Four Free Online Audio Editors

Well is that time of year again where students start to create projects. As always I spend time talking about copy-write
laws and what is and is not acceptable use of others material. This always leads to a lot of frustration on the part of students as they look for music and audio files to add to their movies, podcasts and radio plays and other assorted multimedia projects. To help my students I have over that past years bookmarked many different sites for students to use in creating their own music and audio files. There are many different options out there for students to use. The following four however seem to be the ones that my students have used over and over again. They like the simplicity and they all provide just enough instruction and materials to make it easy for students to create their own audio files. But the two best things about these four sites are that they are free and online.

One word of warning!! Have students create these files as the last thing that they do for their projects! They enjoy making music and can spend hours on these sites.

1. Creaza    This is a free audio editor that is great for making podcasts, sound tracks and other audio projects. It has a simple to use interface that is typical for this type of application. Like most audio editors Creaza allows you to add files along the timeline and over multiple channels. You can also record sound and add it to your project. This is a free application but does require that you create an account.
2. beatlab    Allows you to simply create your own background music and short music clips for videos and podcasts. This is a simple to use site that can be a lot of fun.
3. Musicshake     This another free site that allows you to create sound tracks and audio tracks. This site is great for making podcasts, sound tracks and other audio projects. It has a simple timeline interface like other audio editors that allows you to have multiple channels. This site also works connects well with YouTube and Facebook. It is worth a look.
4. FileLab Web Applications    This site allows you to edit audio and share them on the web. This is a free site and quite simple to use. Can only be used on a Windows machine. Again another typical audio editor.

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14 Student Favorite Project Websites

Over the past two years my students have been allowed to create their projects in any format or medium in which they choose.  This had led to some amazing and creative projects that have not only inspired me but opened my eyes to what my students are truly capable of creating. I have noticed however that there seems to be certain sites and programs that they gravitate to every year.  So the following list, are sites that my students seem to use at some point every year and really seem to enjoy.

1. Glogster: is always a fan favorite since they can add music video and images all in one project.  This virtual poster site is always one that I see multiple times a year.
2. Photo Story 3: has become a big hit over the past year and a half.  This is a simple video creator that allows students to take a series of images place them in any order and then narrate each image and/or add text to each image. It then generates a movie adding in transitions and panning automatically to the video.  It is simple and creates great short informational videos. They do also have a mac version.
3. Museum Box: This is a great site for history classes.  Students place items in a box that would help describe a person or event. They can add video, audio, images and text.  This site has led to some great projects.
4. Goanimate: takes a bit of learning but is a animated video creator that students love to create their projects with.  It generates great animated cartoons that my students have used to explain many different historical events.
5. Google Search Stories: is a great video creator for quick informational video clips.  It uses the Google search engine and results to tell a story or explain and event.
6. Picture A Story: allows students to tell stories about history, explain topics or concepts using preloaded images characters and objects.
7. Flixtime: Is another video creator that allows students to take a series of images ad create great videos to explain concepts or historical events.
8. Poster 4 Teachers: Is a free program that allows students to create online projects and reports in a poster format.  It also allows them to create simple websites to explain or discuss topics presented in class.
9. Slideroll: This site allows kids to create simple slide shows to tell a digital story.
10. Animoto: This site allows students o create professional looking videos projects.  This site is easy and fun for students to use.
11. Alice.Org:  A animated story creator. That also teaches programming. I have had a few students really get into programming after using this application.
12. Digital Story Teller: This is similar to Photo Story 3 students can add text and audio to their digital stories.
13. Kerpoof: Always a favorite site for students to create movies and other digital media.
14. Fotobabble: This is really a card creator but students have used it in a variety of ways to narrate  a digital story and have used it a segment in other digital projects.

 

Poll for Student Response, Here Is a Great Tool!

Getting feed back from students is critical.  I am always looking for ways to elicit feedback from students on content and learning styles.  Often times the feedback needed by teachers is not comprehensive but simple in nature.  I have often used online survey makers and quizzes, but these can be difficult to make and often hard to link to your class or school websites.  However, today I cam across a website called Pollmo Polls.

Pollmo Polls is an easy to use poll creator that is easy to embed in your school or class website.  It is so quick and easy to use it can be created and posted ion less than 3-4 minutes.  I highly recommend this site to quick poll and  assess your students online. This is one that I definitely plan to use in the upcoming new year.  Check it out at the following address: http://pollmo.com/

I found out about this site through Mr. Byrne’s website “Free Technology For Teachers” if you have not read this blog I highly recommend it. To read it go to this address: http://www.freetech4teachers.com/.

View Qualtrics Poll
Qualtrics Survey Software
Enterprise Feedback Management

Who are you lesson plan? Tell me using Glogster, A Cartoon or Word Cloud.

Here is a great lesson that incorporates technology on the very first day of school.

In our school district we start before labor day.  This makes things a bit difficult in getting classes really started since some students do not start coming to school until after Labor Day.  So each year I look for a great little project that will fill this time and allow me to begin to get to know my students.  This project has really fits the bill.  It not only allows me to get to know the kids it really engages them and incorporates technology.  They get familiar with using technology right away which makes it easier to use technology in my classroom.  It also really allows them to be creative and play with technology.

Project

Using one of the resource lists below create a project that introduces you to the class.  You can use images, words, audio and video files anything that you feel best describes you.

Option #1 Who Am I “Cartoon”

“Cartoon Creators” using one of these resources create a cartoon that introduces you to the class.  In this list you will find simple cartoon strip creators and animated cartoon creators.  Remember! The goal is to introduce us to who you are.

Click here to view the resource list for this project.

Option #2 Who Am I “Glogster“

Using the username and password that you have received from me log on to Edu.Glogster and create a glog that introduces the class to you.

Click here to view the resource list for this project.

Option #2 Who Am I “Word Cloud“

For this project write a short biography of who you are no more than one page.  Then use one of the word cloud websites to create a word cloud that will introduce you to the class.

Click here to view the resource list for this project.

Once you have finished creating your project post the link to your assignment on your blog or email me the link to your project.

Have Fun and be Creative!

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A Must Have Student Resource Page for the Upcoming School Year

Image via Wikipedia

Over the past week I have been gathering resources for the upcoming school year.  As I was doing this I decided to create a page on my blog to post all of these resource for easy use.  Please take a look at these lists and let me know if you know of any others that would be good to add to these resources.  This is constantly changing page so check back often.

Click here to go to the “Student Project Resources” page or click the tab at the top of the page.

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Student Podcasting Resources: School Resources Part Seven

Image via Wikipedia

Over the past few years some of the best projects that I have received in my classes have been student produced podcasts.  Not only have students had a great time creating them but the learning that took place in the process was outstanding.  I have found their projects very entertaining and informative.  This has been a popular medium of choice at times with my classes.  So over the past few years we have developed a variety of resources to create these podcasts.

Check out the list below and as always if you know of another resource please let me know.

Podcasts creators

1. Educational Podcast Network
2. First Class
3. Podcast.net
4. Podomatic
5. PoducateMe
6. ProfCasts

Sound Effects

1. A1soundeffects.com
2. Findsounds.com
3. FreeFX Sounds
4. theFreesoundproject
5. Freesoundeffects
6. Freeplaymusic
7. Partner in Rhymes
8. Sounddogs
9. Soundsnap
10. Soundzabound

Online Audio Editors

1. Audacity
2. Looplab
3. Wave Surfer
4. Wavosaur.com

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Teach Students to Search the Web: School Resources Part Seven

Image via CrunchBase

I am often amazed how many teachers assume that students can conduct a basic web search in a search engine.  This is a  skill often over looked in schools and is the cause of frustration for many students.  So many times teachers tell their students to go to the web and research information on a particular subject.  Students then go to Google type in a word or two and get frustrated when they can only find a minimal amount of information.  This frustration often leads to decreased motivation for the project or assignment.  A simple fix to this problem is to teach students how to conduct a proper web search.  Here are 11 great search engines that are great at assisting you in teaching students how to conduct a web search.

Askkids FactMonster KartOO KidsClick Middlespot Quintura Kids Safesearch Sleedo Sortfix Wolfram Alpha Yolink

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Interested In Augmenting Your Classrooms Reality?

AR Game

Over the past year I have begun exploring different Augmented Reality learning environments for my students.  I had the good fortune of receiving 30 GPS enabled cell phones for my class that I could experiment  with the last three months of last year.  In that time I was able to piece together some Augmented Reality games for kids to play on our football field.  The results were astounding, the level of engagement and the conversations among students were highly educational and inspired me to look into this type of learning environment more. As I surfed the web I came across games such as:

• Sky Siege
• Pandemica: AR Shooter
• Zombie ShootAR

I began to wonder why could we not use this type of technology in our classrooms.  Getting the students into the real world and interact with virtual items or people to solve real world problems.  While the games I employed were simple and crude do to the time frame that I was under last year I did find that the learning and engagement of the concepts I was trying to teach increased in all students.  Also the post game discussions about the topic were much more productive since all of the students had a stake in the conversation due to the experience they just had playing the game. So this summer I have been looking at creating different types of Augmented Reality learning environments to use in my classes next year.  If you are looking to create these same types of learning environments or know someone who is please contact me.  I would like to know what you are looking at creating.

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Social Networking hits the Radio with Jelli

Here is a site that fascinated me over the weekend.  Social networking and democracy decide what music is played on this site. Once you log on you can go to a particular station and vote in real time with other users and decide what song to play next.  I found this interesting because for me listening to the radio is a way to relax.  The concept of voting and lobbying for your song to play next seems like to much work.   This is a great example though of just how embedded social media has become and an example of how social media is being used by kids everyday.  Not using it in our schools and classrooms seems to be something that educators really need to look at and consider.

Check it out at the following address: http://www.jelli.net/landing/

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GPS Technology in the Classroom (LESSON SETUP)

Well as I stated in my last post, I was looking to create a hands on lesson that would get students up and moving in the week before Christmas break, since they are so wound up anyway. So this was my plan.  It seemed to have worked very well with my 8th grade students. I will post again once I get the results of my survey from the kids completed.

Lesson Learning Target:

Identify and explain at least two reasons why the United States entered into WWI.

Set Up:

This lesson required them to move to five different locations throughout the school. To locate each of these locations they had to solve clues left for them at each location. As they solved each clue, they were required to answer the question, “How does this impact the U.S. involvement in WWI?”  Their goal was to write a memo that will convince the President to enter into WWI. This memo must include at least two facts that they discover on their quest. Each student is provided with an organizer handout and a copy of the blank memo they will turn in at the end of the lesson. I set this lesson up to last about 2-3 days.

Students started in the computer lab, and I gave them their first clue. This took them into the library and they found a biography of Woodrow Wilson. Students learned about the President of the United States at the time of WWI. Here they also received some GPS coordinates that sent them out on to the football field.

At the second location on the football field they receive a cipher key. This allowed them to decipher future clues that they were to find on this quest. The first thing that they deciphered was grid coordinates to another location.

The third location provided a clue that sent them back into the computer lab to research and find clue number four. Here the students learned about public opinion in WWI and Executive Order 2594. They began to see that public opinion on the war had to change, before the U.S. could enter WWI. Finally, they received another clue hidden in this room.

The fourth location provided the students with a clue to the final location and dates of the sinking of the Lusitania and Sussex. Here students were informed about the importance of these events on the American public opinion.

The final location provided the students with the Zimmerman letter that they need to decipher key elements of the letter to ascertain why this letter was so important in our entrance into WWI.

Assignment:

Once they have completed the quest, they had to sit down as a group and figure out how everything was connected. This led to some very good conversations among the students. Even students that typically aren’t engaged participated. I was encouraged by the level of engagement by all students. I do realize that the novelty of this new type of assignment was part of the engagement, but students seemed genuinely interested in the lesson. The conversation that I heard and the group dynamics seemed to work effectively. Students seemed to enjoy themselves. I even had to plead with some kids to move on to their next class. I anxiously await their memos and the survey results.