I could not be more proud of my Read180 students for helping me create an introductory piece for learning the reading strategies. Each student focused on a different aspect of this video. From recording to editing, from writing the script to acting, my students helped me make this vision reality. I cannot wait to show them the final product after our spring break. They're going to be thrilled! But enough about what I think of it, check it out for yourself!
Soo... what'd you think?
Overall, I had a blast creating this digital story. At first I thought it would be a little much for my students (and also take a lot of time away from direct instruction). However, we quickly developed a system and only used 10 minutes a day on it! Although my students and staff have not seen the final product yet, they were already proud, stunned, and inspired just by viewing the rough draft. As stated above I CANNOT wait to show them the final product. If I could do anything differently, I would definitely have more than one student be filmed for each speaking segment. I found that some students were difficult to be heard due to their tone of voice. It seemed like I could either have them scream or not be heard at all. Non-speaking roles might be better for these students. Other than that, I feel as though this piece will definitely be used in classes to come!
What a great production and the direct involvement of your students in the piece make it so much more authentic. I'm sure that your students benenfitted tremendously from their participation in this project.
ReplyDeleteHi Jamee,
ReplyDeleteThis is really great, especially with the student participation. I can't think of a better way to get students to invest in a sense of ownership than involve them in a production like this. Great job!
Brian
Jamee, I'm not surprised you had a blast creating this digital story. I had a great time watching it! Your students seem very enthusiastic and this video was really authentic because it was their thoughts and ideas shining through. I was very entertained!
ReplyDeleteJamee, I have several students who would really benefit from watching this digital story. Some of my little guys are very hard on themselves when it comes to reading. It's not something that comes easy to them, nor is it something they particularly enjoy. I encourage them to use their fix-up strategies and remind them that, "The more you read, the better you'll get," but I think this video might be just what they need. For them to see that "big" kids still need to practice and refine their reading skills, might really be a game changer for them!
ReplyDeleteI think the best part is that while they were learning reading confidence, they were also learning the confidence of public speaking, and probably weren't even aware of it - and that is so hard to get any kid into! Sometimes the best story is the one they tell themselves :) Well done!
ReplyDeleteYou definitely have something here that you can continue to use in your classroom year to year. Your students looked like the absolutely loved participating in a project like this one which makes creating a digital story like this one so rewarding. Your students should be very proud you all did a great job
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