" names on the Word Work page of the student iPads...
students reference a color coded (color coded by stage of spelling development)
"Word Work iPad Partner Chart" to identify their Word Work partner
and identify the Word Work "folder" that contains apps
supportive of the partners' stage of spelling development

The Primary Spelling Inventory was administered to identify each student's independent stage and
instructional stage of spelling development.

Utilizing the Primary Spelling Inventory, "Word Work iPad Partners" were created, partnering two students within the same stage of instructional development. 

A "Word Work iPad Partner" Chart was created assigning each pair of "Word Work iPad Partners" to one iPad. 
A colored dot was inserted between the names of the two "Word Work iPad Partners" on the chart.  The colored dot corresponds to the "folder" on the iPad Word Work page that contains apps that are supportive of the Word Work iPad Partners' instructional stage of spelling development. 
(For example- if the Word Work iPad Partners demonstrated understanding with initial and final consonant sounds and are developing their understanding of, recognition of, and application of short vowel sounds- the Word Work iPad Partner Chart contains a yellow dot between the two students names.)


Student "Word Work iPad Partners" reference the "Word Work iPad Chart" to identify their "Word Work iPad Partner" and identify the folder on the Word Work page of the student iPads to be utilized for their learning. 
The apps contained in each Word Work folder are relevant to the unique stage of spelling development and contain apps supportive of phonemic awareness and phonics understanding and application.

Students learn cooperatively with their "Word Work iPad Partner" three-four times per week.


Word Work iPad Partners utlizing an app within the
appropriate Word Work folder on the iPad
relevant to their instructional stage of spelling development

 

learning as a mathematician with the Splash Math App

a Butterfly thinking as a mathematician
and solving a counting problem
on her "individualized" Splash Math app account

Supportive of each individual student's mathematical learning and development, the Splash Math Grade 1 app is utilized to provide learning opportunities specific to each student's mathematical stage of development.

An individual Splash Math account was created for each of the two students assigned to each iPad. 
(For example- on iPad #1, a Splash Math account was created for Student A and Student B.)

Students engage in mathematical learning and application practice on their individual Splash Math Grade 1 account for 15 minutes every other day. 
(For example- Student A utilizes the iPad and his/her Splash Math Grade 1 account on the iPad on Mondays and Wednesdays and Student B utilizes the iPad and his/her Splash Math Grade 1 account on the iPad on Tuesdays and Thursdays.)

a Butterfly engaging in "her" Splash Math
Grade 1 App account... supporting her individualized
learning and development as a mathematician