“Thoughts need words. Words need a voice.” – Sharon M. Draper
In my new book, Hacking Digital Learning Strategies: 10 Ways to Launch EdTech Missions, I share several tips for integrating technology to allow every student to share their ideas and creativity. Student voice is important, but when you teach several students, then the logistics get tricky. Technology helps teachers provide their learners with various opportunities to share their ideas and amplify their voice. Amplify student voice literally by getting students to create podcasts, audio stories, a radio show, school announcements, or other audio projects. What follows are a list of free web tools and apps for student to create various audio projects whether it is a one time radio show or regularly produced podcast. For more tips and ideas, check out my presentation, On the Air! Audio Projects for Learners.
Get your copy of Hacking Digital Learning, The 30 Goals Challenge, or Learning to Go. Ask me about training your teachers, ShellyTerrell@gmail.com!
Web Tools and Apps
- My favorite place to find Creative Commons licensed music to use for digital projects is CCMixter website and app.
- You can also try YouTube and Free Stock Music for royalty free soundtracks and sound effects.
- Freesound and SoundBible are great websites for finding free sound effects to add to audio projects, including podcasts.
- Students can edit and remix music or sound effects they discover with audio editors, such as Garageband (Mac software/iOS app) and Audacity (Windows/Mac software).
- Soundation and Flat are free browser based web tools, which allow collaborative online editing from many peers.
- The quickest and easiest way to record is with the free web based tool, Vocaroo. Registration isn’t required. Email the recording, provide a link, or listen with the QR code provided. You can embed this recorder on a website or blog and students can quickly click record and you’ll have the recording.
- The StoryCorps (iOS/Android) app walks students through the process of great interview techniques then allows them to record a quick interview and archive it.
- One of the most popular apps, AudioBoom, to publish podcasts is no longer free, but students can record and publish their recordings using free tools, such as iPadio (iOS/Android), Podomatic (web tool), Soundcloud (iOS/Android), and Spreaker (iOS/Android).
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Check out my Digital Click and Learn December Calendar with more posts like these full of resources to celebrate the holidays digitally!
