So I had an idea, actually it was an old idea updated, and I wrote a grant. I use to back in the day (okay now I am dating myself) tape record myself every Sunday night teaching a lesson. It was usually a making words lesson......"spell cat....c...a...t what letter would you change to make hat? Pause h....a....t hat. " My students would gather around the tape player with headsets and mini chalkboards (again dating myself) and would complete the lesson in groups of five while I worked with a group and the rest of the class was silent reading. It was a great tool! I could be in two places at once and teach two lesson at once reaching twice as many kids in a small group setting. By spring I was getting major creative and saying things like......"Now boys and girls please pay attention I see you squirming around." and they would look at me. hahahaaa! Sometimes I would say, "If you know what letter you would change clap once." My favorite comment of all times was one spring a child said to me, "You know that lady on the tape? She sounds exactly like you." hahahaha! Anyhoo, the point is I was doubling my efforts and it was great! I decided to bring it back this year.
I haven't used it yet as I got my grant for 25 MP3 players in the spring and decided to play with it this summer. I begin using them this month when school starts but I am ready! I have recorded my spelling practice lessons. I have recorded my lessons for reteach. I have music to listen to as they work. I have stories to listen to and respond. I have videos to watch about grammar and history. I have the basic math facts. I have sight words. And I am working on ideas of other things I can tape for my students! Each student will have one and they are attached to a lanyard. As soon as I dig out my camera (okay yes it is in the bottom of a filing cabinet at school) I will take some pictures of students using them and post. I know the concept works! It was one of my favorite tools. I will keep you updated on the status of
Clone my Teacher! I am very excited about it! Please email or comment on any ideas you have about how to use them and if anyone else is using them. I found very little out there on the web about ways to use them in the classroom other than what I was already doing years ago.
Fantastic idea! Please update on how it goes. Did you record your own stories or download them from somewhere?
ReplyDeleteWill do Kathy! I have done both. There are lots of books out there you can download for free (just google free audio books to download). I also youtube download, CD music off my computer, me just reading a story, and I record the specific lessons I want for each student group low, med or high. For my low babies I like to do a word making lesson. I just use the recorder on my laptop and take the STEPS book (that is my phonics program) and teach the upcoming lesson to my computer. I talk as if I were teaching it to the class. It allows them to hear the lesson many times over. "The phonogram is EH. E can say EH or E. Let's spell hen. Sound it out as you write it on your whiteboard. Huh.....h, EH....e....NNNN.....n. hen h...e....n hen." I also put a music folder on there for students who like and can work to music. I do not put music on there with words and I try to do different types like Native American flute, Jazz, Classical, Didgeridoo music they normally don't hear. I will start using them and teaching procedures around the third week of school.
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