Using a TV in the Classroom - Morning Meeting

Last year our amazing PTG bought us all a TV for our classroom. I decided to purchase an Apple Tv to use with mine and it was the best decision I ever made!

At first I was a bit overwhelmed with how I would incorporate the TV into our routine, but it was actually quite easy! These days it stays on for pretty much the entire time we are in our classroom. In morning meeting alone, it allows me to incorporate math and science!



The helper of the day gets to complete the weather station on the wall.  They look out the window and choose the correct weather card and write the word, then they record the temperature.

We use Google to check the temperature each day.

We then slide the bar over to our recess time temperature and discuss how the temperature and weather have changed. Next, we discuss what they will need to wear at recess that day.

As the year has progressed they noticed a lot of different things; they noticed the high and low temperature, the long range forecast, the wind and humidity.

I never pointed those things out, they just became more aware of them each day as we looked at this page repeatedly. It led to some wonderful conversations about weather patterns and how the sun moves throughout the day and changes the temperature. They were always amazed when a rainy day would just disappear from the long range forecast!

We then graph the weather using an Excel chart on my Google Drive. This graph was a great way to show the different ways in which you can count on a graph.

As the numbers climbed higher, the number of days would change. In the beginning it was by 1's, then 2's, 5's, 10's and for a few days it was even by 12's. They loved trying to figure out how much it was skip counting by!

This also helped to reinforce comparing numbers. They would discuss how windy and snowy were equal. Then I would ask them to name a weather that was less than sunny, or greater than rainy.

The color coding of the weather patterns allowed them to "read" the graph earlier in the year when they were not ready to read yet.

Every day the helper also gets to place a sticker on our How Many Days Have We Been in School Chart.

In the beginning of the year we use it to count by 1's and 10's. As the year goes on, we count only by 10's, just to save time!

To incorporate counting by 5's, we use Educreations for our tally mark chart.

I model how to make the tally marks for the first few weeks and then the helper takes over. Every 40 days I neaten it up a bit. Educreations lets them write on my iPad with their finger, so it can get a bit messy as the weeks go on!

After they have filled it in, we skip count by 5's. This is a great way to reinforce it daily, as well as help them learn how to make tally marks correctly.

Place Value Fish is my absolute favorite app. It allows me to see how well they understand place value, based solely on how they build the number.

 If they start in the ones and go all the way up, I know they are struggling with this concept.

After they have tapped to display the correct number, you can look at the abacus beads. This really helps them to understand that one bead in the hundreds is different than one bead in the tens or ones column.

One more click takes you to the base ten blocks. This is another great way to visually see the difference between 1 and 100.

I truly feel this app has helped my students to understand place value. This is a goal of mine, as when I taught 5th grade, I had A LOT of students who had a hard time with this concept.

After that, we work on the Sight Word of the Day. I actually keep each word up for a day or two, depending on the difficulty of the word. After we have practiced the word of the day, it is time for the sight word slideshow!

This is a great (and fast) way to reinforce those 50 sight words each day!

SaveSave
After our morning meeting is over, it is time for GoNoodle!

This is a great way to get some energy out after our morning meeting!

We also use Stick Pick on the TV.  This saves me having to run around to find a name jar, since my iPad is always near me.

 

In the morning we use it for the office helpers, to see who gets the rockers that day and for the sensory bins.

Stop back by my blog in the next few weeks to read about how we use the TV throughout the rest of the day.

Do you have a TV in your room? How do you incorporate it into your daily routine?
SaveSave
SaveSaveSaveSave