The Project that Inspired

My most recent assignment that I completed during my course work for my Master's in Instructional Technology was to create an audio recording that told a story.  I really like how this class scaffolds the projects.  For example, for this particular assignment, we began with one week for writing the story.  I decided to write about a personal experience, hoping that would help when I went to "tell" it rather than "read" it.  I would suggest this to future students, as well.  As I wrote, I tried to remind myself that my audience was going to be listeners ONLY.  They would have no prior knowledge of the situation or any visuals to aid in the understanding.  I continued to write making sure that I appealed to the senses, using words that created a scene in the minds of those that were listening.

That's when my inspiration hit me.....I could use this assignment with my 4th grade ELP students when we do the Figurative Language Unit.  I am continually searching for ways for them to show me they can effectively use Figurative Language and this would be a perfect assessment!  I know they could handle a modified version of this step......I am wondering about the next part, though. 

Our next task was to design and produce an audio file using a platform such as Soundtrap or Garage Band.  I worked my way through this step with a little help from my daughter who will soon begin her college career at ISU.  She will be minoring in music technology so I thought this was right up her alley!  I really paid close attention to the difficulty I had as an unexperienced user learning for the 1st time.  She is by no means a certified teacher, but she does know the the technology part.  If I could follow along and learn from her, I was confident my gifted students and I could do the same at school.  

After a few short tutorials, I was well on my way, creating tracks and loops independently.  I spent a good amount of time on the project trying to make it enjoyable for listeners (4 Hours).  I got to a point where I just had to say enough is enough and I submitted it.  I know that the population of students that I work with are characteristically perfectionist, and I could see this being an obstacle for them to get through during this project.

I am excited that I have yet again completed an assignment that I can use in my classroom!  I experienced some struggles (learning something new, knowing when to stop, and applying what I know to a project that I am intimidated by) which will help me anticipate where they may need support.  I can't wait to see what they come up with!