Morning Meeting is my favorite part of the school day. It is a time to connect and set the tone for the day. Over the years, I have come to realize that morning meetings become more meaningful when students are driving the experience, rather than just participating in them. Choices make morning meeting feel like our time, not just a routine in our schedule. The challenge, however, is that I have a wide variety of communicators in my self-contained classroom. Technology has become my solution for making sure every student can make meaningful choices that shape our morning together. In this blog post, I share three ways I utilize technology to provide my students with choices during morning meeting.
1. Slide Decks
I use slide decks to structure my morning meeting. Embedded in the slides are visual options to allow students to make decisions. My students interact with these slides in various ways, depending on their mode of communication. Some of them communicate their choices verbally or with their speech-generating devices, and others point to the screen.
For example, I let my students choose their morning greeting song. I offer two options on my slide, and I pick a student to choose for us. Tech tip: To streamline your morning meeting routine, you can (1) embed the video directly from YouTube™ or (2) add the link to your video to an image. Option 1 displays the video within the slide (with no ads), while Option 2 directs you to the platform where your video is hosted (e.g., YouTube™, with ads).
2. Speech-generating Buttons
Speech-generating buttons, such as the BigMack™, are game-changers for students who use AAC or have limited verbal communication. Students who rarely get to “speak” to the entire group suddenly have a clear, confident voice. I love seeing the pride and ownership in their faces. It’s not just about the choice – it’s about being heard and a sense of belonging.
I pre-record options onto separate buttons. When it comes time for a student to make a choice, they press their chosen button, and their selection is announced for the whole class to hear. Tech tip: Use options such as left and right, colors, or numbers so you don’t have to keep recording new options with new content. This is also an effective way to incorporate different academic concepts into your morning meeting routine.
3. YouTube™ Brain Breaks
My students use typing or speech-to-text to choose a brain break video from YouTube™ to end our morning meeting. This way, students are not just choosing from my pre-selected options. Instead, they are actively bringing in new content. For students who need more support, I may pull up options and have them point or type with a visual cue.
All in all, using technology during morning meetings has transformed how we connect and learn together. The technology tools I shared ensure that every student can participate meaningfully, regardless of how they communicate. When students can genuinely choose and express themselves through technology during morning meeting, they learn what it means to make decisions that positively influence their community. This experience builds confidence and communication skills that carry into other parts of their day.
