Popplet and Word Study

This week we use a the app, Popplet Lite to help us with our word study. During the week we worked on the short u families of -ug and -ut. On Friday we used what we knew about these sounds/families to sort and write words using the correct word family. We did this on Popplet by creating a box (a popple) for each word family. With each word, children had to decide which word family was needed to make the word and then attach a new popple (box) to the correct family and write the new word themselves. This was a great visual for students to see how the words are "connected".
When thinking about the SAMR model, this is in many ways just a substitution for what we could do on paper. I like to use this as a springboard however for more advanced used of the app as it is a simple way for students to learn how to use the app. Later in the year we will use this app for webbing of ideas and information. We will also use our screenshots to embed into Doodlecast Pro projects, iMovies, etc. So again, this is a wonderful springboard for what is to come.

If you decide to try this app, the link for Popplet Lite is above. With the lite version you are only able to create one Popplet at a time which could be a concern if you are not in a 1:1 or 1:2 environment. Our class is currently 1:1 so when we complete a Popplet, we take a screen shot of our finished creation and then we're able to start a new Popplet. There is also a paid version here for $4.99 which allows you to create multiple Popplet boards at one time. This would be a better option if you have multiple students using one iPad for various projects.