Digital+Voice

=Digital Voice - a collection of learning ideas for using digital audio recorders and iPods in the classroom=

The following ideas on the page were published by //The Florida Center for Instructional Technology// (FCIT) located in the College of Education, University of South Florida, at Tampa, Florida: "FCIT is funded by the Florida Department of Education to provide leadership, instructional materials, and support services to educational institutions with regard to the integration of technology into K-20 education. The faculty members and graduate students in the USF Instructional Technology program contribute to many of the products created by FCIT. " An condensed overview of each idea is listed below. Visit the FCIT website to view full project details and connect to additional external resources.

Additional ideas and a link to download Audacity, a FREE digital audio recorder and editor can be found at Digital Voice - More.

===[Oral Histories ] Historical Audio Diaries] Art Critiques] Science Logs] Meet The Author] Process Drama] Literature Circles] Book Talks]===

Oral Histories
Audio recordings are powerful tools that can be used to document personal stories. Teach your students to be recorders of their and their familiy's own histories. The Oral History Step by Step guide, will help students learn how to document the experiences of themselves and others. Use digital audio to record personal the stories of family members or others from the larger community to make connections to the world around them.

Historical Audio Diaries
Students write and record journals from the perspective of a person living in a period in history. A variety of online resources are available to help students construct first person narratives from multiple perspectives using primary source documents. The Ellis Island Museum contains resources for understanding the immigrant experience in the United States. The National Archives provide reproducible copies of primary documents along with standards-based teaching activities and cross-curricular connections. top]

Art Critiques
Teachers can record a series of short commentaries on artwork studied in class, discussing elements of composition, light, color, etc. Encourage students to record reactions to pieces that have been previously reviewed by their classmates. Consider having students record art critiques in small groups and to compare different personal reactions. Students can adopt a particular role for a given critique, such as curator, art dealer, or artist. Students may also react to individual elements separately. For example, one student may record his or her interpretation of the use of color in a particular work, while another student may look at perspective and space for the same piece.

Many museums now offer audio walking tours via headsets. For a student art show, the students could record walking tours of their own work. For field trips to art museums, students could create and share audio walking tours from their own perspectives. top]

Science Logs
Gathering authentic data during an investigation is an important part of learning in the science classroom. Recording notes using a digital audio recorder, MP3 player, or computer allows students to capture thoughts and observations in real time that can be used to supplement notes. On field trips recording field notes allows students to take more detailed notes on observations upon returning to the classroom. Recording observations throughout the course of an experiment allows another level of reflection on the experience. top]

Meet the Author
Have students prepare "Meet the Author" reports to deliver to the class as a way of sharing author studies. Students can examine multiple works by the same author to notice similarities and differences, identify elements of style, and clarify personal reading preferences. Recording "Meet the Author" reports allows the classroom community of learners to construct a library of peer-produced author biographies.The library could also be used as a resource for genre study, and for discussions about the role of culture and historical events in the writing of a particular author or group of authors. top]

Process Drama
Many forms of Process Drama, including Reader’s Theater and Role Playing can be extended by recording the end product. Process Drama helps develop imagination, builds voice in writers, creates authentic experiences, and helps students see the world from multiple perspectives. Recording and sharing the results adds an authentic audience and a real world connection by allowing collaboration and communication with a much broader audience.

A collection of Reader's Theater scripts can be downloaded at Teaching Heart. Adapt your script so that action can be conveyed through the audio performance. When adapting a script, adjustments are made so that all action can be conveyed through the audio performance. Often a narrator is also added. As an introductory activity, you may want to listen to some classic radio drama broadcasts from the 1930s and 1940s. Work with students on the quality of their vocal performance, capturing the emotion of the characters, and adding sounds that convey the setting. Have students share their audio productions with friends and family. top]

Literature Circles
Cooperative discussion groups are a rewarding way for students to interact with literature and each other. Variations of Literature Circles are also called book clubs, literature groups, and grand conversations. How you organize Literature Circles and the choices you make depend on the instructional and developmental needs of your students. You may choose to assign a specific job to each student or groups may address specific questions during the course of the discussion. Small groups can have concurrent discussions on the same book and exchange recordings. Groups may read different books by the same author and then compare the recordings to find similarities or patterns. Exchanges can also be made with other classes, on the same or different books. Discussions can be recorded to reflect growth in learning. top]

Book Talks
Students often choose books to read based on the recommendation of their peers. A book talk is a brief overview of a book designed to raise the interest of potential readers. In many ways, it is a sales pitch for the book given by someone who has read it. The teacher should model book talks before asking students to create them. Begin by selecting one or more books to share with your class. Write a brief, engaging presentation that includes the title, author, genre, setting, and a brief summary. Remember not to give away important plot twists. You may want to describe a key moment of conflict from the book without revealing how the conflict is resolved. Then leave the audience with "If you want to know what happened, read this book!" Use language that will persuade others to read the book. Give the reasons that you liked the book and why you think others should read it. Practice your book talk. Make sure that it is brief and engaging and that it gives enough information for someone to make a decision about whether or not to read the book.Recorder and share your book talk. top]

Source:
Florida Center for Instructional Technology. //Ideas for Podcasting in the Classroom.// Web. September 24, 2009. .