Hello, Readers!

When designing a classroom project that involves technology, teachers need to think about time, resources, skill level, and technical support. However, perhaps the most important consideration is how the technology can support the learning objectives of the project. Let’s find out how this played a factor in making a decision about the type of digital project one class pursued.

What use is a Podcast?

By Dylan Ismail

Last week Sister Rose and I chatted for about 30 mins about some upcoming classroom projects in her Grade 5 Class. She was interested in having her students record a Podcast but was concerned whether or not it would be valuable at this time of the year. For a class that has never recorded audio, nevertheless produced a podcast with sound effects and music, it could be a steep learning curve.

After some discussion, we identified a couple of goals that would clarify our decision:

• If the goal is to teach students how to record their voice and produce audio work, then it's worth pursuing ✅
• If the goal is to use podcasts as a way to explore a larger topic, like Canadian history, conducting an interview or something more layered, then we probably don't have enough time in the school year to get there ❌

Sister Rose Catherine identified that her intention was to have her students explore a topic in depth through the Podcast medium, so in the end she put the project on the shelf for next year.

🎙️ Check out our Notes on Podcasting in the Classroom 🎙️

And now for something completely different! ➿

Instead, we decided to do something completely different and create Book Trailers!

What’s a Book Trailer? Book trailers are like movie trailers, but for books! Using iMovie for iPads, students can create trailers quickly and easily. They’re a great way to assess comprehension and engage students through stories they are passionate about.

Within minutes Sister Rose was WAY more invested and she decided to start at 2pm that day. When I checked in with her later, she had her students signed into the iPads and they were already exploring iMovie. Later, they will work through Planning Documents to organize the content of their Book Trailers. Fun

Thoughtful decision making and planning play a big role with integrating technology into class projects. Keeping your educational goals in mind can help determine the appropriate use of technology, the scope, and how quickly you can adjust if needed.

Until next week,

The Classmate Team

Try this! A Math Challenge for Families

With Seesaw, students can easily record themselves explaining a math concept. Here’s a good example.

To take it a step further, students can create and share math challenges with their families, and see if their parents can solve them. Once their math challenge is posted in Seesaw, Parents can post their answers as Seesaw comments. This is a great way to showcase learning and promote communication within families.