ShowMe Success

ShowMe Success in Mrs. Lowerre's classs

 

 

 

What is ShowMe?   ShowMe is an interactive whiteboard app that allows you to record voice-over tutorials.  It is a simple app for kids to use with some amazing results for learning.  I wanted to try ShowMe because we had experienced some challenges with other whiteboard apps.

 

 

How we used it: The goal was to have  a fun, stress free MCAS math review.  I assigned 12 problems for the students to work.  We then corrected those problems together and each student identified one problem that they worked incorrectly or had the most difficulty figuring out.  Their assignment was to use ShowMe to create a voice over tutorial showing how to solve that problem accurately. 

 

 

 

What went well:  Students first experimented with the app and quickly learned it's many features.  Then they began planning their steps for their tutorial. (This planning process would be the same process students would go through to plan an answer for an open response test question.)  I was able to provide short help sessions with each student as they went through their work. I made many observations about how each student thought, organized and problem solved.  I was able to provide mini lessons to each student based on their needs.  It became a very powerful teaching tool.  As the students became more comfortable with the app, they went from just writing the problem to color coding the steps.  Students began to  re-record their problem and make improvements. Of course each time they re-recorded they were practicing a math problem that they had identified as difficult for them.  What a great review!  Most students re-recorded their work at least 7 times by choice and had a great time doing it.

 

The best thing about ShowME is that you can create a class account for saving your tutorials. Each student was easily able to upload their tutorials to that account.  We then are able to share them and begin to create a library of math tutorials for later use. 

  

Challenges:  We had three challenges.  One was that some students struggled with writing numbers using their fingers.  We are hoping to have a stylus to offer to those students next time. A huge challenge was trying to find a quiet place to record.  Space in general is at a minimum at our school but quiet space is even harder to find.  Students were creative and they discovered nooks and crannies to record in.  We are hoping that ear buds with microphones are in our future. Finally, time is a huge challenge.  Only 6 students completely finished their tutorials within the time we had access to the iPads.  We will have to wait several days before the entire class can finish their work but overall what a great way to review for MCAS!