Reflections on iPods for Literacy

In the previous post, I mentioned how this technological experience in my first grade classroom is comparable to swimming.  At this point, since last year I have entered the pool and have been wading around - waist deep - in the shallow end of the iPod tech pool.  It feels nice to be able to touch the bottom of the pool while my head is dry, well above the water, but I'm prepared to go even deeper.  At the time, our biggest hinderance was the limit on age appropriate Apps that were being offered for education.  many of the Apps that were available have been created for preK-K children.  So, rather than allowing the iPod Lab to become an expensive door jam and dust collector, my teaching partner and I started taking some tips from another district upstate that was working with the technology already.  Our district's initial intention with the use of the iPods in the primary level was to focus on reading fluency and literacy.

Firstly, my teaching partner and I have created our reading program around a concept developed by "The Sisters," Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, known as the Daily 5.   Within this structure for literacy development, students learn to become independent workers, readers, and writers.  Using what we've learned from the other district, it was easy for us to meld the iPods into our program.  We decided that increasing students' reading fluency was a valid and reasonable goal to work with.  Paired with the Daily 5 structure for independence, the application of the iPods would allow for students to take charge of their own learning while giving the teacher informal data on individual reading progress.

Therefore, the next lessons were around introducing and familiarizing students with the VoiceMemo App. The objective was to give the students the skills on the iPod to independently navigate to the App, then record, label, and delete voice memos they created during Reading-To-Self of the Daily 5 (independent reading choice).  In creating their voice memos, students were expected record a reading of a leveled reader of their choice from their selection of "good fit" books obtain during guided reading group. Then the students were expected to listen and self check their recording for fluency and intonation. If the recording was satisfactory, then the students labeled their recording and proceeded to App exploration. If the recording was unsatisfactory, then student would delete and re-record.

Last year I chose to conduct this lesson, like the previous lesson, as whole group, keeping the consistency of the format I had developed with the students.  Again, I don't feel that I put enough thought into how it would all transpire.  This lesson challenged my patience and stretched over two periods as students were naturally needing more individual attention and instruction.  This year, having the students in small groups proved to be less headache and more productive. I have also observed the proof that students drive their own learning to read when they hear themselves as readers.  At the end of this year my goal is to provide a CD compilation of student year-long readings to send home as a summer gift to their families.