Digital math tools are being used in elementary classrooms around the globe. Digital math centers are available for sale or are able to be easily created by teachers to help their students learn math concepts.
As schools prepare for the new school year, teachers may be juggling how to use the best tools to teach in this strange COVID world. Whether in-person, hybrid, or fully virtual, digital math tools are an excellent choice. Digital activities keep students spaced, safe, and engaged! Even if you aren’t one to create your own activities, you can find plenty of resources online to help you get started!
In 2020, virtual math became a necessary element of digital classrooms. Now that teachers see the value in digital math resources, they are likely to be a part of future of education. Also, think about all the paper you can save by not having print every single thing!
Have I piqued your interest yet? Keep reading to find out how and why you digital math tools should be part of your curriculum!
Create or Buy
If you decide you want to create your own digital math centers, you can use these creative resources to design them.
- Canva: Canva is a graphic design website that is free for educators to use! This program offers many templates and tutorials to help get you started.
- Google Slides: Create your own digital math games and virtual math tools right in Google Slides. There are tons of free video tutorials that teach how to use the program to create activities to meet your students’ needs.
- Seesaw: Many districts have moved to Seesaw which is fun and engaging platform. Create your own activities or import PDFs into the program to bring your activities to life.
There are so many ways to create your own resources. Check out YouTube to find free tutorials for each platform.
If you need inspiration to get started, you can find lots of digital math resources online at TeachersPayTeachers that will help get your creative juices flowing!
Not really interested in creating your own math centers? I’ve got you covered! Download my free digital math center to get an idea of what these math centers can look like in your classroom. If you love it and decide you want more, head over to my store on TPT to view all of my digital math center options.
Assigning Digital Math Activities
Now you have your digital math game or assignment ready for student use. Next, you need to assign them.
First, make sure students can access the activities from their device. If your classroom is 1:1 technology, you may need to borrow a student device during your prep to test it out. Testing it yourself will ensure the technology works and save you time from troubleshooting when in front of your class.
Then, it’s time to assign. Assigning the digital math centers to your students will depend on the platform you are using. Seesaw requires you to have students assigned to your class. Google Slides requires your students to have email addresses to open the file.
A quick word of advice about using Google Slides: Make sure you force a copy of the file before you assign it. Otherwise, all the students will be editing the same document. Yikes!
Check out this video on how to force a copy on Google Slides here.
Customize Digital Resources
Let’s face it, in our classrooms with 20-30 students, there are going to be a variety of needs among their adorable faces! How can we differentiate with digital math centers? Read on.
My digital math resources make differentiation super easy. With just a few clicks, you can easily adjust assignments to work for a small group of students or an individual student! Leveled recording sheets provide students the appropriate challenge that they need.
Students with IEPs or in the evaluation process may need modifications or accommodations. Try these options rather than creating something entirely different for them,
- Remove answer options so students can pick from fewer options (e.g., 3 options instead of 5),
- Reduce the number of slides to assign more or less to students as needed.
- Rephrase the wording of the questions so they are easier to understand.
Most digital task cards in my store include differentiated recording sheets. These can also serve as a progress monitoring tool. Practice the task cards throughout the year and assign the recording sheets at an increasing difficulty to check how students are progressing to meet the grade-level standards.
Check out my article on how to differentiate virtual learning here!
Digital Tools Aren’t Just For Virtual Learning
Virtual math tools don’t have to be reserved just for virtual learning. Using them regularly as part of your classroom routine will get students acclimated to using them. And, should your district be required to go virtual again, it will make for an easier transition for you and your students!
There are so many options for using digital tools. Digital task cards can be used in whole group as a fun, engaging activity to get students excited to learn about the new skill. Use them in small group to monitor students’ responses and provide corrective feedback. Assign for individual center work or paperless homework.
If you are looking for more information about using digital math tools in your elementary classroom, check out my blog post on reasons to use digital math tools here!
Why Use Digital Math Centers?
Using digital resources in your elementary classroom doesn’t have to be overwhelming or unrealistic. Students are often WAY more comfortable with technology than we give them credit for. As teachers in this technology-drive age, we must also become well versed in implementing technology. So, be confident and go for it!
Using digital math games are fun and engaging ways to get your students safely interacting with digital math manipulatives and building math skills. And all while thinking they are simply playing on a tablet!
My store has tons of Digital Math Centers that your students will love! The digital resources I’ve created are differentiated and easy to use with the technology available in your classroom. Many also have a printable recording sheet option if you need an accountability or progress monitoring tool.
I recommend printing the recording sheets for use in your small group or as an independent work station so that students continue to get practice writing and working on paper-pencil math tasks. I promise your students are going to love them!
Do you have other tips and suggestions for using digital math cards in your classroom? I’d love to know! Leave me a comment below!
XoXo,
Candice
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