New to Boom and don't know where to start? This article will take you step by step through the basics of navigating and using Boom as a Teacher. You can find a list of the terms we use and their definitions here: Boom Learning Terminology - Helpful Definitions. 


If you learn better by watching than reading, check out the YouTube tutorial by Tiny Teaching Tube called Boom Cards 101 - How to Get Started on Boom Learning for a complete walkthrough from creating an account to finding and assigning decks and then viewing student progress and performance.


You can also connect with other teachers for ideas on how to use Boom Cards in our Teaching with Boom Cards group on Facebook. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS


Memberships, Boom Cards, and Points - what are they?


Memberships provide the data processing, hosting, and related elements of the Boom Learning product, including student progress reporting and the ability to create a curriculum by creating your own Boom Cards. Only paid memberships have access to live and stored student success reports. 


Each of the membership levels offers different features. To explore those different membership levels and select the right membership for you, please read through: Which Membership Should I Choose? 


Memberships do not include access to ready-made Boom Cards. They enable you to create your own Boom Cards and Decks. Ready-made decks can be found in the Boom Store. You can use the Green, "Find Free" button to locate free decks made by others, or you can purchase decks using points. 




Points act as currency in the store, and make it possible for teachers and other deck authors to sell the Boom Cards they create for additional income on the side. You can find more information on points here: Points - What are they and why do you use them. 

To purchase points for an individual account go to the Store and select a points package. To purchase points in bulk for a school or other organization using the Estimate Builder. We also have an FAQ outlining the process of buying Boom Cards for a school which walks purchasers through the steps of buying a single membership for a teacher in their school. 


Setting up a Teacher Profile


Once you've created an account, you'll want to fill in some basic information on your profile. For steps on how to add a picture, name, and other profile details, take a look at: Setting up Your Profile. 


There is nothing to download or install. Your online account houses all the Boom Cards you make or purchase as well as all student account data.  



Setting up Students


Create a new classroom by going to the "Classes" tab and clicking on "New Classroom." Then add an individual student by using the "New Student" button, or add all the students in your class with the "Add Many Students" button. 



Google Classroom users can import students directly from Google by following the steps outlined in this FAQ on Setting Up Google Classroom with Boom Learning.


There are a number of ways students can log in to Boom Learning. They can log in using Google, use a Hyperlink to be automatically directed, or go to the Boom Learning login page and type in their username and password. 


You'll find additional information on each of these methods in the FAQ: Adding Students to Classrooms Manually.


Assigning Boom Cards


You can assign decks using Fast Pin or Hyper Links, or by Assigning them to a student from the Classroom or individually. We give instructions on each of these methods in our FAQ Assigning, Un-assigning, and Playing Boom Cards. 


For steps on how to assign decks you've made yourself, see Assign your own Decks to Students with Private Publishing.


Grading and Reports


Boom Cards give students instant feedback as they play through the deck. For teachers with a membership that hosts student data, teachers can view progress and performance on the reports page. Data can be viewed either by an individual student or for the whole classroom. 

Get a quick tour of the Reports tab in the video below. 


Reports can also be viewed by deck by going through the Library tab to locate the specific deck you'd like to see a report from. Click on the blue "Action" button to open the drop-down menu and then click on "View Report" to open that deck's report. 




From the classroom report, teachers can see assigned decks as well as who has not yet started on assignments, who has completed all assigned decks, and who is in the process of working through a deck. We also offer a Live Monitoring feature for just-in-time interventions with some of our memberships. 


You will also see their score so far as well as the number of times they have played through the deck. Find additional information on how to understand and use Student Reports here. 


Creating and Organizing Boom Cards

Memberships empower you to create your own decks, among other things, while points allow you to purchase ready made resources. Here are some tips on creating your own decks and organizing the decks you've made or the ones you purchase. Getting organized early on can save your sanity later. 

Organizing Your Library of Purchased Boom Cards


For a quick walkthrough of the basics and some tips on organizing, check out Della Larsen's YouTube Video: Using Folders to Organize Boom Decks. Then head over to our FAQ Organizing, Sorting, and Searching your Boom Library for more information on the types of folders.  



Creating Your Own Boom Cards


To get started making your own Boom Cards, go to your Studio tab and open the "Get Started Creating Boom Cards" deck that we provide automatically. This deck will walk you through the basic tools and give you a chance to play around with them any time you need. 


For more information and resources to help you get started making your own decks, check out our FAQ: Quick Start Guide for Boom Card Creators.


We also run a few Facebook groups to help Boom members connect with fellow teachers and Boom users. For ideas on how to use Boom Cards in the classroom, join Teaching with Boom Cards. You can talk to other deck authors to share tips and tricks for Creating Boom Cards. Discuss selling those decks you've made in the Boom Store in the Boom Sellers group, which is reserved just for seller related topics and techniques. 

Organizing as you Create


For help organizing images, see our FAQ: Managing Images in your Studio.