This is the fourth post in a series about launching the use of the app Book Creator in a kindergarten classroom. You can read the first three posts by clicking on the links below.
During planning we thought that a great way to get the kids going would be to have them interview each other. We wanted them to have an opportunity to talk about and connect with learning that they were already doing and to share some questions they had. This was also a way to get them into book creator before their was much action with the chicks.
Day 3
I did a simple illustrated chart to try and support their efforts. We discussed a few guidelines for contents and agreed that each student should say three things they knew about chicks and one to two things they wondered. Our send off directions were “Think, Practice, Record,” and we chanted it a few times together before partners went off to their working spaces. We also discussed what it meant to be professional so that they could elevate the quality of their work.
The recording was a bit bumpy at first as it was the first time they had recorded another student. They found themselves rerecording a lot because their initial attempt was too quiet or focused on someone’s feet.
The most exciting part of Day 3 was that one of the eggs started to crack! The students gathered close looking at the crack and trying to take a picture for their book.
Day 4
Several students still needed to record by day 4 and we also wanted them to go back and look at their work to see if they had done what we had decided on. Laura typed up this little editing checklist for teams to use as they went back and reviewed their videos. Many students found that they had said three things they knew but forgot to share a wonder. To avoid frustration we suggested they just make a second video on their page with their questions. This was also a helpful strategy for students who were struggling to get the whole thing done in one sitting.
By the end of day 4 most students had completed their videos, revised their covers, and were excited to see that some of the chicks had hatched! Just in time for us to get some content for our book.
We identified two areas to go next; partner work and content. Partner skills were getting rusty at this point and we found ourselves mediating a lot of disagreements. On the other hand we also felt like it was important that they begin to use their knowledge of nonfiction features to get some meaty content in their books. We discussed it with the teachers and they agreed that the social stuff needed to come first. So we were left wondering…what strategies could kindergartners use to help them work together?
Come back tomorrow for a guest post by Laura Meehan, iDal Coach and my daily work buddy. She will be blogging about Day 5: Strategies for Working Together.
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