Using Sound to enhance learning: Gifted French at King Edward P.S. example

Our special education teachers use sound in many way to support student learning and achievement. Reward sounds provide positive reinforcement and feedback for students doing activities on the Interactive Whiteboard. Another example is to provide students with a method of expressing their thinking or for teachers to put auditory instructions and hints within the IWB files. In Hartley Wynberg's grade 8 Gifted French classrooms at King Edward P.S., sound is used in a variety of ways with students.

Mr. Wynberg teaches three grade 8 Gifted French classes at King Edward P.S.

Mr. Wynberg explored different ways to have his French lessons become even more interactive, during a co-teaching session with itinerant teacher Valia Reinsalu. One simple and quick way is to rejig digital resources into movable objects, and use the ActivInspire container with reward sound feature (see image below).

Students match long descriptions of  car types to the picture of the vehicle. (left)
A student waits for the reward sound to see if she is correct. (right)

Here is a short video to see how sound can enhance a lesson. Since the file is digital, students can review and revisit pages as many times as they like to reinforce concepts - supporting all learners including the auditory predominant ones. The use of the container feature in ActivInspire provides students with immediate feedback when learning new vocabulary or confirming French phrases. (In the second part of the video, the word bounces out, if it is incorrectly placed in a container. But a reward sound occurs when the word is in the right place.) The incorporation of students' own voices increased the intermediate students' engagement and interest as well.