How a 1st-grade teacher from Garland, TX, uses ShowMe in the classroom

September 23, 2019

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Meet Sahur Augsteen, an inspiring 1st-grade teacher from Garland, Texas. In her two years of experience in teaching Sahur has had time to try out many educational technology solutions, including ShowMe.

We asked Sahur about her experience with using ShowMe and her thoughts on implementing flipped classroom. Check out the interview below, and get inspired!

How does educational technology influence your classroom?
My school is an MST so we are surrounded by technology and actively look to integrate it throughout the day. Our students have all been issued an iPad and technology keeps my lessons flexible, differentiated and engaging from day to day. With the help of technology and great apps like ShowMe, I have the range to take an average lesson and make it both hands-on and unique to various sets of students.

Did you meet any obstacles in implementing flipped classroom in your teaching process?
It might sound a bit unrealistic but even first graders can benefit from a flipped classroom model! Having prior exposure to any lesson or even the slight amount of prior knowledge provides confidence for my students. The obstacles I faced was when families had a difficult time understanding an assignment and knowing how to better help their student. Without having a way to model or breakdown what students learn, I found it hard to assign work to look over before the school day.

How long have you been using ShowMe?
One year.

How has ShowMe changed the way you teach?
ShowMe is a game-changer for my classroom! I use it every day and when I don’t, my first graders are quick to remind me that they prefer to use it during our lessons. Before ShowMe, my phonics lessons dragged as we worked to get materials together for a quick 15-minute phonics lesson. Now, through the ShowMe app, my students and I have a self-recording whiteboard interface at the tips of our fingers. For math instruction, students can go back and see how letters are formed and ways that I think aloud to solve any questions during math. They can not only have access to it during the day but they can see it for days to come providing larger exposure time. Although anchor charts are important, they are not readily available like a ShowMe tutorial would be. I like knowing that instead of leading them to a random video to help review a concept my students can hear my voiceover and step by step instruction reinforcing any topic we covered in class.

Do your students use ShowMe? How do you encourage them to use technology in their learning process?
My students use ShowMe and look forward to it each day! They love the recording feature and are encouraged to provide the class with a good sample of a tutorial over specific lessons we do in class. The range in colors, backgrounds and ease in access making the app user-friendly for my first graders. After the lesson I share, I select a great example and show it off to the rest of the class. ShowMe gives my students the ability to talk through their thought process. When they can put into their own words what they have learned is when they are doing their best most authentic learning.

What is your favorite ShowMe feature? What do you like the most in using ShowMe?
My favorite feature is the interactive whiteboard and the ability to record yourself as you work. It saves me time and when students watch it back, they know exactly what I was saying as I was working on a certain question. As a primary teacher, it is very user-friendly and my students like being able to hear and see the video. When it comes to letter formation, students who struggle with a particular letter can hear me describe the way it should be written and see me to it. It provides great lessons for my English Learners and students with Dyslexia.

How do you prepare your ShowMe lessons? Do you prefer creating slides or videos?
I create videos beforehand! I love that I can create the video and pause as I teach it in real-time. Doing this allows me the freedom to take learning to the next level and add to my lesson in real-time. This has allowed my gifted and talented students to enhance their thought process and go deeper into the lesson than a quick overview.

Do you have any tips for new users?
For new users, I would just say to simply try it! It will be your new best friend when it comes to teaching at any grade level. I would start by using it as just a whiteboard but you will find yourself quickly getting into the other features as well!

Is there anything you would like to add?
I am very grateful to ShowMe! Thank you for making an app that is so simple yet powerful and complex at the same time. It works great for all student and helps make differentiation in lessons possible. I feel more prepared and my students look forward to any lesson that includes ShowMe. It has taken an average lesson and making it the next level.

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