Mirror guides my second graders through reflection questions on their own, and then I get data on their answers to help me support each student’s needs.

Melisa Hayes | Hilliard Crossing Elementary School, Hilliard, OH

USE CASE

Creating more autonomous and deeply engaged elementary students

Melisa Hayes

2nd Grade Teacher

School/District:

Hilliard Crossing Elementary School, Hilliard, OH

Grade Level 2nd grade

Discovering Mirror: A game-changer in guided learning

Juggling time constraints and wanting to engage my students were the main reasons I was so excited to start using Mirror. This tool allows my kids to reflect on their work at any time. It’s versatile, and any age or ability can use it. My kids can access Mirror at any point of the day, and it fits into my limited schedule.

In my room, Mirror is in a corner where kids can go anytime to use it when they want to reflect. Mirror guides my second graders through reflective questions independently. They get immediate AI-generated feedback, and then I get data on their answers to those questions that help me support each student’s needs. 

And guess what? They love Mirror! 

Not only is it a reflective tool–it can be transformed into an interactive workspace that supports individual and small-group guided learning. It’s amazing for me as an educator to be able to set up the Mirror for small groups. I record instructions, set Mirror to turn into a functional whiteboard, program brain breaks, and stretches, and then bring students back to reflection as the foundation of the activity.

Giving voice to the youngest students

I have always faced challenges when having my students reflect on their learning. Time, of course, is always a factor; but also, there is the added challenge of keeping my students engaged enough to reflect on a lesson, subject, or their behavior. Mirror lets them take that initiative right in class, creating an environment where even young students can feel autonomy over their actions.

Giving my kids the ability to choose how to give their brains a break and center themselves is such a great way to promote their self-advocacy. Mirror does this with the Recharge feature, a series of movement activities aimed at either focus, energy, or rest. Mirror is also customized for each student. They can color code their “profile” and choose the animation they’d like to be greeted with – one of my kids chooses a high five and always giggles when it comes on!

When used in conjunction with a stronger reflective foundation, Mirror has the ability to help even the youngest learners reach a higher order of thinking. This is something we need to consider more in the age of AI.

Try Mirror, commitment-free, with your students

Do your students need more cohesion in their learning experience? Could you use more support amidst time constraints? Explore supporting your students’ learning with reflection. Try Mirror with students in your class for free today!

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With Mirror, students can talk about their successes, challenges, and plans for future work.

Traci Johnson | Rochester Schools

USE CASE

To increase authenticity and ownership

Traci Johnson

English Teacher & Instructional Coach

School/District

Rochester Schools

Grade Level High School

“Many students seem to struggle with written reflection.” Dr. Traci Johnson is a big believer in the necessity of reflection, especially after a large project or assignment. However, the reflections teachers in her school were getting largely seemed inauthentic, like students were just checking the activity off the list to get it done.

Finding authentic student engagement

“Some reflection prompts worked better than others, but we felt students weren’t doing the work to understand how their successes and struggles helped them grow and how they can apply that to future learning. They were trying to say what they thought the teacher wanted to hear.”

Using Mirror has allowed Traci’s students to engage in more authentic reflection. Students can talk about their successes, challenges, and plans for future work in a less formal manner. Not only are the reflections higher quality, but Traci and her colleagues have been able to share the AI-generated feedback with students so they can work to further improve their reflective skills.

Exploring flexible integration of Mirror

Traci has been flexible in how she places Mirror in her school and how it’s utilized daily, to see what works best. She’s also been observing how others use the device when they borrow it. “In an ideal world, we would have 5-6 devices for teachers to check out to use in their classrooms. Currently, we have two.” Some teachers with large enough rooms have students go to a designated spot to record their reflections. Others have students take it to the hallway to reflect. 

This week, Traci plans to use Mirror in her classroom, and due to her proximity to the library, plans to have students use Mirror there. They will be reflecting on the research process and how they can transfer the skills they are learning in English class to other courses that require research.

Try Mirror free for 30 days

Curious how Mirror can automate reflection in your classroom? Signing up for the Mirror demo gives your school dedicated support and an opportunity to try Mirror for free. Throughout your demo, our team will walk you through unboxing, personalizing Mirror for your goals, and anything else you may need to be successful with reflection.

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