Blog Post #4

Langwitches Listening-Comprehension-Podcasting


I find myself suprised every week in this class. I began this assignment thinking it would in no way be beneficial for me. I was completly wrong and can see myself using these methods to teach one day. In this blog I read by Langwitches I see how the teacher was not only teaching about a podcast but helping sharpen her students listening and comprehension skills. The teacher made her students create the Hebrew story of Purim, in a podcast. She also mixed up there recordings and made the students put them back in order. The students gained listening and comprehension skills, but also they learned the language easier. In highschool I took Spanish. On our test we had a listening portion. It would have made it easier if my teacher had used a technique similar to this one, to help us learn the words and also what they sounded like. I think teaching this way will make students have fun while also learning.


Langwitches 1st Graders Create Their Own Read-Along Audio Book


I loved this idea and I would have never thought of this. The teacher had the students record a Magic Tree House series book. She had different students for the characters. When she was finished she put them all in order and printed out a read-along for the students. I feel like students get bored of the same kind of reading time they always have. Either the teacher reads or students read in their regular voices and it is difficult to focus. This makes them proud of their work and wanting to listen to hear their own voice as a character. It also makes them be able to picture the story easier with all the charaters having different voices. Langwitches also had the recording make a noise at the beginning of each chapter in case a student lost their place. I think this is a great teaching method and would love to do this in my own classroom one day!


Langwitches- Flat Stanley Podcast


I can remember reading Flat Stanley when I was younger and sending my Flat Stanley off and so excited to receive him back. This gives students a way to learn about different places and other ways people live. The class I read about sent their Flat Stanleys to London (England), Antarctica, Alabama (USA), Space, Israel, Tokyo (Japan), North Pole, Illinois (USA), New York (USA), Hollywood (USA) and Michigan (USA). They then recorded what their flat Stanley had encountered. All of their voices were so adorable! They had to learn to be very discriptive and change the tone of their voice and to create pictures in the listeners mind. This includes sounds Flat Stanley, smells, and description of what he saw. Children love this project and don't even realize what they are learning!


My Podcast


Not only did I take things away from this blog post to use in my future classroom but also techniques for my own Podcast. I must remember to not be monotone and have variation in my voice. I also want to be able to paint a picture in my listeners head and not make it be boring. I can't wait to use what I have learned!