Paws up and Make your Bark!

This year my Kindergarten ELL students learn about becoming changemakers with the help of the Apple TV+ show "Pretzel and the Puppies". This adorable cartoon based on the book "Pretzel" by Margaret Rey teaches students how to put their "Paws Up!" to work together and find solutions to problems within their community. Students begin to understand the importance of becoming changemakers and how to make their bark on the world. This year I am offering my Kindergarten ELL students the opportunity to participate in an after school club and learn from Pretzel and the Puppies as they share SEL lessons, rich vocabulary and teachable moments in literacy. In each after school session the students watch an episode then complete two follow up activities in a Student Learning Journal I created in Pages. The digital task will challenge students to use the iPad tools and features and the hands on activity allows students to make and create with simple materials.

Now that we are almost half way through our school year I am thrilled to share about our experience with the show and learning journal. I have found that using media to teach early learners is important for engagement and motivation, multi-sensory learning, vocabulary development, critical thinking skills, early literacy skills, and preparation for a digital world. While media can be a valuable tool for teaching literacy and language skills, it's important to strike a balance and ensure that children have a well-rounded learning experience that includes face-to-face interactions, hands-on activities, and a variety of educational resources. I look forward to hearing from educators in this community different ideas on how we can use media to enhance, support, and engage our students' learning.

Check out some pages from the Student Learning Journal below!