Blog Post #4

LangWitches

The first LangWitches page I read was 1st Graders Create Their Own Read-Along Audio book. In the blog post Ms. Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano writes about how herself and the first grade teacher created a script for the kids to read and record, to create their own audio book. As they did this they saw how enthusiastic the kids were being about being able to hear their own voice reading to them as they followed along in their book. I thought a neat part of the experience that she writes about is how the kids started trying to change their speed, volume and inflection as they read. I also like the fact that the kids wanted to keep recording until they got their voices just right. By doing these audio books Ms. Tolisano got her kids excited about learning to read and use technology while they do it. I think this was a fantastic strategy because reading is one of the hardest things to get kids to want to do. Ms. Tolisano got the kids excited about reading and was teaching them the importance of technology too. I think that when I become an English teacher that I will make my students do this as well. This way I can incorporate teaching them how to use technology and hopefully letting them learn how much fun reading can be.   

In LangWitches- Podcasting in the First Grade by Ms Tolisano, It was about 1st graders again. The reason I found so much interest in the 1st graders was because if students are able to get excited about learning as early as first grade then it sets them up for success for the rest of their lives. On this blog post one again Ms. Tolisano is able to get the first graders excited about reading and learning how to use the Internet. She recorded her students acting out an interview as the two main characters in the book they were reading. The thing that I thought was amazing about the results was that this helped get all of the students involved. Ms. Tolisano explains that the shy kids were bursting out of their shells and gaining respect from the other students. I thought this was extremely important, because going to school teaches valuable social skills. That's why when I heard that the Podcasting boosted students confidence, I automatically became a fan. The kids were so excited about being out on the Internet, and getting their voices heard that they not only wanted to learn, but actually enjoyed it. 

In The Benefits Of Podcasting In The Classroom by Joe Dale there is a video that is extremely helpful when it comes to Podcasting. He explains that Podcasting is an effective way to teach the "Millennial" generation, someone born after 1980, because it involves technology. Which is an extremely valid point, that someone who was born after 1980 has always had some sort of technology whether it is cell phones, computers, or IPads. He also explains how it creates creativity in students, by allowing them to Podcast about something they like. A big thing that was brought up is it allows students who are absent a lot to be able to stay on track with the rest of the class. Which I thought was huge because I would hate having to wait on one or two students to catch up. Another great perk that this link points out is that with Podcasts it allows parents to keep up with the material as well as the students. So if their student if falling behind or if the parent wants to know what is being taught, Podcasts make it simple.