How to keep learning InterACTIVE during a time of transition through the use of individual student kits.
It’s like the classroom is in a time warp and we are traveling back in time 30 years. No community spaces. Desks in rows all facing the same direction. Independent work recommended over anything partner or group related. If the InterACTIVE Class were the magic carpet in Aladdin, we would be at the point in the movie where the string of the carpet is being pulled and it is quickly unraveling, barely resembling its former self, and surely unable to function as it was used to.
With every new update, mandate, policy revision and guideline its hard to not feel deflated. It’s a challenge to not feel anxious or overwhelmed. And we are just coming at this whole situation from the teaching and instructional point of view—don’t even get us started on the health concern side of this ordeal. (that is a post for another day and another time) So for the time being, with so little out of my control, I (Kristin) am going to take one something I can control—my teaching style and my lessons.
The interACTIVE class isn’t a place. It isn’t just flexible seating or colorful props, but rather it is the idea of creating learning opportunities for students that are memorable and engaging. So with that attitude in mind, I have set out to come up with a way to keep the learning in my classroom as engaging and interACTIVE as possible. So my newest idea for the fall is the idea of InterACTIVE Student Kits. You can call them whatever you want, but the idea behind them is this—every student will have their own small kit of tools to use daily in our attempt to make learning engaging, creative and fun.
Creating Student Kits
Now this idea of a student kit could take on SO many different forms so don’t feel limited by the way I am choosing to do it. My personal goal is to have kits that can be housed together, in individual student cubbies, in a hanging seat sack or inside a desk. This way, I am leaving my options open once my classroom furniture and set up is finalized. I also have kept in mind that if we have to abruptly go back to learning at home these kits would be something feasible to send home with students and for them to keep track of. (hopefully!)
Small Student Kit
So to start off with you need to decide on what type of “kit” your items will be housed in. Once I had decided on a few of the items for my personal kits, I came to the conclusion that these kits needed to be hard and sturdy. At the time of this post, Michaels had an AMAZING sale going on for the rainbow boxes and storage kit going on. I chose this option over some of the others mentioned below simply because the smaller individual boxes can be housed in the larger one if I need them to and because I also have one of these sets in my classroom so it gave me more individual boxes to work with while keeping them all matching. They are also about 2 inches larger than the others I found and were flat enough to fit within all of the places mentioned above.
In addition to the boxes above, Target had some great options in store in their Dollar Spot for $1. They were a tad smaller, but also a good option if you want a matching, sturdy set. (I have not been able to find these online so going to a store in person would be your best bet.)
InterACTIVE Items List
Once I had decided on a container for the kits, I went searching for items small enough to fit inside. These are the things I have included so far in my interACTIVE kit but I am constantly looking to add more as I go.
Dice: I intend to put various dice in each kit. Obviously the regular 6-sided white dice, but I also found some great colored ones. These not only add the opportunity of rolling larger numbers, but also introduce color into the kits. These colors could be used to call out answers, group students, or allow for other interACTIVE spins on simple tasks.
Fidget Spinner: These have been used in the past for math, but I intent to increase how we use them. Maybe one day they spin and serve as a timer for sharing, and the next day they spin on the desk with problems waiting to be solved based on where the marked end lands. I am also going to work on some type of “mat” that we can make for various lessons that they can be spun on top of to decide actions based on the specific content matter the mat was created around. Still a lot of ideas floating on how to use, but they have increased engagement in the past so I think they are a safe bet.
Mini Flashlight: If for nothing else that taking out a flashlight to read in the dark, these mini lights will be fun. When all else fails, we can dim the lights and work on center work, read aloud or do something quietly with our lights.
Black Light Pen: These are ALWAYS a hit when I do spy themed room transformations and such, but I think they will also come in handy for various search and rescue activities around the room with each student being able to use their own. I am still thinking on other creative ways to integrate them, like possibly having a secret student of the day who you identify with a code on the top of a paper assignment. Stay tuned for more ideas with these!
White board marker: There isn’t much engaging and exciting about white board markers, but students sure do love them and I am including them in this kit merely to try and keep track of them! For whatever reason, students eat them and they always go missing. Maybe by buying some fun colors, these will stick around in our kits longer! Also, we use them to write on our desks (which students LOVE and makes any lesson instantly more engaging!) and they will work well for the individual paper sheet protectors I plan on giving to each student as well.
Finger Eraser: These were not part of my original kit list, but when I saw them I just had to add them. I would be shocked if they last until Christmas but hopefully they will work for our first 9 weeks which I expect to be all separate and spread out due to the specific classroom guidelines our school has in place. These were found in the Target Dollar Spot and were tough to find but they will be a fun addition!
As far as what learning is exactly going to look like, there is no way to know and surely no way to fully prepare and plan. But putting these kits together has made me feel a bit more prepared and dare I say a little more excited to start teaching and learning with my new group of students.
Have an idea on another item to add to an interACTIVE student kit? Message me on Instagram or Twitter at @FriendsinFourth. I’d love to update this post with other great ideas!
Looking for other ideas in regards to teaching during remote learning? Check out some recent blogs:
15 Ways to Connect with Students During Remote Learning
Lessons Resources for Remote Learning: Spy Transformations
If you’d like to learn more about interACTIVE teaching and learning, check out our book The InterACTIVE Class today!
