My Favorite Thing: Lumio

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By: Samantha Wilkinson, OIT Elementary Teacher Specialist

Lumio by SMART is my recent app obsession. While I enjoy all of our apps, and they each have something special, Lumio has grabbed my attention recently.

Why? Well, I love that I can record up to 5 minutes of audio per slide so students can hear the directions over and over without me sounding like a broken record. I love how I can change it from teacher paced to student paced at any point in the lesson. I love the ability to upload a PDF, or existing Google Slide and make it and independent activity, group activity, or even whole class whiteboard. I love that I can share ad-free YouTube videos with students. And obviously, I love the templates, graphic organizers, manipulatives, and dozens of pre-made resources. Pre-made and low prep is just working smarter.


But the thing I love the MOST, my favorite thing, is Lumio's ability for teachers to edit ON THE FLY!

I recently presented in Lumio at a school and I realized I wanted to add a PDF. All 40 plus teachers were in my lesson as "students" and in one click I was able to go from a live lesson to edit mode. Students received a white screen saying that the teacher would be right back while I quickly uploaded the file and clicked "Finish Editing". Then we were back into the lesson. No one was kicked out, the lesson started where it left off, and the teachers had what they needed to achieve success. Best of all, I did not need a copy machine.

It may not seem like much but this is HUGE. This is huge because it helps teachers feel like they have flexibility to adapt as needed. Maybe it is to fix a simple spelling mistake. Maybe it is to add a graphic organizer for a close read because you notice students just need that extra support. Adding in a premade exit ticket on the fly might help you in a situation where you don't get to the whole lesson as planned. Adding in that slide on the spot would give you some formative data on student progress so you can be ready for the next day. Essentially this editing flexibility means personalized learning and modifications can happen instantaneously, while students still benefit from the accessibility features of Lumio and continue to build those digital learning skills. And that is why it is my favorite thing!


To find out more about using Lumio in your own classroom, check out our website: Teacher Intro to Digital Tools or ask your eCoach!

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