NOW Classrooms, Grades 9-12. Meg Ormiston

      Learning goal:

      I can combine audio I record with animation to better explain my learning.

      Instead of just an audio file to demonstrate learning, in this lesson students will use specialized tools to create an animated avatar that can speak the audio students record. Using specialized tools that pair audio with animation can maintain student interest in learning while allowing for even more student voice and choice. For this lesson, introduce students to tools like Tellagami (https://tellagami.com), Voki (www.voki.com), or Blabberize (http://blabberize.com) and have them create avatars that they pair with their own recorded audio to explain concepts they have learned in the classroom. Not only does this allow students to get creative in how they demonstrate their learning, but it also provides a way for shy students or students with anxiety issues to express themselves without physically making themselves the center of attention.

       Process: Combining Audio and Animation

      Use the following three steps to teach students how to connect audio they record with an animated avatar.

      1. Tell students to select an app that lets them record audio and pair it with animation. Because many of the tools for this process have limited audio-recording times, have students create a short introduction to a topic for their avatar to speak.

      2. Have students set up the animation they want to use. This can include building an avatar of themselves, another person, or even an animal, as well as selecting a background setting or other on-screen elements.

      3. Instruct students to record their audio clips and pair them with the avatar they created. Recording the audio clips should be done outside of the classroom to avoid recording in a noisy environment. Most apps have a simple export feature or provide means to link to the final clip by sharing it on the classroom LMS. These clips are also fun for students to post on social media.

       Connections

      You can apply this lesson to different content areas in the following suggested ways.

       TEACHING TIP

      Give students the opportunity to search for other tools similar to Tellagami and Voki that allow them to record audio that demonstrates their learning through fun, creative means. Students should share the apps they find with each other and think of creative ways to use them to make connections with curricula, clubs, or sports.

      • English language arts: After students read a novel, have them create an audio project with animation that features their avatar or another animated character discussing the novel. This project could include their answers to discussion questions you pose, their own questions they want to ask about the text, their analysis of the characters, or their view on the plot.

      • Science: Have students complete a lab report as an audio file and pair the audio with animations that depict the work they did in the lab. For example, one student can create an avatar of a famous scientist while the group’s other members develop and conduct a virtual question-and-answer session with the famous avatar.

      • Music: Have students record themselves playing or singing a new piece of music and then pair that recording with an animation in one of the apps. They can include this creative example of their work in a project or digital portfolio as a way to draw attention to it.

      • Career and technical education: Have students in a web-design course create avatars for a website to greet visitors with a specific message based on the website’s content. For example, the school mascot could greet visitors on the school’s home sports page.

       Wow: Producing Collaborative Audio

      One of the ultimate ways to demonstrate audio-production skills is to create podcasts. A podcast is an ongoing audio discussion that listeners subscribe and listen to that generally features multiple episodes. In this lesson, students will create a podcast by recording and editing audio that includes both music and discussion. This process will not only sharpen their presentation and sequencing skills but also help them practice speaking skills, like conducting roundtable discussions and interviews.