Ipods in the Classroom - Part 3 (My Final Post)

Although I’m still unsure of the exact place in the classroom for an iPod Touch…..I know they do have a place, especially after working with my little buddy in first grade at Juanita Elementary. Below is an account of my experience with him this fall……

Today, I witnessed first-hand the amazing tool an iTouch can be for an emergent reader.  Jessica and I were working together with Avery (not his real name).  We had determined that he was most probably in the very early stages of being partially alphabetic (as described by Barbara J. fox in her book, Word Identification Strategies).  He was a struggling reader.

Per instructions, we were told to bring in a “just right” book for Avery.  I could see his excitement about reading when I laid out twelve different books for him to choose from.  He initially wanted to read, Bear Stays up for Christmas but when he looked at the pages and words he said, “No, I can’t read that, but will you read it to me, please?”  Jessica and I agreed, but only after he read a book to us.  He then got very excited about a Halloween book, Ten Timid Ghosts, by Jennifer O’Connell.  It was a counting book and it had great pictures, ones that had a lot of clues as to what was going on in the story.  But after he had a chance to look through the pages, he said, “Oh, I don’t know a lot of these words” as he pointed to “timid” and “haunted” on one of the pages.  Finally, he chose an easy reader book entitled, The Best Mud Pie, by Lin Quinn.  He worked hard to read each page.  We gave him tips to sound out words and look for clues in the pictures.  He improved as he read, as he applied these strategies, but it was a very difficult process.  Finally, two pages before the end of the story, he asked if he could stop.  We told him what a great job he had done and then Jessica finished reading the book to him. We then kept our promise and read, The Bear Stays Up For Christmas.  He absolutely loved it and listened  attentively. 

Additionally, we had planned a couple of “paper” phonic activities but we thought this would be a great opportunity to use our iTouch instead.  We decided Avery should try the Clifford Be Big app.  He initially had trouble dragging the letters in the “paint” to the “canvas” (it takes dexterity.) but he eventually got it.  He was so determined.  He worked hard and when he spelled his first word correctly, he was absolutely thrilled!!  The game guarantees success, because regardless of the letter chosen (to be placed on the easel), the remaining letters change accordingly (to form a word).  The first word he spelled was “air”.   When he did this he got a huge smile on his face and said, “And I didn’t even know how to spell that!”  He was incredulous!!    His reaction was priceless.

I believe Avery would benefit so much from using this type of “game” to increase his phonemic awareness. He was very motivated to learn and this activity didn’t make him “struggle” as much (as was witnessed when he attempted to read the books we had brought for him).  He immediately felt successful, spelling a word he had never even thought to spell before.  The only problem Jessica and I had after he had played this app was not having the stickers on hand when the voice on the game promised them.

As this class progresses into winter quarter and my learning continues, I’m sure I’ll find more ways to use iTouches in the classroom.

What Teachers Make

What I've Learned.......

Final Math Post

As I reviewed my prior math blogs, I realized how much I’ve learned this quarter.  One of the main things I’ve learned is the importance of letting students “experience” math for themselves.  This lesson was reinforced during every class as we were given different types of manipulatives  and/or spreadsheets to use and explore.   

Another lesson I learned was the importance of giving kids problems they care about.  A great example of this was when we were taught the lesson on probability.   Instead of just introducing the subject and showing us different methods of teaching it, we were shown a dice game where knowing how to figure probability would be useful, when choosing to be player A or B.  When students play a game, they each want an equal chance of winning.  They have a “stake” in whether the game is fair, because they’re playing it (and they want to win)!

Yet another lesson I learned was the importance of integrating math with literature.  This integration helps students make connections as well as help them build higher level thinking skills.  Integrated lessons provide a more balanced learning approach to teaching and they more closely resemble real life, where all subject areas are interconnected.  This, I believe will help students remember a lesson long after it is taught.  One of my greatest finds this quarter was a book about tangram puzzles called Grandfather Tang’s Story.  I’ve always loved solving these puzzles and this book provides a great way to introduce them into a geometry unit. I would definitely use this type of integrated lesson plan in my future classroom.  I believe reading a story about a subject to be covered provides valuable insight into the subject being taught.  It also sparks interest among students. 

One of the biggest challenges I’ll face as a teacher will be to think of new and exciting ways to engage my students in math and this class has given me many ideas on how to do that.  Motivation is such a key part of learning.  My hope is to prevent kids from thinking that they’re, “just not good at math”.  I will make it my goal to look for ways to relate the concepts I’m teaching to the everyday lives of my students.  I want to broaden their views about the nature of math and help them see its value in many different activities and professions.  To do this, I’ll need to present the lessons I’m teaching in a variety of different ways to appeal to students of varying learning styles (which is what we’ve been learning to do in class).

One aspect of our class that I especially liked was the method in which groups were designated, by using cards.  This gave us the opportunity to sit with different members of our cohort because, being creatures of habit, we generally sat at the same table each week.  Using these cards to “call on us” was another good use of them.  It was an effective method of keeping us focused and “on task”   Although it made me feel uncomfortable at times (when I didn’t think I knew the answer and might get called on)  it definitely kept me more attentive (which is something I’d like my future students to be).  

Another aspect of the class that worked especially well was the assignment of specific jobs to individuals within a group when we were assigned specific problems to solve (facilitator, resource monitor, product monitor and equity monitor).   This strategy was also another great way to keep us focused and “on task” throughout the assignment and is another method I plan to adopt in my future classroom.

Robin, thanks for a great class.  I really enjoyed it.  You made math fun! J