Loving Geometry with the iPads!

This year we have a class set of iPads for the first time ever.  The implementation has been rough as I'm treading through this on my own and although I have great ideas, I have to remember to teach the kids and not just make playing on the iPads our focus of 2nd grade!  We have been working on Geometry in math for a couple weeks and this is my WORST subject.  Even at the 2nd grade level I struggle knowing shape attributes and qualifications ~ oh it's making my head hurt just typing about it.

Years ago I gave up on geoboards due to flying rubber bands (both by accident and on purpose!)  Of course geoboards are great for Geometry as they allow the kids to actively interact with shapes and change them giving them the opportunity to see how shapes can change by a few alterations.

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to join the middle grade teachers on our new mobile device management system.  I can actually grab an app on my laptop and send it out to all my class iPads with just a few mouse clicks ~ it's amazing!

I wanted to play with the new system management tool and kids needed to work on Geometry skills.  AHA moment!  Need a Geoboard app!  I jumped on the app store found a freebie (I like free!) and placed it in the program and sent it to the iPads.  It worked great, on the first few.  After that I became impatient and began helping the process along.

But, as I type this up, the kids are actively engaged with the Geoboard app!  I have them practicing just manipulating the "rubber bands" and making things.  Tomorrow I'll break out the task cards that have been collecting dust for years and we'll begin the challenge of creating the different shapes.  We'll also get to read The Greedy Triangle and change the shapes as we go through the story.

I love technology at times like these ~ no more worries of somebody putting an eye out with a wild rubber band in the name of Geometry :)

Sample Geoboard Fun!