What’s your background, and how did you get started in education?
Whenever I was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, I always answered that I wanted to become a teacher. My younger sister and I loved to play “school” at home. She would sit in a chair with paper and a pencil pretending to be a student and I would stand at a small chalkboard, writing words and math equations. Later, when she actually went to school, I got a chance to help her with challenging homework assignments and shared things that I was learning in my classes. In high school, I babysat several children in our neighborhood and helped tutor them. I’ve always had a passion for teaching and always knew I wanted to work with children.
I’m originally from Upstate NY, which is where I ended up going to college. I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in English Language Arts. I have experience teaching in a traditional classroom setting, however, as an introvert, online teaching became a really great fit for me. I have enjoyed teaching a variety of math, English, ESL, social studies, and science classes to children (ages 3-16) from all around the world!
As a Premier Publisher, what unique insights do you bring to curriculum design and educational technology?
As a neurodivergent introvert, I am someone who really values inclusivity and differentiated learning. I try to design my educational materials in an engaging way that caters to a variety of learner needs.. For example, most of my decks include an auditory component. Button sounds or verbal directions help assist with independent learning. And of course, there is always the option to play with the volume off or simply read the directions if that is more appropriate for the learner. I strongly believe that differentiation is key for student confidence and success.
On a platform like Boom, I also have the opportunity to use digital technology to create visually inspiring, interactive decks that students love to play! Making learning fun and seeing a child excited to master a new skill is incredibly rewarding. I’m looking forward to designing more decks with a whimsical feel, full of fun characters that children will be excited to meet and interact with!
Could you share a story about the impact you’ve seen from one of your popular Boom Card decks?
It’s difficult to narrow it down to one story, but a younger student of mine comes to mind. She was in one of my online group classes, and I remember how shy and quiet she was. As a very shy child myself, I never forced her to participate verbally in class, but would include group questions, in which the students could respond non-verbally (raising a hand, holding up a certain number of fingers, nodding etc.). After each class, I would provide educational materials for the students to practice what they’d learned. Within a few weeks of practicing, using a variety of Boom decks, I witnessed a noticeable difference in her self-confidence. She began speaking up in class to answer questions and started interacting with her classmates regularly.
What made this particular outcome so exciting or rewarding for you?
It was remarkable to see how the right support, community, and learning tools built up her confidence and transformed her experience in an educational setting. One of my core beliefs as a teacher is that all students have the ability to thrive with the right support. Boom Cards are powerful tools to help children learn, review, and practice a variety of skills along their learning journey. They are also great tools for teachers to assess where their students may need a little extra support.
What tips can you share with emerging publishers?
- Invest in high-quality, commercial graphics and fonts.
- Make your covers visually appealing and easy to read.
- Think about what keywords you’re using in your titles and descriptions. Make sure they are words and phrases teachers actually use, so they can find you.
- Create templates, whenever possible.
- Focus on quality over quantity. Take your time planning and creating high-quality decks. This includes proofreading and getting feedback from students and teachers, if possible.
- You can look at other publishers’ Boom Cards for inspiration, but make sure to create your own unique and original ideas.
What are some ways you make differentiated learning activities with Boom Cards?
A couple of ways that I make my Boom Cards adaptable and inclusive are by creating multiple decks for the same concept but with varying skill levels and by providing instructions that can be either read or listened to. I’ve also been slowly going back through my decks and adding alt text for images to ensure compatibility with screen readers. And although the characters in my decks so far are primarily animals, I have plans to create decks in the future with human characters that will represent a variety of diverse backgrounds, genders, and abilities.
What tips or strategies can you share that help creators make high-quality digital resources for teachers?
- Start with clear learning objectives before you begin creating your decks. Make sure you’ve done some planning and identified the skills or concepts you want students to master with your Boom Cards.
- Take advantage of the interactive elements available, like drag-and-drop, clickable objects, audio, and video, to create more engaging Boom Cards.
- Incorporate differentiation into your designs to help accommodate the diverse needs of learners.
- Keep your designs simple and user-friendly by creating a clean layout and intuitive navigation. Avoid unnecessary clutter and distractions that may take away from a student’s learning experience.
- If you’re able, test your decks with a small group of students or even teacher friends so that you can get feedback and identify areas that may need some improvement.
- Stay updated on best teaching practices and update your decks as needed.
What opportunities do you see for collaboration and innovation in the Boom community?
There are so many talented creators in the Boom community with different areas of expertise. I see the opportunity for Boom publishers to collaborate with each other, pool expertise, share resources, exchange ideas, and co-create Boom Cards. I’d love to participate in a virtual conference with other Boom Card authors, where we can share our experiences, creation tips, marketing advice, etc.
What role can Boom Publishers play in supporting teacher self-care and preventing burnout?
- Boom Cards are great self-care tools for teachers because they can save valuable planning time. This means that teachers can spend less time creating materials from scratch and more time doing activities that contribute to their self-care.
- Boom decks are also self-grading, so teachers can get the feedback they need, without the manual effort of grading assignments.
- Boom Cards provide personalized, independent learning experiences for students, which can help teachers address individual learning needs more effectively.
- When Boom authors create decks that are fun and engaging, it helps students to stay on task, which can help with classroom management and in turn, alleviate stress for teachers.
Any final motivational words for aspiring Boom Publishers or educators looking to make a difference?
Being a Boom Publisher gives you the incredible opportunity to reach students far beyond the walls of your classroom and to help other teachers from all over the world. I would like to personally thank you for all that you do for our community and encourage you to continue designing high-quality learning materials. Together, we have the potential to create a better world for our students and for future generations.
Check out these differentiated learning activities from Kimberly’s Classroom:
