App Smash Feltboard + Seesaw for Spelling Word Practice!

Mrs. Bishop and I were able to spend some time in Mrs. Johnson's 1:1 iPad first grade on Monday, and had an awesome time showing her kids two of my favorite apps, Feltboard ($2.99) and Seesaw (free).  We used an idea from Mrs. Duqette at Broadwater, who had her kindergartners build sight words in Feltboard, and then post to Seesaw where they could use the record tool to demonstrate an understanding of how to spell and read the words.  In Mrs. Johnson's first grade, we used this same concept with her weekly spelling words.

We began by asking the students to open to the background in Feltboard that has 9 rectangles.  We then showed the first graders how to drag letters to build a spelling word in each square.  Mrs. Johnson's kids had 10 spelling words, so the kiddos problem solved how to make all 10 fit, by placing two smaller words together in one rectangle.

After the words were built, we showed the students how to save them to their camera roll by clicking the camera button.  We then showed them how to open the Seesaw app, upload the image from their camera roll, and use the "Record" tool to record themselves reading and spelling the word, while using their finger and the drawing tool to "follow along".  Here is an example:

The record tool that we used is the record while drawing tool in the drawing option, not the microphone.  The microphone would work, too, but wouldn't allow the kids to record while marking their words.

Another cool idea we got from Mrs. Johnson is to use Seesaw to have kids rainbow write sight words or spelling words.  Using the drawing tool, they choose different colors to practice writing their words.  You can again have them use the record while draw tool to spell and read the word as they rainbow write it.  This is a fun balanced literacy idea that Mrs. Johnson was able to "techify" using Seesaw!  Love it!