Writers Workshop and Future Music Stars
Posted by Gary on March 11, 2009 in Content Areas, Language Arts
As part of Writers Workshop, Coe Elementary Kindergarten teachers and students are using technology to create and share their writing and singing talents. Teachers Lonni Gunsolus, Katie Aldridge, and Christie Stabelfeldt worked with Columbia Writing Project Coach Sarah Picard to plan their “Kindergarten Song” writing unit.
The unit began with the students learning to sing and exploring several popular children songs (e.g. Wheels on the Bus – Twinkle, Twinkle, – Row, Row, Row, Your Boat). Students used Thinking Maps and a Writing Template (Student Sample) to practice writing their own words to each of the tunes. After conferencing with their teacher, each student selected one song to “edit and polish” for their final recording.
Stabelfeldt, Aldridge, and Gunsolus consulted with their Instructional Technology coach to select the appropriate tools for the task, understand the software features and functionality, and plan the recording sessions for their students. Parent volunteers recorded each song in Garage Band (Tutorial) and then moved the song to iTunes. In iTunes, the parents collected all of the songs into an album, which they then burned to a CD.
As a celebration of the student writing, each class had a “Release” party and invited parents and students to listen to their album together. Also, students received their own copy of the CD with a special Valentine’s Day cover.