The power of the voice!
I have been really enjoying creating projects with our iPads that involve recording voice. In the last two weeks, I have been working with our Kindergarten students to record their ideas about being a bucket filler.
In their classroom, the Kindergarten students have been reading the book; "Have you filled a bucket today?" by Carol McCloud. They have discussed what it means to fill someones bucket on a regular basis in their classroom.
As a follow up task, and to share their ideas with others, we decided to capture their thoughts about bucket filling using their classroom iPad. During centre time, I worked with small groups and 1-on-1 with students to show them how to record themselves using a voice recorder app.
Once the voice was recorded, the students listened back to see if they were happy with what they had said. If they were, we tried to record more ideas. If they weren't happy, we started again. In this particular project we didn't create any success criteria for voice recording but will definitely look at creating a rubric with them the next time we do this, especially now they have some experience at doing it.
To get the recording off the iPad we exported to the iPad camera roll. It saves as a Quicktime file and can then be downloaded to the Camera Roll. As I manage the iPads, I downloaded each student's files as they were finished, and added them to a album in my iPhoto App. I also shared them with the teacher through a share point in our Community Folder on our school server.
We are still figuring out what we do with the audio now. We're thinking of putting into a video for an assembly next month. Any other ideas out there?
Hey Steve! I've enjoyed checking out your website. My wife, who is a ELKP teacher in Ontario uses voice recordings/podcasts with her students as well. She had my grade 5/6 students help to record a simple podcast of her students spelling their name, counting and reciting the alphabet at the beginning of year, as a diagnostic, again in the middle of year and a final recoding at the end. She has taken voice recordings of her students explaining why they love their mom's and will play at their Mother's Day tea.
ReplyDeleteI have found Podcasting to be an incredible tool in my grade 5/6 classroom. My students started the beginning of the year doing simple voice recordings of virtually everything they wrote. They quickly became very reflective learners and made huge strides in not only their writing, but their reading and oral fluency as well!
After students were able to use the simple podcasting tool effectively (ie create well written and well read podcasts that were done fluently, with good voice and expression), they were ready to move onto enhanced podcasts with visuals and sound effects and eventually to incredibly well produced iMovies. But, again, it all begins with a good voice recording.
I can only imagine what our students who are currently voice recording in their early years, will be able to do when they get to grades 5 and 6!
Peter (fellow 2013 ADE)
Hey Peter,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for commenting! I love to get feedback and comments from people visiting this blog but unfortunately it's not happening much yet!
I agree with your love for Voice Recording. I have throughly enjoyed working with classes this year and recording their voice. Won't it be amazing to see what our kindergarten students will be like with technology by the time they are Grade 6!
I really like the idea of doing the voice recording/podcasts throughout the year. I have found that even though most of the kindergarten students cannot write, they certainly have some great ideas. What a great way to capture them :)
Looking forward to meeting you in Austin. I met up with a few ADE's (new and old) from YYC here the other night and it sounds like it's going to be a blast!