Yesterday we recorded our retellings of “The Tailor”. After so many opportunities to practice, the students were enthusiastic and ready to start. I had organized the i-pads and found places for the recordings to happen. Some initial observations in comparison to our first try (pumpkin patch recording) were:
1. Having students record in a quiet spot, away from distraction was much more effective. It was private, the students could concentrate, there were no opportunities to “show off” and surprisingly, they didn’t need much adult help. One student, Jack, did a wonderful job of retelling without acting silly like he had previously done. Personally, this method was less stressful for me as a teacher and definitely built my confidence as a user of technology.
2. Because this was our second time using Adobe Voice, the students were much more comfortable with the process. They weren’t distracted by the actual device and were able to move on to the actual recording.
3. I believe that the students were motivated by the “look” of their final product. The musical background, their own illustrations and the overall appearance of the recording was a good way to end this retelling. Many students asked if they could do it again.
4. To celebrate, we shared our storytelling recordings with each other. Although the students all told the same story, it was interesting to see how they personalized the retelling and made the story their own.