cc licensed flickr photo shared by CanadianAEh

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Omaha for #edcampomaha. It was great to learn from other educators! In one session  educators sung the praises of FOLDABLES.

Graphic Organizers are important tools that help students organize and understand key concepts.  Foldables are three-dimensional graphic organizers that are more interactive and appeal to kinesthetic and visual learners. Students are cutting, folding and gluing colorful paper to create the organizer.  The possibilities for higher-level thinking and engagement are endless.  Students are asked to organize information, compare and contrast, discuss cause and effect, make observations, etc… As with any classroom activity, the key is on the learning – The bridge between knowing and understanding!

One foldable in particular, that was mentioned at #edcampomaha, was something I had used as a teacher – but now has a “techie” component. I use to have my students fold one piece of paper to make what we called an 8-Page Book. We used these in a wide variety of subject areas. The “techie site” calls them PocketMods. I encourage you to spend some time exploring this site and all the possibilities.

The first PocketMod I plan to make is for a personal project.  Over the course of the last year I have been preparing my dog to be a Read To Me Dog at our public library. My dog, Boji, has passed all of his tests. I will complete the necessary orientation class in a few weeks and we will be ready to begin.

I plan to create a PocketMod book for Boji to give to the children that read to him. I haven’t decided the exact format. It may be a short story about Boji or perhaps a small book of reading strategies Boji would recommend. Either way – I’m excited to try out the PocketMod site!

As we head through the home stretch of the school year, keeping students engaged in their learning is so important. So much can be accomplished and learned in 9-weeks. Perhaps Foldables have or could play a role in your classroom. I’d love to hear how you use them!

I have created a Pinterest Board on the topic of Foldables. I’ll continue to add to it as I find more sites. I hope you are able to find some inspiration from the pins to enhance your current use of Foldables or give them a try for the first time!

HAPPY  FOLDING!