Audacity

My students are very familiar with using Audacity. They record themselves every 2 weeks for fluency check. They are able to listen to their own reading and listen to how much they are improving. My English Language Learners get really motivated when they listen to themselves because they realize how much their English reading is improving. I am also able to listen to their audio files because each one of my students have their own H-Drive. I am able to pull their drives up from my computer and keep electronic portfolios for each students.I like to conference with my students and sit down with them to set their reading goals.

Another way that I use Audacity in my classroom is for writing. After students draft their writing, thye log on to Audacity and record their own stories. Then, they go back and listen to their stories to listen for fluency writing. I have noticed that when students are editing their own writing without Audacity, they tend to read right through their syntax errors. With Audacity, they are able to go back and replay their sentences to ensure they are revising correctly.

I love Audacity and it's a great resource to have in the classroom!