promoting independence with iPad routines-procedures-expectations

We have been cooperatively and collaboratively creating "our community" in the First Grade Butterfly Class at M.E.C.C.

Through continuous reinforcements, pro-active reminders, and purposeful feedback- the first graders are developing independence with our routines, procedures, and expectations and recognizing themselves as "learners" and "teachers" in our community!

The Butterflies are Leaders in their learning!

a first grader independently uses the iPad

first graders actively engage in math apps on student iPads

first graders independently utilize iPad apps supportive of developmental needs
as mathematicians

subitizing... with the Quick Images iPad app

After learning our iPad routines, procedures, and expectation, the First Grade Butterflies were ecstatic for Day 3... getting to "use" our iPads!

As mathematicians, the Butterflies subitized... using the Quick Images iPad app!

first graders subitize on the iPad-
with the Quick Images iPad app

math word problems... with the Visual Math Word Problems Grade 1-2 iPad app

The Visual Math Word Problems Grade 1-2 iPad app engages Mathematicians in actively solving word problems.

Visual Math Word Problems facilitates learning with narrated animations, visual representations, and interactive step-by-step solutions.  
The Visual Math Word Problems iPad app promotes thinking and problem-solving with the capabilities to "write" and "draw" and interaction with a variety of operations and problem "types".

the Visual Math Grade 1-2 iPad app
promotes learning and development
of mathematical thinking, skills, and strategies

a first grader solves addition word problems
-using the Visual Math Grade 1-2 iPad app

composing and decomposing quantities... with the Math Tablet iPad app

The First Grade Butterfly Mathematicians use the Math Tablet iPad app to collaboratively explore and identify ways to compose and decompose quantities.

The Math Tablet iPad app supports development of number sense and mathematical operations.

first graders use the Math Tablet iPad app to compose and decompose quantities

operations and equality... with the Math Games iPad app

The "Math Race" activity in the Math Games iPad app by Tap To Learn promotes fact fluency and understanding of symbols of operations as students "race" to identify equations as true or false.

a first grader identifies equations as true or false
-with the "Math Race" activity in the Math Games iPad app by Tap to Learn

Fruity Fractions iPad app

The Fruity Fractions iPad app supports students' learning of fractions and skills for identifying, creating, naming, writing, and reading fractions.

The First Grade Butterflies were motivated to use the app as they challenged themselves to complete the series of activities and levels that increased in difficulty and focused on a variety of skills.

Fruity Fractions is a "Butterfly Favorite" math iPad app!

learning fractions is FUN
-with the Fruity Fractions iPad app

fact fluency... Everyday Mathematics Tric-Trac iPad app

Tric-Trac is an engaging and fun math game that develops students' skills for composing a NF decomposing quantities and promotes fact fluency.

The First Grade Butterflies cooperatively play Tric-Trac on the iPad with the Everyday Mathematics Tric-Trac iPad app!

first graders develop fact fluency
-with the Tric-Trac iPad app

number sequences... with the Little Monkey Mystery Number iPad app

First Grade Mathematicians develop counting, number identification, comparison, and sequencing skills with the Little Monkey Mystery Number iPad app.

The levels within the app promote engagement that supports students' level of mathematical development and allows differentiated opportunities for optimal learning.

a first grader focuses on number sequence within 20

Little Monkey Mystery Number iPad app
includes multiple levels of difficulty

a first grader focuses on number sequence within 100
-using the Little Monkey Mystery Number iPad app

an adding adventure... with the Addimals Adventure iPad app

The First Grade Butterfly Mathematicians go on an adding adventure with the Addimals Adventure iPad app!

Addimals supports students' knowledge and application of a variety of math strategies to solve single digit addition facts through visual models.

first graders learn addition strategies
-with the Addimals Adventure iPad app

the Addimals Adventure iPad app
promotes mathematical thinking to solve operations

tangram puzzles- Lets Tanz Kids iPad app

The First Grade Butterflies are learning about shapes!

Tangram puzzles provide an opportunity to explore and manipulate shapes and to develop spatial intelligence.

The Butterfly Mathematicians use spatial reasoning, knowledge of shapes and attributes, and problem solving skills to solve tangram puzzles in the Lets Tanz Kids iPad app.

first graders manipulate shapes to find solutions to tangram puzzles
on the Lets Tanz Kids iPad app

developing mathematical understanding- with the Love To Count by Pirate Trio iPad app

Individual iPads provide the opportunity for students to actively engage in learning activities that are relevant to their individual needs.

Creating an individual Love To Count by Pirate Trio account for each student on the iPad, the Butterflies engage in learning activities that focus on understanding "numbers" in relation to time, order, weight, and quantity.

The app includes the capability to view and monitor student progress.

first grade Butterflies actively engage
with the Love To Count by Pirate Trio app

using base ten blocks on the iPad

The first grade Butterflies are developing their understanding of place value, as mathematicians.

Utilizing the Base Ten Blocks iPad app, by Ventura Educational Systems, the first graders cooperatively worked with an iPad math partner to represent quantities with base ten blocks and illustrate quantities with base ten block symbols (for example- a "square" to represent a flat of 100, a "line" to represent a stick of 10, and a "circle" to represent a unit of 1).

iPad math partners cooperatively represent a quantity with base ten blocks

first grade iPad math partners record visual representations for quantities
-with base ten block symbols

solving math word problems on the iPad

Math word problems are an essential component in supporting students' mathematical thinking and reasoning, number sense, arithmetic skills, and problem solving.

The Word Problems app by Classroom Focused Software provides students with word problems that support the students in making sense of mathematical concepts and applying mathematical concepts within a context that encourages meaningful connections to authentic problem solving.

With the capability to "listen" to the problem, the capability to choose problem "types", and the capability to utilize a variety of "tools" to identify the unknown in the problem- the Word Problems app is an essential and valuable app for students' mathematical learning and development!

The First Grade Butterflies utilize the Word Problems app independently and cooperatively (with an iPad math partner) to develop, support, and extend their skills, strategies, and behaviors, as a mathematician!

a first grade Butterfly solving word problems
-on the Word Problems iPad app

subitizing on the iPad... using the Quick Images app

Subitizing is an important mathematical skill in a student's development of number sense and arithmetic abilities.

Subitizing is visually recognizing the quantity of a set without "counting".  Subitizing supports a student's understanding of the relationship between numbers.

Subitizing requires students to manipulate numbers, identify patterns within numbers, and recognize a set as a composite of parts and as a whole.

To support the first graders development of the skill of subitizing, the first grade Butterflies utilize the Quick Images iPad app (by Tom Patten).

The Quick Images app provides various structures for developing the skill of subitizing.  Students can subitize sets within a "group", on "fingers", within a "ten frame", within two "ten frames", on a ten bead  Rekenrek, and/or on a twenty bead Rekenrek.

The app includes the capability to control the length of time for image display.  This capability allows for individualization and encourages fluency improvement.  The images can be set to display for 1, 2, 3, or 4 seconds.

The Quick Images app is utilized by the first grade Butterfly Mathematicians independently and/or cooperatively with a math iPad learning partner.
When utilized with a math iPad learning partner, the partners subitize each "image" and verbally explain how the quantity was subitized.  The partners alternate "touching" the quantity for each "image".  

identifying combinations- with the Numblox iPad app

The First Grade Butterflies are developing their understanding of numbers and operations in base ten and their algebraic thinking as mathematicians.

Using the Numblox iPad app, the first graders cooperatively use number rods to identify combinations of a quantity.

After the initial introduction of the Numblox app and number rods, the Butterflies cooperatively explored the Numblox app with their math partner (while in the learning circle) to identify combinations of ten.

As various Butterfly math partners shared combinations and strategies used with the class, a "shared" chart of the combinations identified for ten was created on the SMARTboard and students participated in a discussion of the strategies shared.

Utilizing the Numblox app, the math partners apply strategies to identify combinations of a quantity.

Supporting students' development of recognizing and using the mathematical symbols for addition (+) and equality (=) to create, solve, and/or explain thinking, the Butterfly partners record combinations for a determined quantity in equations (for example- 7+2=9).

Butterfly math partners explore number rods on the Numblox iPad app

math partners cooperatively identify
and record combinations for a quantity of 8

a screen shot of a Butterfly Math Partners' use of the Numblox app
to identify combinations for the quantity of 9

identifying the unknown "part" of a "whole"- with the Friends of Ten iPad app

As mathematicians, the First Grade Butterflies have been developing their understanding of the relationship between addition and subtraction through composing and/or decomposing quantities.

Utilizing the "How Many More" and "How Many Less" activities in the Little Monkey Friends of 10 iPad app, the first grade mathematicians work cooperatively with a partner to identify the "whole", identify the "known part", determine the "operation" (of addition or subtraction), and determine the "unknown part" for each problem.

To encourage students understanding and use of mathematical thinking, language, and mathematical symbols of operations (addition and subtraction), a Friends of Ten app recording sheet (I created to correspond to the language of the app) is completed.  With each problem in the app, the math partners alternate between "solving and explaining" and "recording and monitoring".
With each problem-
1. The "solving and explaining" partner identifies the "known whole" in the problem.
2. The "recording and monitoring" partner monitors accuracy and records the "known whole" identified by the "solving and explaining" partner on the Friends of Ten recording sheet.  (If the "recording and monitoring" partner does not agree with the identified "known whole"- he/she explains his/her thinking and the partners cooperatively determine the "known whole" before recording.)

3.  The "solving and explaining" partner identifies the "known part" in the problem and verbally and visually explains his/her thinking-reasoning through manipulating and/or referencing the chips.
4.  The "recording and monitoring" partner monitors accuracy and records the "known part" identified by the "solving and explaining" partner on the Friends of Ten recording sheet.  (If the "recording and monitoring" partner does not agree with the identified "known part"- he/she explains his/her thinking and the partners cooperatively determine the "known part" before recording.)

5.  The "solving and explaining" partner identifies the "operation" (addition or subtraction) and the "unknown part" to solve the problem and verbally and visually explains his/her thinking-reasoning through manipulating chips on the app.
6. The "recording and monitoring" partner monitors accuracy and records the "operation" and the "unknown part" identified by the "solving and explaining" partner on the Friends of Ten recording sheet.  (If the "recording and monitoring" partner does not agree with the identified "operation" and/or "unknown part"- he/she explains his/her thinking and the partners cooperatively determine the "operation" and/or "unknown part" before recording.)

math partners manipulating chips on a tens frame
to identify the unknown part in a whole

math partners identify and record the known "whole" and the known "part"
and determine and record the corresponding operation and the unknown "part"
 using the How Many More and/or How Many Less problems on the Friends of Ten iPad app

subitizing on the iPad

Utilizing the AVG adapter to mirror the teacher iPad onto the SMARTboard, the first graders explored how "mathematicians look for and find patterns and groups within sets to recognize a quantity quickly and accurately" (subitizing) through the use of the Subitising Flash Cards app (Little Monkey Apps).


a Butterfly sharing a strategy he used to subitize

 After opportunities to subitize, sharing strategies for subitizing, and opportunities to apply various strategies to subitize effectively, the Butterflies engaged in multiple and various subitizing  experiences cooperatively and collaboratively with their "math learning partner", utilizing the Subitising Flash Cards app on our iPads.


subitizing on the iPad




Butterflies cooperatively and collaboratively subitizing on the iPad
using the Little Monkey Apps Subitizing Flash Cards app