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EasiSpeak Giveaway and a Rationale!

Learning Resources has never disappointed me.  Seriously!  I am so excited about the latest gadget that I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on!  The EasiSpeak USB Recorder is snazzy!  One of my students said, “I like that it’s shaped like a real microphone.  It makes me feel like I’m a famous singer!”

The kiddos really didn’t get a chance to play around with it for fun purposes this time, but I did have them record themselves for a running record.  I LOVE their hearAll Assessment recorder, and while I think students could easily learn to use it, I think this little gizmo was so much easier for my students to manipulate independently.  I was informed that it is more “comfortable” than other machines they have used for similar purposes, because the record button doesn’t hurt when they hold it down.  I tried having them tap the button until it turned red, but holding it down was much more fruitful.  🙂  We had a few mix-ups, but simply having them hold the button and release it when they were finished was so much easier for them!

I love how easy it is to use, as I said, but more than that, I love how crisp and clear the audio files are.  They sound fabulous once you upload them to your computer, but they also sound great played through the microphone itself!  Another nice feature is that you can easily change the volume when you play back the files.  I am a big fan of volume control.  It’s also easy to skip through files without having to plug it into the computer, but friends, it’s so simple to hook up to the computer with a USB cord.  This is a wonderful tool.  Now, I know you have read about my practical uses for recording devices in my classroom, but I would love to plug this into a fluency center next year.  I want to teach the kiddos how to use it themselves, and I plan on leaving it in the center on Fridays for them to read the poem of the week aloud.  I’m also working on revamping my old fluency posters to include some fluency activities.  I would love to use the EasiSpeak with them too!  Hopefully when I post a winner next week, I’ll have my fluency bundle ready to go.  {Keep reading to find out why MIGHT is the operative word in that statement.}

Here’s what you need to do to win an assessment recorder for your classroom… for a total of 4 entries!  Are you excited yet?!?! 
{Don’t forget to leave your email address to ensure that I can get a hold of you if you should win!}
Follow my lil’ ole slice of cyberspace, and share how you plan to use the recorder with your kiddos. 🙂
Like Learning Resources on Facebook, click their wall, & tell them that One Extra Degree sent you!
Follow their blog, and tell them I sent you!
Follow Learning Resources on Twitter.

The winner will be drawn next Tuesday, June 5th, 2012.  Make sure to check back in for the winner!

Easy peasy lemon squeezy!  Now, here’s where my absence excuse comes in.  My rationale, if you will.  Friends, I have gotten off-track.  My grandmother passed, and then I started getting sort of piled under.  I am so sorry that I haven’t been posting as much as I was.  I feel so bad about it!  Really!  
Here’s what I’ve been up to while I’ve been on my unofficial blogging hiatus:

Of course, I’ve been teaching.  We did a fun R.A.F.T. writing activity for the end of the school year, and the kids were so into it.  This was the first time I ever did a R.A.F.T.   I’ve apparently been living under a rock, but I can see so many ways to plug this into Social Studies next year.  Can’t wait!  For those of you who are unfamiliar with this strategy, you present your students with 2-3 writing options around a certain topic.  They choose one of them to write about.  They basically assume a role and  write to a specific audience in a specific format about a specific topic.  This is so versatile, and FUN!  Unfortunately, I forgot to snap any student examples! Sorry!

We also had a little fun with the 3-2-1 Strategy.  I will try to create a bookmark to share this week, but in the meantime, here’s a picture!  {The bookmarks were created by my professor, so I am not able to share this particular template.}  Anyway, I had the kids use page markers to help keep them organized.  We read “The Story of the Statue of Liberty” together, then I sent them off to do some thinking with their bookmarks.  After a few minutes, we came back together to share out our responses.  It was really great, and the kids really delved into the story deeply.  We had a wonderful discussion, and the kiddos said that the bookmark and page markers helped them prepare for our dialogue.  You can’t beat that!  🙂  I will be doing this again too!  I’ve used the strategy, but never as a bookmark.  My little page marker add on definitely helped me support my little learners even more!

In other news, I’ve been gathering materials and working on a summer workshop… {Of course, I am sharing my great love of Tanny McGregor’s book.  I am a Comprehension Connections addict!}

I’ve been trying to keep my new flowers alive in our mini-drought.  You can tell that my hydrangeas  are still scorched…

I’ve been trying to weed our garden… the first summer in our home has been a tad daunting.  I can’t even tell you how many loads of weeds I’ve stacked up in our wheelbarrow.  Gross!  I’m also trying to stay away from our little garden snake friend…

I’m trying to wrap up a grad school course before I start another one in about two weeks…

We have also tried to have our family/friends over for cookouts lately.  Our house has been a little like Grand Central Station… see!

Most importantly, I have been trying to spend some quality time with my husband and fur baby.  This includes church, ballroom dancing… flea markets… dog agility courses… etc. etc.  Family is always first!  So, I am so excited that I get to spend more time with them in three more days… and make my bloggy comeback!  I have so much to share… and so little time… but I promise I will make it up to you! 🙂

If you are still reading this monster post… don’t forget to play along to try to win your very own EasiSpeak digital recorder!!!  🙂  Winners will be drawn next Tuesday evening!  Ready, set, go! 🙂

Comments

  18. Jody says

    Amanda, I am so sorry about your grandmother. There is NO one more special than a grandparent and I am so very sorry for your loss. What a merry-go-round you are on at this point in your life, and you apologize to us for not keeping up your blog? 🙂 You give so generously of yourself all the time…I do not know how you manage it all so well. May it ran soon AND may your little snake friend go FAR, FAR AWAY!! (Shiver!!):)

    I have done everything above, but am not sure if my comment got to the right place on the blog..?? I love your RAFT idea! I was aware of RAFT, but really never knew how exactly to use it. Thanks to you, I can't wait to give it a try next fall with my 5th graders…thank you.

    Okay, way, way too wordy, so I will let you get back to your life! 🙂 Thanks again for all you do and for your amazing generosity of spirit in sharing so much of yourself with us. Find time to take special care of "you", too. 🙂
    jody.erickson@k12.sd.us

    Reply

  19. Minicoops says

    I follow your blog…..you are amazing! I am envious of your time with your hubby and furry friend….I share my hubby and furry friend with three little ones….and this time of year is crazy busy! Just 11 1/2 days to go……

    Macbetty123@comcast,net

    Reply

  39. Eileen Griffin says

    Wow!!! These are great ideas. I love the bookmark. I will definitely need to make one for my class next year. Thank you for sharing so many wonderful things. Enjoy your family time. It is precious. Take care.

    Reply

  40. Amelia says

    What a great tool for the classroom! I would use Learning Resource's Easispeak Digital Microphone in several ways: to motivate reluctant readers; for fluency practice; to make digital products such as an audio-visual presentation with the child's own voice reading their own writing or the contents of a poetry notebook…I could go on. I would LOVE to have one of these! Thanks for the opportunity to win one!

    amelias.schaeffer@gmail.com

    Reply

  49. AthenaPhoenix says

    I want one of these! I want to use this to help them improve (and for me to keep track of) their fluency.

    I follow your blog (though it might be under my REAL name and not this Blogger name) and Facebook!

    I must tell you how precious your furbaby is! I have a golden too! Best dogs on the planet!

    ✪Crystal
    Strive to Sparkle

    Reply

  52. Linda says

    I follow your blog! I would use this to help students be able to hear how they read and build fluency.

    Linda
    Lnetzeband.at.gmail.com

    Reply

  55. Katy says

    Oooo I can see how that little recorder would be fun and useful!

    I've heard of teachers using recorders like this as a "tattle phone" where kids can record their tattles. But I think I'd use it more like you did–for my running records and keeping track of students' fluency!

    katy dot sc at gmail dot com

    Reply

  59. Lisa at Stories From Second says

    I follow you!
    While you've all missed you and your creativity, I think you're doing exactly what you should be doing right now, being with your family and making memories with them after the passing of your grandma. Glad to hear that you are doing well, and I look forward to hearing about all your new adventures!
    Lisa
    Stories From Second

    Reply

  67. Michelle Reagan says

    The ways I would use the EasiSpeak are a little different than the ways that I have read above because I teach math. One way I would use it would be to record group work. Another way would be so students could record problem solving strategies and upload them to the computer for the students to share with each other. I would also use it for the students to explain how to work out different types of problems and then upload them to the computer so students could listen to them for extra help

    Reply

  68. Bright Concepts 4 Teachers says

    Amanda-
    Thank you for all your great ideas.I want you to know that you are the first blog I have ever followed and you have given me encouragement to start my own blog. Thank you. I have passed on the Lovely Blog Award to you. Check it out on my latest blog post.
    -Jaime

    Reply

  74. Heather S. says

    I follow your blog. I would use this EasiSpeak in my classroom to build up the student's confidence with Reading Fluency. I would also use it in my Living Wax Museum for the students to record what their character says instead of them having to say it to people that walk through because my students shut down easily.

    heather.salsman@gmail.com

    Reply

  92. Fancy Nancy says

    I thought I had already entered but I can't find my post so here goes. I do follow you Amanda- you inspire me. I love your "stuff". I "liked" Learning Resources. I would love that Easi Speak- what that little device could do to encourage fluency practice would be amazing- I hope I win it. Thank you for offering the chance to win it.

    Reply

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