Students and teachers have spent many hours working on reading fluency. One way I have been working with students not just to read the words but to read with appropriate pauses, intonation, and expression is by using Audacity. Using Audacity is especially helpful when students are doing a “dramatic” reading of a poem. I like this resource because students can not only hear their own voice but see what the voice patterns look like. Together we can listen for clarity and appropriate speed and look for changes in tone, emphasis, and pacing. Students always marvel that they sound so different.
When the reading sounds just about right. Students use Voice Thread to record themselves … for real. They can then send their poem off to parents and friends for comment. I have found tons of ways to use Voice Thread in addition to students recording their work such as leaving sub plans and communicating with parents about what we have done in class. Next fall I will be using it to facilitate a professional development program.
Attach new learning to something you already know. Create a visual image to help you remember a concept or word. These are two principles of reading and learning that my students learn. To apply these principles, students have created and made movies. Their podcasts include examples of images they have created to help them remember.
Recently each of my students was given a Latin root word to research and find 10 words that were derived from their root word. Each student then needed to choose 10 ways to teach their classmates the root word and its derivatives. The student who taught “rupt” meaning to break or burst developed a Power Point presentation and included a picture of an Xbox 360 for the word “corrupt”. Corrupt and Xbox?? Luckily, I have been teaching long enough to ask students for their thinking before jumping to any conclusions. For me, corrupt means politicians who take bribes or a computer file that doesn’t work. For this student … and many others, corrupt means that little symbol at the front of the Xbox that turns into a red X when the system is broken.
Attach new learning to what you already know. If I had tried to teach this word, I would probably have begun with one of the all too prevalent political scandals. Thankfully, a student was leading the way and he chose an image with which students could identify. Then we could move to understanding corrupt and corruption in different contexts.
Reading teachers often tell students, “Create a picture in your mind while reading. It is like having your own movie running in your head.” Some students do this naturally … but not all. To engage middle school students in this visualization process, I have adapted the American Film Institute’s (AFI) curriculum for The Door Scene. While reading a suspenseful mystery, students are introduced to The Door Scene and nine camera angles. After filming The Door Scene, they read passages from the book and decide how they would shoot the scene if they were going to make it into a movie. Now students don’t respond to, “Are you getting a picture in your mind?” They are asked, “What shots are you filming (in your head)?” Translating this important reading skill into a medium with which students are very familiar has created new enthusiasm for reading, film making, and analyzing how authors and film makers communicate their message.
Of course, I have made all my students promise to pick me up in a chauffeur driven limousine for their movie premier. Time will tell if I ever get that ride!
