Daily Chromebook Tools for Learning

 Last year our district went 1:1 in 3rd and 4th grade and this year I was forced I had the opportunity to make the move to fourth grade. Yay for opportunities. (It really has been a smooth transition and fourth graders are one of my favorite ages. I just happen to love second grade more.) But back to Chromebooks. Students are issued their own Chromebooks that they are allowed to take home. Knowing this technology is available, I really wanted to implement it in the best way possible. In the past I have sent students to various websites and have seen that as a implementing technology well. Well, it might have been a start but they weren't using all the capabilities available to them, for sure. 

Daily Tools Tools We Use for Learning on Chromebooks

Xtramath is a tool that I've been using for a few years now and I absolutely love. Every day my students log in to xtramath and get a personalized fact practice according to their initial placement. Students start at addition (or whatever you want them to start at) and work their way up to division. Students who are goal driven are motivated to beat their previous days score and to pass each test. It is not an easy test to pass, so we make it a big deal when they pass! It's a quick practice that I use first thing in the morning. I even use it to take attendance in the morning. The teacher report will tell me who completed, what their mastery percentage is, and the percentage they got correct that day. I can even go in to each student and see what they answered for each question that day and how long it took them to answer that question. 

A student report. This gives me a graph of their progress and the specific facts they are too slow on. 

A class report. The green, yellow, and red shapes indicate the percentage correct during that session. The check marks to the side are what I use to take attendance.

Another tool that I have loved this year is Google Forms. I have made several quizzes using Google Forms and it has been a great method for formative assessments.  During our unit on place value I have been using this to assess the 4.NBT 1-3 standards using a Number the Day. Students complete the quiz and then we are able to go through it as a class question by question. Students get the immediate feedback they so desperately need. 

Here is an example of a quiz report. This is a question which includes check boxes to answer. As you can see it tells me that 14 students answered correctly. This tells me that only half of my class got the question correct. Based on the other results I see that I need to work on this question format as they will continue seeing this type of question on other tests. 

Here is an example of a quiz. There are several different question types available. I can even add videos and pictures to the questions and in the feedback section. 

Google Slides has been an invaluable tool for so many learning activities this year. It's primary purpose is to serve as a Digital Journal for my students. I made a template and copied it to each student. During writing time students pull up their digital writing journal and I will sit at my own computer and pull up their journals and give feedback in the speaker notes bar. Students ask me questions in that bar and I will answer them. Students have loved these digital writing journals and their ability to communicate with me in a unique way. They get so excited for me to read their entries and as some students struggle with staying on task, this has been helpful for me to keep them on task. Also, if students have writers block I can go in and give them a couple of ideas to get them started. 

Aside from using them as writing journals, I have also used Google Slides to write questions that students answer. I love that it is saving me paper and that I always have access to their work. No more lost assignments or assignments without names!

An example of digital writing journal. 

These are just a few of my favorite resources. Be on the lookout soon for online resources students use during Guided Reading!