I really liked Langwitches' idea of having the first graders make their own audiobook of the Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs in the Dark. This is a fantastic way of making reading fun and personal. In addition, those students who may have trouble understanding a word are able to hear a classmate read it to him or her. There is also the availability of a dictionary on the computer. This allows for faster reading and better understanding.I really While reading Langwitches' post I did notice that small groups would work on this project with the teacher. What were the other students doing during this class time? Were they making good use of the limited class time allowed? Also how can you keep all students active in this project? I'm not sure just focusing on one group of students for a class period is the best way. Won't other students be lost and not sure what to do during class? There may be part of the lesson that was not on the post and I did not see. Overall I am fascinated with the idea of having students make their own audiobook and hope to one day use this in my own classroom!
"Flat Stanley Podcast"
"Crafty Moms Share: Virtual Flat Stanley." Crafty Moms Share: Virtual Flat Stanley. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2013.
I am completely amazed at how these first graders wanted to make their own podcast and stories of their personal Flat Stanleys. I really like the idea having each student find a place to go to, figure out how to get there and back, and what they did there. This gives reading a very creative and personal feel. Every child will have a different dream place and favorite activity. Through this activity students are able to express their unique creativity through their Flat Stanley story. I also like how senses were brought into the project. I know that even as a college students I don't think about what is felt or smelled in my writing. This is a very important aspect of any creative writing, at all levels. In addition to the creative aspect of this project, students learned how to research at a young age. From experience, I know that learning how to properly research different material for a class takes a lot of practice! In fact I started to really learn how to research in 3rd grade and am still learning now as as sophomore in college. The teacher's idea of having each student look up a place and activities to do there. This will give students an advantage later in their school careers. Whether they are asked to give a report in a 6th grade geography class about the Amazon Rainforest or about Mid-evil England in an English class in high school. This is a fantastic way to modernize Flat Stanley and let children's creativity flourish!
Those first graders amazed me as well! The fact that they wanted to do their own podcasts was awesome! During the group times, you are concerned that the students were not making good use of the time. During reading time, for the first graders I worked with, we had group time and desk time. During group time, of course they were in groups of four or five, and I working with a particular group and the rest of the class was at desk time. During desk time, each student was given a worksheet to have completed by the end of reading time. I am not sure that's what these first graders did or not, but maybe so!
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