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Before I begin this post on Boom decks, let me say to my readers that this is not my typical blog post about cleaning or travel. I stepped away from blogging for a few months while trying to forge ahead in unfamiliar and uncertain territory. Through it all, I discovered some amazing things about myself, my profession and where I want to go from here. The following is just the beginning.

As a veteran teacher working through a pandemic, I learned a few things along the way. One of the best and most useful tools I started to use in my lessons on a daily basis were Boom decks.

What are Boom Decks?

Boom decks are created by putting together digital task cards. Depending on the subject and grade level, Boom decks can be created with any number of cards. Most of my Boom decks have between 12-30 cards in them, depending on the topic.

Decks on the same topic or skill are sometimes combined to create bundles. The bundle I created below focuses on social-emotional skills with each deck providing a different level or type of support.

What are the Benefits of Using Boom Decks?

• You can find varied subject matter and grade bands to support all levels of learning.
• Boom decks can be assigned in multiple ways depending on your need. I use Fast Pins if assigning decks to students who are learning a new skill or practicing skills they have already been taught. Hyperlink Play allows you to assign a deck to a specific student or group of students for the purpose of tracking progress and collecting data. If you choose to access the Hyperlink Play option, you will need to have a Power account. Find out the different membership options here. If you are new to Boom Learning, you may be eligible for a free trial. Click here for details.
• Immediate, automatic feedback is provided for right or wrong answers. Correct responses result in the next card in the deck being shown while incorrect responses result in giving the student another chance to answer (the next card in the deck will not be shown until the correct answer is selected).
• I can easily post links to Boom decks on my weekly visual schedule which I create using Google slides and then post on Seesaw. Each day I create a new visual schedule that is posted with new links and activities. Please note, the Fast Pins that I use on my visual schedule are only valid for two weeks. After two weeks, you will need to assign the deck again if you want students to continue to access it.
• Once students return to in-person learning they can be access their Boom decks using iPads, Chromebooks & Kindle Fires for individualized lessons. Boom decks will also work on SMART Boards which will provide interactive learning experiences during whole-group or small group instruction.

How do I Create Individualized Lessons?

Boom decks allow me to create individualized lessons for students. Boom Learning is a platform that allows teachers to purchase or even create their own digital activities for their students. What I discovered is how incredibly easy it is to find exactly what I am looking for. The platform is super easy to use and new material is being added daily to give plenty of options.

For example:

I have some students who are currently working on counting 1-5. There’s a boom deck for that.

I have students working on counting up to 20. There’s a boom deck for that.

I have students who are working on processing skills and need to answer simple yes/no questions to practice. There’s a boom deck for that too.

Anything and everything you should need to create individualized lessons are there. You can do a search with filters to find exactly what you need based on the topic and/or grade level.

What Does a Visual Schedule Look Like?

I mentioned above that I post links to Boom decks on my daily schedule. This schedule is posted on Seesaw first thing in the morning and it provides a tentative schedule for the day ahead. What I don’t include are students individual sessions with me or their sessions with support staff (i.e., Speech and Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist), nap time, play centers, breakfast/lunch, recess, arrival or dismissal.

I will continue to use the format below when we return to the classroom but will need to include the above mentioned activities that are not currently included.

Creating Boom Cards

After learning about Boom cards and using them in my daily lessons for a few months, I learned how to create them myself. They are fun to make and it gives me a chance to tap into my creative side. It feels like I’m a new teacher creating lessons and activities for the first time and I really like it. There are great resources out there to show you how if you are also are interested in learning how.

Check out my store on Boom Learning and see how I’ve been able to create activities that focus on the specific needs of my students that are interactive and fun. I teach special needs preschoolers so most of my decks focus on basic concepts and early learning standards.

Find More Resources

If you’re interested in learning more about Boom decks, click here.

In addition to Boom Learning, you can also find plenty of digital learning activities on Teachers pay Teachers.

My store, Just Julie Shop, can be accessed by clicking here.

If you have any questions regarding digital task cards, Boom learning or Teachers pay Teachers, please don’t hesitate to ask.

If you need to plan a vacation after all of this is said and done, take a look at my Travel section. You’ll find a little bit of everything, from small town beach vacations to mountain-top getaways.

Stay Safe & Stay Healthy!