Texting In The Classroom
Texting in the classroom. Usually just hearing that makes you annoyed. It is no secret that our students are saturated in a world of technology. As educators there is immediate buy-in when we connections between our students’ real worlds and our classrooms. One of my favorite (free) resources to do this is called ifaketext.
It allows users to create faux iPhone text conversations. The website lets you fit between 35 and 50 words on one screen (a conversation between 2 different people). Then, you can take a screen shot of the conversation or right-click to save the picture as a Jpeg. Here are three different ways I see myself using this free resource.
Morning Message
I plan on greeting my students at the door every morning and after the first few weeks they will be well trained in the morning routine. With that said, things always come up (a special routine, a permission slip, different materials needed during reading, etc.), so why not display a fake text between you and your class including any reminders; and then when everyone is in the door, the class is ready to go!
Reading Journals
Why not set up a conservation between characters in a story and then, have students complete the conversation in their reading journals? Then, give students the opportunity to pair and share with their face or shoulder partner.
Introduce/Review Vocabulary
At the school where I’ll be teaching, ‘flashbacks’ are the required first step of each class. Using a fake conversation, I can review vocabulary or ask students to use context clues from the text conversation in order to define the word. Also, the conversation could be examples of a specific type of anything (figurative language, prefix, suffix, root word, text feature, etc) and students have to (a) name/define the term or example being highlighted and (b) continue the conversation!
Well friends, these are just a few of my ideas. What do you think? How could you use faux texting conversations in your classroom?
Yeah its not a bad idea
Genius!
From One of Your SLANT Buddies 😉
Love the fake text message website, totally going to use that with my 2nd graders, they'll love it!
Darnee
Tales From Two 2nd Grade Classrooms
Awesome ideas! Thanks for sharing!
Love it! That one was on my list of things to try, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet. I love the linky idea. It seems like no matter how many apps I research I still find more!
Take care,
Jenny
Suntans and Lesson Plans
Loving this! How fun, and the possibilities are endless!
I would love that linky 🙂
Lisa
Fluent in Fourth
Hi, Erica! Thanks so much for stopping by. I have been such a bad blogger lately and need to head over your way to say 'hi'. 🙂
The two 1:1 classrooms at my school from a grant from the state, but if you could find a grant to buy a class set it would be fantastic!
And, I think the linky is a go. I have so much to learn and can't wait to see everyone's ideas. Hopefully, it will be up and running Sunday morning. 🙂
Thanks for sharing such a cool resource! Love it!
Joanne
Head Over Heels For Teaching
What a cool resource!!!!
Thanks for sharing!!
Kelly
I knew about the fake text app because my little sister has it on her iPod. Never thought about using it in the classroom! Too bad I don't have an iPad, iPhone, or iPod to use it on. (I know, I am so technologically behind!) I LOVED your 3 Little Pigs text, though! Too funny!
My school has iPads for the entire school to use, so I would love if you did an App linky! I have used a few myself that I may be willing to share. I vote yes on the linky!
So jealous that you are a 1:1 classroom. I need to figure out how to do go about doing that! 🙂
Erica
Blooming In First