Welcome to The Second Grade Guru! This blog is designed to inspire and equip teachers who want to increase student engagement with technology integration in the elementary setting. The name comes from my eight years of experience teaching 2nd grade, but the resources I share can be integrated into any elementary classroom! I will share my favorite educational technology resources, lesson ideas, tutorials, and tips for integrating digital tools into instruction.
My first resource comes from Classroom Creations. The creator’s name is Catherine Coyle, and she is a former classroom teacher turned educational technology enthusiast, creating her own educational resources. She is active on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and often shares tutorials relating to Canva and Google Suite. She also shares free teacher websites.
Big Idea: In this video, Catherine shares a free teacher website called spellingtraining.com. The website allows users to enter any spelling word list, and generates games based on that list. What really stood out is the ability to automate game-embedded word lists. This is a huge time saver for educators. This challenges me to think about how much time educators spend on both the content and the design - while this website allows teachers to solely focus on the content students need to practice, instead of spending hours putting learning activities together.
What I Learned: I learned that with this website, students will get immediate and varied practice with their specific spelling list. The game also dictates the word aloud, as well as encourages students to type the word. This is great practice not only with spelling but typing skills as well. I also learned that the website includes generic word lists, but with phonics specific word patterns. This is a great tool to use if an educator does not have a specific word list but wants students to practice specific phonics rules such as blends or digraphs.
Key Takeaway: “Type in any word list, and watch as this website automatically embeds them into engaging games for students!” One example is a roller coaster game. Students hear and type the word, and it moves their roller coaster. When they get all of their words correct, they have finished the ride.
Connection: There are many ways I could utilize this in my elementary classroom. I have previously used differentiated spelling lists in my classroom but dreaded the time it took to individually create learning activities to go with the lists. I could easily differentiate my spelling lists into groups for my students without spending a large amount of additional time getting this resource ready. I could then incorporate the games into their reading rotations. This is a resource I will definitely use in my classroom in the future.
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