iboard: Deck Chairs

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What it is: Deck Chairs is an interactive activity from iboard that allows students to explore pattern and symmetry.  Students can create patterns with three different colors.  Then, they can test out their pattern to find out if it is symmetrical.


How to integrate iboard: Deck Chairs into the classroom: Deck Chairs is a simple interactive activity that lets students explore pattern and symmetry.  Deck Chairs was created for use with an interactive whiteboard but would be just as effective as a math center on classroom computers.  For use with an interactive whiteboard, create a pattern on half of the deck chair.  Invite students to the board to finish the pattern to make it symmetrical.  Test out the pattern to find out if it is symmetrical.  As a math center, send pairs of students to the classroom computers.  One student will create the initial pattern.  The second student will try to mirror the pattern to create a symmetrical design.  I like the way that this activity checks students progress and gives immediate feedback.  If the design is not symmetrical, the pair should try to solve the problem together.


Tips: iboard has a variety of activities for the interactive whiteboard that can be purchased. Deck Chairs is one of their freebie samples.


Leave a comment and share how you are using iboard: Deck Chairs in your classroom.

Ideas to Inspire

 

What it is:  Ideas to Inspire is a truly wonderful site and wealth of resources for teachers.  On this site you will find a collection of Google Doc presentations that include a number of ideas for engaging lesson activities in a variety of curriculum areas.  The collection comes from inspiring teachers from around the world.  You can find Ideas to Inspire on Writing, Interactive Math, Incredible Science, Amazing Art, Marvelous Music, and learn interesting ways to use Google Docs, Pocket Video Cameras, Interactive Whiteboards, Google Earth, Twitter, Netbooks, Webcams, and Visualizers.  Ideas to Inspire also has great tips for non-techy teachers (I remember being one of those once-upon-a-time).  Ideas to Inspire is very easy to navigate and each presentation is jam packed with truly inspiring ideas.

How to integrate Ideas to Inspire into the classroom: It happens to the best of us, we get settled in our ways and fall into a teaching slump where we can’t come up with a creative lesson idea to save our lives.  Sound familiar?  Ideas to Inspire is the place to go, here you will find inspiration, helpful tips, and get those creative juices flowing again!  Take a few minutes and look through some of the presentations, you will be happy you did. 🙂

 

Tips:  This is my last post for the day, head over to Ideas to Inspire and be inspired today!

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Ideas to Inspire in your classroom.