Renee GigaxAudacity – Classroom Use

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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:

Make an audio/radio advertisement Create podcasts Record sound for PowerPoint slides Record soundtracks for animations

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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RADIO COMMERCIAL ASSIGNMENT

Audacity Audio Editing

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 file’s sampling rate in the box (I like to convert it to a wav, but you don’t 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!

STEP 1: Get Music/Set Tone

Obtain the mp3 song from the following website

(right click the download button and Save Target As)

http://feelslikechristmas.com/traditional_instrumental.html

STEP 2: Locate Appropriate Sound Effects

You need three required sound effects: cash register/money, record scratch, and phone dialing. A good place to find these is—

http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/pir/PIRsfx.html (record scratch is under General, Noise Sounds; cash registers are in Office Sounds)

http://www.grsites.com/sounds/ (phone is under Miscellaneous sound effects)

You can find Christmas sound effects at—

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!)

STEP 3: Record Your Narration

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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!

STEP 5: Add Effects

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 doesn’t sound odd.

STEP 6: Test and Export

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) Your Name….

YOU: Uh.. y-y-yes??

VOICE 1: (Echo) Your Name, this is your conscience…

YOU: My conscience! Leave me alone…

VOICE 1: (Echo) It’s that time of year again… it’s time for you to

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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) No, it’s Christmas time! Time to…

YOU: (interrupting..overlap again) Sing Christmas carols? Wrap presents?

VOICE 1: (Echo) Would you let me do the talking?

YOU: Gosh, go ahead…

VOICE 1: (Echo) (cough..huh huh huh.. getting attention) It’s 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 don’t even like having my picture taken!

VOICE 1: (Echo) (stammering) W—well, 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. I’ll 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!

(Music fades out)

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RADIO COMMERCIAL ASSIGNMENT: CHRISTMAS

GRADE SHEETRemember, 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.

Name:__________________________________ Date Graded:___________________

Requirement Points Possible

Deducted

Appropriate instrumental Christmas music is used in the background and volume is adjusted accordingly (amplification decreased to work with dialogue)

10

The three required sound effects are used and sound real; adjust volume if necessary

15

Another sound effect is used to make the commercial more original; list the effect here—

Why did you add this?

10

Narration recorded is your own voice and is clear and convincing; matches tone of the commercial

20

Overall commercial flows smoothly; sound effects are eased in as needed to sound real and narration is overlapped during interruptions (see instructions on script)

20

Effects are added as indicated on the script (Echo to conscience; music fades in and out)

15

Turned in on time (late projects will not be accepted after the end of the week; this is all or nothing)

10

TOTAL 100

COMMENTS

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Lesson Analysis and Adaptation Worksheet

Content Area/Topic: Business Technology

Grade Level: 9-12

Location and Title of Lesson: from the website http://lessonplans.btskinner.com/multimedia.html under the title Audacity Radio Commercial Project

Intended Audience for the Adaptation: Elementary Music Radio Commercial

THE LESSON INDICATORS COMMENTSWorks toward appropriate goals

Content and technology standards are mentioned

Standards are for the correct grade level and content area

Objectives are aligned with standards

Tasks focus clearly on obtaining the objectives

Standards are not mentioned

After looking up the (Ohio) technology standards online, the lesson goals are appropriate to them; specifically Standard 3 – Benchmark E: Classify, demonstrate, examine and appraise information and communication technologies.

Objectives are clear in the “REQUIRED” column of the rubric/grade sheet

Requires the use of higher order thinking skills and “new” literacies

Students are asked to do more than memorize or understand

Media, visual, communicative, technological, mathematical, and/or other nontraditional literacies are addressed

Students are asked to demonstrate their new skills by producing a product: radio commercial

Requires students to use a multi-media communicative approach

Integrates the learning goals

Communication Production Critical thinking

Creativity

Content Problem solving

Inquiry/research

This is a communication-based project Students are creating a product Students need to choose appropriate sound effects

and explain why they chose them Students need to “act” while interpreting the

dialogue, which is a theatre based creative process. Also, students need to use their imagination in adding effects to make things sound original

Information and new skills are taught Students need to decide how much fade or volume,

figure out when and how to insert various effects, and decide which effects are appropriate

Students need to follow hyperlinks to look up effects, and research their own sounds

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Includes a variety of resources

Students have choices of materials at different levels

Materials are available in a variety of modes and media

The instructor includes 5 good hyperlinks that students can use as references

Written and online materials are given with the lesson, and it is assumed that Audacity is available to the students at home or at school

Encourages all students actively in authentic tasks

Students have roles/tasks to perform throughout the lesson

Connections are made between the task and real life

Students must actively search for answers to essential questions

Students are led through specific tasks, and must perform these tasks in a certain order

This project is a radio commercial, which relates to real life for the students

Students must answer questions regarding their choices of effects and interpretation

Uses technology effectively, efficiently, and as a learning tool

The technology makes the task more authentic

The technology makes the task easier to accomplish

The technology helps students learn faster than without it

The technology is secondary to the content and goals

Audacity helps make the task authentic

The hyperlinks and audio editing software provide additional resources

Audacity makes it much faster to add effects and record student voices than with traditional ways

The product that students are producing is a radio program, not just a demonstration of Audacity

Addresses the needs of a variety of students, including ELLs and students with physical and other challenges

All students can access task instructions

All students can access task materials and resources

Students have different ways to accomplish the same objectives

Because of the hyperlinks to other resources, students can research as much or as little as they need to accomplish the tasks

All students can access the materials with any computer with internet access

Students use the suggested links for effects, while also doing their own research for sounds; however, because of the required elements and script, the project does not give a lot of flexibility in ways to accomplish the same objective

Includes appropriate assessments

Assessment is aligned to the standards and objectives

Assessments are fair for all students and not based on one ability

Assessments allow students to show what they know/can do rather than what they cannot do

The rubric for assessment outlines the objectives; unfortunately, a behavioral objective for the students is not stated at the beginning of the project (nor the standards)

Assessments cover technical, oral, musical, and creative abilities

The students are producing a product to be assessed by a rubric, which is given a (positive) number out of “possible points” rather than a “-3”

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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 Audacity’s 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 mp3’s 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.