Week 4: Speaking and Listening

The 'wonders of technology' theme has continued and in this weeks ICT lesson we had a chance to think about what could be used to enhance and support speaking and listening in the classroom. We looked at a number of different pieces of technology and talked about their uses in the classroom, and then we had a go at using them for ourselves. Initially your thoughts might turn to using ICT within literacy lessons: using the IWB for interactive phonics lessons, using interactive dictionaries to hear words spoken,  computer programmes to support sentence structure to name a few (Read more ideas here). However, if we look at some other pieces of technology in more detail we can observe their potential:

Technology for speaking and listening
 
1)      iPods/Mp3 players - these devices are the newest version of tape/cd/mini-disc players, with so much more potential beyond listening to music (which does support speaking and listening in it's own way). iPods could help with the following:

• Listening to podcasts (see below) 
• Listen to story tapes - to support reading
• Learn a new language

In a classroom I think an iPod is quite a solitary learning tool, with potential to isolate children. I wanted to find out how to use them in small groups and I found some advice on this website (link to ideas). If you buy a head phone splitter you can have up to five children listening in at a time.

2)  Interactive White Board (IWB) – As you will know from reading some of my earlier blog entries (Previous exciting blog entry the IWB has many, many uses. In the classroom it promotes shared talk and children can listen to one and other read from the board, although these are just two of many ideas!

3) Interactive Photo Albums– This is something that was a totally new concept to me. I've seen digital photo frames where you can upload a number of picture and it will flick between them but the interactive photo album is a new kettle of fish. It's exactly what it sounds like in that every photo stored in the album (hard copies of photos) is inserted in to a pocket that contains a recording device. A commentary on the photo, or sound or effect can then be recorded so when someone views the photo they'll get a more enhanced experience. I have to admit I found this a step to far and I can't imagine anyone outside the classroom having the time or inclination to use this piece of technology. However, within the classroom I can see how wondrous children might find it and it could be used in the following ways:

• Producing a sight seeing guide for a place the class has visited
• Telling a story with pictures and words
• A visual and sound timetable for EAL children 

4) Talking products - There were two devices that we looked at that recorded and played back sounds, both had a number of uses:

• Talk time cards –  These can be written on, and the writing can be verbalised using a sound recorded. If I was using these I would have them in phonics lessons, supporting EAL and SEN children with visual and verbal cues and possibly use them to give further information on a display. To see them in action please watch the video below.
  

• Talking tins - These are small tins that record sound. They caused some debate in class as to how useful they would be. One idea is that instructions could be recorded on them so that children working in groups could have a verbal reminder of what they are meant to be doing. I personally would worry that children would fiddle and get distracted, and possibly record over the instructions. They are, to me, a modern tape recorder, and back in the day I would attach a microphone to the tape recorder and record. My friend Lizzie, a fellow PGCE student did however discover a brilliant use for the tins if there are visually impaired children in the classroom. The tins can be attached to objects so children know what they are picking up (website with further information). Further uses in the classroom are setting a treasure hunt, recording sounds of environment, recording work (e.g. a child who has trouble writing can record their feedback which is useful for assessment) or using to record different languages.

5) Podcasts ––These are effectively radio shows but instead of broadcasting live they are pre-recorded and made available to people on the internet. Lots of schools now have their own school radio and make their own podcasts, many can be seen (here). I have seen children record information shows about their learning, one idea that sticks in my mind is children interviewing each other and pretending to be WW2 children in the blitz. They were able to describe their experiences by drawing on what they had learnt in previous lessons. There is a brilliant programme called Audacity which can be used in KS2. It is free to download and allows children to play, record and edit their work and produce a final product that can be exported as an MP3 file or WAV file.I will definitely use podcasting in my lessons as it's a modern, fun way to produce work and reflect on learning.
 

6) Digital cameras and videos– You might  be thinking 'won't children break these expensive pieces of equipment?' well, think again!  There are lots of decent, hardwearing cameras in the world today and we used a 'digital blue' camera and a 'toughcam' video camera in our lesson. The camera's can be used in conjunction with a programme called 'photo story 3'. This allows children to create a story using their photographs and in terms of enhancing speaking and listening other children could read the story, it would promote discussion and would act as a memory prompt to help remember activities.  My group used a 'Toughcam' to capture a short video, see below, but the camera could also be used in drama activites to aid speaking and listening.

 

 

I believe that these products will support speaking and listening in school but on top of this they will also provide children with many positive experiences. For example, recording and seeing their handiwork will give children; confidence, group working skills, it's motivational to hear your work, and it gives children a voice. I will be definitely be finding lots of cross - curricular ways of incorporating the technology discussed in this blog into my lessons.