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!

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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! :)