Since this meeting, I have started to create more charts for students to access. These charts will be presented at the beginning of class and will be available at all times. I have also made each student a copy of all of the charts and ideas we have discussed that they can refer to in their reading folders. One thing Karen suggested to me was when typing (in writing) having students use the microphone to type. This could help students with difficulty speaking because they would be able to practice pronouncing words and see what the computer heard versus what they thought they were saying. In terms of reading, I have incorporated audio books into my classroom. Students at lower level reading and spelling levels use these resources to better understand a text and practice their listening skills. I have been trying to use more videos and visuals such as fun yet engaging pictures and student work as examples to also promote better speaking and listening. Doing a variety of small group work, one on one conferences, and whole group work has allowed students to explore different visuals (worksheets, peer work, etc) while working on listening skills (listening to a teacher or a peer).
I plan to continue using visuals throughout my units. I have already noticed a big difference when students are able to have something they can refer to RIGHT in front of them! I also think having audio books available can help complete this standard.
I think this is so great. I love using visuals in my classroom, but reading your post makes me think about how I could use audio more often to support my students. I often think about audio books for readers who may want to read a certain text but have a hard time accessing it on their own, but I don't think about audio as often for practicing listening skills - even though it's assessed on the SBACs! Thanks for some good ideas.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of taking copies of the charts to put into their reading folders/journals. I need to do this more often because there's no way I ever have enough wall space to keep many charts visible for my students. I was just speaking to my SPED colleague about a few of my students using the microphone for writing. How is that working for you? Is there a lot of editing required or does the computer pick up on their voice easily?
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