Imagine This - Ideas & Stories for Creative, Meaningful Teaching | Finding Your Voice: How One Kindergarten Class Uses Nature and Technology to Tell Their Stories

How do you teach five-year-old students not just to speak, but to communicate with purpose?

In this episode of Imagine This, Dylan sits down with kindergarten teacher Caterina Gabriele to explore how intentional language routines, outdoor learning, and purposeful technology use can transform even the youngest learners into confident communicators.

From daily “I can” messages to a powerful outdoor soundscape project, Caterina shares how she builds the foundations of communication in her classroom. We talk about how her students learn to give meaningful messages, reflect on their experiences, and connect their emotions to their learning, all before they can fully write it down.

The conversation also dives into a standout project at Cates Park, where students use iPads to document the world around them through sound, video, and reflection. What starts as a simple science field trip quickly becomes something much deeper: a cross-curricular, inquiry-driven experience that brings out the best in every learner.

This episode is full of practical strategies and inspiring moments for educators looking to build student voice, foster authentic reflection, and use technology with purpose, not as a reward, but as a tool for learning.

About Caterina Gabriele

Caterina Gabriele is a kindergarten teacher in North Vancouver with a passion for early literacy, communication, and student well-being. With a background in dance and a Master of Education from UBC, she brings energy, structure, and creativity into her classroom. Caterina is deeply committed to helping young learners develop the language and confidence they need to express themselves, advocate for their needs, and engage meaningfully with the world around them.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

[00:00:16] Introduction to Caterina and the energy of a Friday afternoon recording
[00:01:10] Caterina’s journey into teaching and why she chose kindergarten
[00:06:13] Using performance and storytelling to build classroom buy-in
[00:07:34] Teaching communication through “I can” messages and body awareness
[00:09:47] Why real-life experiences matter more than repetition in language development
[00:11:08] Building a classroom-wide language system across subjects
[00:12:00] Helping students advocate for themselves through structured communication
[00:14:08] How strong language skills lead to clearer assessment and faster insight
[00:16:21] Capturing authentic learning through Seesaw and ePortfolios
[00:17:38] Moving beyond “wow work” to show real student growth
[00:19:42] The origin of the Cates Park soundscape project
[00:21:50] Designing a cross-curricular outdoor learning experience
[00:22:38] What happens when learning moves beyond the classroom walls
[00:24:12] How the field trip is structured for success (with parent support)
[00:25:49] Why participation skyrockets outside
[00:26:34] Using senses to drive observation, reflection, and emotion
[00:27:56] Recording student thinking through audio and video
[00:28:51] Tracking growth from one-part to multi-part student messages
[00:29:43] Seasonal changes and how they shape student observations
[00:30:55] Introducing iPads as tools—not toys—in kindergarten
[00:33:14] Building routines and expectations for meaningful tech use
[00:34:47] Rethinking screen time in an educational context
[00:37:55] The importance of specificity when using technology in learning

Classroom Chronicles articles mentioned:

Resources discussed in this episode:

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Creators and Guests

Host

Dylan Ismail

Dylan Ismail is the host of Imagine This and an Educational Technology Coach with Classmate, a Vancouver based team that helps people in schools succeed with technology through fun, collaborative learning experiences.

Guest

Caterina Gabriele

What is Imagine This - Ideas & Stories for Creative, Meaningful Teaching?

Imagine This is a podcast about what’s possible in classrooms.

Each episode features conversations with teachers who are building meaningful, creative (and sometimes boldly real-world) projects — the kind that help students create work that matters beyond school. From documentary field trips and immersive role-playing games to student-made podcasts and more, we explore ideas that make learning feel alive.

Hosted by Dylan from Classmate — a team that partners with educators to co-create fun, collaborative learning experiences — the show blends reflection and storytelling. Some stories come from classrooms we collaborate in; others come from schools and educators we meet along the way. Each episode includes a teacher interview alongside reflection from the Classmate team on what worked, what surprised us, and what we’re still learning.

This show is for K–12 educators (and really anyone who cares about learning) who want school to feel more meaningful, more imaginative, and more real.

Caterina Gabriele: [00:00:01] It's outside. You would be surprised how many kids participate. At my carpet, I don't see 27 hands up. Outside, there's kids going three times.

Dylan: [00:00:15] Hey, Carlo.

Carlo: [00:00:16] Hey, Dylan. I heard that you had a really good interview recently.

Dylan: [00:00:21] Yes. I sat down with Katerina Gabriele, kindergarten teacher from North Van.

Carlo: [00:00:25] Yes, I love working with Katerina, and she has a really awesome project that I think she told you about.

Dylan: [00:00:30] Yeah. She described a project where she brings her entire kindergarten class to a park with iPads, where all the students are prepped and ready to record messages at the park about how they feel about the forest or the ocean or a fort that they can crawl through.

Carlo: [00:00:54] I love this project and it's something that we've been helping her out with for the last three years. And when you put all those things together, you have kindergarten kids, the outdoors and iPads. It sounds like an impossible task.

Dylan: [00:01:07] A recipe for disaster.

Carlo: [00:01:08] Recipe for disaster. But the way that Katerina goes about it is really, really unique, I find. She really talks a lot about the core competencies, particularly the communication competency. She has the students build up their 'I can' statements and messages that they send to each other, and all of that gets scaffolded way before they get to the park.

Dylan: [00:01:29] Yeah.

Carlo: [00:01:30] So that they have those skills in mind when they are observing things in nature and they can say things like, I like flowers, they smell nice. And in that regard, they already have the skills to be able to communicate something so that when they're outside, it's not just a free for all with iPads.

Dylan: [00:01:47] Yeah, that was exactly what I got out of the conversation. I think it's incredible that she was able to share this with us. So why don't we go talk to Katerina?

Carlo: [00:01:55] Great.

Dylan: [02:01] Welcome to Imagine This, a podcast about what is possible in classrooms. I am sitting in a grade six classroom at the end of a week on a Friday afternoon with Caterina Gabriele, a kindergarten teacher in North Vancouver. Thank you for being on the podcast with us.

Caterina Gabriele: [02:18] Oh my gosh. Thank you for having me. So fun. This is the best way to spend a Friday afternoon.

Dylan: [02:22] Is it?

Caterina Gabriele: [02:23] Yeah. Because you know what? We have the school to ourselves. It's chill, weeks done. I get to chat on the microphone and then just go home and have a great weekend.

Dylan: [02:30] The alarm was almost put on us. We have the whole school to ourselves right now. This is great.

Caterina Gabriele: [02:35] This is great.

Dylan: [02:36] This is great. This is the energy that we're bringing.

Caterina Gabriele: [02:37] 100%.

Dylan: [02:38] Friday afternoon, end of a week after school. Thank you for being here. I'm really excited to talk about some of the things that you do in your classroom. We have a really cool project where you brought, what, five, six iPads and 26 kindergartners.

Caterina Gabriele: [02:55] Yes, 27 five year olds.

Dylan: [02:57] To a park. Yes. To record their voice, to record sounds, to take pictures, to take videos that we're going to talk about in just a second. But before we get into that, can you tell me a little bit about your background as a teacher, maybe how you got to where you are right now?

Caterina Gabriele: [03:11] Yes. So if we go, I guess all the way back to the beginning of the story, I am a product of CCV. I am a product of the private Catholic system. Went to a Catholic school in Vancouver, loved it, went to a Catholic high school in Vancouver. Absolutely loved it, had amazing teachers who were invested in my story in and outside of the classroom. So this. I honestly feel like I'm at the point in my career where I'm just giving back to a community who kind of helped me grow. Mhm. Always loved working with kids from a really young age, whether it was just babysitting or tutoring. I always loved being around kids, working with young kids. I didn't know I was going to do this full time. I was thinking, hey, maybe I'm going to go into law. I think I'm going to really love that. And as I was graduating, I danced, so dance was kind of my competitive sport. I grew up on stage and as I was finishing my dance career, I realized, okay, well, I have two options here. It's either to try something in the arts or to go to university like everybody else and get some degrees and get a job that pays a mortgage. So I was like, well, this makes a lot of sense and seems a little more stable. So I got a Bachelor of Arts and I focused in Women's health, a bit of psychology, sociology, bit of art history and English. And at the time while I was getting my first degree, I was also tutoring and teaching dance. But I was working working at a Catholic school in Vancouver, and I was an educational assistant. And so because at the time, I was also being trained in applied behavioral analysis, which is a really great program to help designated students. They put me in a class and I basically moved up with this class over three years.

Dylan: [04:59] So you really got to know the class.

Caterina Gabriele: [05:00] Really got to know these kids, their families, their interests, their likes, their dislikes very, very close with these families still to this day. So I moved up with them, all of grade five, all of grade six, all of grade seven. And so after they graduated from that elementary school, they wanted me to take a role in the grade three class in more of the primary department, which I loved because I loved working with younger kids, because I loved the literacy and the storytime and the language development that came from that environment. And so I did that, and there was this push for me to go back to school. So I went to UBC, I got a Bachelor of Education, and at the time, our vice principal from that school was moving and becoming a principal at a Catholic school in North Vancouver, and she brought me over. She said, listen, you're going to graduate. You're going to want a full time classroom. I know you, you're hungry. You like this, this environment. I think you would do really, really well in a kindergarten classroom. And at the time I was like, kindergarten? What are you talking about, five year olds? I was like, I think they're just too young. I really love grade three. She goes, no, trust me. So I came over to North Van with her and I interviewed at the school and I really, really loved it. And the position was really unique. And I thought to myself, okay, yeah, I can totally do this. Five year olds. And to this day, it has been the most challenging job I have ever had. I could not, I do not see myself leaving it.

Dylan: [06:14] Leaving kindergarten.

Caterina Gabriele: [06:15] Leaving kindergarten. There is something so rewarding, something so fascinating, something so challenging about trying to help the brain of a five year old develop that I just love so much. I love it so much that if my administrator said, Caterina, we're pulling you to grade seven, I'd be like, sorry, the answer is no. I just don't see myself leaving kindergarten, I love it, I love that they are so invested and want to come to school, and they find it rewarding and fun and exciting to be here. So that was my journey. And then after all of a year working here, I was like, I need to know more. I got a master's of education, went back to UBC, got my master's, stayed in kindergarten and since I graduated, have just been implementing what I've learned through my master's here in this classroom. And it felt really right. And I've seen the kids leave my classroom and grow. And now, these kids are 12 years old and I'm like, huh, yeah, we did.

Dylan: [07:17] You can see the.

Caterina Gabriele: [07:18] We did something. Did we make mistakes? Sure. But something good must have happened because these kids are flourishing and they are happy and they are regulated and they are using core competencies in their day to day learning. And I'm just like, yeah, it was worth it.

Dylan: [07:32] Yeah. So I heard you say something about helping them develop language there. And I want to start there because the way that you approach teaching the core competencies and having students sort of reflect on their learning, it's unique. I think maybe some of that comes from your being on stage profession as a professional dancer or a competitive dancer. And so there's a lot of performance and you get buy in really quickly from the classroom.

Caterina Gabriele: [07:58] We try.

Dylan: [07:59] So can you take us through what it looks like when you're doing just that with a brand new class of kindergarten students, trying to get them to think about how they learn?

Caterina Gabriele: [08:09] Yeah. So I think, and it's so true what you said, just having a background on stage, I think that my background of yes, growing up on stage has served me well because that level of performance or theatrics has really received this buy in from five year olds and really quite quickly, which is what you want, right? This school doesn't have a preschool. So I really am the first face they see and they come here and you want that buy in because you want them to want to come here. And so for me, when I start to do language development, we start very early on in the school year, right? They come and they start their graduate entry in kindergarten the first week of September, like every other kid when they start school. But it's about a 4 to 6 week program where it's 2.5 hours. And then we build because we're building stamina. And really, really early on in my September, we start to talk about what it means to give a message. So what does it mean to use our voice to give a message? And I usually start with 'I can' messages because it's really quick and easy for them to grasp. But before I can get into language development, I have to have them understand where even their bodies are coming from. Right? To you and I, it's so realistic. Yeah, I'm using my mouth to give a message to them.

Dylan: [09:19] They just hear it.

Caterina Gabriele: [09:20] Totally. They haven't been associated even where on the body. So I actually draw myself on the board and I make it really funny, like I draw oh, Mrs. Gabriele, long curly brown hair and I'm using a blue expo marker. They find it hilarious, right? And I'm like, oh, eyes, eyelashes. Oh, what color are my eyes? Okay, great. And I go in shape lips. Okay. And then I draw my body and I always draw what I'm wearing that day. So if it's like an oversize jean jacket, I'll make it look like an oversize jean jacket. And my pink little sneakers. And we have a lot of fun with it. And so there's this Mrs. Gabriele on the board. And then I get the triangles that represent the core competencies, and I start to add them to the person that's on the board. And you have 27 five year olds who are like, why is there a tee above her head? Why is there a C on her mouth? Why is there a PS by her heart? Because I actually draw a heart on my body. And so I just put them there and I just let them reflect and I say, put your hand up. What can you tell me about this body? And I'll have, you know, five, eight, 12 hands go up.

Caterina Gabriele: [10:24] Why is there a tee on your head? Why is there a C by your mouth? Why are there letters by your heart? And I'm like, hey, that's exactly what I wanted you to notice. Let's get into it. So we talk about T means thinking. I'm thinking a new thought. Well, where do you think your thinking comes from? I guess your head because it's on your head. I'm like, yes. So we have a brain. It's inside of our head. Great. Here we go. What's by my mouth, a c? They have no idea what the C stands for. So we talk about communication. PS they have no idea what it stands for. We talk about personal social awareness and feelings. Feeling feelings comes from our heart. Giving a message comes from our mouth and thinking of something new comes from our brain. We literally work on that for quite a while, just so that we understand because every morning in kindergarten, we give I can messages so that they understand. This message is coming from my mouth. I can jump, I can skip, I can celebrate Christmas, I can visit grandma. And we do that every morning because it's linked to our very special person. All about me boards. So they practice that language every single day.

Dylan: [11:32] I think I've seen this in practice. So you have one student come up in front of the front of the group talking about things about them. And they're using these 'I can' statements to describe what they're doing.

Caterina Gabriele: [11:41] Exactly. Every morning. And we do that the whole year. But we spend time at the beginning of the year developing what that full message sounds like, because I'm really, really picky on five year olds using complete sentences. Yeah, really picky about that.

Dylan: [11:53] And one thing that I'm hearing is that a lot of these messages are coming from their experiences. They're not just repeating something that they've heard and your test, you're looking for them to basically just repeat after you.

Caterina Gabriele: [12:07] No, it's a real life experience. And they draw on that and then they're able to verbalize, which I think is even more important because they repeat back teaching. Repeat after me. Repeat after me. I think it worked at the time.

Dylan: [12:19] I think it only goes so deep though.

Caterina Gabriele: [12:21] 100%. I think it's surface level. And I think kids nowadays, especially young kids, They're well traveled, they're well versed. They've seen things like, let's draw on your experience. I know you're five, but you come to the table with something. Yeah, you'd be surprised at how bright these kids are and what they have to say.

Dylan: [12:36] They have interests.

Caterina Gabriele: [12:37] Yes they do. And we hold space so that they can share that each morning.

Dylan: [12:42] Okay. So you've developed this sort of common language throughout the classroom and you're using it sort of, I mean, at the beginning of every day, but I'm assuming you're using it throughout the day.

Caterina Gabriele: [12:53] Throughout the day. And then cross-curricular too, because we can say something in literacy and we can give an 'I can' statement, but then we can get to science and we can talk about using our senses outdoors and also give an iMessage, right? Or we can use it on the playground. If something has happened that we don't like, we can give an iMessage. I don't like it when you budge in front of me in the lineup. I don't like it when you take my turn down the slide, right? So it's across our entire day and in different disciplines. And I have seen that when these kids are able to execute that language, they feel like they're able to advocate and they're able to be understood and clearly understood. Versus if a child maybe hasn't yet mastered that, you can tell the frustration because there's this sense of Mrs. Gabriele, I'm trying to give my message. And so then that's when I step in. And so I'll just give a frame as to how to give the message.

Dylan: [13:45] Do you hear that language? Like they're like, I have a message that needs to be heard. And multiple times I'm struggling with that.

Caterina Gabriele: [13:50] I'll hear students say, I have a message, I have to give a message. And I'm like, what message would you like to give? And then you have to pause because they're thinking, right, how am I going to give this message? 'I didn't like it when' then they're able to say it, but they have just approached me and have said, I have to give a message, I have to give a message. And you can tell they're frustrated that they haven't been able to do it independently. Then once you slow them down and they find those words, then they can share independently.

Dylan: [14:18] Okay. Yeah, this is very like I said before, I haven't seen this sort of approach in other classrooms. And so I can see how if I was a kindergarten student or student in your class, it feels like a very supportive way of giving me the tools to express myself or to express any type of message that I might need to convey to somebody.

Caterina Gabriele: [14:39] And that's what I've noticed as a teacher, that it feels very regulated and that's what I want. I want a classroom that is regulated. We use zones of regulation. We teach it here at our school. I've learned a lot from the program, from the curriculum itself. I take a lot of that, and I do want it to be part of our day to day classroom, because I think a regulated classroom is setting yourself up for success and for success in any type of learning. I just feel like when I've seen these five year olds being able to give a clear message, thinking of a thought and then getting it out, that has served them well. And even the feedback from parents, I'm going to be very honest with you, a lot of families have said, it's so interesting. My kid knows exactly what to do when they come to kindergarten. Every day, every morning, every routine is the same. And it's like, yeah, nothing is a surprise. Kids like routine and it's the same with their language development. If they know how to give a clear message, they're going to be able to speak, advocate, make friends, learn, question, right? These are things, these are life skills.

Dylan: [15:37] Yeah. So when they have this language that they're using, I'm assuming that when you go to assess some of the other skills that they're working on, you get better evidence of it because they can express themselves better 100%.

Caterina Gabriele: [15:53] Yeah, 100%. And what I think I've noticed is it's also me as a young educator, learning things that have worked and things that I won't do again. But I think that what I've noticed is when it comes time to showcase learning, they are able to showcase learning clearly. And I'm going to be honest, I'm going to use the word rapidly because they are able to right off the hop. Identify this if either they're pointing to what I'm assessing or if they're sharing or it's a recall, they're able to identify, give the message and give the second part. So I usually do one part message at the beginning. Then I do two part messages. And then if kids are really extending their thinking, we can go to three part messages, but they are able to clearly give a message and they can. And my assessments, they happen quickly because that output is there. They know what to say. It's almost like they know what I'm looking for in a way. And it's just like, boom.

Dylan: [16:52] Yeah. I mean, it sounds like the structures that you've put in place, like this routine that you're talking about, like making a speaking routine so that when I ask you to tell me about something, they know how to start it. It just comes.

Caterina Gabriele: [17:06] It flows.

Dylan: [17:06] It flows. Yeah, yeah.

Caterina Gabriele: [17:07] And even when we do something like touch math, we have a touch math program, right? It's a language frame. Again, I have six plus two on the board, and I write six plus two. When you see this, what does it mean? And I'm pointing to the adding sign, right. The addition sign and they'll say plus sign. And so then we have a dance for it. So when you see this, what does it mean? And then they all go, the number gets bigger. And so we know okay, now this means addition. The number must get bigger. So then the frame is six plus two equals. What should I do first? And they'll respond circle a bigger number. Right. So it's having that frame of language once they know it and it's stuck in that memory, boom they take off with it. They all know to circle the bigger number they all know to count on. So yeah, I think you're right. I think having systems in place has helped me.

Dylan: [17:56] So you were talking about capturing some of their evidence of learning. How does that happen in your class? What tools are you using to capture that?

Caterina Gabriele: [18:06] Well, in the past couple of years, our school has really transitioned into Seesaw to have this kind of ePortfolio. If you want to call it an ePortfolio, that's what we've transitioned to. We still have hard copy scrapbooks, which I love, and a lot of their artwork goes into it. But the thing that I love about our school transitioning into ePortfolios is Seesaw has become this platform where I can show honest and authentic work to families. And so either it's a picture, a reflection, a little video, a commercial, but it's a quick little snapshot of their learning. And it supports my report card. It supports my CSL going home because now it's now basically parents are going, oh, I'm not just reading this on the CSL. I just saw this and I just saw that. And I just saw this on Mrs. Gabriele's Seesaw of my child. This makes a lot of sense, right?

Dylan: [18:55] So it's the lead up to that.

Caterina Gabriele: [18:59] It's kind of front loading the parents for what they're going to see on the report card. So I do like capturing. I've really moved away from the wow worker. Let's only show mom and dad the wow. No, I've actually transitioned to this and here's why it's developing. Maybe this is emerging. Maybe we're just not there yet. Right? I like to show that authentic work. So then at least it gives some grounds to why we're reporting this way.

Dylan: [19:23] But like what you said, I mean, that authentic reporting needs to have evidence that supports it. And if you're only showing the wow work, then there's no example of a student who needs to work in any sort of area. It just looks like they've got they're great at everything.

Caterina Gabriele: [19:42] And that's never the case.

Dylan: [19:43] No. It's disappointing when a parent sees a report that doesn't reflect that, and they have no reason to think that it should be any other way.

Caterina Gabriele: [19:52] For sure. And then I would think to go back to your point of evidence of learning, I think we have a Ziploc program at our school, like in my kindergarten classroom, sorry. And I think it's really helpful that I'm sending things home. So every evening, 3:00, parents pick up their kids. It's like, boom. What does Mrs. Gabriele have in the Ziploc? Well, there's a new reading book. That means what? That means you passed your reading assessment. Oh, there's maybe a touch math page. Oh, there's an I'm a gift from God worksheet. And so parents in kindergarten have to be so active in their child's learning. And I mean in life in general, but in their child's academic and spiritual journey here. And I really like that my Ziploc communication bag is checked every day because I could have sent home an assessment. I could be sending home a new reading book. Right. You could have a touch math worksheet and it can give you some real insight. Every single five and three on this page are reversed. So I like sending things home. Getting parents to see their kids work, I think is really beneficial because again, it gives you a clear look into, in June, when this report comes home, there's no surprises. And our administration loves that, right. They always say there should be no surprises. And I agree, I say it every May care orientation. I don't like surprises unless they're a really cute pair of shoes. I don't like surprises. And this is why. In May, you receive my September calendar. I think the organization just sets us up for success.

Dylan: [21:18] Yeah. Okay. I want to stay on parents because I think this is a good transition to the project that you've run for three years now.

Caterina Gabriele: [21:27] Yes.

Dylan: [21:28] Which we've been loosely calling like the soundscapes project. So can you tell me a little bit about how you started this project, where we're taking students out of the classroom with iPads and getting them to document nature, with the support of parents, that's the transition there. because parents are at the park with us.

Caterina Gabriele: [21:46] And you know what I have to say? Thank God for our parent helpers at this school because they are the reason why I can take 27 five year olds to little Cates and feel safe doing so. So, okay, let's start at how this came to be. So again, I work at a Catholic school in North Van. I love that I'm kind of right by deep cove, beautiful area. So I have this thing about learning outdoors. Okay. I have this thing about using our senses and learning. And as a North Burnaby girl, you know, I'm like, well, indoors when it rains. Oh, whatever. Stay inside. I started working in North Van and I was like, no, wait. It's like a new world out here.

Dylan: [22:24] Aren't you just given a rain jacket when you start working in the North? And hiking boots.

Caterina Gabriele: [22:28] Yeah. So I was like, wait a second. I was like, we're in a beautiful part of town. There's got to be more, I need to start investigating my surroundings. So I was doing some research and I was like, Covid hit. And I was like, yikes, we really got to get outside now. And so I started doing a little bit more with my class at the time, just nature walks, science discoveries outdoors, and then our school. And then we all opened back up after Covid. And I was like, I can jump off with this project. And I had it in my head where if the science curriculum is telling me that we're learning our senses, then I actually want to use my senses to learn. I'm one of these teachers that I don't want to just read it on a piece of paper. I want to experience it. And I believe they want to experience it with their senses and body. So knowing that little Cates Park is literally a four minute drive from our school, I had gone at the time to our administration. I said, hey, it's a free field trip. I'm going to plan every single thing. I'm going to get parents involved, parent volunteers. I'm going to get Classmate involved. I worked with Carlo several times. I had Jen come.

Dylan: [23:35] I've been to one of them.

Caterina Gabriele: [23:36] You were there. We had Johnny come. It's been great that the team has come out.

Dylan: [23:41] I think it's just a reoccurring event in our calendar now. We just oh, they're going to Cates Park. Someone's got to go.

Caterina Gabriele: [23:47] Yeah, I love it. And so it's been really nice to have the team like you guys come and support. But I basically said at the time, I said, hey, it's four minutes away. I'm going to take care of everything. This is a cross curricular field trip because what I'm doing here is not just science. What I'm doing here is Science Literacy. Core competencies. Social. Emotional regulation. It crossed off so many of my boxes. And at the time I was like, oh, this is great. Crosses off so many of my boxes because now reporting is just going to be that much easier. Like I was thinking like a checkbox until I got there. And then I was like, this is not.

Dylan: [24:23] Nothing happened as planned.

Caterina Gabriele: [24:25] Exactly. Until I got there, and I was like, nope, this is way bigger than I can check off boxes. This is inquiry based learning. This is sense driven learning. This is seeing the children in the classroom who had troubles focusing, excelling, coming to life, questioning outdoors. It was almost like a light bulb for me in my career to realize that the four walls of the classroom don't always support every learner, and that the outdoors might be an avenue, a channel that supports that learner instead. And so we got, I think every year I get how many parent volunteers anywhere from 15 to 22 parent volunteers come on this field trip. Of course, they sign off, we sign off, we have our drivers, we get to Cates Park. And basically what we do is we divide out into four sections. And so we use our surrounding space to investigate our natural environment. There's a water space. So I always take the beach. So I'll go down to the water. My educational assistant, Mrs. A, will take a forest area. And then usually I have two Classmate team representatives. One will take, there's a playground, but then there's also a we call it like a treasure.

Dylan: [25:45] It's like the garden.

Caterina Gabriele: [25:46] Yeah. It's like a fort.

Dylan: [25:48] It's an old logging building.

Caterina Gabriele: [25:51] Cold and concrete, but they love it. And there's tunnels and it's. Yeah. So I'll always.

Dylan: [25:57] Have, I think the tunnels, I think that's what it's labeled on the map.

Caterina Gabriele: [26:01] And so I'll have I've had you there before. I've had Carlos there before. And so I'll have another representative there. And what happens is when we get to the park as a team, we go through all four avenues. So the children and the parents know what the expectation is at the playground, at tunnels, at the beach and in the forest. Then I'll give them a snack time and they'll have recess. They'll have 15 minutes, they're able to play. And then I divide up groups. I'm super strategic about how I divide up these groups because to get what I want out of their soundscape recordings and their core comp messaging, I need obviously, and I think every teacher does this. You want the right students to be in the right group. So I divide out and then I have parents follow and parents have been great on this field trip, and they make sure every child stays in the group. If they need a bathroom break, a water break, they follow my plan. And so we give every group, I would say, 15, 20 minutes at every section. And it's great once they're done and they've recorded, they go on to the next. And so I'll use the water space. I'll use the beach as an example. When we get there, I start very simply, what do you see in this environment? And a lot of them put their hands up right away. Water, Mrs. Gabriele. Sand, rocks, a boat. Oh look, there's an eagle. They'll look around. They're using a sense of sight. They're looking around and they're just telling me what they see. And after every child has shared again, it's outside. You would be surprised how many kids participate at my carpet. I don't see 27 hands up.

Dylan: [27:34] It's the same couple.

Caterina Gabriele: [27:35] Exactly. Outside there's kids going three times. I'm like, this is fantastic participation. Like 100. Like they just, they excel after every child's had a chance to speak, a chance to share. Then I say sometimes if it's my second or third group, I'll say what looks different from the environment. What looks different here from the environment you were just in? And sometimes if they're in tunnels or forests, they'll say, well, there was no water just inside my water bottle. And I'm like, yeah, that makes sense. What else? And so they'll name a few differences. But then we get into find a place or a space where you can use your senses. The only thing I say is they're not allowed to use their sense of taste otherwise. Right. Sand in the mouth.

Dylan: [28:19] No thanks. We did have some kids at the station that I was at who found some mushrooms, and I'm glad that we said we had no sense of taste.

Caterina Gabriele: [28:28] No sense of taste.

Dylan: [28:29] We're not tasting right now.

Caterina Gabriele: [28:31] Yeah, totally. Oh, please. Oh, Lord. And so I say to them, you know, all your senses, any sense, but no sense of taste. And so they'll go, you'll see them with their hands and they'll touch the sand and they'll throw a rock into the water. Or sometimes they'll close their eyes and they'll just breathe. And so then after they've had their sense experience, they again, we go back to the log and I'll say, tell me how you feel and hands will go up. I feel calm again. We've done this language before. They understand calm because they understand those zones of regulation, right? Calm, focused, ready to learn is the green zone. So they have this vocabulary. So they'll put their hand up. Calm, happy, excited. I feel so excited when I hear the splash in the water. So they share this and then we get the tool out. And so the tool is an iPad. We get this tool out. They know it's not a toy. They know it's a two hand touch. They have to have both hands on their iPad and they know how to record. Right? We've done recordings before. So I will say, now you get to choose your favorite zone. And so depending on when in the year this project or this field trip happens, sometimes when I've done it earlier in the school year, it's only a one part message. "I like the water", but as their vocabulary increases, "I like the water because..." And they give me a word, right? I've had it before where I've done one in May, where it's a whole little commercial. "I'm with Mrs. Gabriele at the beach. I like the water because it makes me feel calm. Sometimes I sit by the water and breathe. That makes me feel like I'm in the green zone. And I love it because..." I'm like, could you imagine if I got 3 or 4 of these done a year? Just see that transition to one to 2 to 3 part messages.

Students: [30:07] I like the water because it was fun to throw rocks in. I like the fence because it's fun to play in. I like the sand because it's fun to dig in.

Dylan: [30:23] You've done it multiple times.

Caterina Gabriele: [30:24] I have, I've only gotten to three. Yeah, I've only been able to get to three. I think it was last year three, which was great because I was able to see that first term. Second term. Third term progression.

Dylan: [30:36] It's great for, I think for two reasons you see the progression, but the park's different.

Caterina Gabriele: [30:41] And that's why we talk about seasons.

Dylan: [30:42] Yeah. There's leaves on the trees. There's the grass is not muddy. It's totally different. I think I've seen or I've heard recordings of things like when it's raining.

Caterina Gabriele: [30:54] Which is lovely because when you look at seasonal changes in our curriculum, you think of, what does that look like? And so the kids are really quick to say because we learn about our autumn colors, right? And so the kids are really quick to say, oh, this is a time where all of the leaves have fallen. Look, we have orange and red and there's some yellow. And so they'll speak to that where we've gone there before in rain-couver like we've gone there before, where it's everyone in their rain jackets and rain boots and parents are all bundled up as well. And they're, I mean, they're having a blast as well, but it's very different. And they will actually speak to the mud. Yeah. They will speak.

Dylan: [31:28] There's different sounds for sure. Different experiences.

Caterina Gabriele: [31:30] Different experiences.

Dylan: [31:31] We're still recording with the iPad. I've heard sounds like splashing in the puddles or like running through wet gravel or even like raindrops, like in the puddles. It's definitely a different experience from season to season.

Caterina Gabriele: [31:44] I'd love to go there. One time I told Carlo this. I'd love to get there in the snow.

Dylan: [31:50] How we got to line that up somehow.

Caterina Gabriele: [31:52] I take my kids to tobogganing in February. So I mean, that's kind of our winter wonderland experience, but I'd love to get there in the snow because I do think the soundscape project would be really, really interesting in the snow. And I think kids, I mean, they'd love it, but I think that their senses, I think their sense experience would be a little more heightened because now it's like, well, not only maybe it's cold and maybe it does make them feel calm, but it's like fun, exciting, building a snowman crashing.

Dylan: [32:18] It's an experience that doesn't happen every day. It's not like the rain.

Caterina Gabriele: [32:21] Because it's novel. That's exciting.

Dylan: [32:23] Yeah. I want to talk a little bit about your experience with technology in the classroom, because you mentioned that when they are recording, they know that this is a tool. They're using two hands. They know how to record. What has your experience been like with these tools in the class?

Caterina Gabriele: [32:40] So my September setup for iPads, the great thing about kindergarten is ADST is so integrated, but we don't even start the T of ADST until the students realize Mrs. Gabriele has an iPad fridge in her classroom. It's a no go.

Dylan: [32:58] An iPad fridge.

Caterina Gabriele: [32:58] I call it an iPad fridge.

Dylan: [32:59] This is the cart.

Caterina Gabriele: [33:00] This is the cart that holds 30.

Dylan: [33:02] I'm gonna steal that. That's amazing.

Caterina Gabriele: [33:04] It is my iPad fridge. What is on my iPad fridge? A lock? It's a no go zone. Only Mrs. Gabriele is allowed to unlock the fridge. What lives inside? Not food. Ipads. What does an iPad do? Then we talk. We talk about all this, and then it's like.

Dylan: [33:21] Have you done the iPad senses? Did you do something around like the iPad has eyes? The iPad had ears.

Caterina Gabriele: [33:30] Okay. Yes, yes, yes. So when Carlo came in, he did the census of the iPad and he goes, an iPad has eyes.

Dylan: [33:35] Yeah, that was the camera, right?

Caterina Gabriele: [33:36] And his little girl turns around and she goes, no, it doesn't. And I'm like, but he's talking about the camera.

Dylan: [33:44] It's a metaphor.

Caterina Gabriele: [33:45] Yeah, yeah, they totally the ears for recording. Oh, totally bypass them. But it was so funny. He had actually done a great job in the class with me on that entry lesson. But basically, I talk about this iPad fridge and that there's a tool inside. Everyone gets their own. We're so blessed at this school. Everybody gets their own. But there was a lock. There's a reason why there's a lock because these are not toys. If you look at the rest of my classroom, what's available to you? All of our toys, Mrs. Gabriele. Great. All of our zones are free. This is not the case. There's a lock because it's a tool. Then we have to show the three R's. So we kind of have this slogan at our school about reverence, respect, responsibility, and we use it in the classroom all the time. And so I tell them, if you would like your iPad, then you need to be able to show responsibility. Sorry, this is the way it is. I'm going to give you this tool. When I hand you this tool, you must have both hands. It's called the two hand touch. So they put both hands and they hold it and they slowly walk to their quiet time zone. And they can play on their iPad. Just we call it play on the iPad just for them to investigate what is on an iPad. So we'll talk about, yeah, there's a camera app. This can help us do what? Well, it can help us take pictures. It can help us record. There's other apps like Writing Wizard, which I love because it helps with letter formation, number formation, and wording.

Dylan: [34:59] This is where you've introduced Magic Fingers. Senior magic finger. Oh my gosh.

Caterina Gabriele: [35:04] Magic finger. Put your magic finger in the air. This is your iPad touch. You're allowed to use this finger. Oh, you have to do that. It's so good. I've had kids put all five fingers right across their iPad, and you don't get any sensation from it, right? Yeah. So they're like, it's not working. And I'm like, well, it's a one finger touch. But again, all that pre-teaching, all that prep planning happens at the very beginning of the year. And so they know I can record on this tool because they've done it. They know I can take a picture because they've done it. They've also seen themselves because of Seesaw. So if I do a core competency review, I'm filming them. The students who don't like to be seen, I'll hold the iPad. And so it just looks like they're looking at the back of an iPad like the iPad Pro Apple iPad case. If they love to be on camera, then I have the mirror facing them and they're all about it, right? Like, oh, pop star time. And they love being the center of attention for themselves. But again, all that happens September, October. So by the time we get to projects like Cate's Park, they know how to use this tool.

Dylan: [36:03] So it sounds like everything else that you're doing, there's a lot of investment into this, like scaffolding that you're doing, until they start really experiencing it for themselves. What were your, I guess, misconceptions or your previous ideas about using technology like an iPad in a kindergarten class before you actually did it? I know there's a lot of I guess hesitance or anxiety around maybe bringing a tool like this into the classroom.

Caterina Gabriele: [36:32] For sure, and I think and not even in the classroom, I think even for young parents, just in standard parenting, I think there's a lot of this. Monitor your screen time. I think it's very different in a home versus in my classroom. It's super monitored in my classroom and it's for academic progress.

Dylan: [36:51] And they have a task.

Caterina Gabriele: [36:52] And there's a purpose. Exactly. There's a purpose behind what is happening. Yes. Is the time short? Absolutely. It is monitored. I don't give them 30 minutes of free choice. Like it's 15 minutes and there's a task they need to execute. Right. And again, for curricular purposes. But, when you go to a restaurant and you sit down and you see the iPad kid, I was like, I don't want my boss to walk into this kindergarten classroom and see the iPad kid. Right? So that's where I was like, okay, hold on. I really need to think this through before I hand this tool to somebody. And then I was like, I know, I think I know how I can try this. I was like, I'm just gonna dive in. I'm going to set my September up as this is a tool. This is how we use it. If you can show me you're using the three Rs, then you can use it in this way. We're about to go on a community discovery walk in our school community. We're going to investigate the library. Your task is one picture of a book, right? And then they're executing that one task. And so I think for me, it was just like a dive in to get over that hump of like, oh, this kind of feels weird. Like when I went to school, it was used like this. I don't want it to be used like that. But then once I dove in and I actually, as a teacher, did that planning and prep work, and I was like, no, I can execute this task. Then I was like, actually, yeah, wait a second, wait a second. And then I did something else. And then Carlo came in and we did like a school walk. And I was like, hey. And then all of a sudden we're reflecting and I'm like, what? This is like, wow, we can really tap in here.

Dylan: [38:25] I think you hit on something that I didn't actually realize until right now, which is when you use them as a tool, you're specifying the use of the iPad. So in your example of walking to the library, you're specifying it as a camera. When they're at Cates Park there, you're specifying it as like an audio recorder and a video recorder. I think we tend to look at these devices that we use these days as a singular tool. It's like the iPad, right? Right. When really what we've done is we've taken 100 tools that we used to have, and we've put it in one device. Yes. And I think we would be doing everyone a disservice if, especially your students, a disservice if we said, hey, it's now time for you to use the 100 tool tool. Yeah. Do whatever you want with this 100 tool tool, right. Instead of specifying and saying, hey, you're going to use this to take a picture. Yeah, you're going to use this to record audio, right? And I feel like that is maybe the trap that we all fall into when we're describing these in educational settings where we don't specify and it just becomes the 100. Yeah, do whatever you want.

Caterina Gabriele: [39:41] You know what I love about that though, Dylan is like, I've never heard somebody say it like that. Like, this is the 100th tool. Go ahead and use this the 100th time because if you think of the iPad.

Dylan: [39:50] It's overwhelming. It's endless. And it's frustrating and empty if you don't know what you're doing.

Caterina Gabriele: [39:56] Right. But like, think about how much we've put on that one piece of technology.

Dylan: [40:01] Condensed all the tools into one.

Caterina Gabriele: [40:03] Exactly. And all to say, if you are able to properly manipulate that one tool, you can do a lot.

Dylan: [40:10] Of good and bad things.

Caterina Gabriele: [40:12] Of good and bad. I mean, as a kindergarten teacher, I would hope it's good. But of course, you could do a lot of good and bad, but you. That comes with a lot of power. Hey, a lot of power.

Dylan: [40:22] Yeah. So I think it all sort of just solidified for me right there of we, the iPad is not a singular thing, but when we describe it as a singular thing, it can be really powerful when we describe it as like a place to document your learning, or if we just describe it as a place to take pictures or record yourself or whatever it might be.

Caterina Gabriele: [40:40] And my five year old students don't think it's a one tool. They think it's a tool that does many things because they use it for letter formation, but then they can use it to take a picture, but then they can use it to record at Cates Park, but they can also use it to send a commercial to Mommy and Daddy on Seesaw. But then they can also use it to reflect on letter printing. Then they can also use it if Mrs. Gabriele makes a video of reading zones. So to them, I think they've realized it's multifaceted, which is great.

Dylan: [41:09] And then it's up to you to sort of specify their intentions or where their energy goes when they're doing it. If you were to introduce this project to another kindergarten teacher and you said, hey, this is something that you should do in your classroom, you have iPads, you have access to a park. What's the advice you're giving them after doing this a handful of times now?

Caterina Gabriele: [41:31] I think now that I have a couple of years behind me and doing it the way that I've done it, I would say, I mean, first of all, I would say just dive in and try it. If you have parent helpers that can get the kids safely to a park, it's close to your school. You have some iPads, you have some buddies who can lead these zones. Just try it. I'd start there. But I think if I was speaking to another teacher who has done this for a handful of years, I'd say, you know, by now, you know, planning is the most important thing. Preparation is the most important thing. And I would say, take the time before you go to the park to ensure that your students have this baseline language. Hopefully they can give an ‘I can’ message. Maybe they can give an ‘I like’ message. And if it's your first time, just do a one part message. I like the water. I like looking at the rocks. I like the feeling of the mud. If they have some language development and you think you can kind of expand their thinking, great. Get to two part messages. Add in the feelings, right? Add in your next core competency. I love the crunch of the leaves. It makes me feel excited, right? Whatever it may be. But I would say take some time in your classroom before you go to the park. Just working on a language development plan, what the frame of the sentence will be and get them to practice with you one on one, maybe with your aide, maybe in small groups, then get them using an iPad in their school, maybe in their classroom, or in their school community. Before you go to the park. I like the library. I can pick a book. I love going to the gym. It makes me feel excited to run.

Students: [43:09] I like the tunnel because it's fun to play in. I like seeing the birds singing because it's a nice sound. I like looking at the trees because they make us shake.

Caterina Gabriele: [43:30] Do a little test field trip in your own community, in your own school environment and see how it goes. Then get all the parents on board, get them to drive safely to that park, get all the kids set up. As a teacher, I'd say go to the park before you bring everybody just so you can map out the zones you want to investigate.

Dylan: [43:46] I think you've even brought in, like maps of the park and shown those.

Caterina Gabriele: [43:49] Just to show parents.

Dylan: [43:50] Yeah. And to the parents.

Caterina Gabriele: [43:51] Go there, map out the zones you want to investigate. And then when you get there, hopefully again, you've done the planning. When you get there, you have to let it go, if that makes sense. A you're not going to be in every zone. So you have to trust the individuals you put in those zones to lead and be. You kind of have to take a step back. They are going to discover wherever their brain goes first, wherever their senses lead them. That's what they're going to go with. Does it mean there's a right or wrong answer? Let them explore. So I would say once you get there and you've done the planning, everybody knows the safety message, everyone knows where to stay and what they're allowed to explore and how to use the iPad. That's when you take a deep breath as a teacher and just say, okay, here we go. I'm taking a deep breath. I'm letting it go. Whatever happens, happens after you leave the park. That's when you have to do your reflection session as a teacher, but also just the kids, right? Just the students. So I actually I've been very blessed here. I've had some of your teams stay, I've booked Carlo for the whole day. And so the staff will have lunch and then they'll come back to kindergarten and record the reflection. And that's the I like messages. They have to reflect on what they liked from the experience. And that goes directly on Seesaw. Boom. Families get it by 3:00 that day.

Dylan: [45:11] Let's just clarify this a little bit. And thank you for bringing up the reflection because I think, um, it's important. The videos that they've recorded at the park or the audio that they've recorded at the park, they then come back into the classroom and-

Caterina Gabriele: [45:24] Reflect. on it.

Dylan: [45:24] Watch it or listen to it.

Caterina Gabriele: [45:27] Yeah. If they want to listen, if they want to watch like they can, I don't. They're typically when we get back, they're eating lunch. So I don't leave all the iPads out. I will use it sometimes for my assessment. But what they do is what they get to do, it's called they get to have lunch and then they get to do a quiet time, carpet time, which is basically thinking of your favorite part. And so they get to reflect. If a child is like, "Mrs. Gabriele, I don't remember my favorite part". I had that last year. I pulled out the iPad and I scrolled all the way back. I said, okay, I have your soundscape from this zone and this zone and this zone. Which one would you like me to play? And then and then they were able to choose. But usually it's so fresh in their head that during their quiet time and during their reflection before they record, they're like, oh yeah, the forest was my favorite zone. I liked it because the beach was my... So then when they're called, whether it's Jen, you, Carlo, whoever it may be when they go outside to do their recording, it's like my self-reflection. It's happening the same day. And I think for a five year old's brain that works better because there's no recall the next day. So it's happening right away, but it's also fresh. And they still have that sense of joy and bliss because they just came from the outdoors. So you get a really kind of honest response, which is great. And it's usually based on the reflection of two things, their favorite and how they felt, which is great because then we tap into that feeling, right? Core competency which I love.

Dylan: [46:51] This has been enlightening for me. I love hearing you bring us through this whole journey because as I'm listening to you talk. A lot of your practice shows up in sort of every part of this project. It starts with the preparation for language. It starts with preparation for using an iPad. It starts preparing students and parents right to go to the park.

Caterina Gabriele: [47:16] Totally, totally.

Dylan: [47:17] There's so much preparation so that when you ask your students to share, they have the language, they have the experience, they have the ideas. Top of mind to actually do that sharing. So you're giving them all these steps to get to the top level and sort of share what's in their head or what's in their heart or what's in their what they felt. Right.

Caterina Gabriele: [47:43] And I think if you don't do the planning and then you just go to the park, you're not going to have the same experience. And you're also an educator, not going to have the same outcome. So I definitely, I'd put in the planning all day, every day before I do something like this. And I think honestly, Dylan, the great thing is, is that they don't stay in kindergarten forever. Do you know what I mean? Like, the great thing of this is, yeah, we did ten months. We were a family. We laughed together, we cried together. We experienced, we used our senses in our natural environment. Right. We learned to read. But guess what happens after kindergarten graduation? You go on summer vacation, right? Like, and then you're in grade one. But the beautiful thing is, I still get to see it from across the hall, right? Which I love. It's like, oh, yeah, so and so is still giving iMessages, right? A grade five student oh my goodness.

Dylan: [48:29] I think you said this in Jest before we started recording that kindergarten sets up. Yes. Your whole experience in school.

Caterina Gabriele: [48:37] I was joking before we started. I go 'everything you needed to know you learned in kindergarten.'

Dylan: [48:43] I mean, it's yeah, I, I feel like your the amount of prep that you put into these projects, I don't know how you could, how you could think anything else because you put your heart and soul into all of this stuff.

Caterina Gabriele: [48:54] So it's fun. And again, I think the performance side of it too makes it fun. And the kids buy in. But yeah, they leave kindergarten. Honestly they do. And just to see the core competencies still be alive in every classroom as they grow up. And everyone here, everyone at my work does such an amazing job in their own way of doing it that I'm like, oh, that's so cool. Like I learned something from every different classroom and I'm like, hey, I can bring that down to a five year old level, no problem. But it's cool because they do. They leave my classroom one day, but then I still kind of see the that seed that we planted. Hey, it's growing. Hey, it's sprouting. Hey, that's such a beautiful flower by the end of it. And I'm like, huh, okay. It was all worth it. This has been so fun. Dylan, thank you so much for having me on.

Dylan: [49:37] I'm sure this isn't going to be the last time we talk about projects.

Caterina Gabriele: [49:40] It doesn't have to be.

Dylan: [49:40] Thank you very much for sharing all of your experiences and the preparation that you put into all of your lessons.

Caterina Gabriele: [49:48] My pleasure.

Dylan: [49:48] Yeah, this has been great.

Caterina Gabriele: [49:50] Thanks, Dylan.

Dylan: [49:53] Imagine this is a podcast about what's possible in classrooms. You can find more about Caterina's soundscape projects in our Classroom Chronicles. Check our show notes for four different versions of this project, as well as an overview of how Caterina scaffolds her language and core competency development in kindergarten. Did this conversation make you want to try something new in your classroom? Why not? Let us know on our Instagram at classmates.team. Do you know a kindergarten teacher that needs to hear this? You should send them this episode. You can find Imagine This on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite Podcatcher. See you next time.

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