Soundtrap accounts

Good news-- we now have a set of Soundtrap Edu accounts for use at CVU.  As a reminder, Soundtrap is cloud-based tool for recording audio, such as music and podcasts. It allows for multitrack recording and comes with a set of prerecorded loops and sound effects.

As we do with WeVideo, we have to share these, so once students are finished working on a particular project, the accounts become available to others at CVU.

What you get with the edu account:

• Access to the full library of loops and sound effects.
• Unlimited projects
• Collaboration
• Classroom management

If you're interested in using Soundtrap with your students, please let me know.

Return of the NPR Student Podcast challenge

As they did last year, NPR is hosting a student podcast challenge.  I know a lot of students are doing podcasts already (but this contest doesn't assume any previous experience).  It's a great opportunity to get student voices heard!

There's even a nice curriculum guide for teachers, complete with lesson plans and a guide for students.

Playing Audio in Google Sites

Google Sites allows you to insert all kinds of content, from images to videos to Google Drive files (docs, slides, etc.). If you want to insert an audio file, the process is a bit different.

Here's how it's done:

1. Put the audio file in Drive
2. Share appropriately and copy the link
3. In Sites, choose embed by URL
4. Paste in share link
5. Adjust the size of the audio player

Here's a video showing how it's done:

And here's an example of it in action.

NPR Podcasting Challenge

National Public Radio is sponsoring a student podcasting challenge.  The contest opens on January 1st and goes through March.  If you've been thinking about a means of communication for students other than the written word and video, an audio podcast could be just the thing.
What might students create?

• An end of unit summary of learning
• An interview with a senior citizen about local history
• An explanation of a scientific concept
• A story about something at CVU
• etc., etc.

One nice thing about doing audio podcasts is that they are not as involved as a typical video project.  The whole thing can be done on a Chromebook.  They also focus on sound-- voice, ambient sounds, music, etc., which allows students to be creative in a different way.

I would love to work with you and your students on this.  Who's interested?

Thinking Video? How about Audio?

When considering media tools for students to communicate their learning, we often turn to video (with good reason, as many successful video projects can attest). 

But there are some compelling reasons to try a purely audio project, instead:

• Removing video creates a different experience for the listener (just think of your favorite podcast or radio show)
• Constraining the communication to audio brings out creativity in students
• Ambient sound recordings, sound effects, music, and overdubbing can tell a story with more than words
• Audio projects require less equipment and physical space than with video
• Removing the video means that students have more time to focus on the message rather than grappling with capturing and editing video

At CVU, teachers have had students:

• Capture the sounds of nature around CVU on their phones and create soundscapes
• Record "radio broadcasts" from the World War II era
• Read their original poetry and stories
• Create podcasts on current events

Think about what your students might create.  Gary and I are happy to help you get started and to teach you and your students how to capture, edit, and produce sound recordings.

Adding sound to Google Slides

With Grad Challenge presentations upon us, I've been getting asked about how to add sound to Google Slides. While you can't insert audio files directly to Google Slides, you can insert videos (either from YouTube or Google Drive).  So, the trick is to create a "video" that contains the audio you want to hear.  The video can have a still image or just a solid background.  You can create the video in WeVideo or any video editor, as shown below.

When you "finish" your video, save it to Google Drive.  You can then insert the "video" to your slide.  Playing the video will play the audio.  You can even set the video to play automatically when the slide is opened.

In a post earlier this spring, I showed how you can use a similar technique to create voice-overs for Google Slides. 

Adding voice-over to Google Slides/Presentations

Google Slides does not have built-in functionality to insert audio, so how can you record narration and have it play over a slide? Here’s a technique I use. Note that you need to do this for each slide that has audio


Install the Screencastify extension (if you don’t already have it).


In Screencastify, choose “Record Tab.” You’ll get a countdown (3-2-1), then just start speaking. When done, choose Stop from the Screencastify icon.


You have now created a video of your screen with the audio you want.


In Google Slides, go to the appropriate slide and choose Insert...Video. Click the Google Drive option. You’ll see the “video” you just created. Insert it.


Click on the icon for the video. Resize it so it’s much smaller. Click Video Options. Select “Autoplay when presenting.” The video will now start as soon as the slide opens, providing your narration. You can also trim off time from the beginning or end, if needed.


If desired, you can hide the video icon by creating a shape with the same color as the slide background and dragging it over the icon.
Here’s all this in action.  Open the presentation and click Present.  Make sure your sound is turned up.

You can use a similar technique for PowerPoint 365 (the online version of PowerPoint). Note, however, that you'll need to put the video on YouTube for it to work.

Embedding audio from Google Drive

How can you play an audio file on Moodle, on a blog (such as Blogger) or on a web site (such as Google Sites)?  Sites like SoundCloud will give you embed code (meaning code that you can paste into your web site to play media from an external source), but wouldn't it be nice to be able to play a sound file from Google Drive?  Turns out you can. Here's a trick I found that does it nicely (tip of the hat to blogger Amit Agarwal).


In Drive, find the file and click on Share to get a shareable link.  You should get a link that looks something like: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1234xyz/view?usp=sharing.  The part in red is the id of your file.

In Google Sites, insert an Embed object. Or in Blogger or Moodle, switch to HTML mode.

Paste in this code:
<iframe frameborder="0" width="400" height="200" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1234xyz/preview"> </iframe>

Replace the id in red with the id of your file (yours won't be 1234xyz).

Save.

To see how it works, you should be able to play the audio below.  The file you're hearing is saved in my Drive.

Recording & transcribing voice (and other audio)

Anyone remember Dictaphones?  They were small voice recorders that people used to record/dictate their thoughts and conversations for later transcription or playback.  They're yet another device made obsolete by smartphones. 

A teacher recently asked what students can use on their Chromebooks for dictation. 

Here are two tools that work well for audio recording

TwistedWave is a very simple audio recording tool.  You may need to enable Flash to get it working the first time.  You'll also need to allow access to your computer microphone.

SoundTrap is more like an online Audacity or GarageBand. It allows you to record multiple tracks and has lots of other features (such as musical loops and effects).

There are also tools that convert your speech into text on the fly

Google Voice Typing is built into Google Docs.  Find it under the Tools menu.  Just click the microphone icon and start talking.  When finished, click the icon again, then go in and clean up any errors.

Read and Write for Google is a tool that is available to all CVSD students.  Teachers can also use it for free (see me to get it set up).  It has a text to speech tool among other helpful reading and writing assistants. 

Chrome Music Lab

Here's an interesting new site that lets students experiment with musical ideas-- it's called the Chrome Music Lab. It is interesting how much you can do these days right in a browser.  This page links to a groups of activities that let students (and everyone else) try creating rhythms and melodies (without the use of standard musical notation), explore pitches that strings of different lengths make, and more.  Give it a try!

Recording voice

Technology integration doesn't have to be overly complex to be effective.  Here's a simple idea that can be very powerful-- ask students to share something in a voice recording.  This might be their reaction to some reading or explaining a concept in their own words.  Think of how what you get might compare to what they would write.

image from pixabay.com

How is this done?

To record:

1. For students with smartphones, use the built in voice memo app (or try one of the many free apps available for iOS or Android).
2. For students with laptops, use the built in microphone to record to TwistedWave (web app) or Audacity (installed app).
3. Other students can borrow a handheld digital recorder or a mic to connect to a computer (from 118).  

To share:

1. Smartphones-- install the Google Drive app (for iOS). Share the audio file to Google Drive
2. TwistedWave-- File..Send..Google Drive
3. Audacity-- save as mp3, then upload to Google Drive
4. Once in Drive, share the file just as you would a Google Doc.
5. The audio will play inside Google Drive.

Here's a screencast on using TwistedWave and sharing from Google Drive:

Tools for presenting learning

Students, here are some ideas for tools you can use to present your learning.  I wrote it up for a specific class, but thought it might be useful as a general resources.  I've given a brief description and pros and cons of each tool.  Do you have any other tools that you think should be on this list?  Please let me know at cmacfadyen@cvuhs.org

Tech Tools for Presenting Your Learning

Powerpoint.

What it is- set of linked slides

Pros- you probably know how to use it already.  It has lots of features to enhance your presentation.  

Cons- doesn’t work well with YouTube video.

Google Presentation.

What it is- set of linked slides

Pros- web-based, easy to use.  Incorporates YouTube video.

Cons- no sound (other than from video).  Not as fully-featured as Powerpoint.

Prezi

What it is- a canvas with elements that are linked by a path.

Pros- allows for a creative path between elements, including zooming in and out. Has nice templates to start from.

Cons- Not great for lots of text.

Powtoon

What it is- a set of linked slides, but with animated features on each slide.

Pros- Professional looking and engaging.  You can control when things appear and disappear from slides.

Cons- Can’t do narration slide-by-slide. Only for the whole presentation.

Educreations (for iPad)

What it is-  use your iPad to record your screen

Pros- record while you draw on the iPad.  Can also import images and add text.

Cons- Can’t run other apps while recording.

Dipity

What it is- a tool for creating timelines.  

Pros- you can add multimedia to events on the timeline

Cons- Limited to content that is time-based (dates).

Pixton

What it is- comic strip creator.

Pros- sophisticated control of the character drawings.

Cons- not the easiest to use.  Need parent permission for account unless you’re 19.

Comix

What it is- comic strip creator

Pros- Easy to use.  Supports multi-languages, including Latin.  Comic strips can be printed or e-mailed

Cons- comics cannot be saved, so they need to be done in one shot.  Best to have the dialogue written out first, so you can just do the pictures and add in the text.

Glogster

What it is- online digital poster creator

Pros- Easy to use. Incorporates video and images easily.

Cons- Limited space on poster.  

WeVideo

What it is- online video editor

Pros- Nice editor. Easy to use. Make videos from still pictures and video clips

Cons- web-based, so you want decent wifi connection.  Can export 15 minutes of video per month with free account

Google Sites

What it is- create a web site with linked pages

Pros- can insert all kinds of content (video, Google Docs, maps, etc)

Cons- Hard to incorporate sound.

PhotoStory (for PC computers)

What it is- upload a series of images and add narration/commentary

Pros- easy to use, can record your voice directly into the app

Cons- No video.  Limited functionality.

VoiceThread

What it is- like Photostory, except you can put multiple comments on each slide.

Pros- web-based, mutlti-media can draw on screen to highlight while speaking

Cons- Intended more for group conversations than individual presentations.

iMovie (mac computers and iOS)

What it is- movie editor

Pros- It’s already on your mac.  Has templates you can use.

Cons- Titles and other elements can be hard to work with.  Not easy if you want to do more than use the template.

Windows MovieMaker (PC computers)

What it is- movie editor

Pros- Easy to use

Cons- Limited features.

MonkeyJam (PC computers)

What it is- stop motion animation software

Pros- create animation using legos, clay, etc.

Cons- I don’t know this software well, so…

GarageBand (mac computers)

What it is- audio recorder and editor

Pros- Lots of prerecorded “loops” for background music. Easy to use.

Cons- Interface can be challenging for beginners.

Audacity

What it is- audio recorder and editor

Pros- free download.  Lots of features.

Cons- Need to learn how to work with multiple tracks and importing audio, if needed.  No pre-installed “loops” (as in GarageBand)

Finding Music for your Digital Project

Recently, a student uploaded a school project to YouTube, only to find that the soundtrack was stripped

because of copyright infringement.  Don't let this happen to you!  There are lots of sources for music that you can use for your video or web site.

Take a look at this helpful list:
http://www.noupe.com/freebie/thou-shalt-not-steal-free-music-for-your-videos-and-websites-79992.html

Remember that there is an even better way to get digital content, though-- create your own!  If you're a musician, record yourself using an application like Audacity.  If not, try using a tool like GarageBand  to mix together copyright-free loops.  Or give AudioSauna a try (I just created this loop there).

Image by Doug Wheller. Used under Creative Commons license.

Record audio on a smartphone

Teachers and students,
Need to create an audio recording-- perhaps to record to an interview, or practice a speech?  If you have a smartphone, then you have all the equipment you need! You can use the installed app or choose from many others to record audio.  You can then share the audio recording (e.g. by e-mail).  If desired, you can even edit the audio (on a computer, or on the phone itself-- with the appropriate app).
Don't have a smartphone?  CVU Media Services has digital handheld recorders to loan, or you can record yourself on any CVU computer, using Audacity.
If you haven't explored recording your voice on the phone, give it a try.

Prezi adds audio!

Prezi is a popular presentation tool for students and teachers alike.  One of the drawbacks has been the lack of sound.  Prezi just announced that they have now added the ability to incorporate sound.  Here's a video about it:

Voiceover files in iMovie

I just helped a student who was having trouble with a voiceover not playing in iMovie 11 (voiceovers are the narration recorded directly into iMovie).

We needed to find the actual voiceover file, which turned out to be a bit complicated. Here's the process:

1. Navigate to the iMovie Projects folder.
2. Right-click on the particular project and choose "Show Package Contents."
3. The voiceover files will now appear (they're .caf files).

Here's a tip-- you can drag the .caf files into GarageBand and edit there.

More Tools for ESL1

Originally posted 9/ 9/ 2012

Looking back on my last post (about ESL 1: Communication), I realize I may have violated the first condition for some folks-- some teachers and students may want to start with something even quicker than shooting and sharing video.  Here are some ideas you to try that are easy to set up:

1. VoiceThread. Upload a picture or file, give your students the link, and let the conversation begin!  At CVU, this has been used in world language classes to discuss famous Spanish paintings, for example.  Students can provide text comments, record audio comments, or even use webcams to provide video comments.
2. Jing.  Jing is a free tool for recording screencasts.  Students can record their voices as they capture video of their computer screen.  They might explain how they solved a math problem using Geogebra or take the video on a tour of a house they designed in SketchUp.
3. Audacity- It's free.  It's on all school computers.  Record audio, save as mp3.  Easy.

Tools for ESL 1

Originally posted 8/26/12

You: OK, Charlie, it's a new year and I want to try something new with technology!

My requirements:

1. Easy to do
2. Improves student learning

Me: I'm on it-- and I'll even arrange by ESL (our Expectations for Student Learning at CVU HS). Here goes:

ESL 1 Communication

Replace a written response assignment (essay, reflection, answers to questions, math problem, etc.) with an oral one.

Instead of--or in addition to-- having each student present to the class, use technology to capture the response.

Tools

For audio, students can record themselves using computers, handheld digital recorders (see Jacob in 118), or their own smartphones.

For video, students can record themselves using webcams (the mini carts at CVU all have these built in), standard or Flip video cameras (see Jacob in 118), or their smartphones.

It is easiest to minimize the editing needed for this sort of task, so students should strive to get the response in one take.  They will find that each successive attempt at the perfect take will improve the quality of the response.

Important- Where students run into the most difficulty is understanding media file types.  They may need to use a video or audio editor to convert their recording to the proper format.  I'd be happy to come in and explain this to your class.

How do they share the recording with the class/teacher?  There are lots of ways to do this.  If your students are already blogging (I'll be talking about that when we get to ESL 2- Writing) , they might include the recording in a blog post.  Otherwise, an easy way to share is using Google Docs (now called Google Drive).  Students can upload their recordings and control the visibility.  Here's a how-to (for video).

2nd semester tech boost

It's a new semester, and a chance to try something new with technology. Here are 10 simple things you can do right now! In a 10-minute meeting, we can get any of these ideas started:

1. Have students post their reactions to a reading/video on a Moodle forum....
2. ...or use a VoiceThread to get students’ reaction to a picture, video, or story.
3. Have students start a blog to write reflections on what they’re studying (go to GMail, More, Even More, Blogger).
4. ...or for a different approach to writing, have students create a comic strip summary of the day’s lesson.
5. Have your students record themselves speaking/reading, using Audacity or Aviary.
6. Create a Google alert to send you the latest results on any search query.
7. Start a parent e-mail list (see me to set this up- it only takes a few minutes!).
8. Create a YouTube playlist (or have students create them) for extending classroom learning.
9. Create a database or glossary in Moodle that all students can contribute to (see me to set this up).
10. Create a Google form (in Google Docs) to get input from students.

Why not give one of these a try? I'd love to help you get started.

(originally posted 3/10/12)