iFake Text

For the last few years, I have always had atleast one first grader that has had a cell phone. While it is debatable about the parent's intentions for this cell phone, it never fails to at least ring one time during class. I can only imagine that it is a matter of time before more and more primary aged kids are bringing their own devices. While this may be a few years out, I came across a site that allows you to embrace cellular technology now. iFake Text allows you to input a conversation. After inputting the conversation, it creates a "fake" screen shot of your conversation on an iPhone.

How can this be used in my classroom? One way that I have been integrating this into my classroom is for our daily proofreading. I create a conversation on iFake Text. When creating the conversation, I make sure to leave some errors that need attention. My first graders then use the screen shot of the "fake" conversation to perform their daily proofreading. It is a simply tool that provides an authentic experience.

Spelling City

Need a tool to get your kids engaged with spelling. SpellingCity.com has been around for a long time. Choose from one of their pre-made lists or enter your own lists. Students can take a test over the words, learn the words and even play games with the words. It is a fun, free interactive resource for getting your students excited about working with their spelling words.

Google Voice for Running Record

Looking for a quick and easy way to share your students' reading with their parents. One of the tools that all classrooms have is a phone. Google voice does all the work for you. If you do not have a Google Voice account yet, make sure to watch the video and find out how to get set up.

Once you have your Google number, have your student use the phone to call your Google Number and record. After your student is done, simply hang up the phone and you will instantly recieve your student's voicemail in your Google Voice inbox. You can choose to embed this voicemail on a website/blog or what I prefer, send via email to parents. This is an easy way to monitor/share progress in fluency. In addition, kids can monitor their growth as a reader.