The Walking Classroom is a great addition to my classroom, and I wanted to share a technique I use with my ELD students.
When I notice that the post-walk discussion is missing key elements, I make time later on that day or that week to play the podcast for the whole class. My students sometimes need an additional listen through to catch key information. This allows for a longer pause in the middle of the podcast to truly comprehend the topic at hand. I connect the Walk Kit to my portable speaker. This way I can transmit the podcast to the whole class.
This additional listen has made it possible for my students to really comprehend new vocabulary. Monitoring the whole classroom listening to the podcast all at the same time gives me the opportunity to assess where they are getting stuck. Is it sentence structure? Was it the use of figurative language I haven’t covered? Was it a new vocabulary word? They use hand signals which helps me know when I need to stop and discuss.
This year’s class of low proficiency English learners has been a struggle, but I am thankful for TWC. It brings in rigorous academic topics in a high interest way!
Lorena Strong
5th Grade Teacher
Meyler Street Elementary
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