iTalk iPads in September!

Sigh ... I really meant to post a lot more iPad ideas, but using iPads in kinder and first in the Fall is so very different than using them in the Spring that I am once again a beginner.

(Background: A class set of iPads was delivered to my room in April 2012.  My kiddos already had our routines down and had so many skills that we were able to immediately start using the iPads.  Starting off the year with iPads is completely different so I still figuring this out!!  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the iPads.  It is just that I am at ground zero in the learning curve once again!!)

My kinders are learning about patterns so we have been using the iPads to aide our learning.  The kiddos have been using the app Doodle Buddy (free) to create patterns.  Doodle Buddy allows them to paint, draw or even stamp pictures.  We have been working on color and shape patterns.  So here are some of the activities we have done:

• Students use two (or three) colors to create a pattern.  Another student has to tell what comes next.
• I make a pattern with our manipulative bears (example: blue, red, red ... abb) and students have to make that same pattern using two different colors on their iPads.
• Students use two (or three) shape stamps to make a pattern. 
• I make a pattern using attribute shapes (example: circle, square, triangle ... abc).  Students have to stamp that same pattern on their iPads, using different shapes.
• I make a pattern (example: aab) and students make that same pattern on their iPads, but they get to decide if they will make that pattern with shapes or colors or size.

What I am loving about all of this is that my students can quickly make multiple patterns this way.  They can take a screen shot of their patterns and then add it to the photo roll on their iPad.  Pretty cool! Sounds like the beginning of a portfolio to me!

Now I am off to plan for next week!

Love to all,

Camille

Paper Plate Frisbees

Jodi over at Fun in First is having a linky party.  Now normally I am NOT a party kind of girl.  But this party is all about activities for the beginning of the year so I am soooo in!!  Jodi posted a super cute version of a gingerbread man hunt.  Plus other activities are being added even as you read this!

Here is my addition to the party.  Oh, it's super simple, because I am a super simple girl.  But it's tons of fun for the kiddos, because I LOVE having fun with my kids!!

Paper Plate Frisbee
Students will each get to decorate and then fly a frisbee.

Preparation:
Ahead of time I buy two paper plates per child. (This year I purchased 60 plates just in case we really and truly have 30 students next year.  Ouch!  Ouch!  Ouch!)  The thin white picnic ones won't work, but anything just a tad sturdier will.  This year I got mine from the dollar store.

The next step is to cut a hole out of the middle of HALF of the plates.  (Leave half of the plates whole.) The diameter of the hole is about five inches.  (The exact measurement is NOT important.  Many plates have an inner circle and I just cut on that.)  Then staple a whole plate to a plate with a cut circle.  For example, if you purchased blue plates (my favorite color) face the blue part of the whole plate to the blue part of the "holed" plate and staple about four times around the edge of the plate.  You now have one frisbee.  : ) Repeat this until you have enough frisbees for each student.

Hurrah!  Teacher prep is done!!!

Note:  I have kinders and firsties so do this prep for them.  With older students, you might have them do the prep.

Now for the fun:
Students decorate the plates using crayons or markers or ????  I have them write their names BIG on the frisbee.  Then we take them out and fly them.  Great fun!  These frisbees work great and the students run around having a blast (once they get the hang of throwing them.)  It is a great way to begin to build community because the students are all running all over the field interacting with each other.  Did I already say it was great fun?

I let the students take the frisbees home that day so that they can have fun with them at home.


Update: August 31, 2012:  I remembered to take photos this year.  This time I wrote the names on the frisbees.  This lovely girl has just started decorating her frisbee.

Here is the other side of her frisbee.  The plates were red this year.  But since I staple the two plates towards each other, the frisbees are white on the outside.