30 days of Web Tools #11: Use Audacity for creating MP3s and podcasts

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDz-u2bjHxZOliV5BZz1kk_UfD0XuN1VsqH5niq695mX56E72NJTRbJ0J2A8i0Wi70Cdq-Z92hKxUMQQQzSevC28h76DgBiGRTIS0Y-2rS0MiKRt4KhqJdT47Aa8Ziow7YOp8h9HPfQk/s1600-h/image%25255B1%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PkM3NFVhMgDGTjr9wbglWK6FtJwZhgZaDaHV2Sqhl_ZAcsZIbPtzb9JBX9gmPzciLdKSG1iTxjL0zN6KKF9ZYTBCE53eKLXka7S_OP5bkjPVNtJQa1-fIZNP9-U5geL2zHTKRksodvU/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Audacity is not really a webtool as such but it is a free tool that can be downloaded from the web. It is one of those tools that you simply cannot be without as a teacher! To put it in a nutshell, Audacity is a simple sound editing programme that is used to create MP3s.  </div><br /><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">What can Audacity be used for?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Audacity can be used across platforms from any operating system which is a big plus. It can be used to record live audio and even edit various sound files. It can export files as MP3s but for this purpose you have to also download LAME along with it. Directions for doing this can be found <a href="http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq_i18n?s=install&i=lame-mp3.%20">here</a>: </span><br /><br /><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What do you need to be able to use Audacity</span></b>?<br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. The programme should be downloaded from <a href="http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/">http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Download LAME so that Audacity can be exported as a MP3 (see below)<br />3. A microphone.<br />4. A computer</div><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>How to download LAME to use with Audacity</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I’ll just copy and paste the directions for Windows since that is what I am using. <br />Go to the <a href="http://lame1.buanzo.com.ar/">LAME download page</a>. </span><br /><ol style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Under "For Audacity on Windows", left-click the link "Lame v3.99.3 for Windows.exe" and save the file anywhere on your computer. Do not right-click the link to the .exe file.</span> </li><li><span style="font-size: small;">Double-click "Lame v3.99.3 for Windows.exe" to launch it (you can safely ignore any warnings that the "publisher could not be verified"). </span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;">Follow the "Setup" instructions to install LAME for Audacity. Do not change the offered destination location of "C:\Program Files\Lame for Audacity". </span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;">The first time you use the "Export as MP3" command, Audacity will ask for the location of "lame_enc.dll". Navigate to "C:\Program Files\Lame for Audacity", select "lame_enc.dll", then click "Open" and "OK". </span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;">If you prefer the Zip option for the LAME download, save the zip file to anywhere on your computer, extract "lame_enc.dll" to any location, then show Audacity where to find it as in Step 5 above. </span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;">In case of difficulty, please view our <a href="http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php?title=Lame_Installation#Windows_Instructions">more detailed instructions</a> on the <a href="http://audacityteam.org/wiki/">Audacity Wiki</a>.</span></li></ol><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Using Audacity for the first time</b></span><br /><br />1. Once Audacity is downloaded and Lame is downloaded and installed it is A for Away! The toolbar can look rather daunting at first, but once you realise that you only need to know a few of the icons and what they do it suddenly becomes a whole lot easier.  </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSL8H2MMZBHkvo0UAlwh6iqwymtpiTUtWEQScX1GnjKz72KaB3vy2jP8sY-FmmX5bfadUMr1iZZgnXSIBavuKoFuNQ-WooxrYP6LCr4p9T93fFjs4cfhMgB8NKeoonADAfoAojyoWyDE/s1600-h/image%25255B9%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDois0yxVVZDPs8rhWoo7LsPMSHITEdO5SnhM_LzuPnaVqate4vi-pvjNlSrpLwpX64l5Z2buCDMzwRAk8Tbd8ywi6wuesVbTVy4IdgEW1dkdggbMdq7M_FjJse80KRX-tAyzSBsSfPJ0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="435" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2. Just make sure Audacity has automatically picked up your speakers and microphone. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiN3-YIJ4dvOyvk0qrRkeQl3rTlGsf07ZvXIz79p74KWlin62GlhR5lqNMFnIM0fUuWXS9E8zaqC62jIAuQezQsd0-1uCbAuOZrstwnt3mKjrOj5rcLmi61r3n8BK5MjlM8Qa1l-aKpmQ/s1600-h/image%25255B13%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg764K0MKXCNhpsSn5SXsm6Az0rxLdmX76sxQvd07VgAJztc4DUWq0H5klnstaLaqyzpdGb02CY7EWEA2cZPW_2QZ62TBmH_ihkN8x_FaSU9-KoYXljkZw7YxgK-Kq5e4HrQv0tsQWNtkY/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="242" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3. To start recording click on the big red microphone circle. It will start recording immediately so start speaking into your microsphone right away<b>. </b>Your voice will appear as a long jagged line with rises every now and again like this:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGdzHPBTkEaGfEUrndYRMFuD97VcLyGlUK8CfrpJmFR-hga6v-nWggsrXwFPzViDBpD3wsGLLKyb00VrKat6SU36kIceJcLAKSC5NhQtZaGZF0VhZN7wrRPioY_PcGgFzJh4wl1IiXxM/s1600-h/image%25255B17%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTbccJkk0i4CPRbIWLn8kJ7W7I0FHP3tLTT1UHT9coMv-L_FA2-rSkE1JK73NpmJrlqz6pn2jJtwBqiYrHBFX7CCBVB8QoSHdSqx17jqu-4n7LZ-EZIjt0jiAHlrQlULA3sJ8gE1CSZg/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="242" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4. When you are finished recording press the yellow square. If you want to test out the recording you have just made, press the green triangle.</span></div><br /><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>How to save your file</b></span></div><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">You can just save the project at this stage if you wish by clicking on <i>Save project as</i>. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-qg1QsNURemKT5yMhVaHYnMLAj-OL8_dj8Udy04i0euXNe8gxmTT_XgbJBa-sF5kdHvvurbIdKSMh_TC_H5ZUOW0Tw5QaylO8xiELBTL_x4KTH5nJ-yRDT4mu7sYa16P9MOcSTLs8TU/s1600-h/image%25255B23%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILM8pZ1ZfRhwrzs3jKTwBvwO_N-p-vDg6xY6ZwEpL1fk8_yUUDUGyPj-PlrE22dROFW_OgxswNzAtaIB09YizRXaRtucQK5tajhNALwv01ga2D1G4hokuy-dWuPiLhKmFI5ZOQJQ843U/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Otherwise you can do what I always do and that is export the file as an MP3. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHOkE0h5ryROm_fIMP6Xh_yxg6te24uClVo_I43Lr2kXkVTpDTLonBOeV9xXsONsdJ399h_ZleQpNMBtowwtxv_djw2e9x9J3QcEyaLR8atGwctse301Mh_lsIrnC-Ji5eV-CjnL85Mw/s1600-h/image%25255B27%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvugKMY_vT7Ka5pqEEt0V3Ob-p7nNkC1-I5lLygxFtuhXX-Sq44x3JZA5c4QFJ6VgtzF9vNcm58Kx9ziK1NWDjWh-8fBTF8Uc5i5XqseHJptHC7MPauw7f_HMasdNBSZvM863Brw_p-g0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="242" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It will then save as an MP3 and you can save this file wherever you wish on your computer. That is how easy it is to record using Audacity. Of course there are a lot more complicated things you can do with audacity but for a teacher, this is enough to go by.Here is a YouTube tutorial that can take you though those steps again.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Mf7-2KSqj4s?rel=0" width="420"></iframe></span></div><br /><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">How can Audacity be used in the classroom?</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">These are some of the ways I have used Audacity:</span><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1. You could record your students speaking and then upload to Voki to create speaking Avatars. this is useful on a bog to greet visitors. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">2. You can create podcasts of book reviews, poetry readings, book reading, orals etc. You can document reading through the year to note students’ progress. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">3. You can create sound files to go with  a PowerPoint presentation or a Windows Movie Maker Movie or Photostory. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Here is a Slideshare showing how Audacity and Photostory 3 can be used together.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/62788" style="border-bottom: #ccc 0px solid; border-left: #ccc 1px solid; border-right: #ccc 1px solid; border-top: #ccc 1px solid; margin-bottom: 5px;" width="427"></iframe> <br /><div style="margin-bottom: 5px;"><b><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/lisashusband/audacity-and-photo-story-in-the-classroom" target="_blank" title="Audacity And Photo Story In The Classroom">Audacity And Photo Story In The Classroom</a> </b>from <b><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/lisashusband" target="_blank">lisashusband</a></b> </div><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4. You can upload these to an online recording service such as Vocaroo.com so that they can be embedded in a blog or wiki. Notice the upload button just under the little girl on the right in the image below. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLLihiqc8uACmXLAHmE-WYkvZB-gG5k7GkmBEcX75603fF_uH_XQdmw9Cy38ip1woMCsAi9wvoX_nGPl5KdYvP2iK-_SdxF0xp3bhhW4UWwFdzMv-2YntZ8N21NbyxKHyIrGa8lRS1_U/s1600-h/image%25255B31%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsLrmmO8uzqPOZCvy-mfhvHHbCYOuvRGjtBq62bu4krcsQOIOzMc6CubilRD_K_rKN-Q5ARtBBxRTz4V0mIGGC-StYUz4iKzlwNAacIqkmcOkoWNMsEOSeCqBzCR6FSYOLBAFXNljEBo/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="242" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">5. You can record messages and email them to penfriends as MP3 files.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">6. You can record sound to add to Voicethreads. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">So, give Audacity a try! You won’t regret it. </span></div><br /><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Further reading</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">1<b>.</b> <a href="http://kerileebeasley.com/2009/04/08/10-great-ways-to-use-audacity-with-your-students/">10 great ways to use Audacity with your students</a></span><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2. <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/audacityclassroom/">How to make a basic podcasting recording with Audacity</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3. <a href="http://teachinghappilyeverafter.blogspot.com/2011/06/audacity-in-1st-grade-classroom.html">Audacity in the First Grade classroom</a></span></div></div>

30 days of web tools Audacity Tutorials Web tools 30 days of Web Tools #11: Use Audacity for creating MP3s and podcasts

Audacity is not really a webtool as such but it is a free tool that can be downloaded from the web. It is one of those tools that you simply...

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