The Walking Classroom is a wonderful resource for reaching and teaching ALL students. ESL and EC students benefit from the exposure to challenging vocabulary and a wide array of content that increases background knowledge (with the added bonus of feeling more confident and willing to participate in discussions!) Struggling readers have equal access to high-level content and feel comfortable enough to participate in follow-up discussions with their peers. They have the benefit of not having to struggle to decode a written text, but learn in a way that they can feel successful. Everyone enjoys getting out of the classroom, burning off some energy, breathing in some fresh air, and all while quality learning is taking place! Below are some suggestions for ensuring all of your students have a wonderful experience with The Walking Classroom!
SPD Button
The Speed button (SPD) slows down the pace of the podcasts, which can be especially beneficial for your ESL students and those who may struggle with auditory processing. Students have access to the same content as their peers, but can listen to it at a more accessible pace. To see where the SPD button is located and other functions of the WalkKit, click here to download a sheet on WalkKit usage.
Supporting your Visual Learners
Some of the newest resources for our adopters are slide decks for each of the units within Program 4, Program 5, and STEM. The slide decks contain supplemental information including vocabulary and a summary, as well as an image related to the podcast. These are great resources to support your visual learners pre-walk and post-walk and offer additional support for your ELL students!
We also have a new list of suggested videos for each podcast that provide another great visual aid.
To check out both of these great new resources visit the Teacher Resource’s section of our site. If you haven’t registered for an account yet, email us and we are happy to help you get started!
Listening to the Podcast Again
Maybe you have a student who simply needs to be able to hear the podcast one more time. That’s no problem! One option is to allow a student to hear the podcast again in a listening center during your literacy block or some other point in the day. Students can sit and listen to the podcast on their own again and solidify their knowledge and understanding. If you want to hold students accountable, there are many follow-up activities such as the comprehension quiz, responding to a writing prompt, or having students complete a summary sheet like the one created by adopter, Stephanie Moorman.
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