SNAPGUIDE

Modeling procedures is something teachers will do with their students--especially elementary--nearly every day.With the proper tools, like SnapGuide, time and effort can be spent on other activities so that technology can instruct and provide lessons using flowcharts and step by step instructions.

In the past, I had spent a lot of time modeling the steps for making a calendar each fall, then repeating them as I made another calendar with the class as each student made his/her own. The following month when a new calendar was made I found myself having to repeat the steps and directions to many students who'd already forgotten the procedure.  With SnapGuide, once a presentation is made and saved, the address can be embedded into newsletters, emailed homework assignments, or bookmarked on classroom computers for students to explore on their own without additional time and assistance being needed from the teacher.  Below is the guide I created:

Check out How to Make a Calendar for the Month of September by Jason Hall on Snapguide.

As you can see, guides like these are able to provide students with assistance with their learning at a pace that is set by that student. Users can scan, review, and go back to previous directions as many times as they need without disrupting the flow of the class like it would with more traditional forms of lecture and instruction. Students can use guides as part of a station set-up, create their own as they learn to create flowcharts and write procedure text, and review previous taught and practiced material.

The applications for teachers are numerous. Once a guide as been created on SnapGuide, it's saved and doesn't need to be reproduced every year. Students can review the guides on their own, giving the teacher more time to be available for other questions and concerns. They're also fun to make, giving students a different medium that paper and pencil to create and share their ideas and learning.

Concerning cost, SnapGuide is free to use. It can be found at: https://snapguide.com

ISTE Standards for Students

(Click on the link above for descriptions of the following standards this tool can address.)

       Creativity and innovation (a, b, c, d)

       Communication and collaboration (a, b, c, d)

       Research and information fluency (b, c, d)

       Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making (a, b, d)

       Digital citizenship (a, b, c, d)

       Technology operations and concepts (a, b, c, d)

ISTE Standards for Teachers

(Click on the link above for descriptions of the following standards this tool can address.)

       Facilitate and Inspire student learning and creativity (a, b, c,d)

       Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments (a, b, c)

       Model digital age work and learning (a, b, c, d)

       Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility (a, b, c)

       Engage in professional growth and leadership (a, d)

Sources:

A place for makers. (n.d.). Retrieved July 17, 2015, from https://snapguide.com/