Califone will invite teachers to share how they are using classroom technology with their students. This time we would like to welcome guest blogger, Matt Gomez.
I have written about headphones we use in my class before and everything I posted there is still true. The Califone headphones have been exactly what I needed for my class and more importantly they continue to work after two years of Kindergarten kids using them daily.
Today I want to share a new Califone product that I started using the second semester of school this year. (Please note: I am not getting paid to share this and I purchased the headphones myself) The new headsets are identical to the ones I already use except they have a mic for recording audio. All I can say is these mics are amazing for recording audio from the kids. If your class is like mine the kids speak very softly as soon as it is time to act or tell the story and the headsets do an amazing job or picking up even the quietest kids. The Califone 2810 Series Headsets also do a good job of canceling some of the background noise which is always present in a Kindergarten class. If you are using them for the iPad you will want to get the version with the 3.5mm To Go plug.
The first time I used the headsets we made a Valentine’s Video Card for all the Moms. Using the Explain Everything app I took a picture of the kids and then recorded them saying some sweet things about Mom.
We have also used the headsets to make an Earth Day Video with Explain Everything. For this project I had the kids come to my teacher table one at a time and tell me how they planned to save the Earth and we recorded their responses. Another way the headsets are valuable is for documenting growth in the classroom. Once a month I recorded the kids dictating a journal and reading leveled a reader.
It was amazing to watch the growth and the videos are a wonderful way to show parents the learning that is taking place in your classroom. I can’t wait for next year as I plan to document their writing and reading from the beginning of school. Of course the kids also are able to use them for independent projects like recording audio for stop motion video or creating stories in Toontastic. I know the possibilities for creating are endless with the technology we have available, these are just a few examples of how I am using the headsets in my class. If you have any questions, suggestions or ideas please share in the comments!
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