Google Slides

Google Slides "Interactive Slides"

The slides below were created as an interactive tool for students to use during their 1st Grade math lesson. Slides can be modified to meet the needs of all students. 

Standard: NY-1.0A Operations & Algebraic Thinking

Represent & solve problems involving addition & subtraction

1. Use addition & subtraction within 20 to solve one step word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from,  putting together, taking apart, &/or comparing, with unknowns in all positions

Please note the slides can only be interacted with outside of Presentation Mode. Please use attached link to interact with the slides. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17M6wV0Nw5CZdvVoyagswdJ4hW4rF5VEmG0_LCakBjFc/edit?usp=sharing

Google Slides in the Classroom

            My experience with Google Slides has primarily been for creating presentations. I never thought of Google Slides as an interactive tool for students to interact with the curriculum in a hands-on way. For this assignment I chose a first grade mathematics standard that focuses on adding and subtracting numbers 1-20 with single step word problems. For all my slides I chose a clear and bold font so all students can read the information on the page. This is specifically helpful for students who have visual impairment. My first interactive slide has a YouTube video explaining this standard in an easy to remember and visual way. This video can be paused, or watched multiple times so students can retain the information. Having access to this information directly is great for students with ADHD and dysgraphia, as they do not have to read a whole bunch of text to understand the lesson.

            For the remaining nine interactive slides that I created I made sure to keep everything formatted similarly, as I do not want students to get confused from slide to slide. I provided, not only the word problem, but also the equation or equations that best fit the problem. All of my slides utilize counters to help students visualize how to solve the problem. I highlighted the blank that needs to be filled in by either a new text box or drawn answer so students can clearly see where to place their answer. I also made sure to highlight all important extra information to help students understand how to use each slide. The use of counters is helpful for students with dysgraphia, as it provides them with a visual representation that can be physically manipulated, verses writing numbers and words on a page. While I did not directly apply audio to my slides for this project, I do like that audio can be added, which is beneficial for students who have dyslexia.  

            I think my favorite feature of Google Slides is the ability to edit the themes to create a background that cannot be touched by the students. This is extremely helpful so students can only manipulate the counters or add their own text boxes and drawings. This prevents students from deleting important information and keeps the slides intact. I definitely can see myself utilizing Google Slides for all students, but specifically for my students with disabilities, in my future classroom.