How I Use It
I am teaching a 1st grade class, in a 50/50 Spanish/English, Dual Language program. My students are all native English speakers, who are learning all of their science and social studies in Spanish. I use brain pop in several ways. I use it to give my students a conceptual background in English before the lesson in Spanish, to reinforce and supplement the text, to conclude the lessons during conceptual refinement, and to teach my students the English vocabulary.My students are highly motivated to see the short videos, and pay close attention to it, because it is in English. I will try to start showing some of them in Spanish, when their language level increases, if my school buys Brain Pop-Spanish. In each case, I feel it helps me to convey the ideas of the concepts in a kid friendly way, adds a quick change of mode of instruction, and allows them movement to the carpet, so I feel it is quite successful.
My Take
This is a really good product to have access to. It is easy to pull up, and it only takes a few minutes of instructional time. I like the way the web site is divided up into subjects, so I can find what I want easily.It could serve my kids better if they were allowed to access it from home. It would serve my teaching better if there were more subjects/concepts to choose from, and if I had a way of quickly knowing the specific concepts taught in each clip, without previewing the whole thing.I have not had a chance to see My Brain Pop, the part that comes with some subscriptions, which tracks individualized student activities and quizzes. This would be a really great tool to have access to.
