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Audacity - Classroom Use
Audacity - Classroom Use
Audacity - Classroom Use
Audacity can be useful in many classrooms. In the analysis portion of this tool project, I discussed how
Audacity can especially benefit teachers in Music and Language Arts. Even a preschool or kindergarten
teacher can use a pre-cut, timed piece of music to aid in classroom routines and management.
Additionally, there are lesson ideas that can be shared with multiple subjects, where students can:
Students are able to use Audacity to practice and record their speaking skills for their teacher for use in
assessment. Also, students can listen to their own voice compared to that of their teacher (or other
native speaker), listening to the ways that their pronunciation differs. This is a great example of how
Audacity can make it possible for students to monitor their own progress. In most cases, assessing a
student project that uses Audacity will need to use a rubric.
Audacity supports three different types of student learning: communication, creativity, and student
production:
Communication Audacity allows for students to record their voices
Creativity sound bites, voice, and music can be edited or combined in countless ways
Student production (as exemplified earlier)
Explain modifications necessary in order to use the tool with different students and different
settings, that is, explain how to differentiate instruction using the tool.
In music alone, there are three standards that Audacity can help with:
Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
Evaluating music and music performances
Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
I have used Audacity to transpose songs to make them more appropriate for younger voices. Also, my
students have recorded themselves to find out how they can improve their performance. I have
recently found a lesson plan that really sparked my interest. Each year, I teach my 5th grade students
one way music affects their lives by having them fill in the blank in famous commercial jingles. When
they realize the huge role that music plays in marketing, they get to create their own commercial for an
existing product or service, giving the students the chance to create their own jingle. It is always a fun
and effective project for the kids anyway, but adding Audacity gives it even more potential. The
following lesson actually comes from another subject:
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Audacity Classroom Use
REMINDERS
To change wav sampling rates, open the wav in Sound Recorder (Accessories, Entertainment)
and save as (change to correct sampling rate)
To change mp3 sampling rates, open the dbPowerAmp Music Converter, browse for your file,
and then convert the files sampling rate in the box (I like to convert it to a wav, but you dont
have to)
PROJECT
This project will give you the opportunity to follow a radio script for a commercial (script is on the back
side of this handout). You will record your own audio (must be your voice) and add sound effects. The
project will also have background music. You will determine the background music based on the tone
you wish to use in your commercial. Be sure your voice is animated and matches the overall tone!
http://feelslikechristmas.com/traditional_instrumental.html
You need three required sound effects: cash register/money, record scratch, and phone dialing. A good
place to find these is
http://www.a1freesoundeffects.com/christmas.htm
http://users2.ev1.net/~prank/holiday.htm
(You may also record your own homemade sound effects. Just make them sound as real as possible!
You must use at least one other sound effect!)
Follow the script. You can adlib, but you must use everything from the script. You will be graded on the
clarity and how convincing your voice is. ACT, ACT, ACT!
STEP 4: Organize
Put all your files in order. Be sure to adjust volumes so everything goes together seamlessly. Also, drop
in your sound effects so that they are in the correct place. Be sure your music is not too loud!
Highlight sound clips and use the Effect menu as needed to achieve the desired special effects. Also, be
sure the music fades in and out so that it doesnt sound odd.
When you are satisfied with your work, test it and export it. Make any changes and re-export so that I
may grade it.
GOOD LUCK!!!
SCRIPT
Remember to adjust your voice based on the overall tone of your message get your music first and
decide what tone you wish to take use your imagination!!! You could be hyper and happy or depressed
and cranky. Replace Your Name with your actual first name, please!!!!
SPECIAL EFFECTS: To add an echo, highlight the sound clip and click Effect, Echo. Enter a delay time and
a decay factor of not more than 0.5 seconds; less may sound better, so experiment with it to get the
effect you want)
(Music fades in can do this with an effect.. highlight small part of the beginning of your music file and
go to Effect, Fade In)
(5 seconds of music)
VOICE 1: (Echo) Its that time of year again its time for you to
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Audacity Classroom Use
YOU: (interrupting..overlap it with the previous comment) Time for me to what? Clean out my gutters?
Change my oil? (you can change these to two different silly things if you want)
VOICE 1: (Echo) (cough..huh huh huh.. getting attention) Its time to get your family together for
Christmas pictures. And right now, you can get two 8x10s and 24 wallets at Mills Photo House for only
$29! (Sound effect.. money/cash register)
YOU: Hm.. are you sure this is my conscience? I dont even like having my picture taken!
VOICE 1: (Echo) (stammering) Wwell, of course it is.. I am your conscience reminding you to
YOU: (interrupting..overlap) Wait a minute! This is Chris from Mills Photo House up the road. I know
your voice.
VOICE 1: (Echo) No, no, this is your conscience do not question your conscience!
YOU: Well, whoever you are, I know a good deal when I hear one. Ill call Mills Photo House right now
and make my holiday photo appointment! (Sound effect of phone dialing)
VOICE 1: (no echo..normal) Great, I can schedule that for you right now.
YOU: Wait a minute, (record player scratch sound) I thought you were my conscience!
ANOTHER VOICE: (this can be anyone.. needs to be high energy.. peppy..overdone) Mills Photo House..
for all your holiday photography needs. Call 334-9595 today!
GRADE SHEET
Remember, you are to do your own work. At no point in time should another person be handling your
mouse! If they do, count on a zero.
The three required sound effects are used and sound real; adjust volume 15
if necessary
Another sound effect is used to make the commercial more original; list 10
the effect here
Turned in on time (late projects will not be accepted after the end of the 10
week; this is all or nothing)
TOTAL 100
COMMENTS
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Audacity Classroom Use
Requires the Students are asked to do Students are asked to demonstrate their new skills
use of more than memorize or by producing a product: radio commercial
higher order understand
thinking Media, visual, Requires students to use a multi-media
skills and communicative, communicative approach
new technological,
literacies mathematical, and/or
other nontraditional
literacies are addressed
Includes a Students have choices of The instructor includes 5 good hyperlinks that
variety of materials at different levels students can use as references
resources Materials are available in a
variety of modes and Written and online materials are given with the
media lesson, and it is assumed that Audacity is available
to the students at home or at school
Encourages Students have roles/tasks Students are led through specific tasks, and must
all students to perform throughout the perform these tasks in a certain order
actively in lesson
authentic Connections are made This project is a radio commercial, which relates to
tasks between the task and real real life for the students
life
Students must actively Students must answer questions regarding their
search for answers to choices of effects and interpretation
essential questions
Uses The technology makes the Audacity helps make the task authentic
technology task more authentic
effectively, The technology makes the The hyperlinks and audio editing software provide
efficiently, task easier to accomplish additional resources
and as a The technology helps Audacity makes it much faster to add effects and
learning tool students learn faster than record student voices than with traditional ways
without it
The technology is The product that students are producing is a radio
secondary to the content program, not just a demonstration of Audacity
and goals
Addresses All students can access task Because of the hyperlinks to other resources,
the needs of instructions students can research as much or as little as they
a variety of need to accomplish the tasks
students, All students can access task All students can access the materials with any
including materials and resources computer with internet access
ELLs and Students have different Students use the suggested links for effects, while
students ways to accomplish the also doing their own research for sounds; however,
with same objectives because of the required elements and script, the
physical and project does not give a lot of flexibility in ways to
other accomplish the same objective
challenges
Includes Assessment is aligned to The rubric for assessment outlines the objectives;
appropriate the standards and unfortunately, a behavioral objective for the
assessments objectives students is not stated at the beginning of the
Assessments are fair for all project (nor the standards)
students and not based on Assessments cover technical, oral, musical, and
one ability creative abilities
Assessments allow The students are producing a product to be
students to show what assessed by a rubric, which is given a (positive)
they know/can do rather number out of possible points rather than a -3
than what they cannot do
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Audacity Classroom Use
The parameters, along with suggestions and coinciding hyperlinks offer good scaffolding, so students get
help with only the skills that are new or beyond their ability. I would add another link to Audacitys wiki,
which offers great written tutorials, along with more step-by-step directions in layering the sounds
together. In order to adapt this lesson to my 5th graders, I would allow students to get access to our
computer lab, and afterwards give one group at a time access to a quiet recording area. Not everyone in
my district has home access to computers. In case the computer lab is unavailable, groups of students
would be assigned sections of the commercial, and then it would become a whole-class project based
off of my laptop. When students are using mp3s and other recorded media, it is important to teach
them the basics of copyright infringement. Basically, by teaching the rule of 10 (no more than 10% of
original work can be copied), it is easy for students to just move the decimal point once they know
how long the original is. Finally, I will require that words and music content are school appropriate.