Voice Editing with Audacity for Reading Assessments.

By Stockton University student Mia Chapman

Audacity is a user-friendly editing and recording free software application. It allows you to create multiple recordings, edit, import, export, convert tapes to digital recordings or cds, cut, copy, trim, or create mixed recordings. The website provides tutorials, contact information, awards, update status, number of downloads per week, features, screenshots, and external links. This application is easy to navigate from back and forth from other pages.

In my classroom, I would use audacity to record my students reading. This way if they hear themselves, they can recognize their own errors. For instance, my son is not focused when reading so we made a recording and when he listened to how he sounded, he criticized his recording. Now it’s a must that he records regularly to notice his improvement. It could be used as a reading assessment by teachers as some students are not comfortable reading directly to their teachers.

It’s also a fun way for students to collaborate on assignments and express their creativity among one another. It’s an easy peer review and assessment tool as well.

Below is a link I came across that gives ideas on ways to incorporate audacity in the classroom.

http://kerileebeasley.com/2009/04/08/10-great-ways-to-use-audacity-with-your-students/