Week 1, Learning how to record

Today students learned how to use the iTalklite app. What fun we had last week learning how to record and discuss that new word of the week, prosody. We are looking to continue our work with fluency this week. My classes are doing a great job learning how to record and save their work and create files on the iPod. It is a little hectic with 3 periods using the tools per day, learning how to create files and respecting the space of others.
It was suggested we pilot with just one class, but honestly, which class would I choose when they all have something to bring to the table.

This past week we took our assessment using the iPod. We recorded ourselves reading the selection, then students could go back and listen to the piece, stop when they needed to and used it as a tool to help them better understand the story. Although we are still tallying the scores, classes are definitely improving in the area of reading comprehension. One class showed a reading comprehension score improvement of over 30 percent. The implications of the additional vocal practice is promising.

This week one class will read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens on the iPod. How amazing that a 19th century piece will be read and studied using 21st century tools.

My other two classes will continue with reading text in class, but also writing their own version of "The Night Before Christmas" and recording it using iTalk. Eventually we will create movies but not just yet.