The Walking Classroom has been a great asset to both my seventh grade class and to my colleague’s class as well. This was the first year we have had to opportunity to use this technology and it has been wonderful! The students love the opportunity of being outside walking around the campus.
We have used the lessons as a way to reinforce and re-teach skills daily in the regular English Language Arts classroom. The students state that using The Walking Classroom gives them another way to understand what their regular ELA teacher has presented.
Many times, the students have exclaimed that they cannot believe how fast the lesson is over. Believe me, keeping middle school students engaged in their learning is sometimes very difficult with all the technology they have at their fingertips. We have found that The Walking Classroom is a great way to deal with that.
Not only have we been using the program for ELA, we have also been working with the seventh grade science and history teachers to help strengthen concepts in their subject areas. Currently, we are using the program to introduce concepts students will cover in those classes.
For example in science, they were learning about the Earth’s layers, so we listened to Layers of the Earth (4-#74, Complete-#133, STEM-#16). The science teacher was amazed how knowledgeable the students who had previewed the content using the Walking Classroom were compared to other students in her class.
Next year, our seventh grade team goal is for all students to be able to use this great asset. We feel that The Walking Classroom’s podcasts are a great way to differentiate instruction and keep our middle school students actively engaged in their learning.
Melissa Cole/Adam Rose
Seventh Grade Teachers
Richwood Middle School, West Virginia
What is the best technology device to use with this program?
Hi Rose,
Students can either listen to podcasts using our preloaded audio players (WalkKits), or they can listen using our app on a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet. We have two versions of the app: one is a traditional app you download from one of the app stores (Apple or Google Play) that’s recommended for small groups or individuals, and the other is a web-based app that can be accessed from most any web browser and is recommended for classrooms and larger groups. With the web-based app, students can also listen to podcasts with a Chromebook, but those are less convenient for walking.
As far as what technology is best, it depends. Smaller devices make it easier to walk and listen. The WalkKit audio players are super simple and there are no other distractions like games or internet – they ONLY have educational podcasts. The mobile app is ideal for smartphones, iPods, or small tablets.
I hope that helps. Please email us with any other questions. (info@thewalkingclassroom.org)