Now more than ever teachers are turning to technology to use digital ELA centers with their students. The two main platforms for easy to use digital activities are Google Slides and Boom Cards. There are pros and cons to using either platform In a survey with more than 1,000 teachers, the majority of teachers said that Boom Cards were easier for students to use. When asked which platform they like as a teacher, it was very evenly split for both Boom Cards and Google Slides. I'm going to share all about Kindergarten Digital Center activities you can use in your classroom!
What are Google Slides?
The first Kindergarten digital center activity you can use is called Google Slides. This program is a part of Google Drive and looks very similar to PowerPoint. Inside Google Slides, you can create activities for your students to complete. You can create a “force copy” link, so you are only creating the activity once, then can send to multiple students without their work showing over each others. Google Slides are great to use during lessons, as independent work or centers.
What are the pros to using Google Slides?
β’Students canβt just βguessβ the answer, they have to submit their work and the teacher will check.
β’They are easy to assign if you are already using Google Classroom.
β’They take longer to complete than Boom Cards.
β’It is easy to turn into Seesaw activities.
What are the cons to using Google Slides?
β’You still have to check all the work that students complete, which can be very time consuming.
β’If your school/district is using a different platform, you may not be able to use these.
β’Not accessible on many devices, especially older ones.
β’Canβt make them full screen, so students get distracted by the rest of screen.
β’It can be difficult to select and drag the different items.
β’The audio does not always work in Google Slides. If you are using an older iPad, you will not be able to play the audio while in edit mode, so students won't be able to manipulate the activity.
β’Students can resize image/canβt lock things down so they delete them, making it hard to complete the activity.
Check out this free sample of my Kindergarten Phonics Digital Centers for Google Slides to try with your students.
You can find the Kindergarten Phonics Digital Centers for Google Slides bundle here.
What are Boom Cardsβ’?
Boom Cardsβ’ are self-checking digital task cards that can be found on the Boom Learning platform and are great to use as Kindergarten digital center activities. It is easy to use Boom Cards on any device, just as long as you have internet connection to that device. You can create these for your students or find thousands on Boom Learning or Teachers Pay Teachers. There are both free and paid versions you can choose. The small yearly fee (just $15) allows you to create a classroom of students and assign specific decks to students. You can also view data, such as how long it takes them to complete it, their score, etc. With the free account, you can create Fast Play links and send that link for students to complete. You can assign these to students in Google classroom or Seesaw using a Fast Play link, making it versatile no matter what platform you use.
Check out the Boom Cardβ’ resources in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!
What are the pros to using Boom Cardsβ’?
β’Self-checking, so you don't have to go in and grade every activity! It also provides all the data for you, so it will save you lots of time!
β’You can easily create a link and add it to lesson plans/center activities for day
β’Works on any device with an internet connection.
β’Ability to hide cards without fully deleting them.
β’Easy to assign and use whether you are creating a Fast Play link or if you create a classroom of students.
β’Students cannot edit anything in the activity because everything is locked down. You don't have to worry about students accidentally deleting a piece of the activity.
β’Most include audio directions and audio picture cues to help students, especially those who cannot read.
What are the cons to using Boom Cardsβ’?
β’You have to pay a yearly membership fee to see students data
β’If you are using free account, students can just guess, because you will never know what their score is. If you are just using these as extra practice, a free account will work.
β’Itβs a new platform to learn and use. Although I've heard from both parents and teachers that it is VERY easy for students to complete, sometimes learning a new platform takes time.
β’Some districts have this site blocked, so you won't be able to use it with your students. Make sure to double check it's not blocked.
β’Students finish them too fast. It only takes students about 5-10 minutes to complete a deck, sometimes less.
For more information about Boom Cards and a free round-up of Kindergarten and First Grade Boom sets, check out this blog post here.
I hope this post was helpful in figuring out which Kindergarten digital center activities are best for your students to use!
