A Journey Into Podcasting

This year we were asked to use Wordly Wise to help teach vocabulary through direct instruction. For those of you who know me I am not what you would classify as a workbook person, but I was on board with the expectations from my administration. However I did ask if I could use the book in different ways with the goal of students learning the words and applying them in a variety of situations with understanding.

We spent the first several units (1-3) learning how to figure out what words mean and expectations of exercises in the book. I wanted to create an authentic experience for students to use the vocabulary words and decided we would create our first class podcast.

I spent some time researching various podcast programs and speaking to colleagues across the country who podcast with students, including our principal. I asked for permission to do this as well. The programs suggested were:

• Podbean
• Irig with anchor
• Vocaroo
• Audacity
• Sound trap
• twistedwave.com/online

I met with the people from Soundtrap. Though that is an amazing program to use, it is not sustainable given the cost I would have to pay out of pocket. I decided to start with Anchor.

Students and I met to discuss possible themes for a podcast. They had time to individually write a list of ideas. Then they met in a small group, figuring out two possible choices. Students showed me their two choices, and I asked them to come up with a list of items we could podcast about under one of them.

Students suggested The Day in the Life of a 5th grader, books, Discovery Quests, and Top 10 Lists. We had a long discussion about which one would produce the easiest way for us to discuss things and use our vocab words.

Students narrowed it down to Top 10 and Day in the Life of a 5^th grader. We then spent some time chatting about each one, expressing opinions and asking questions. I pulled two students together and modeled how it would look with each one. Students realized the Top 10 one would require research and be very limited in information, so we should use that as a backup. They had a lot to say about their days, and it didn’t have to be just in school. We used words we had already covered from topics 1-3 to create a short podcast. I needed to figure out with students how to use Anchor and get us started. We are all learning together.

The students worked in collaborative groups to create their first segment. We counted off by 3s, and each group took a chapter from Worldly Wise. I modeled what one could say in a podcast and went over a bunch of ideas they could talk about. We also listened to sample podcasts. Students did a great job creating their first segment. However when I did a mock recording, they expected it to be done in the first try. They learned things take time, patience, and practice. It was a dry run through. I figured out Anchor does not let you record and upload at the same time. I can do one long piece and break it up. Students needed to practice a bit more since they were off key when speaking in unison and crumbled paper or were not sure when to go. I also forgot to use the microphone I had gotten.

 

We did see Anchor had music for a theme song. I decided to do the small chunks with a live studio audience. I hooked up the mic. We organized the segments by type and had the students come up to read. Two groups had some trouble starting but we were able to delete their blooper and rerecord. When they were done I spent some time after school figuring out how to put the podcast episode together with transitions. Then I shared it with families and on social media.

What started as a voyage into vocabulary words turned into something much bigger! Check out our first class podcast!

I spent some time with the students listening to the podcast. They were asked to think about things we did well and things we need to work on. They could have either written bulleted notes or sketchnotes. Students thought some groups were animated. They gave props to our singers. They liked that we had a lot to talk about. One student was surprised at how people got along and did not argue when having to do the task. They felt we needed to work on intonation (voice excitement), more diverse topics, and background noises.

They really did a great job capturing some specific ideas of what we can do moving forward. I talked about using passions, ideas, and reflection to share their story. Students see the benefit of using Wordly Wise exercises to help us get to know the words. The background knowledge of the words was helpful. Our podcast has inspired others at the elementary level across the country!

Several students were empowered to blog about their podacasting experience!

Check out the work of Kayleigh and Parker!

Our journey is just beginning, and we are going down this podcasting path together.

Going Off Script

The math program goes from dividing by tens to dividing with a two digit divisor without any reteaching of division with a one digit divisor. Therefore I took a leap and went off script! I broke the lessons down to really make sure students had a solid understand of division.

The first day I put a problem on the board to get their minds going. Some students picked up their pencils, expecting to solve the problem. I surprised them and asked them to think about how to explain what this problem means using math vocabulary. Using BrainPOP’s Make a Map tool we developed a word web for division. The word quotient was in the middle. Students came up with dividend, divisor, remainder, equal group, and product. This led to a conversation on inverse operations. Then I asked students to write me a short piece, explaining what division is. Having students explain math concepts using vocabulary is a great way to express understanding and take a deeper dive.

Students shared their written pieces with classmates. Then we started learning how to divide in groups of tens, hundreds, and thousands. Many students used multiplication to help them. Laying the foundation helped us the second day when I posted a problem with a single digit divisor. Again, some students picked up pencils to solve the problem. Alas they sadly had to put them down because we showed this problem using a model (base 10 blocks). Students saw why we start dividing in different places when we had trade cubes to make more cubes. They began to understand why we have a remainder, and that if your remainder is larger than  your divisor it is incorrect.

Breaking up into small groups, students worked with teachers on understanding the process of division and thinking in terms of equal groups. We practiced several problems as a whole class, then small group, and finally independently. Students who needed a challenge got some bigger numbers to divide using a single digit divisor. Tomorrow we will use a deck of cards to create problems to solve. Then we will return to our math lessons from the program. Sometimes it is okay to go off script. Know your students. Understand their needs. That is what is most important. If I had jumped into two digit divisors I know the results would have been vastly different.

A parent sent me this image of her child's work that the student did when she got home from school. 

I have shared the image with her permission. 

It Started With a #sketchnotefever Tweet

It started with a Tweet. One single tweet changed my students this morning, showing them that our classroom is not just four walls but the world around us. They learned people from all over the world want to learn with them and support them on their journey.

Our class has been deeply engrossed in learning about sketchnoting as a tool to visualize learning. This past week we have been participating in Sylvia Duckworth’s #Sketchnotefever activities, building a visual icon library to help us become better sketchnoters.  What we learned from her is you can use simple shapes like circles, dots, squares, and lines to create anything. Sketchnotes have to mean something to the sketcher, a symbol of meaning that can turn into a discussion point.

Yesterday during our 3A’s activity #Luke6 shared he appreciated Sylvia Duckworth for teaching us every morning with her tutorials. So, I asked him if I could share his comment with her.

I replied, and to my surprise she suggested maybe getting together with our class.

Then in matter of mere minutes we organized a visit with her this morning.

Unsuspecting students were challenged this morning to think of a question they might ask her. Then they learned about animal icons, and I was in awe listening to them guess the animal. Each student comes to school with varying perspectives and schemas of our world. Sketchnoting brings that out!

The next thing they knew Sylvia Duckworth appeared in our classroom to teach them live and in person. Jaws hit the floor. 

One student asked if we would be missing math today, and yes this was an important lesson to miss our math lesson. This was a life lesson that would be empowering and inspiring, as students got to hear from their expert. Providing authentic learning experiences for students brings a sense of excitement and curiosity to the classroom.

We played a quick guess we were game, and without maps our students adeptly figured out she was in Canada and even guessed her city! She figured out where we were in due time. Then she taught students how to sketch ten icons, discussing what the symbolism behind the sketch could be. A baby could represent growth, change, and power of life. A lightbulb could be an idea or something that is bright. A rocket ship could represent trying a new challenge or blasting off into the unknown.

Students were engaged and empowered, as I knew they would be the second she inquired about meeting with us. They all sent her a thank you tweet through me, and are continuing their conversation with Sylvia. We were honored she chose to spend time with us today and are forever grateful for that. We hope others will catch the #sketchnotefever and share their work and ideas on Twitter. You never know where a Tweet will take you!

 

What is Your Problem: A Visit to the Innovation Station

To kick off STEM week I brought our class to our school’s Innovation Station. It recently opened, and I was curious to see what students would do there. Our school’s innovation station is outfitted with various activities students can do from creating animations, using Makey Makey’s, coding with Scratch, exploring robotics, and engaging with Lego.

Last year I would bring our class down, assigning students to stations. Though they were interested in their activity I did not see the dynamic engagement I had hoped I would witness. I realized that students should choose where they go in the Innovation Station and have some flexibility in moving to the different activities.

Today I announced to students we would be heading down to the Innovation Station to begin STEM week. We discussed what STEM meant. Then I shared that most scientists and engineers start with a problem. I asked, “What is your problem?” They had to think about that question before choosing a station. 

As a class we shared examples of what a problem could be. Using a recent read aloud book, Beekle, students had to come up with the next part of the book at the animation station. Visiting the Lego robotics station, students could design a vehicle to go up a ramp. Dash and Dot were robots that could face an obstacle course and need to get around cones, balls, and other items. The problems were flowing!

Upon arriving, our principal was already in the room excitedly setting some things up. We talked about the possibilities students could encounter while working together. I then witnessed 60 minutes of engagement. 

I played a game one of our students coded using a basket and caught balls for points. He realized as I was playing maybe he should lower the point total to win (300 took a little while) and add a timer. Students were refining and reflecting on their design process without even realizing it! Other students decided to figure out how to get Dash and Dots to play Ring Around the Rosie. 

Several students created animations for our book hero, Beekle. They had to build sets and come up with scenes, using HUE animation to tell their story. A few students tirelessly tried to figure out how to make a Lego vehicle without the instruction manual or get a car to work with the power of a fan.

Regardless of the activity, students worked collaboratively to solve a problem. The Innovation Station in our school is a place for students to explore, play, imagine, create, design, fail, reflect, and laugh. We are very lucky to have a space that encompasses whole child learning, and I cannot wait to bring our class back!

Be Mindful of Your Twitter Followers

Twitter has been a fantastic resource not only for me professionally but also for our students to connect to a global community. I love the look on their faces when they send a tweet to an author, astronaut, or expert in a given field and get a response. We have used Twitter as a resource to learn and grow. It is a place to ask questions about our curiosities or collaborate with other classes on topics of interest. We share our work too in the hope that someone will learn from us! Twitter is a tool that helps us break down the four walls of our classroom and allows students to see possibility.

However, over the weekend I noticed I had close to 4500 Twitter followers and was curious to see who those people were. Sometimes my Twitter app on my phone does not show all notifications and I miss follows. Or in the haste of a day I might tell myself I will check that person out later and not always go back to it. As I went through the list of followers there were about 400 people I decided to block from seeing my account to protect students and their work. Twitter has less security settings than Facebook and Instagram when it comes to allowing people to connect.

It is important to be mindful of who you are letting into your Twitter world. Those of us at the forefront of using digital tools to connect must continue to model best practices for others. I decided to create a set of criteria about our Twitter followers. Educators, pre-service teachers, people I know personally, and educational companies through my work with MassCUE were the accounts I left. People with an egg head (no profile pic), zero Twitter activity in years, or missing identifying information and I did not know him or her in real life were blocked.  

Blocking Twitter followers does not make me an unkind person. I am trying to keep myself and students safe as we continue to navigate the world of social media. Anyone using Twitter should consider using a profile picture, background photo, and include information about him or herself in a bio. We also should be cognizant of who we allow to follow us if we are using the tool with students. I will continue to work on being a better monitor of this as my followers continue to grow.