Digital Audio in the classroom.
Why?Digital tools for digital kidsToday’s students spend their time differently than previous generations.
Marc Presky (2001) writes in his article,
Do They Really Think Differently?;
Our children today are being socialized in a way that is vastly different from their parents. The numbers are overwhelming: over 10,000 hours playing videogames, over 200,000 emails and instant messages sent and received; over 10,000 hours talking on digital cell phones; over 20,000 hours watching TV (a high percentage fast speed MTV), over 500,000 commercials seen—all before the kids leave college. And, maybe, at the very most, 5,000 hours of book reading. These are today’s ―"Digital Native" students.If this is true, then these students will require a different set of learning tools.
Unleash students’ creative expressionComputers today provides all the tools that students need to create and share compelling digital media projects. Students can create poetry photo books, scientific documentaries, blogs, original music, art portfolios, and more. With today's technologies, there’s no limit to what they can create. Digital tools let students learn in the multisensory mode they need to process information and express themselves using the media of their time.
Ignite student achievementResearch shows that students learn better and master basic skills in less time when they are engaged in learning. Digital projects are highly motivating for students, and since they can easily be shared, students are inclined to spend more time on task and revise their work to ensure that it’s just right. While working on digital projects, students hone important skills such as researching, reading, writing, and speaking. They also build higher order thinking skills, including problem solving, collaboration, and the ability to gather and analyze data.
Examples of classroom uses:
Radio WillowWeb MPS Podcast linksEducators discover value of Internet audio programs.Research on Podcasting in the classroom.Use of audio podcast in K-12 and higher education: a review of research topics and methodologiesDigital beginnings: Young children’s use of popular culture, media and new technologiesPodcasts: Where's the LearningWeb Tools: The Second GenerationIdeas about using audio in the classroom.Small novel groupsStart one group listening while having a discussion with a second group, and have a third group work independently. Switch groups once the first group is done with the required listening. The discussion group will work independently, the listening group moves on to discuss what they’ve listened to, and the independent group listens together. Each group then gets to listen and discuss the audio excerpt in three different ways, keeping things exciting and making sure all learning needs are addressed.
Whole class listeningAs a class, listen to the
audio sample in each of a lesson plans. Students should follow along with their copies of the print book. After listening, discuss what you’ve read and heard as a class. You may want to alternate the audiobook sample with students reading with a partner, round robin reading, or teacher reading.
Next, share the lesson plans and downloadable reproducibles on this site to encourage students to discuss and analyze what they heard and read, deepening their reading comprehension skills.
Independent ReadingLet students try out the audio samples for independent reading during downtime, reinforcing what they’ve learned in class. When students pick out what they want to read, they are more likely to enjoy reading and will become more confident with assigned reading. Have students further explore the titles by completing the downloadable reproducibles found on this site. (ideas here from the Scholastic website)
More ideas....
Four ways to use recorded books in the classroom Kids, Imagination and Audio in the Classroom Classroom Audio Podcasting Using sound in the classroomAt Wells, Maine's Wells
Elementary, for instance, students in Bob Sprankle's third/fourth-grade classroom record regular updates on their activities for the Room 208 podcasts, available at
http://bobsprankle.com/blog. It's a way for the kids to hone their writing skills, reflect on what they've learned and let parents and community members in on the fun. Sprankle says the process also helps him "clearly identify areas that need re-teaching or individual attention."
For classroom podcast ideas, technical advice and examples of what other schools are doing to take advantage of
podcasting, visit the Education Podcast Network,
http://epnweb.org.
Assignment (Podcast and Blog Entry)PodcastCreate a podcast and place a link from your Student Page.
Skills Needed: Create MP3
Upload to internet
Copy and Paste Link to Student Page (pbworks page)
Audacity® is free, open source software for recording and editing sounds. It is available for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. You can download the program
here. Because of patent restrictions, Audacity may not export to a MP3 format (used for podcasting). If you are using Audacity, you will also need to download and install the LAME MP3 encoder. You can read the directions and download it
here.
Tutorials for Audacity:
by
Audacity How to Podcast Atomic Learning Audacity Free Sound EffectsGarageband tutorials:
Apple Tutorials Atomic Learning Garageband 360Diigo Resources
http://www.diigo.com/user/cnansen/Podcastinghttp://www.diigo.com/user/cnansen/Podcastshttp://www.diigo.com/user/cnansen/Audacityhttp://www.diigo.com/user/cnansen/garagebandDiscontinued - And some articles at http://drop.io/msued521 Podcasting 101 Podcasts - Kids love doing podcasts. Here's what you need to know to get started Record and Share Videos Podcasting in the Classroom Make a podcast jingle Secrets of Professional Podcasting Smile, You're on ScoolTubePodcasting and Podcatching for the Absolute Beginner - a session at NECC 2009 in Washington D.C.
Podcasts in the Classroom - a session at NECC 2008 in Atlanta