Podcasting



May 13, 2009
 * HSA PRACTICE USING VOICETHREAD **

This is a voice thread that allows students to practice sample HSA questions. These items are from the Maryland VSC public release assessment 2008. Students can go to mdk12.org for the completed public release items for practice testing. I gave a description of each question and students were to share their answers for each question. They had the option of answering orally or typing their answers with a justification.

__Maryland Teacher Technology Standards__ II. Communication A. Use technology effectively and appropriately to interact electronically. B. Use technology to communicate information in a variety of formats.

V. Intergrating Technology into the Curriculum and Instruction Design, implement and assesslearning experiences that incorporate use of technology in a curriculum-related instructional activitiy to support understanding, inquiry, problem solving, communication and/or collaboration.

__Maryland Technology Literacy Standards for Students__ 6.0-Technology for Porblem-Solving and Decision Making: Demonstrate ability to use technology and develop strategies to solve problems and make informed decisions A. Students use technology tools to: 5. Draw Conclusions 6. Communicate conclusions, inferences, and ideas

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**__Lesson Plan Summary:__** Students were preparing for the HSA that took place the week of May 18-22. This podcast was an attempt to engage students in technology while also addressing the instructional curriculum requirements. Students were to read a poem "Unfolding Bud" and then answer the questions following the text. The questions required students to interpret implied meaning, determine main idea, and analyze word choice and its function within a sentence. Students were given instructions to either record or type their answers. With the responses of students I was able to comment on their answers and locate their level of understanding. I was also able to give them feedback to help them process the questions and rethink their original answers. For those who answered the questions correctly, I was able to provide immediate feedback to supoort their work as well. This was an alternative to the traditional types of review which simply requires students go over multiple questions in the same manner that they would on testing day. This review provided options and more engagement with the text.

**__Reflection:__** This was a fun assignment to complete. I really enjoyed creating it and leading students through recording their responses. Voicethread is a wonderful option to the traditional methods of providing feedback and having students to comment on their work or the work of other students. The use of the headphones provides the type of stimulation that most of my students are able to use to increase comprehension. When given the auditory presentation of information, students are able to respond without having to concern themselves with responding in a way that does not use their strengths. Additionally, they are not encumbered with the spelling, grammar and sentence structure issues that often impedes teachers from fulling understanding their ideas. I have a small class of special needs students who are mostly learning disabled. The use of voicethread provided an enriching alternative to meeting the curriculum needs of my class, while also providing their accommodations according to their IEPs.