It has been a few months now, since I introduced the Touch to a few of my students. One student is using it for math, and two are using it for reading. All three students have been very enthusiastic about using the Touch. The students who uses for math started to get pretty bored with the flash card game so I added a few more apps for her. I have had a hard time finding interactive apps at her level, as many of the games require reading instructions often while the user plays the game. Since her reading level is below her math level it has been hard to find a good match for her. I think that she is enjoying, and learning from, the games that are currently loaded on the Touch. However, I would like to have a larger variety for her to choose from. I am currently working on finding more apps that are at both her reading and math level.
The two students who are using the Touch for reading are very excited to have this option. They are listening to the books "on tape" and following along with the book on the Touch. It is perfect for one students because she is able to adjust the font size, making it easier for her to read. And she said her favorite thing about listening to the book while she follows along is that she gets to hear the proper pronunciation for words that she tends to mispronounce, which increases her comprehension. The Touch also allows her to highlight a word she doesn't know and check the definition immediately without having to get up and look it up in the dictionary. This also increases her comprehension (and maximizes her time).
The other student who is reading while listening to the book at the same time enjoys all the same benefits, but doesn't need to adjust the font. Both students really look forward to getting to use the interactive tool. The problem is, I only have one Touch for three students to share.
Using the Touch for differentiating learning for these students has proven to be very beneficial. They are all three able to go at their own pace, which my master teacher tells me is increasing quickly with the use of the Touch. We both wish each student in her class had one to use. I can see how using a Touch every day, for multiple subjects, could help all students grow by leaps and bounds.
The two students who are using the Touch for reading are very excited to have this option. They are listening to the books "on tape" and following along with the book on the Touch. It is perfect for one students because she is able to adjust the font size, making it easier for her to read. And she said her favorite thing about listening to the book while she follows along is that she gets to hear the proper pronunciation for words that she tends to mispronounce, which increases her comprehension. The Touch also allows her to highlight a word she doesn't know and check the definition immediately without having to get up and look it up in the dictionary. This also increases her comprehension (and maximizes her time).
The other student who is reading while listening to the book at the same time enjoys all the same benefits, but doesn't need to adjust the font. Both students really look forward to getting to use the interactive tool. The problem is, I only have one Touch for three students to share.
Using the Touch for differentiating learning for these students has proven to be very beneficial. They are all three able to go at their own pace, which my master teacher tells me is increasing quickly with the use of the Touch. We both wish each student in her class had one to use. I can see how using a Touch every day, for multiple subjects, could help all students grow by leaps and bounds.
