TTP - Integrating MP3 Players in the Classroom

Using recording devices in the classroom is nothing new. Teachers and students have been using tape recorders for years. But the traditional cassette tape content was not always the easiest media to edit, store and share. Well, the times have changed with the introduction of MP3 digital recording devices. Here are 23 ideas that I have come up when using these wonderful devices.

1. Use these devices to record and then evaluate students decoding and reading fluency skills.
2. Keep a digital reading portfolio for students- keep an audio history of their progress. Then at the end of the year these can then be transferred to CD so students have a copy.
3. Have students create an audio book library.
4. Let's take that last idea one step further;  allow students to take home the audio recordings of a book or passage along with the book itself so they can practice guided reading.
5. What about having speech therapists record students for evaluations and keep an audio portfolio. They could also create recorded activities and strategies for students to take home and practice. This can also support strategies like self-correction and ongoing self-assessment.
6. Teachers can record audio instructions for students who may struggle with reading the instructions, but not with the actually activities or tasks themselves.
7. Do you ever have students who have been gone for extended periods of time because of illness or on a trip? What about recording students assignments with oral instructions and also to add that personal touch.
8. Students could use these portable recording devices and act as roving reporters for school podcasts or newspapers.
9. Students record the thoughts  for writing activities so they can capture their ideas and not get bogged down with conventions and grammar. Then students get listen to their recoding and transcribe their thoughts and when finished, let them begin editing process.
10. Students lead interviews of  local historical figures? Once these recording have been collected, they can then be achieved for future generations.
11. Recording of field trips to create a sound seeing tours of local museums or historical sites - these files could either be kept for classroom projects or given back to the museums or historical sites so future visitors can enjoy this special audio guided tour.
12. Let children interview relatives about family history or create an audio family tree.
13. Have students create "Reading Rainbow" style books reviews.
14. Instructors can wear a device like the iRiver and record lessons, instructions, and lectures so students have access this content later.
15. Recording assignments or activities for foreign language courses
16. Teachers with ESL students could record written text along with possible definition of words and vocabulary lessons
17. Use these device to quickly create audio books for students with learning disabilities
18. Audio directions to accompany assignments for students who are home-bound.
19. Create audio test-casts or audio study guides to help students review for test.
20. Students  could use the recorder to create digital storytelling projects- students can then create final projects with multi-media software like Microsoft's Photo Story or PowerPoint
21. Let students record pod-pal messages
22. Use these devices to create classroom podcasts. These MP3 files can be uploaded as is, or brought into Audacity or Propaganda to be clean up.
23. Use these devices to make it easy to document School Board and academic meetings. Use the recordings to produce meeting minutes and provide the audio to the entire community.

Please feel free to either add your ideas by clicking on the comment link below or feel free to e-mail them to me at: [e-mail]