As I was checking out at a store, I noticed these little packaged boxes with "Boogie Board" written on it. (okay... OKAY... I admit it... I fell victim to the oldest trick of getting people to "notice" things for sale: Putting it near the check-out counter....) Anyway, in this case I consider it to have been advantageous, not just for the store owner, but for me, the consumer.
Basically, a "Boogie Board" is about a 1/4 of an inch thick board a little bigger than a 5X7 photograph. It comes with a stylus, a screen cleaning cloth, and a clip-on for the stylus. Also, it features an ion battery that never needs replacing. The way it works is very simple. You write something on it, and then you push a button, a light flashes, and you have a "clean slate."
Possible uses in the classroom quickly came to my mind, as I was standing there at the check-out counter. So, what do I do? I buy it. The more I got to thinking about it, the more I realized what a useful tool it could be across the curriculum. One way to use the board is to use it for a quick bell ringer exercise. It would be easy for the teacher to walk around the classroom to see if students completed the work. Also, and I think one of the MOST useful things to use them for is for quick assessments. For example, if a teacher is reviewing certain objectives, students could "lock in" what they think is the "best possible answer," from a list of choices. The teacher could be reviewing these by one by one by using the overhead projector. Before proceeding to the next question, the students would turn their "boogie board" around and at a glance the teacher could see if the majority of the classroom answered correctly and modify the review accordingly. I did something similar to this by using dry erase boards, but often dry erase boards get messy and the markers can get expensive.
Of course, this is only the beginning of useful things for this relatively cheap gadget (prices range from $20-$30). It would be great for brainstorming, clustering, etc. Of course, in math class, just using them for "scratch paper" would be a huge benefit.
Not only is it a good tool to use to help teachers assess and students learn, it also promotes the "Going Green" theme that most children are aware of in the 21st century. Not only that, but it's also another way for students to interact with the lesson without using the standard pencil and paper method. It's amazing how students interest can be piqued with just a little deviance from the "regular way of doing things."
I am definitely going to work on getting these for my classroom this coming school year. If there is anyone out there who is using them or has other ideas for their use, please feel free to comment on my blog or inbox me at angelasandersadams@mac.com.
Basically, a "Boogie Board" is about a 1/4 of an inch thick board a little bigger than a 5X7 photograph. It comes with a stylus, a screen cleaning cloth, and a clip-on for the stylus. Also, it features an ion battery that never needs replacing. The way it works is very simple. You write something on it, and then you push a button, a light flashes, and you have a "clean slate."
Possible uses in the classroom quickly came to my mind, as I was standing there at the check-out counter. So, what do I do? I buy it. The more I got to thinking about it, the more I realized what a useful tool it could be across the curriculum. One way to use the board is to use it for a quick bell ringer exercise. It would be easy for the teacher to walk around the classroom to see if students completed the work. Also, and I think one of the MOST useful things to use them for is for quick assessments. For example, if a teacher is reviewing certain objectives, students could "lock in" what they think is the "best possible answer," from a list of choices. The teacher could be reviewing these by one by one by using the overhead projector. Before proceeding to the next question, the students would turn their "boogie board" around and at a glance the teacher could see if the majority of the classroom answered correctly and modify the review accordingly. I did something similar to this by using dry erase boards, but often dry erase boards get messy and the markers can get expensive.
Of course, this is only the beginning of useful things for this relatively cheap gadget (prices range from $20-$30). It would be great for brainstorming, clustering, etc. Of course, in math class, just using them for "scratch paper" would be a huge benefit.
Not only is it a good tool to use to help teachers assess and students learn, it also promotes the "Going Green" theme that most children are aware of in the 21st century. Not only that, but it's also another way for students to interact with the lesson without using the standard pencil and paper method. It's amazing how students interest can be piqued with just a little deviance from the "regular way of doing things."
I am definitely going to work on getting these for my classroom this coming school year. If there is anyone out there who is using them or has other ideas for their use, please feel free to comment on my blog or inbox me at angelasandersadams@mac.com.
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