Getting to Know Each Other with Tellagami

As school inches closer and closer I have been researching how to use the new iPad cart with my first graders.  Our school is going to have creation apps on the iPads so the students can demonstrate their learning.

In looking at many different apps used in classrooms with iPads, the Tellagami app quickly caught my eye.  With this app the students create an character and then record their voice explaining a topic.  The students have a few different choices for clothing, hair, and backgrounds.  Also you can import your own photo to be the background.  This app is very quick and easy to use...plus it is a free app!

I have seen so many great educational ideas for the Tellagami app.  I have seen some examples of this app being used in many grades to increase reading fluency or just as an opportunity for students to explain what they have learned about a topic.  I have a few different ideas on how I could use this app to give the students an opportunity to get to know each other and build our classroom community at the beginning of school.  One idea for this app would be for students to tell the class a little bit about themselves.  They could tell us some of their favorite things.  Here is an example that Ruthie made to introduce herself to her new class.

Another way we could use this app would be for the students to tell everyone a little bit about what they hope to learn this year at school.  This is an example of what Ruthie hopes to learn in second grade.

As you can see, this app was an immediate hit with my niece.  She wanted to make another gami. I know this app will be a hit with my new class too!

Technology Ideas for the Beginning of the Year

My school is getting an iPad lab this year!  I can not wait to have the opportunity to use the iPads with all my first graders at the same time!  I have been searching the web for great apps and ideas for using this technology in the primary grades.  Here are some of my ideas for incorporating the iPad lab with my students for back to school, community building, and getting to know each other lessons.

All About Me with Popplet

I made this one by drawing some of my favorite things in the Doodle Buddy app.  I then saved those images to my camera roll.  Then I imported my saved images into my popplet.  I'm thinking this is how I will have my students make their own.  I am hoping to have them draw about 5 of their favorite things and then use their drawings in the popplet app.  I know that drawing their favorites will be easier than spelling their favorites at the beginning of the year.

This is another popplet example that my niece Ruthie made when I showed her my example.  She chose to take some photos of her favorites to use in her popplet.  

Telling about our Summer with Tellagami

I have just learned about the Tellagami app and I am in love with it!  I can see so many possibilities for this app with my first graders!  I am thinking I will start the year off with letting them use the app to tell the class a little bit about their summer.  Here is an example I made.

4 in a Row Math Game

We played another game to practice our math facts.  In this game, as you solved math problems you try to get 4 spots in a row.  The kids loved trying to get 4 problems in a row while trying to block their partner from getting 4 in a row at the same time.

 Bethany & Ashtin

 Bo & Grant

 Katelyn & Mattie-Claire

 Chloe & Celeste

 Matthew & Duke

 Brooklyn & Kendall

 Andrew & Cannon

 Nicholas & Curt

 Emily & Emily

Maggie & Abbi

 Logan & Jake

 Travis

pumpkin math

Today we played an awesome game to practice our addition skills.  The kids rolled two dice and added the numbers together to find the sum.  Then they covered that sum on their pumpkins.  The first to cover all the numbers on their pumpkin was the winner.  They LOVED this great math game!

 Logan & Nicholas

 Bethany & Katelyn

 Cannon & Andrew

 Bo & Ashtin

 Emily & Emily

 Kendall & Brooklyn

 Celeste & Abbi

 Mattie-Claire & Maggie

 Duke & Curt

Travis

Fabulous Fall

I can't believe the end of the first nine weeks is here.  The time is flying by!  We have been learning lots of new things and enjoying our time in first grade.  Here is a quick video of some of our activities.

Red Ribbon Week

We have had some great dress up days for our Red Ribbon Week.  The students have LOVED dressing up for each day's event.

Monday: “I Elect to be Drug Free!” (Wear Patriotic Colors) 

Ashtin

Tuesday: “Put a Cap on Drugs!” (Wear your favorite cap) 

Wednesday: “Stomp out Drugs!” (Wear boots or mismatched shoes) 

We did have lots of participation...but I forgot to snag a photo!

Thursday: “Shade out Drugs!” (Wear your favorite sunglasses)

Friday: “Be a ‘JEAN-ius’ and Team up Against Drugs!” 
(Wear jeans and your favorite team colors)

Awesome Readers

Shoes off to some awesome readers!  Chloe and Kendall have been reading up a storm in their reading counts books.  For earning 10 points for their quizzes they got to have shoes off for the day and wear some awesome slippers around the room.  They were the envy of the class for the day!  Keep up the awesome reading girls!

Chloe & Kendall