imovie, Rubrics, and Grade Twoers

After attending our last TLN meeting where we learned about making rubrics that involved student input, I found myself inspired to try it all out. First, my grade 2 students and I made a rubric that addressed all the reading outcomes/goals that we discuss during guided reading. We put oral reading fluency (smooth or bumpy), reading comprehension (reading power), making connections, predictions, guessing, telling their favorite parts, and retelling the story in their own words into the rubric where students would give themselves 1, 2, 3 or 4 petals on the flower.

After the rubric was made, students read their story into imovie and then retold the story in their own words as well as tell any connections they may have to the story, give the setting, characters and beginning, middle and end. Students then watched and listened to themself reading and retelling the story as they followed along with their book. Then, they used the rubric to assess themselves. This was big. Students loved to see themself reading and talking about the story and most of the students wanted to give up their recess and lunch and read another story into the computer (this coming from a class that really loves its playground).

Overall, I’m just so thrilled to have been a part of the TLN because it’s given me the opportunity to have support and talk with all the members on ways to develop my technology use in the classroom. I have so many more ideas to try out and am really looking forward to giving each student their own DVD at the end of the year wtih their classroom memories (video from my camcorder of the year’s celebrations and events), slideshow of all the photos during the year, and individual samples of each student reading stories and retelling them. Big thanks to everyone at START learning for the enouragement and inspiration. You’ve really added some excitement to our grade 2 class!