Digital Audio Learning Tools

1. Digital Audio Learning Tools Reading and Writing Assistance Through Audacity and Premier’sTTA Chip Aldrich

2. Remediation v. Compensation “ When a child is unable to complete an academic task, how much failure data do we need to in order to determine that he cannot do the task? Do we continue to withhold the use of a ‘cognitive prosthesis’ in hopes that he’ll learn to do the task someday?” (Prof. Dave Edyburn, 2006).

3. Typical Accommodations: • Reading: • Shortened readings • Reading w/ peers • Reading w/ 1 to 1 + Removes decoding/fluency issues May help improve comprehension • Lack of independence • Poor social perception • Labor intensive • Written Expression: • Typing responses • Dictated to transcriber • Fill-ins/Mult. Choice +Demonstrates learning/comprehen. • Spelling/Handwriting issues • Weak keyboarding skills • Lack of independence • Labor intensive

4. Advantages of Digital Audio Tools: Reading Written Expression Removes decoding issues Can supplement or replace reading Allows independent and multiple uses Weaker readers are often stronger in auditory skills Flexibility of access No spelling, handwriting, keyboarding issues Easy to edit/multiple trials Improves independent demonstration of learning Weaker writers may have stronger verbal skills Flexibility for responses

5. Truth in Advertising • May be labor intensive at first • Requires some training/setting up • Works best when there’s advance planning • Requires Hardware /Software – • computer access, program access • microphone(s), headphone(s) • Requires minimum level of cognition/verbal skills • not for every student

6. Keep them in your Toolkit As always, there’s no one solution for all cases. Play– the more you use them, the better you get with them. aldrichc@naugy.net Hillside MS – ext. 5261 http://www.lifelonglearner.us/other/audacity/index.html http://curriculum.union.edu/tips/audacity.php http://www.readingmadeez.com/training/videos.html (look for Text-to-Audio)