A Light Box In The Classroom And Beyond
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Hi Everyone! A few weeks ago I was on Instagram and saw photos of teachers using light boxes. The Heidi Swapp Light Box is the cutest little tabletop or desktop invention. Immediately I thought, “Hmmm. I need one of those.” What for might you ask? A few ideas ran through my head.
How about…
- Display reminders to my husband. One could say, “Pick up that dirty laundry off the floor?” Anything lit up is bound to get his attention. 😉
- A message to my kids. “Don’t leave that cup in the family room.” Again- Any message illuminated had got to put an end to bad habits around the house.
- My back rear window for inconsiderate drivers. “Do not tailgate the Mom of four.”
Do you see where I’m going with this? The possibilities are endless. In fact, I think I need a pocket size light box with a sign that reads, “Do not disturb.” or, “Taking a mental vacation.” That’s sure to be a hit.
Back to my original plan. I wanted to find a way to use it with my students. I found a wonderful blog post by Maribel at Learning In Wonderland. She had the most beautiful and creative ideas for it! (Be sure to read her post after this. She has great tips you won’t want to miss.)
Then I put my Orton-Gillingham teacher hat on. How could I incorporate a light box into my lessons? Aha! I could create phonogram templates and display them. That would help keep our focus on what the heart of the lesson was all about. Take a peek below.
You can see from the photos above that I used transparency film in my ink jet printer, trimmed them and slid one into each slot. You can also use transparency film in laser jet printers. The light box can stand alone or you can hang it. You can plug it in or use batteries. I think it still looks nice even when you don’t turn it on. After I finished the phonogram templates, I decided to create some inspirational messages. I thought they would help create a positive learning atmosphere for a classroom. Check out a few I made below.
Do you think you’d like to try a light box in your classroom, tutoring site or home? You can find the sets I’ve created in my TpT store.
Here are the ones I’ve created:
Click here for the print version. |
Click here for the cursive version. |
Click here for phonogram templates. |
Do you have more ideas for using a light box? I’d love to hear them.
Very clever use of the lightbox! The potential for messages to a spouse crack me up!
I love the inspirational messages! I'm new to light boxes in the classroom.. what a perfect way to put a spotlight on your focus.
I just took a peak at your inspirational posters, they are adorable! What a great idea Emily, I think they would make a great addition to any classroom.
I have been thinking of ways to use the lightbox in my classroom. I think I'm now sold. I need a lightbox.
This is really cool!
This looks amazing!
I love this idea!
I purchased your set of quotes and they are AWESOME! (And I design my own things and can be kind of finicky about fonts, etc. 😉 ) I printed my first one tonight and used the "fit" selection on my printer since actual size made it look like it would go off the edge. When I just trimmed on the lines the boxes were slightly too small. Do I do it correctly? Thank you!
Do you still have your phonogram templates available on TPT? I couldn't find them anywhere! Thanks!