Showing posts with label audio. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Universal Design for Learning tip: Audio recorded reading accommodations using Vocaroo.com

Vocaroo.com is the simplest free audio recording tool I know of. It's not perfect (no editing and no permanent storage) but it works well and it works fast. It also has simple tools for downloading, linking, and creating QR codes for the audio you've recorded. This makes Vocaroo great for quickly adding audio supports to any instructional resource.

Unlike verbal reading accommodations, I've noticed that students are more engaged by audio recordings and tend to pause and review the recordings more than they would ask me to repeat myself. The recordings also provide students greater autonomy over the pace of the reading.

In my old school we even started providing screencast and audio recordings as an option for all students. It became a universal support, destigmatized the accomodation, and became an embedded practice for supporting all instruction, not just assessments.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Providing test reading accommodations using the Soundcloud app and QR codes #scc21c

There are several ways to record audio for test accommodations that can then be accessed by students during a test or in other settings where audio would support the learning needs of the student. The procedures described below were specifically designed to support a 1:1 iPad setting but could be modified to meet a variety of classroom settings.

One other note: Offering audio to all students and not just students who require accommodations is great Universal Design for Learning strategy. You may be surprised who chooses to listen to your narrated test when given the option!

Procedures for using Soundcloud app on the iPad for test reading accommodations

iPad steps

Step 1. Download the Soundcloud app from the iTunes app store.

Step 2. Open the Soundcloud app and register for a new account.

Step 3. Make a demo recording, name it, select “private”, and save.

Computer steps

Step 1. Download the Chrome Browser. (You can use Firefox and Internet Explorer, however the steps for adding a “bookmarklet” may differ).

Step 2. Go to the Active History QR Bookmarklet page.

Step 3. Click on the Chrome settings icon, hover over the “bookmarks” and select “show bookmarks bar”. You can also use the keyboard shortcut ctrl-shift-B to reveal and hide the bookmarks bar.

Step 4. Drag the red “QR Coder” bookmarklet into the bookmarks bar.

Step 5. Go to http://soundcloud.com and log in.

Step 6. Click on “You” and select “tracks” to locate the recording you made earlier on the iPad.

Step 7. Click on the “Share” icon for the track you wish to share.

Step 8. Copy the “secret link”, Open and new Chrome tab and paste the link

Step 9. Click on the “QR Coder” bookmarklet. This will generate a QR code link for the Soundcloud recording.

Step 10. Right click to save the QR code image or Right click and copy to paste the QR code into a document or click ctrl-P to print the QR code

Step 11. Attach, paste or post the QR code where students will be able to access using a QR code scanning app from their mobile device

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

App Review: Croak.it audio recorder

Croak.it is a super simple audio recorder that works on multiple devices including iOS (iPad, iTouch, iPhone), Android phones, or via your computer browser. It is similar in many ways to vocaroo.com with the added benefit of having a mobile app. The advantage of using a cross-platform program like croak.it is the ability to use every computing device available whether these be student or school owned.

Another advantage of the Croak.it recorder is that it does not require any account sign up. This means students can quickly create and share their recordings without the hassel of logging in. One suggestion that I have for saving recordings is to create a simple Google Form that students can use to submit their recording links. (see video below) This allows you to collect student recordings with out having to use an e-mail account.

(Use Google Forms to collect screenchomp, glogster and youtube links)

The recordings are limited to 30 seconds or less which could be both an advantage or disadvantage. I often warn teachers to be careful when assigning video or audio projects to students due to the time it takes to listen to each recording depending on the length. Because of the 30 second time limit you may want to encourage students to rehearse (never a bad idea) before they record.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Classroom audio recording is a Cinch

Update: Cinch.fm and it's app are no longer in service. I recommend replacing these with AudioBoo or Soundcloud.

Cinch.fm and the cinch app for iOS devices have become my go to audio recording and podcasting tool. Let me tell you why.

My son listening to a Cinch recording of his favorite book

First is ease of use. Both the cinch.fm website and the app are very easy to use when it comes to sign-up, recording, and listening to recordings. Second is the unlimited recording time (unlike audioboo.fm which limits recordings to three minutes). Third is the ability to make recordings using your computer and a microphone (website), using an iPad, iPhone, or 4th generation iPod touch (app), or record using any phone associated to your Cinch account.

The classroom applications are endless but here are just a few of the reasons why Cinch is the best option in my opinion.

Recording lectures that are immediately available online for students who are absent or need to hear the material again
Parent communication podcast (Audio newsletter, Daily activity and homework reporting)
Audio directions for worksheets or test accommodations
Student interviews and observational data
Student recordings of think alouds, group projects, audio notes, student created tutorials, fluency practice, or adding audio to physical projects such as posters, dioramas, or written work

For a more detailed look at using audio and podcasting in the classroom take a look at this post I wrote last year.

With cinch.fm you can also add photos and text to the audio recording. With the iOS app teachers and students can quickly and easily add a picture from the camera roll or take a picture with camera enabled devices. Text is limited to 140 characters. Ideas for teacher or student use include:

Taking pictures of objects around the classroom or school that relate to a theme or concept (e.g find and describe examples of ecosystems or geometric shapes)
Taking pictures of charts, graphics, or text and recording audio to answer questions
Asking students to take pictures of their work and record reflections about the content
Have students record themselves reading classroom books or materials. Use QR codes or shortened URL's to let others listen - See the How-to below.

Setting up a Cinch account - I recommend creating a generic classroom account if students will be recording. I also suggest making your folders private by default.

or using the cinch app

Make private folder(s) for your recordings (folders can only be created from the website)

Make a recording using the website or app

Add photos and text to the recording

Share your recording by shortening the URL or QR codes from the website

I recommend installing a QR code/URL shortener like goo.gl to your Chrome or Firefox browser or going to http://qrcode.kaywa.com/.

Start adding QR codes and shortened URL's to books and other classroom objects. You can use a QR scanner app for your iOS devices to make access to the recordings a snap!

Listen for your self.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Quick thoughts on Qwiki for iPad #iear #edapp #edtech #ttdn

Just before the end of the school year I was able to check out an iPad from our RESA Assistive Technology lending library and test a few different apps with students. One of the apps I felt had great potential in the classroom was Qwiki. Qwiki compiles reference information from sites like wikipedia, images, videos, and maps to create an immersive information experience. But the most unique feature is the text-to-speech narration that accompanies every Qwiki. Captioning at the bottom of the screen is read by the text-to-speech engine giving the user the option to listen or read along. In essence, Qwiki turns your searches into movies.

In the short video clip above, students used Qwiki to research elements from the periodic table for a science project. I was impressed by the engagement level I saw, but also noted that the students using the Qwiki app were jotting down notes for their projects and reviewed their Qwiki search multiple times before moving on to the related searches presented at the end of the presentation. Because we were testing in an open environment without headphones other students paused to watch as well and even started discussing some of the qualities of the element being shown. This was vastly different from the disinterested search process that I had witnessed before I introduced the app.

It is worth noting that Qwiki is not just an iPad app. Their website http://www.qwiki.com offers an identical experience minus the intuitive touch screen interface. I'd love to see Qwiki develop some editing features that would allow students to curate their own resources and create dynamic presentations that could be shared.

Have you used Qwiki in your classroom? Please share your thoughts on how you think this website and app might support struggling learners or help increase engagement.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Reinspired

It has been a while since I have written a blog post. I've recently acquired an android smart phone which has inspired me to write this post today. Actually I'm speaking this post using the blogger app and the android voice recognition. It works surprisingly well.

I'm looking forward to writing or speaking more blog posts about the use of cell phones in education. I'm also looking forward to my Macul conference presentation entitled "cell phones are 4 learning." See you there!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Classroom tools: Using phones to generate voice-to-text transcriptions, reminders and audio recordings

In my recent post on using audio and podcasting in the classroom I discussed phone recording options such as Google Voice and ipadio.com. In this post I am looking more specifically at phone services which record audio and transcribe voice-to-text, but are designed primarily as reminder and to do applications.

What are the benefits in education?

First, phones are one of the most ubiquitous technologies in schools. Land line phones as well as cell phones are available to almost everyone both in school and at home.

Secondly, reminders and to do lists are an important organizational strategy. Services such as Dial2do.com and Reqall.com add features which traditional to do lists lack such as access on multiple internet connected devices and integration with other online services such as calendars, social media, and blogging. And unlike traditional lists and reminders the audio recordings provide another means of accessing and remembering important information.

Teachers could use these services to broadcast classroom notes and alerts or for personal organization and reminders. Students can use these services to become more organized but may also benefit from their voice-to-text transcriptions. This may particularly beneficial for students requiring assistive technology such as struggling writers or students who have difficulty using a writing device or keyboard.

Dial2Do

"Today I've been looking at a couple of different phone services which I might promote for students who are having difficulty writing things down. Dial2do is a phone service that converts voice to text and transcribes those messages-"
Powered by Dial2Do

Dial2do appears to be moving toward a two tiered pay model and no longer offers a free account. Dial2do integrates nicely with services like Twitter and Blogger. The recordings are limited to aproximately 20 seconds, but the transcriptions are very good. The recordings are in Mp3 format and can be downloaded or listened to directly using the web based audio player.

Reqall

Here's another test I made today using reqall.com -

"Imagine using your cellphone to write your next persuasive essay. There's a student sitting at a table. He's looking at the assignment. He needs to write an essay. He pulls out his cellphone. In the future essays may be written by students who call in their paragraphs and have them dictated by a phone." Link to audio

Unlike Dial2do, reqall.com does offer a free and paid account model. It also has an iOS app which integrates nicely with the service and allows voice messages to be recorded and transcribed using an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. The time limit appears to be slightly longer, about 30 seconds, however the transcription did not pick up punctuation at the end of sentences and a few words required correction. One feature which I feel is missing is an embeddable Mp3 player for listening to audio online. Reqall Pro offers integration with services such as calendars, social networking, and Evernote.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Edtechkit: Student solutions for Audio books and text-to-speech ebook readers for the iPod Touch

I've been fielding some questions today about the best solution for students who would like to listen to books read aloud using an iPod touch. I'm reposting my response below with a few additions and links. Please comment if you have suggestions or ideas to share.

The Vbookz app would be a great option for students who want to read and listen to books like Huck Finn, Dracula, Pride and Predjudice etc. The app is a full ebook reader plus text-to-speech engine. It even magnifies the words as they are being read to help the reader track words as they are read aloud. The app gives you access to over 30,000 books for free download once installed ($1.99 for the app). Here’s a Youtube video explaining the app.

Another suggestion is to browse this list of free audio/ebooks for the iPod touch on Appolicious. I've downloaded the Wind in the Willows app and found that it works quite well. My only wish is that it included word tracking.

I also recommend checking out Lit2go which has hundreds of books read by actors in Mp3 format. Like Vbookz these are public domain books which are no longer covered by copyright law. These Mp3 files and the text can be viewed on a computer or downloaded and added to an ipod touch.

But if your students wanted to read the book Hatchet, which is still under copyright, you would need to purchase an audiobook copy through iTunes or from a service like Audible or Amazon.

Finally, I highly recommend checking with your local library online services to see if they are using a service like Overdrive.com which allows you to check out ebooks and audio books using your library card. You can check for libraries using Overdrive.com by entering your area code I used my local library card to check out the audio book version of The Giver by Lois Lowry which students in 10th Grade ELA have been reading at my school.

Monday, November 15, 2010

A teacher’s guide to using audio and podcasting in the classroom

Update: Check out my most recent post on using Cinch.fm

Click here if you are unable to see the audio player. http://ipad.io/RCH

Audio recordings and podcasts serve a variety purposes in the classroom. They can support instruction by allowing teachers to deliver precise verbal instructions and capture lessons for archival purposes or future listening. They give students the opportunity to listen to instruction independently, without distraction (when wearing headphones), and at their own pace using play and pause features for as many times as is needed. Conversely, students can use audio to demonstrate their understanding of learned concepts, create instructional materials and tutorials for peers, broadcast classroom and school news, conduct interviews, and practice fluency reading strategies. Determining which audio and podcasting tools to use in the classroom depends upon your instructional purpose and on your audio recording needs.

First let’s look at using audio to support instructional delivery. One use of audio is to record the directions for an assignment or test which students will listen to. For this purpose you might use Microsoft Word’s “insert audio” feature to build the audio directly into the document. You might also choose to embed audio in an online Moodle quiz or assignment using Audacity. On the other hand you may be recording a series of lecture note, study casts, or lesson tutorials which are not directly tied to a single document or assessment but which you would like students to listen to for review and reinforcement. For these you may wish to use a podcasting site such as Podomatic or ipadio. Podcast recordings can be accessed by going directly to your podcast website, via RSS subscriptions and iTunes, or by embedding recordings on a class website or blog.

Student generated audio and podcasts can be facilitated using some of the techniques mentioned above but may also require additional considerations such as managing student podcast accounts, submitting audio recordings for review, and the degree of technical expertise needed to produce the recording. Using phones to create student recordings can be an effective method capturing student audio and requires very little technical training. Google Voice and ipadio both allow audio to be recorded using a phone. Students can also use simple online recorders such as Voki and Vocaroo. Other options include using the recording options on a mobile device such as iPod touch to make a recording and then e-mailing the recording to the teacher, student e-mail, or class blog.

Once you have determined your instructional purpose for using audio or podcasting you must also determine what audio elements are essential to making the recording such as the duration, ability to edit, as well as adding multimedia such as background music, images, text, or even geolocation. Most often you will want to create recordings which are brief and simple. This is especially true when assessing student audio because of the time required to listen to student submissions. An example might be when you ask students to record lesson reflections or exit interviews. In these circumstances, it is best to use phone or online recorders which limit the time of the recording, do not require editing, and make publishing your audio easy. The insert voice option in Microsoft Word is another example of simple audio recording. Students can use this feature to record smaller written samples to self check for errors and build fluency. If however, you know that you will be making a lengthy recording where editing mistakes, combining recordings, or adding sounds effects or music tracks is necessary then audio editors such as Audacity, Garage Band (Mac only), and Aviary’s online audio editor Myna may be good solutions. These tools are particularly useful for polished recordings intended to be published to wider audience or for culminating student projects.

Before learning about and using a particular audio recording and publishing tool you may wish to use the following matrix to evaluate which tool(s) best fit your instructional purpose and audio recording needs. I also recommend becoming comfortable with several audio applications. Relying on one application may limit your instructional outcomes or cause frustration if that application isn’t working, is discontinued or is no longer free.

Instructional Matrix for audio recording and podcasting

The basics

In most cases you will need to either install software on your computer or create an account to begin using a podcast recording service.

Next you will need to use a microphone to make your recording. Many computers have built in microphones, but external headphones which you plug in via USB or 3.5mm jacks produce much higher quality audio. If neither of these options is available consider using a phone recording service such Google Voice or iPadio.

In most cases you will want to make an Mp3 audio recording. This is true for anyone who plans to share the recording over the internet or for use on Mp3 players. Many applications such as Audioboo, iPadio, Podomatic, and Vocaroo do this automatically. Audacity requires a small program called a Lame file to be installed. Microsoft Word’s insert audio can be used with the default .wav file setting or be changed to Mp3.

Finally, you will need some means of allowing others to listen to the audio file. Microsoft Word’s insert audio, the voice recorder option on the iPod touch, and files made using Audacity can be saved locally onto the computer or iPod touch they were created on and listened to directly on those devices. In most cases, however, the audio file will need to be hosted or embedded on a website, blog, or podcasting site which can be accessed from the internet. This has the distinct advantage of allowing students to listen to the recording from a variety of devices and locations. These services also make the creation of audio more flexible as they do not require the user to be on a particular computer or device to make the recording.

Overview of audio and podcasting applications

With these steps in mind the overviews presented below are intended to get a beginning user recording and sharing their audio. Advanced uses of each particular program or application can be explored through the support documents and video tutorials associated with each application.

Cinch.fm - my new favorite

Audacity

Microsoft Word "Insert Audio"

Podomatic

Audioboo

ipadio

Google Voice

Voki

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Screencast: Testing Camtasia and Audioboo at the same time

This was a test of running Camtasia and Audioboo at the same time for the purpose of making a training tutorial. Although Camtasia was able to capture the screen and audio process fine, the Audioboo recording was distorted. It is possible that this was due to the fact my laptop does not have enough processing power to handle multiple recording applications simultaneously. Feel free to offer suggestions in the comment section below. To hear the audioboo sample which was created in the screencast click on the following link.

http://audioboo.fm/boos/217412-making-a-camtasia-screencast-and-audioboo-recording-at-the-same-time

Friday, November 12, 2010

SCCRESA Dateline Schools radio interview #TTDN

This is a recording of my interview with Dateline Schools host Terry Harrington discussing 21st Century Learning and technology in education. We also discuss RESA's Tools for Teaching Digital Natives teacher cohort.

You can also listen to my Dateline Schools interview from last year by clicking here

Dateline: Schools Radio
Dateline: Schools Radio, a daily radio segment aired on WPHM-1380 AM, focuses on a different school program or issue every week.

This program airs three times daily on WPHM 1380 AM with host Terry Harrington.

You can listen to Dateline: Schools at 5:50 a.m., 12:55 p.m., and 6:55 p.m., Monday through Friday.

If you are unable to view the audio player, click here.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Fall family fun: Geocaching and podcasting together

My family and I enjoy the "Geek" sport of Geocaching. Ok, it's not that geeky when you consider that it is great excuse to go outside and explore. Plus there are a number of great classroom applications. Of course there are a lot of math applications (calculating distances and geometry) or using the answers to math problems to complete missing coordinates. And geocaching is well suited to teaching geography concepts and local history. But you can also use caches for team building, campus orientations, or tie into the geocaching online community to build communication skill. Regardless, it is a lot of fun.

My two children Bella and Tennyson helped me to make a quick podcast while we were out geocaching today at the Pine River Nature Center. I had a little difficulty with our recordings and ended up using a couple different iPod touch apps (Voice and ipadio) to get the job done, but it was fun to record on the go. Take a listen to get a better sense of what geocaching is all about.

Can't see the podcast player? Click here

Saturday, October 16, 2010

A month's worth of Twitter Favorites

Here a are a few of my favorite tweets from the past month. Too often, I favorite a tweet, bookmark a website, or star a blog post in my Google Reader but never go back to reflect and review these saved items. I'm including an audio podcast of my reflection for those who would like to hear a little bit more about why I chose to save these tweets and my impression of the links they include. Enjoy.

Can't see the audio player? Click Here

p.s. People occasionally ask how I get my favorites list into the blog posts, so here's my big secret. Go to http://twitter.com, open your favorites, highlight, copy and paste into your blog.