What can you do with a dot?

After Zoe Branigan-Pipe (@zbpipe) returned from ISTE, she gave me a special present: a package of the Livescribe sound stickers, also known by my class as the “magic dots.” These stickers are incredible! You can record anything on them, and then if you touch anywhere in the sticker, you’ll hear what was recorded. There are so many different ways that I can think of using these dots, including,

1) A Talking Word Wall – What a great way to help students check the words that they can’t read!

2) Talking Books – Great for students that may struggle with reading some of the words!

3) Talking Charts – We recorded our classroom rules using this pen, making it a wonderful shared reading activity, that students could then listen to later and read along with as well.

4) Classroom Media – Imagine if those pictures that your students made could come to life with just the help of a dot. Give those pictures a voice, let them interact with each other, and let students explain what they were making, why they were making it, and what they learned in the process. What a great reflection opportunity! I’m thinking of the new Arts curriculum as I write this post now.

5) A Talking Reading Log – Students could use these dots once a month to record their reading, listen to it, and stick them in order on a page so that they can reflect on their reading over the course of the year. On a single page, you could have numerous reading samples from each child to listen to, assess, and set goals from there.

6) Oral Reflections In Math – Our math curriculum really links language and math, but for some students, the writing component can be difficult. With these dots, students could orally record their reflections, and stick them on a single page for others in the class to listen to and reflect on too. They could even write what they’re able to share, and then expand on their ideas with the use of these sound stickers.

7) Talking Tests – There are often students in a class that cannot do the reading or writing needed to independently complete a test, and as a result, require teacher assistance. With these sound stickers, students could listen to the teacher read the test for them, and then they could orally record their answers on another sound sticker. Now all students can have independence in a testing situation!

So how would you use these sound stickers in your classroom? Please add a comment here and let us know. Hopefully we can share a variety of ways that we can use these stickers to help all of the students in our classrooms!

Aviva