It can be difficult to motivate learning at times teaching in an inner city school with children that have such limited experiences. However, my students are very motivated to learn through The Walking Classroom’s podcasts.
We go out two to three times a week and listen to a podcast that relates to a skill or a unit we are working on in class. The students come back together after we walk around our track. I can always hear a low hum about what they have just learned!
Through guided questions, they share all the information they have heard in the podcast. The participation is incredible! The students are always so excited to walk, listen, and learn. They keep asking how can they get a WalkKit to take home, as they are motivated to keep listening!
It is amazing to see how this program has sparked my students’ interest in learning. Even I have learned many things I had not known by listening to the podcasts, especially about George Washington (4-#86, Complete-#71)!
I love the fact that The Walking Classroom reinforces my curriculum. After we listened to Similes and Metaphors (4-#11, 5-#72, Complete-#4) and Idioms (4-#7, 5-#3, Complete-#3), my students were pointing them out in stories. What an incredible experience this has been for my students!
While the winter weather can be quite prohibitive in New York, we are happy to get outside when we can to plug in and listen to a podcast! It is always interesting to hear the side conversations my students continue to have about the podcast topic throughout the day, and to see them applying what they’ve learned. We love The Walking Classroom!
Michele Morello
Teacher
Yonkers Public School 5
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