Using Audacity
For
Audio Spelling Tests and Reading Fluency Drills
Audio spelling tests allow for teachers to differentiate their assessments of students without using additional instructional time. Having the spelling tests recorded makes student make-up work a cinch! We have found that the audio spelling tests save instructional time and increase our students’ motivation during their assessment.
Using the same program, your students can record their reading fluency practice and running records! Our students enjoy the opportunity to record their reading and look forward to listening to how they sound as readers. Have students record their reading not only is motivating for them, but serves as an instructional tool for you! After all the students are finished recording their reading, you can burn the audio tracks to a CD and complete your running records at home or after school, allowing your individual conferences with your students to be more meaningful and in depth as far as comprehension, reflection, and interpretation are concerned.
Believe it or not, it is very easy to do!
1. Open the program, Audacity, on your laptop.
2. To record, press the record button.
You can pause your recording at any time by pressing pause.
3. To stop the recording, press the stop button.
To record again, click your mouse at the end of the first track and
press record.
If you do not click at the end of the first track, it will create a track on top of your previously recorded track. This makes for a very confusing audio file.
4. When you are finished recording, go to file, and Export as MP3.
5. Save the audio file into the folder of your choice.
6. A window will popup allowing you to edit the tags for your MP3. You do not need to do this, just press OK.
7. When the file is done being saved, it will bring you back to the Audacity. You do not need to save this as an Audacity file, unless you plan on changing or adding to the same recording.
So, now that you have recorded your spelling tests, what’s next?
Here are some helpful hints to get you started!
· Save the audio files into a “Spelling Test” folder.
· Title your audio files according to the spelling unit. For example, High Frequency Words #4, or Blue Sort 5. This way, you will not need to record that unit’s test again.
· Create a folder on the desktop of your student laptops for each spelling group – Group 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.
· Empty the groups’ folders on Thursdays and copy and paste the new spelling tests into the folders.
· Model how to operate Windows Media Player to take the tests. Using a SMART board, or a projector, is extremely helpful because it makes it very visible to all students.
The first few weeks will be a learning process, but after a couple weeks, you’ll see that your students are comfortable with the new technology and enjoy taking spelling tests.
Here are some helpful hints for Reading Fluency Practice.
· Pre-select passages for the levels of readers in your classroom. (I used the fluency passages off www.readinga-z.com in my classroom.)
· Have passages in a binder for students to choose from. The students are responsible for choosing a passage on their level.
· Create a folder for the students to save their recording in. I create a folder for each month, for example, “November Reading.”
· Students save their reading using their first name and date, for example,
“Pennie 11-15”.
· After students record their reading, they turn the passage into you for grading. This can then be sent home as an objective reading grade.
· I also have students listen to their reading and identify strengths and weaknesses in their oral reading. We then work with these goals in guided reading.
· This is a great way to show parents growth over time in reading. Students can play their beginning of the year recording along with their end of the year recording to show their parents how they have improved.
The microphone that is built into your laptop will work; however, you may have some background noise. If this is an activity that you think will become part of your classroom routine, I would suggest investing in headphones with the USB microphone, or a separate USB microphone that has noise-cancelling technology. Logitech is a brand that I would recommend using!
Please feel free to contact me if you need help or have any questions!
Directions for Fluency Center:
1. Pick a passage that is on your level.
2. Practice reading the passage (about 3 times).
3. Double click on Audacity.
4. Press the record button when you are ready to record.
5. Read the passage into the microphone.
6. Press the stop button to end the recording.
7. Go to File, and Export as MP3 (see the picture).
8. Type your name and today’s date into the file name box.
9. Press save.
10. Press OK.
11. Go to File, and click Exit.
Cathryn Marsala November 2007
Dallastown Elementary