After reflecting on some of my teaching practices, I have been asking myself more and more, "What is the purpose of doing this?" I think a good teacher needs to look at, and listen to, feedback from their students and continually modify their practices.
One of the practices that I have been utilizing for the last few years has been book letters. These letters are written to me by each child once-a-week about their reading, and I would respond back to them, hopefully in a timely manner. The purpose of these letters was for me to see if they were comprehending their reading and for them to practice the thinking-skills (thinking deeply about the text) that they learned in class.
One of the practices that I have been utilizing for the last few years has been book letters. These letters are written to me by each child once-a-week about their reading, and I would respond back to them, hopefully in a timely manner. The purpose of these letters was for me to see if they were comprehending their reading and for them to practice the thinking-skills (thinking deeply about the text) that they learned in class.
The book letters have been a battle ever since I implemented them 3 years ago. Everyday a student would forget to include some part that was required, or they wouldn't write enough, or they wouldn't think deeply enough. Finally, I took a step back and asked, "What can I do differently?" Were book letters really the only way for me to assess a student's comprehension?
Enter Voicethread. I learned about this internet site through our school technology coordinator. Voicethread allows students to choose a picture from the internet and record either video or audio of themselves telling me about their book. I am able to log in and reply to their summary with my own video! Being our first week with it, I thought it went really well and the kids are enjoying it. I can't wait to get involved with more meaningful conversations about their reading! If you ever want to view your child's voicethread, click HERE and have them log in to their account.
Enter Voicethread. I learned about this internet site through our school technology coordinator. Voicethread allows students to choose a picture from the internet and record either video or audio of themselves telling me about their book. I am able to log in and reply to their summary with my own video! Being our first week with it, I thought it went really well and the kids are enjoying it. I can't wait to get involved with more meaningful conversations about their reading! If you ever want to view your child's voicethread, click HERE and have them log in to their account.
I'm hoping Voicethread will allow students to focus more on the meaning, think more deeply, and have more of an open conversation about their book, rather than the anxiety of writing and focusing on if they have spelled everything correctly, if they have punctuation errors, or if they have included everything in the rubric. As with everything else as a teacher, I will continually modify and reflect on what's working and what isn't!
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@LarsonGrade3
-Mr. Larson
If you haven't done it yet, follow our class on Twitter for daily updates!
@LarsonGrade3
-Mr. Larson