Sunday, May 15, 2016

End of Year Technology Ideas

Happy Sunday!! I hope you're able to get in a few hours of rest and relaxation today. If you're like me, you love your class of precious minis but OH MY WORD  ready for summer too! We have 14 days of school left.
We teachers know classroom management is crucial in these last few days, and we'll try just about anything to keep our kids engaged. Today I'm going to give you a quick rundown of some tech ideas we're doing in our classroom.
First up, we're using the app Pic Collage to create some thoughtful end of year memories for each other. I've paired up students to take pictures of each other and think of three adjectives to describe their partner. When each student has their own collage, I'm going to have it added to our end of year slideshow.
After playing around with the app, one student suggested combining pictures to make a thinking map. Brilliant!
This group decided they wanted to create a double bubble map of themselves. The app itself is free, with some optional paid add-ons. There are so many fonts, backgrounds, and shapes included that will give you students choices. 
Next up, we're sharing our favorite second grade memories using ThingLink. This app allows students to create interactive images. 
Each target or point on the "Thing" is something different added by a student. The bullseye design is plain text, while the play button is a recording from a student or a YouTube link. 

I love that one student added giving a present during Teacher Appreciation Week as one of her favorite second grade memories. Complete heart melting moment!
We LOVE a good QR Code scavenger hunt in our classroom. QR Stuff makes it easy to create QR codes for all types of classroom activities. 
One activity my students worked on this past week is my End of Year Scavenger Hunt. Click on the picture below to learn more. 
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Students worked in groups to complete the 16 tasks on QR codes and record their answers. The tasks range from reviewing adjectives, to estimation, and recording their favorite memory for a specific subject.
Some of the QR codes were in the classroom, while others were in various places in the hallway. 
What are some of your favorite ways to keep students engaged during the end of year craziness? Hang in there!