How good are you at talking into your cell phone? Probably pretty good, huh?
I beg to differ. 😉
Maybe you’re ok at talking to your friends or parents… but what about talk into your dictation app?
A couple months ago a 7th grade client got into a gnarly accident that has put his arm in a cast. That means writing with his hands is super hard, and sometimes impossible.
I have other clients who have specific learning disabilities that make it super hard for them to write and type essays, but they sure are good at talking their ideas out loud.
In both these situations, there’s a skills these clients NEED that would help them be better able to take advantage of their phones.
Yes, it involves dictation, but it’s a particular skill when dictating that I’d like ever student to build this summer.
Watch the video to find out more:
And if you’re in a hurry, here’s a copy of the white board that will give you a hint:
Even if you don’t think you’ll ever need this skill, I swear you’ll be grateful you spent the summer getting good at it.
Dear Gretchen,
Thanks for the work you are doing changing students’ lives in a positive manner! Also, thanks for putting yourself out there for all the world to see! I was led to you and your knowledge at some point in the last school year when I was dropped into a teaching position that had a parent saying to me, “help my kid get better grades on her test.”
My first question was, “Do you study?” then, “How do you study?” Of course, her answer was that she did study…she looked over her notes the night before the test. We spent a little time talking about the success of that strategy, and other ways she could study. She asked if we could just Google ways to study in a not boring way instead of me ‘lecturing’ her (!?!?!?!). Boy, am I glad that she found your image of the anti-boring study cycle! We watched your quick video together and talked about ideas that she could try. She agreed to try it for her next test in one subject, and try to study a little each night. She had more success than she had before, and had me show that same video to a friend. I have no idea if she still uses that strategy, but I know that in that moment, it was exactly what she needed. That moment in time led me to search you out on the world-wide-web and register for your newsletter. I really enjoy the quick videos with a very specific tip; even if it is not something I can use right then, I drop in my teaching tool box. (It has also allowed me to put about 4 hours into my PD timesheet! YAY!) Today’s tip about using voice to text was terrific! I am working with a student right now to become more comfortable with that so he can use it more efficiently next school year. I sent his mom the link to this week’s edition. (And, even though you said basically the same thing I have been, I know that sometimes, it’s just someone else’s voice that they hear!) In this world of ‘tear-each down’, I wanted to take a moment and build someone up. So, thanks again, and please keep on doing what you do. As I stand at a crossroads in my teaching journey, and have the very real possibility of moving to a new location, with a new email address, I wrote down your website on the “THINGS THAT MUST GO WITH ME” list. Of course, sometimes, in teaching, what looks like a certainty on June 5, might not be the reality once the budgets are decided between June 15 – July 15! Either way, I’m good, and I know that I’ll have you there encouraging me and helping me help students!