Yesterday, I took my youngest son and his friend, and our dog, down to the river. The kids then proceeded to spend about an hour “building a dam/bridge” with rocks and sticks. They didn’t say damn bridge, by the way. They were clear this was a dam/bridge. Anyway, I took out my phone and called in a Slice of Life podcast from the river, using Cinch (a great app that allows for podcasting from your computer, your phone or your mobile device).
Peace (in the building of things),
Kevin
I love it! I wonder how their efforts ended up in attempting to “thwart the river.” Great way to capture the moment.
They tried, and tried, and failed to stop the water. That didn’t matter at all, though. It was the ‘trying’ that was fun, not the results.
Kevin
I love it…and the suggestion for an App I need today!
Love this and the app suggestion. I want to do some podcasts next year and I’ll have to investigate this one.
Yeah — I use Cinch with my students, too. We have the app version on the school iTouches, and it is just so simple to use and share (and embed) Good luck. Let me know if you need any pointers.
Kevin
What a cool slice- you always teach me lots about technology!! And what a cool dad to give them an hour or more to create like this…Makes me think of a line from a poem, I think it’s Eve Merriam, “It takes a lot of slow to grow.”
Thanks for sharing that line. And I am glad that what I post might help someone else find new possibilities …
I always read your posts and feel a mix of excitement and motivation to jump further into how I can use technology in my world – both work and play, and intimidation and the feeling of being overwhelmed and not knowing where to begin in the world of technological possibilities!
In your podcast, specifically, I love how you named them “engineers”. I think calling children what they are, in real-world terms, is so healthy for them to build self-concepts that grow them into self-aware citizens! Your son, and his friend, are lucky to have your support!
Thanks Kevin for always showing us ways to incorporate technology!
I am glad you clarified about the damn bridge vs. the dam/bridge. The app is a great way to capture reflection when you can’t stop and write.
Loved the start, “Down to a river near our house. Which is mostly deserted right now.” I could just picture all of you there and the work the boys were doing.
Most of all, I once again enjoyed another way to compose a message. I think the variety of your posts have been one of my highlights during this challenge. They’ve been a great reminder of the possibilities for creating and composing stories for others.
This is another post I will pin as a mentor text to remind me of the possibilities. I think your students must be very lucky. I have a feeling “writing” in a variety of ways is something that happens often in your classroom.
Thanks for sharing cinch. That was a bonus.
Cathy
I love reading your posts I have learned quite a bit about technology and how to apply it in the classroom.