Suzanne's Ed Tech Reflections

Just received notification that Project iAchieve has been renewed as as Apple Distinguished Program for the 2012/2013 school year. Congratulations!

During the past three years of our iAchieve Project, our primary focus for the iPod touches has been student creation of oral reading fluency recordings to positively impact student reading comprehension. Data shows that it has provided that positive impact for our students but we don't really need data - it's actually shown through the comments and expressions on the student's faces. I attended an after school district meeting on Wednesday with the third grade teachers. The comments were so positive. Teachers were talking about how engaged their students are and that they are using them for practicing their usual reading passages but the students are requesting to record themselves reading their science and social students texts! What a great connection especially with the Common Core focus on informational text. Instead of students asking for "free time" when they finish early; they are asking if they can create a fluency recordings on...

While most of our iPod touches are in third grade, we do have a second grade class using them this year. The teacher has really embraced using them with students and has used them in centers for a variety of activities, such as oral reading fluency recordings. However, one of the students favorite app activities is Chicktionary! If you are not familiar with Chicktionary, it is a fun word game where users are given a set of letters to create a variety of 3, 4, 5, or up to 7 letter words. The setting is in a chicken coop filled with chickens and there is a lot of engaging movement and clucking going on. Users can earn points and "eggchievements" for additional rewards in the game. These students are really into the game and their teacher has created a worksheet for them to use in their center. As they create words, they write them on the worksheet. When they have a collection of words, they then use them in sentences. Learning can be such fun!

This year I really don't like going in to 5th grade classrooms! That's because two years ago they were in third grade and the first group of students to use the iPod touches. Whenever I enter one of their classrooms the excitement levels quickly rises and I am once again referred to as the iPod Lady! Of course, they also want to know if I am bringing them iPods again. Wish I could give them all iPods or iPads! But it is pretty flattering.

One of the teachers who was new to Project iAchieve last year and a new first year teacher also shared how much easier things have been for her this year. She really feels more comfortable with the iPods and is really finding them to be a great resource for centers. Not to mention how much the students like using them!!

We have begun the year with students learning how to create their fluency recordings using Voice Memos. The students always seem to like this activity and it really does help them grow and improve their reading comprehension skills. One of the teachers recently told me that when given choices, the student would prefer doing the recordings rather than playing of the the more game-like apps. There is something magical about hearing your own voice!