What are Boom Cards?

Teachers work tirelessly to keep students engaged from bell-to-bell. However, so many of the “fun” aspects aren’t as educational as teachers would like. Due to this, it can be tricky to find the perfect blend of fun yet educational when planning new units. Thankfully, when learning what are Boom Cards, teachers are going to see how they are the answer to this perfect blend! 

What are Boom Cards?

Boom Cards are interactive, gamified learning activities for students. Teachers can make or select a deck of cards based on content students are learning. Then, students can be assigned this deck to complete individually. For a comparison, think of Boom Cards as interactive, digital task cards! However, be sure to check out all of the benefits below to see why Boom Cards are one of the greatest tools to incorporate into lessons. 

Benefits 

There are many incredible benefits to using Boom Cards. However, there are four that make them stand out among the many other teaching resources to incorporate into lessons.  

1. Interactive: This means that students are given a digital card with a question on it. Students have to answer directly on the card. Thus, students will stay focused as they get to interact with the cards in order to move to the next question.
2. Digital: Students often go home and spend hours on tech devices. While it is important to show students not everything needs to be digital, it is important to incorporate their interests into the classroom. Hence, Boom Cards are a great way to embed technology into lessons. They are highly educational and show students how technology is not only fun when playing a game. Additionally, this aspect means there is no waiting in line at the copier or worrying what to do when the copier is out of order.
3. Self-Checking: This is a highly beneficial feature in any classroom! This means that instead of answering questions incorrectly, students will know they have a correct answer before moving on. This aspect is an incredible way to ensure students are correctly learning the content.  Additionally, this means that assignments are automatically graded without spending hours going through each card. Thus, this is an incredible time saver for teachers. Furthermore, Boom Learning will gather all the data teachers always need. Whether needing it to see who is struggling or for an evaluation, data is automatically recorded.
4. Differentiation: It is so important to provide lessons and review at the individual learning level. Therefore, Boom Decks can be assigned to different students. For example, some students will work on single digit addition while others work on two or three digit addition. Since each student is on his/her own device, no one will feel singled out for a differentiated lesson. There is even a feature that allows students to be assigned the same Deck, but have certain cards taken out for certain students. Booom Cards are filled with ways to differentiate lessons! 

Implementing Boom Cards into the Classroom 

Boom Cards are so versatile in how they can be assigned! Due to the benefits above, students will be able to complete them in a variety of ways. Therefore, all teachers can implement this resource in the way that best fits his/her students.

1. Center Time

Students have so much content to learn each year. In order to get everything in without stressing students out, centers are so helpful. They also allow the teacher to work with a small group, which means really focusing on the students. Thus, one center can be Boom Cards. They will also keep students engaged, which means the teacher’s attention can stay on the small group. 

2. Fast Finisher Time

In every classroom, there are typically students who finish before the rest. However, it is so important to keep these students working. They should not become bored just because they finished. Hence, you can always have a few Boom Card Decks ready to go for whenever this happens. 

3. Stations

Students love to be up and moving and being on technology. Thus, try combining the two! For instance, have four stations set up around the room with different skills. Students can move station to station while completing their lesson on devices. 

4. Computer Time

Tech skills are so important for students to develop. Ultimately, they need practice in order to develop the skills that have dominated society. By providing some computer time each week, students will practice these skills while still being engaged with academics. 

5. Independent Work

While students love working together, they also need time to practice the content on their own. Hence, they may have independent work time each day, such as morning work or after lunch in order to refocus. Boom Cards are a great way to keep students engaged and focused! They will have so much fun that they will forget about their love to socialize. 

Due to these options, Boom Cards can be done in the classroom or at home. For example, students may be assigned 20 minutes of computer work three days a week. Therefore, it doesn’t matter where this learning takes place. So, whether you are learning in-person or students are at home, Boom Cards can always be assigned. 

Additionally, the same Boom Cards can be assigned in different ways in order to best meet the needs of the students. For instance, the Decks on verbs and similes and metaphors can be used in any of the formats above! Additionally, cause and effect,  sentence structures, and making inferences can be incorporated into any learning style students prefer. If you want a paper version you might also like this one! Be sure to check out a preview of these decks to see if they might be a good fit in your classroom! 

Boom Cards are interactive, self-checking, digital cards that will hold the attention of all students. Even better, they can easily be differentiated in order to ensure students are supported yet challenged at a level that is most appropriate for them. Once students use Boom Cards the first time, they will be asking for them again and again! 

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