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 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.
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.
Here is a brief video app tour of Make Dice Lite. This app allows you to create up to six custom six-sided dice. One or multiple dice can be thrown at a time. Creating custom dice is relatively simple and could be created quickly by having students open a document or website that contains pre-written questions or categories and then copying and pasting these onto your custom made dice. The one drawback to this Free app is the pop-up adds that occur between rolling events.
One of our greatest fears as educators surrounding mobile devices like the iPad is the camera. The camera more than any other feature seems to have the potential for doing the most harm while simultaneously having countless educational value.
As we introduce mobile devices into the classroom or invite students to bring their own devices is there a way to effectively teach good digital citizenship and safety regarding the camera before it's too late?
I believe that the solution lies in asking students to use their mobile device camera frequently and repeatedly within the classroom to accomplish a variety of academic purposes each and every day and to conduct regular, purposeful checks of the images we ask them to take.
Here are some examples designed with a 1:1 or BYOD setting in mind with the potential for modification to fit in a shared device classroom. As students enter the room I might ask them to take a picture of the day’s agenda written on the board. This visual schedule will assist students with time management and provide a reference to the day's objectives when they are home. I might then ask students to open an app such as skitch or or paperport notes and have them photograph the day's bell ringer activity. They can then use annotation features to respond to the question and submit their response. Throughout a lesson I would encourage students to photograph notes on the board, their own notes and ancillary items in the room like posters or models. I would also ask students to take pictures of assignments I pass out or graded work that I've returned to them. And throughout this process, I would be explicit in my expectation that they refer to all of these photos for completing class tasks, homework, or as study guides. I would also do spot checks to see that students are taking photos of the required items and embed tasks within assignments that draw on information found in the photos. Finally, I would have students evaluate their photos for evidence of mastery and organize these photos for a portfolio.
Variations of these photo activities might also work in shared device settings by having students organize folders for the photos or by sharing the photos to an e-mail or dropbox account that the student can access using a different device. Designating student roles such as class photographer and class videographer would also help model appropriate use of mobile device cameras and turn the shared mobile device into a classroom resource.
Realistically, the storage on these mobile devices is limited and organizing the countless photos would require some room in our already crowded instructional schedules. But let’s be honest. This is not a storage or time crisis. This is about digital footprints and averting disaster.
In short, we hog the heck out the camera and expect not only access to the content but also encourage application, reflection, and the development of a final product using the photos taken. Not only does this reinforce the idea the camera is a tool and not a toy, it supports student organizational skills, provides multiple means of a representation (See Universal Design for Learning), and most importantly makes questionable content far less inviting.
M"DeI believe that given two weeks of near constant reinforcement of using the camera as a tool coupled with embedded instruction on the importance of digital citizenship and safety the majority of students would hesitate before taking and posting the kinds of pictures we all fear.
Today I came across this great infographic for helping students make good decisions about the pictures and videos they take. I also had the opportunity to share the poster with some Middle School students working in a nearby school. Yes, they’ve heard some of these “rules” before. But hearing it again and within the context of taking a picture of themselves (a reflection activity they were asked to complete) deepens their understanding and lets them apply the criteria we discussed.
By the way, there is an alternative. We can disable the cameras on devices we own. We can ban the devices they own. We can have once a year conversations about digital citizenship and safety that are isolated from the content of our lessons and that interfere with “real” teaching because “we have too.” Oh wait, that’s what we do right now. How’s that workin’ for ya?
In all seriousness, teaching digital citizenship and safety requires innovative strategies and deliberate effort. Let’s work together to find solutions that work. Please share how you are tackling the “fear of photos” in your classroom.
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
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!
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This is a recording of a presentation I gave in August as a part of our Tools for Teaching Digital Natives series. In it I discuss some of my favorite apps, suggestions for finding new apps, and a few recommendations for setting up a classroom set of iPod touches.
In this podcast episode I compare and discuss ways to broadcast and record from the classroom using mobile apps like audioboo.com, ipadio.com, and evernote.com. I also share my reflections on this year's 3rd annual 21st Century Learning Symposium hosted by the St. Clair County RESA. I conclude with a look at my recent attempts to set up my own Moodle and WordPress sites using the webhosting service bluehost.com. Running time:
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.