Reflecting On My Assumption

When I first got a set of ipods for my classroom, I thought students would love using them. Well, at first they were interested in the ipods and thought they were "cool". We used the ipods to record stories and record oral reading, as a way to develop fluency and oral language. Students listened to themselves and self assessed their performance based on a criteria list. My assumption was that if students used the ipods they would be engaged in practicing their oral language and use their self assessments to identify areas for growth and actually work towards improving their performance. I found that the novelty of using ipods quickly wore off. Students used their assessment to identify areas for further growth but it didn't seem to make any difference to their effort. I think the underlying assumption I had was that students cared enough to work at improving their oral reading and oral language. Perhaps they are just to young to take that level of responsibility for their learning.

Being Literate in the 21st Century

Being literate in the 21st century is evolving in this changing world. It is no longer just reading print nor is it solely about technology. Educators are beginning to rethink the ways students are taught to be literate in order to prepare them for the workforce. To be literate in the 21st century to be able to use the tools and modes that communicate information. A 21st century learner should be able to find information from a variety of sources and know which sources are reliable. He must also be able to critically reflect on what the information means or what the intention of the message or the author is. In this day of anyone being able to post information on the internet, it is more important than ever that the 21st century learner be strong critical thinkers. As well the 21st century learner must have information literacy, technology literacy, and multimedia literacy. Besides critical thinking, other attributes of a 21st century learner include being able to solve problems, collaborate with others, cooperate, communicate effectively, be creative and innovative.
Interactive media includes digital technology or any form of media that allows the student to interact with other users or a computer. Students need to be able to use social networks, blog comments, read and contribute to forums, and participate in online games. The 21st century learner is text messaging, using smart phones, creating web pages, graphics, animations, sound and videos. The 21st century learner is connected globally. His learning experience is more meaningful, and most likely more enjoyable.
New media interactions I’ve integrated into my practice are limited to the resources available to me. My grade three students have made an iMovie, keynote slideshow with their own graphics and sound, and have made ipod recordings. They have made blog comments on the class website and explored interactive educational games and sites. They have watched youtube and teachertube videos to support their learning. They have done their own search to research information related to our units and gathered information. Lastly, they have used the computer to assess their reading comprehension. I feel that my students have come a long way in their journey to become a 21st century learner.

Using Reader’s Theater to Develop Reading Fluency

My class has been doing a lot of reader’s theater relating to our Fairy Tale theme. Students are working very well together and even the reluctant readers are participating well. Some of the parts have only a few lines or words, while other parts are spoken together. Consequently I feel this enables my reluctant readers to feel more successful but also less self conscious. Our goal has been to develop expression and fluency. Reader’s theater in one strategy I have found effective in getting students to reread and practice the same passage over and over again while keeping them engaged and working cooperatively with others. Having gone over the rubric for reading fluency, each student is aware of what they are striving toward. Most are able to tell me what they liked about their reading and what they think they could improve on. I’ve been pleased with everyone’s effort.