Maxi's Amazing Adventures

• Current Materials:
1. Maxi Bear (teddy bear)
2. Extra Clothes and bag that she/he travels with
3. Notebook
4. Photo Album
5. Use of parents camera or phone to take photos

Future Materials:
1. Maxi Bear (teddy bear)
2. Extra Clothes and bag that she/he travels with
3. Trio Stealth Tablet

•Objective—At the beginning of the school year, during morning meeting Maxi Bear will be introduced to the class as the traveling bear to have adventures with. The students will choose a few activities to do with Maxi Bear and use the tablet to photograph, video, draw and write about the adventures that they choose.
Examples:
Read a book (could be one from the tablet or one that you have)
Play with toys
Have a pretend tea party
Invite Maxi to the dinner table
Watch a movie
Go to a soccer game
Go to dance class

•Instruction- During weekly morning meeting the teacher will assign and review the expectations for Maxi Bear. On Monday morning, Maxi Bear will go home with student A. He/She will use the tablet to take pictures and videos about what they are doing with Maxi Bear at home. He/She will use the notepad app on the tablet to write a few sentences about what Maxi Bear did. (parents at home can help on this part). On Friday, Maxi Bear will return to class. The student who had Maxi Bear will demonstrate during Friday morning meeting what he/she did with Maxi Bear on the tablet. In addition to talking about the expectations for Maxi Bear, during morning meeting and centers, the teacher will demonstrate how to use the camera functions on the tablet, how to use the notepad app on the tablet and how to use the drawing app on the tablet. The teacher will also send home written instructions for the tablet for the child’s parent in their binder.

•Modeling—Show example of previous adventure of Maxi Bear on the tablet in all capabilities of the tablet (camera, video, apps, etc).

•Check for Understanding- Teacher will check for understanding by looking at the tablet for photographs, video, drawings and writing sentences from the student who had Maxi Bear that week. When the tablet is in the classroom and is being used at centers; the students can practice using the functions of the tablet whether it is the camera, writing and drawing apps, reading e-books, learning apps, letter recognition. The possibilities are endless!

•Guided Practice—Teacher will assist the student who had Maxi Bear during morning meeting if they do not want to independently share the pictures, videos, drawings about their Maxi Bear Adventures. Again, when the tablet is in the classroom and is being used at centers; the students can practice using the functions of the tablet with the assistance of the teacher or another capable student.

•Independent Practice—Teacher will ask student if they would like to show the class during morning meeting the adventures of Maxi Bear on the tablet. They will do this independently without teacher assistance and when the tablet is in the classroom and is being used at centers; the students can practice using the functions of the tablet without the assistance of the teacher.

•Whole Group/Bring Back/Share: This will be the time for peers to comment or ask questions to the student who had Maxi Bear for that week. Both peers and the teacher will practice positive feedback statements such as, “I really liked how you…”. This is a great self-esteem boosting activity and also includes public speaking.

•Assessment: Student who had Maxi Bear will receive positive praise for presenting during morning meeting; will get a smiley face in their Bear Binder for completing the assignment. They will get immediate positive praise from their classmates during morning meeting. The student will have mastered the use of the tablet and all the functions that they needed to complete the assignment. Assessment of classroom tablet use will be made weekly when the tablet is used at centers both independent use and/or with more than one student.