I wanted to teach the students all about the characteristics of a folk tale, especially how they originated in oral storytelling. After reading and listening to many folk tales, we wrote our own. Then using Voice Memos app, we recorded our folk tales on small microphones attached to our touches. Sometimes we needed to practice recording a few times to make the best oral story. Then we exchanged our tales with a friend. They listened for all the characteristics of it and wrote them down. To make it more fun, we made paper dolls characters for our friends to look at while they listened.
WE are in the throes of state testing at the moment. The students are worn out and nervous as they would like to do well. I just started a health unit and decided to try downloading a Yoga For Kids podcast and Pocket Yoga app onto their ipods. They love it! They say things like "This calms me down" or "I feel better now". It's interesting for me to watch as they silently go about choosing their yoga poses and following an instructor to learn ways to shake off those jitters. Even though we are space challenged in the classroom and there are 29 of us, when they have their headphones on and individually choosing what they want to do, it is completely quiet....except for the occasional happy grunt as they try the harder poses. We will definitely start our day like this during this testing season!
My reading block recently read a story about a young man who took a road trip with his older brother across the United States. He sent a postcard home from every place he went and then put it into a book when he returned. I thought we should do the same thing as third graders need to know how to write friendly letters. Ours, however, would have a technology twist. We had a map of the United States where we made plot points of our journey. Each place they visited had to have information about that they would put on the postcard. Using WikiPlaces, Wikitap, and Google Earth, we found locations that were interesting to visit, read for information, and wrote a postcard entry. To watch the students find a cozy spot in the room, learn about places they've never even visited, and come up to me with excited faces showing me the places they were reading about was amazing. At this time of year to watch them use the touches as the sole use for information is very exciting. They manage their own learning, have curious questions answered, and have total control of their learning outcome still fascinates me. 
In my reading class of 31 students, I have noticed the difference in how kids retrieve information for a project. As my numbers grew in the last few months, I was worried I wouldn't have enough materials for reading and project work. I should never have worried. In our most recent genre study on biographies, there has been little classroom management on my part. No longer are there 4 kids huddled around one book to read. No longer are there waiting lists of students for encyclopedias for information needed. They each have their own ipods to access any question they might have and pictures of the people they are writing about. With the apps, audiobooks, and snippets of tv shows, they have most of the information needed. Oh yeah, I do have a couple of tubs of books from the library which they all were required to read at least one on their person they picked. But with all these other choices right at their fingertips, they were all fully engaged at all times. I tell people all the time, there may be 31 students in here, but you would never know it. EVERY SINGLE ONE of them are working and engaged. Very exciting!
As my desire to create more of these curriculum digital kits increases, so does my excitement for this new way of learning with the ipods. I know this is working as I am receiving so many comments from parents. We recently had a Family Math Night at our school. The parents were so animated as they recounted stories from home. They couldn't believe how their students would go home and, without prompting, talk about school rather than them trying to pry information out. A common thread in all of this was the ipod touch. Whether it be math, reading, science, or social studies, the learning transferred to the home. I had two students who are in my reading block bring their parents over to meet me. The parents both said how happy their children are with being in reading block. And I believe it! The smiles that greet me at the door everyday and the first question out of their mouth being "What are we going to do with the touches today?" is my clue that learning and excitement are happening!
With all this excitement surrounding the touch, I wanted hard evidence that this is being transferred to achievement. I pulled together some numbers recently and was giddy with the results.
Scores reflect difference from a pretest to a post test:
Fairy Tale Unit....Scores went from an average of 33% to 88%
Historical Fiction......36% to 93%
Multiplication.....53% to 90%
Now that is what I call growth!
As this project drew to a close last week, I once again could not believe the level of opportunities for information these ipods gave the students for their projects. They became an extension of their learning, not just a fun ipod to 'play' with. A friend of mine came in with some outside observers who are interested in implementing ipods in their school district and later told me he saw students randomly using the ipods as their needs came up for information. There wasn't a big line at my desk waiting for me to help them find things. They are now experienced enough with this tool to manage their information needs on their own. I have been watching a few students recently to see how they handle the ipod and what they use it for. One student decided her final project would be a diary of a 12 year old girl who was the daughter of a maid aboard the ship. She constantly had the ipod in her hand! Another student worked in a group to write a play on the Titanic experience. She kept checking for details and photos for their props. The last student chose to do his project with friends. That didn't work out so well for him on his final presentation, however, he is the one that is still coming up to me telling me all about what he is continuing to read about the Titanic. He was fascinated with the Titanic passenger list he found on the touch. I downloaded a Titanic app for him so he can continue his learning when he has a free moment during the day. At the end of the day, when a teacher reflects on their units of learning, I believe that with 29 students in my reading block, I could never had achieved the success I had without these ipod devices!
With the start of a new unit in the historical fiction genre, we began discussing the story of the Titanic. I had done this unit last year and wanted to see how my year of experience using the touches might effect how I teach it this year. With more ideas of how to gather resources, I came armed with more enthusiasm and knowledge to answer their questions on how to use the touches for research. What I quickly found out is that they are "pros" already and come to me only for clarification. The atmosphere is quite electric as every student is creating their own project for the final project. Many are multi-tasking with an ipod, a book, and notes they've written to develop a project of their choice. The best thing is their excitement and how they are extending this at home. Some are continuing their research on their own at home and coming to school with pictures they have printed or information they have looked up. Now that's extended learning!
I couldn't have been more pleased with the outcome of our published fairy tales. Equipped with all of the resources they needed, they not only produced fantastic fairy tales but thoroughly enjoyed the process. After we read our tales to some first and third graders, I had the students reflect in a journal what they thought of the experience. Most had nothing but good things to say about using the touches for a resource. They felt they could manage what they wanted to do and how they did it. One of my favorite quotes was "It was quiet and relaxing." I understand this as they were all working individually, and picking how they wanted to use the touches either through podcasts, apps or audiobooks. We even had a website to go to that helped them make sure they had the correct plot diagram for their tale. With the students happy and learning at their pace and the outcome being what it was, how could anyone not see the value of having a small device within arms reach ready to help provide any answers to questions they might have?
Since teachers are very goal-oriented, I decided to make a professional goal for this new year. Coinciding with a grant I recieved and a teacher research class I'm taking, I have decided to really observe and analyze student work like never before. Using my ipods as a jumping off point, I created another "digital kit" that includes all of my favorite teaching tools....apps, websites, audiobooks, slideshows, and, of course, REAL books. With the behind-the-scenes lesson preparing complete, I will be focusing on three students I randomly picked from each academic touchpoint of learning. I will reflect on their questions, learning styles that reflect how they learn best, photograph them while doing their work, and analyze their results of learning. My biggest 'teacher' question will be "How did the ipod touch effect their learning? Is their interest in learning due to the 'cool factor' of the tool? Did having choices in how they learned have the biggest effect on the outcome?" Through these techniques I hope to focus on how I teach and how my students learn.
This week we have been working on a nonfiction story about the solar system. Instead of using the regular book report or even a Keynote presentation, I decided to become more dependent on our ipods to help polish our final project. In the past I would have had students pick a few pictures from a folder I created, write their facts into a Keynote slide and present it. Well, this time we went to a website where we found all our information, saved our images from that website into our iPhoto, and created a presentation using Slideshow Builder app. It has transitions, the Ken Burns effect, timed slides, and many more features a regular Keynote would have. The difference is all the information was attained and developed all from these hand-held devices. I did not have to drag the students to the computer lab or make sure the laptops were available. It was all right there on their desks and in their hands. The students will take these slideshows and present their findings in small groups. So easy!
Lee Elementary iPods
Navigation
Categories
Announcements
Your Blog
