eTech Ohio: I Can with an iPod!

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I Can with an iPod!

Abstract: Can using technology to focus on learning vocabulary motivate students while increasing reading comprehension and standardized test scores? How can we incorporate the use of iPods to help achieve this goal? Having students create audio and visual podcasts focusing on direct vocabulary instruction can have amazing benefits in an elementary classroom. Student groups meet to discuss how to best represent new vocabulary words and how to put it into "third grade terms." By mid-week students have drafted their commentary and have begun recording, so by weeks end, the podcasts were ready to be shared and critiqued. The software Garageband, iTunes, PowerPoint and iMovie were used to achieve the desired effect. After a podcast is complete it is moved to the class set of iPods for viewing. Positive outcomes have developed from students hearing themselves read aloud. Students are excited to publish and self create their original work and become references and supporters for their peers. The students are listening to the podcasts with purpose. We feel that our project is just on the tip of an iceberg. In order to achieve our overall goal of significantly impacting the results of the Third Grade Ohio Achievement results through the use of explicit vocabulary instruction, our program will continue to develop further.
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