Strategy through the Years

In my classroom I have not used much in the way of audio programs.  A few terms back, I found an audio of the book we were using in a sociology class.  This internet archive site  enabled me to present the novel in a unique way and gave the students a break from listening to me. Also, in a english class I once got a student who was computer savvy, to find a site that had sound effects and we used this for the background of a short story we were reading.  It just added another dimension to the lesson and it worked to keep their focus.  In a three hour class I need to find ways to keep their attention and the audio provided that.

Audacity looks like it would go over big with my students.  Some are very much into their tunes and I will often ask them if they know a song that would be relevant to what we were discussing. I could create a lesson that takes their favorite song and pumps in lyrics “in tune” to the issue we are discussing to see what they come up with.  Students will get a glimpse into working with video files and sound mixing.  They may even discover that this is something they may want to do for a career.  It reminds me of making up songs by changing the lyrics while skipping in the schoolyard.  Do kids even do that anymore?

Kaizena is absolutely fabulous!  What a wonderful way to connect with a student.  To be able to give feedback at a click that can be very connecting.  When the student submits an assignment you can edit it by highlighting and then recording you comment.  This would give the student a very direct response to their accomplishments and help them to learn from mistakes more readily.  If parents have access to this assignment, they will be able to help their child make corrections and be very much in tune with their child’s success. Personalized comments just like when teachers wrote written reports back in the day!

When I was a student in grade four my teacher told us we were going to be news reporters and we each had a turn to present current events. I never knew the impact it would have on me, but I believe this is where my appetite for keeping very current with the world originated.  I remember one of my classmates Matt, whose brother was a musician, bringing in a real microphone and amplifier for us to use instead of the cheap wooden one we had constructed. Today we have Vocaroo.

Vocaroo is a program that is designed to record the students voice for playback. Students have several options to work with the program, including the all important retry button that they can use until they have created their finished product.

My sister who is an educational assistant with our board for the past 25 years, was telling me how she would record herself reading the novel that students were studying, so that special needs students were able to keep pace on their own time.  Today we have audio books!

There are many free audio books out there but, if you want a specific book you may have to pay a price.  Audio books are an excellent way to give the student down time or just chill with a book, as a parent they were always great in the car on a longer journey.