audio clips can help students discuss what they learned and reflect on their learning. Most devices have an audio-recording app that is native to the device. Using this feature allows the teacher to understand students’ thought process, check their fluency, and give oral feedback. Using audio is yet another option for students to choose as they demonstrate their learning.
Learning goal:
I can use a variety of tools to record my thoughts and opinions.
Novice: Recording My Thinking
Across the curriculum, we often ask our students, “How did you get your answer?” or “Can you explain your thinking?” This lesson focuses on these questions as students record their thought process while working through a problem. When students can listen to themselves as they work through a problem, they can improve their academic vocabulary and catch their mistakes.
Process: Using a Voice-Recording Tool
To complete the following six lesson steps, we recommend you use Fluency Tutor (https://fluency.texthelp.com/Chrome/Get), an extension in Google Chrome. If you prefer, you can adapt this process for use with a variety of other options. Some options include but are not limited to Audacity (www.audacityteam.org) and Educreations (www.educreations.com). However, we chose to focus on Fluency Tutor for this lesson because of the feedback this tool provides. With other options, teachers will listen to the audio clips and provide feedback to the students themselves.
1. Students or teachers add Fluency Tutor to their devices by downloading the application before the lesson begins.
TEACHING TIPS
2. Create an account to manage the data students collect as they read and record passages.
3. Share a passage of text with the class, and have students read the passage aloud while the Fluency Tutor app records the audio.
4. Students can use the helpful embedded tools, including a picture dictionary and text-to-speech conversion.
5. In Fluency Tutor, use the data dashboard to see class progress and listen to the passages of individual students and color-code the errors.
6. Students can always go back and listen to their own recordings to self-reflect on their fluency in addition to the teacher using these recordings for assessment and feedback.
Connections
You can apply this lesson to different content areas in the following suggested ways.
• English language arts: Students can record themselves reading a story and practicing their best reading. Students should listen to the audio and then try to read the same passage out loud again to make their reading more fluent. Students save both audio clips to compare and contrast them.
TECH TIPS
• Mathematics: Students can record an explanation of a mathematics problem. As an extension idea, have students listen to each other’s explanations and see if they can solve the problem just by following the steps listed in the recording. Students can then give each other feedback on their mathematics explanations.
• Social science: Have students compare and contrast audio recordings created by different students portraying different historical figures from different eras.
• Science: Have groups of students create an audio summary about what they learned from an experiment.
• Physical education: Have students record directions or coaching tips for other students to follow.
Learning goal:
I can splice together pieces of audio and adjust the volume as needed.
Operational: Manipulating Multiple Audio Files
This lesson focuses on combining multiple audio files together in order to create a final piece. During certain tasks or projects, students will have multiple audio recordings that they might need to combine in order to demonstrate their learning. Students can adjust the volume on these audio files and put them in a certain order for their final project.
Process: Recording Actions and Audio With an Interactive Whiteboard App
To complete the following four lesson steps, we recommend you use Explain Everything (https://explaineverything.com), an app and a Chrome extension that you can use on almost any device, computer, or tablet that uses the Google Chrome browser. If you prefer, you can adapt this process for use with a variety of other options. Options include but are not limited to the Chrome extension Screencastify (www.screencastify.com) and the website and app Educreations (www.educreations.com).
TEACHING TIPS
1. Have students
