Qwips Create and Share Free Voice Messages

Qwips is a new web tool that allows users to create short audio messages. This is like Audioboo but way simpler and easier to use.Teachers can use Qwips to record quick reminders for their students and post them on the class blog. This is also a good way to keep your students updated on assignments and homework.

Qwips is very easy to use. Just head over to its main page and sing in using your Facebook or Twitter account. Once logged in you can then click on record and start talking . You have up to 30 seconds of recording length so you better know how to effectiely use it. When your audio message is ready Qwips generates a URL for you so that you can use to share your messages. You can embed it on your blog or share it with others via email. You can also use your audio message as an image caption a feature that is not found in Audioboo.

Some features of Qwips

Here is a list of the main features that Qwips offers to its users:

• It is free
• It lets users record audio messages
• It offers up to 30 seconds of recording length
• It allows users to take a photo with a voice caption
• It lets you tag a video with a voice intro or  narration
• It lets you enliven your emails by including voice messages as signatures
• You can add voice emoticons to SMS, comments and reviews.

Head over to Qwips and give it a try.

Free Audio Tools for Teachers ( Presentation )

I have been receiving several emails recently asking me for a presentation about free audio tools that teachers can use in their classroom. I know I am a little bit late but I hope you would understand it is just because of the constraints of my thesis studies and work as a teacher.

There are several audio tools out there online and a single querry in a search engine would generate a plethora of links but the question of how useful these tools are they to you will depend on how smart you are with search algorithm and all that bubble. Speaking from the" in the trenches " perspective, I know exactly what kind of audio tools you are looking for as a teacher. You might be in need of a simple web application, easy to use and above all free . Well this presentation has 12 such tools. You can use them to record, play, crop, download and share audio clips. You do not need to have any technology wizardry to start implimenting them. Click on any title to read the review and some of them have video tutorials so everything is handy for you.

Here is the presentation in Google Docs






Here is the same presentation from Issuu

Vocaro A Great Free Voice Recording Service

Vocaro is a great voice recording service. It allows you to easily and instantly record your voice and share it with  others. What I really liked about Vocaro is its simplicity and user friendliness. Most of the voice recording systems are complicated and hard to use and that is why teachers shun away from them. Vocaro offers a different experience. It has an intuitive interface and is free to use.

Vocaro is like QR Voice for they both can be used to record audio clips and probably share them with your students in the class. You can record anwsers to assignments that students would listen to at the end of each task.
To start using Vocaro , just head over to their main page and start recording your voice but it is better if you  sign up up  and have your account there.
Here is a sample of a short audio clip I made using Vocaro.

Mobile Media Converter- Convert Youtube Videos to mp3

Mobile Media Converter Online ( MMCO ) is a great tool for educators. It allows its users to convert YouTube videos to mp3. It resembles the other tool i have talked about here earlier named ListenToYoutube. Both of these tools convert any video from YouTube into audio file that can be sent to you via email.

Some features of Mobile Media Converter

Here is a list of the main features that Mobile Media Converter Online offers to its users:

• It is free


• Its is simple to use


• It enables you to convert YouTube videos into mp3


• It offers offers 4 audio output formats: MP3, OGG, AAC, and WMA


• you can select from 3 sound qualities: worst, medium, and best


• It sends email notification when conversion is complete

How can i get started using MMCO ?

It is very simple it is simpler than you might have thought :

1. Head over to Mobile Media Converter Online


2. Enter your YouTube link and your email.


3. customize your conversion.


4. Convert and send it to email

There many other tools to help you better use YouTube for educational purposes , check out Educational Youtube Tools to learn more.
Tha ‘s it about Mobile Media Converter Online- Convert YouTube Videos to mp3.

AudioExpert – Free Audio Editor, Recorder, and Converter tool

AudioExpert is a free online audio editor. It allows its users to both converts different audio files and record sounds. It looks like Switchr , the other free audio converter tool i covered here recently. Educators need to be aware of such free audio tools for we do need them in our work and we will always need them. If your computer is equipped with a camera and microphone, you can use AudioExpert to record your sounds.

AudioExpert is slightly different than the other free audio tools in that it offers several other features that can be very useful for teachers. For instance, AudioExpert can allow you to “convert and modify the file format of your files , their bit rate,frequency, etc”. It can also provide you with an easy way to create a ringtone for your cell phone.

Some features of AudioExpert

Here is a list of the main features that AudioExpert offers to its users:

• It is free


• It is easy and simple to use


• It has an intuitive interface


• It requires registration


• It helps you convert multiple files via batch processing


• It enables you to cut and crop audio files in few clicks


• You can use it to analyze audio files and get detailed information about the format


• You can also use it to merge merge several files into a single audio track


• You can also use it to record audio off a microphone or another sound device and save it directly to WAV, MP3, WMA, OGG, etc

How can i get started using AudioExpert ?

Here is a short video tutorial that will walk you through the different steps that you need to follow to better use AudioExpert

That's it about AudioExpert – Free Audio Editor, Recorder, and Converter tool.

ConvertAudioOnline – free online audio file converter

ConvertAudioOnline is a great audio application for educators. It enables its users to convert audio files online without any need for any software installation. This tool resembles the previous tool i talked about earlier in a post entitled Switchr- free Audio Converter. Both of these audio applications allow their users to conduct their audio conversions online. In today’s cyber culture, computer clouding is the best option to our online work and any dependence on a single hardware or device can render negative results.

Some features of ConverAudioOnline

here is a list of the main features that ConvertAudioOnline offers to its users:

• It is free


• It is easy to use


• It has user-friendly interface


• It allows its users to convert audio files from one format to the other


• It does not require any software installation


• It supports individual and batch conversions


• It supports the following output formats: MP3, WAV, OGG, and WMA


• It lets you control bitrates of output files

How can i get started using ConverAudioOnline ?

Here is how you can start using ConvertAudioOnline :

1. First you need to head over to ConvertAudioOnline main page


2. Select one or more audio files from your computer


3. upload them on the site


4. specify the conversion properties such as the file format and bit rate


5. Now go to “Convert/Download” tab and click on the “Start Conversion” button


6. This action will convert your files and will make them available for download in a ZIP archive.

That’s it about ConvertAudioOnline – free online audio file converter.

WM Converter : Free Video and Audio Converter

WM Converter is a free application for converting almost any  video and audio file into other formats .  It is like VLC Media Player that i have talked about .These tools are very handy and above all are free to use . They do not require any advanced technological knowledge so do not worry you can use them even if you are just a beginner .

Some features of WM Converter

Here are the main features that WM Converter offers to its users

• It is free of charge


• It is secure quick and simple to use


• It requires an instant download


• It has Video Speed utility to control the speed of your video


• It synchronizes video and audio


• It requires minimum 1.5 GHz (Dual core processors recommended)

How can i get started using WM Converter ?

Head over to WM Converter and sign up for a free account
Watch these two tutorials to learn more

That’s it about WM Converter : Free Video and Audio Converter.

VLC Media Player : Convert and play your audio and video files for free

VLC Media Player is a free , open source video and audio player . It plays everything like files , discs ( DVD ? CD ? VCD) . I am sharing it with you because i know many of you have problems viewing some videos in certain players . It happened to me many times i get a video in a certain version and when i play it in a different player the result is either it doesn't work at all or the video quality is low . It can  sometimes be embarrassing when you are sharing a video in class or in a conference and then you realize that the quality of your video is not as good as it was in your player at home . Now with VLC Media Player the problem is solved and no need to worry .

 

Some features of VLC Media Player

Here are the main features that VLC Media Player offers to its users :

• It is completely free


• It requires a free and instant download


• It plays both video and audio files


• It is easy to use and has a quick start up


• It converts video and audio files to other formats to use on mobile devices


• It is available for Windows, 10 different versions of Linux, Mac, iOS,  and Unix.

How can i get started using VLC Media Player

Head over to VLC Media Player main page and click on download
Watch this tutorial video to learn more .

That’s it about VLC Media Player : Convert and play your audio and video files for free .

Chirbit :Record , Upload , and Share audio clips easily

Chirbit is a cool podcasting software .It is one of the tools i decided to add up to the podcasting list i am assembling in this blog . I have already covered some interesting audio applications together with their applications in education and in today’s post i will be introducing you to Chirbit and show you how you can use it to create awesome podcasts .

Some features of Chribit

Here are some of the main services and features that characterize Chribit :

• First it is completely free
• It requires a sign up but it is easy and quick
• It allows you to share you audio clips with other via Twitter and Facebook
• you can record your own voice using only a webcam or microphone
• You can also upload up to 120mb of audio at a time in .wav .mp3 .amr and .m4a formats.
• You can also record your clips using mobile technology like : smartphones like iphone , blackberry , android and many more

How can i get started using Chirbit ?

Head over to Chirbit main page and sign up for a free account
get your microphone , webcam or an audio file ready
Now watch the tutorial to learn how to use Chirbit

 

 

Applications of Chirbit in education

I wont be saying a lot under this section because you can just refer to the other podcasting tools i included in this blog like : Audacity , Audioboo , and Wavosaur and scroll down to where applications in education is and read how we can apply these tools in our classrooms .The new thing here with Chirbit is that it would allow teachers and students to share audio clips they make with each other using social services like Facebook and twitter .
That’s it about Chirbit :Record , Upload , and Share audio clips easily .

Here is another free audio tool that you might want to check out :

Audioboo : Your audio alternative in education

Wavosaur : edit , record and process sounds for free

Audacity :a practical free tool for recording and editing sounds

Here are all the educative web2.0 tools i have covered so far in this blog .I have organized them into different categories , select the category you want and explore the tools

1. Presentation/Mapping Tools

2. Organizing / Collaborative Tools

3. Google / ResearchTools

4. Audio/Image/Music Tools

5. Converting/Writing/Storytelling Tools

6. Video Tools

7. Teacher Resources

8. Best of The Rest

Wavosaur : edit , record and process sounds for free

Wavosaur is a free audio software .It is like Audacity but with some more features .Wavosaur allows you to edit sounds and record the one you want . It is all free and does not require any installation software . Let us go through some of the features of this podcasting tool .

Some features of Wavosaur

Wavosuar offers a multiple set of features to its users among these features we can cite for instance :

• It is free
• It doe not require any download or installation software
• IT allows you to edit , process , and record sounds, wav and mp3 files
• It has all the major audio editing tools like : cut, copy, paste,
• It also produces music loops, analyze, record, batch convert
• It also supports VST plugins, ASIO driver, multichannel wav files, real time effect processing
• works on Windows 98, Windows XP and Windows Vista

Check the full list of features to learn more about what it can does .

How can i get started using Wavosaur ?

Head over to Wavosaur main page and and download it
Once you downloaded it then here are the tutorials you need to learn how it all works clcik on any title to read the tutorial :
How to use VST plugins


How to remove noise


How to record audio with Wavosaur


How to use batch processing in Wavosaur

Watch this tutorial video to learn more .

 

 

Applications of Wavosaur in Education

Just like all the podcasting tools , Wavosaur has many pluses in education . it can be use to :

Record student assessments or presentations.

Record student performances, celebrations, and other events (including guest speakers).

Record student interviews (such as oral histories, documentaries, reinactments, and "mockumentaries").

Record course content (for just-in-time, on-demand learning).

Record spoken language for English Language Development, Language Arts, or Foreign Language.

Visit Audacity post and scroll down to the bottom to read a list of the applications of audio tools in education
That’s it about Wavosaur : Edit , Record and Process Sounds for Free

Here is another free audio tool that you might want to check out :

Audioboo : Your audio alternative in education

Here are all the educative web2.0 tools i have covered so far in this blog .I have organized them into different categories , select the category you want and explore the tools

1. Presentation/Mapping Tools

2. Organizing / Collaborative Tools

3. Google / ResearchTools

4. Audio/Image/Music Tools

5. Converting/Writing/Storytelling Tools

6. Video Tools

7. Teacher Resources

8. Best of The Rest

Audacity :a practical free tool for recording and editing sounds

Audacity is a free audio web2.0 tool . It is an open software for recording and editing sounds . Audacity is available for most of the operating systems such as Windows ,Mac OSX, GNU, and Lunux . This is great application that is completely free and very helpful as far as education is concerned .

Some features of Audacity

Here is a list of the most important features that Audacity offers to its users . Most of these features are listed in Audacity wiki .

• It is completely free
• It requires a quick download
• It allows you to record sound and edit it as you like
• It lets you record up to 16 channels at once
• It allows you import and export most of the supported audio files
• It lets you mix an unlimited number of sound tracks
• It also allows you to save your sound or audio clip to share it with others

check the full list of features that audacity offers

How can i get started using Audacity ?

Head over to Audacity main page and
For MAC users :
1. Inside your Applications folder, create a folder called "Audacity"
2. Double-click the downloaded .dmg to mount it
3. Option-drag the whole of the .dmg contents (not the .dmg itself) into the "Audacity" folder you created
4. Double-click Audacity.app inside the Applications folder to launch it
For Windows users :
1. Simply click on the Link
2. Select the directory for your download
3. Once the download is complete, click on the downloaded .exe file
4. The setup will run, and Audacity will be installed on your computer.
Now to leaqrn how to use this tool watch these tutorial videos :

How to record using Audacity Tutorial :

How to Edit using Audacity

How to Create an MP3 with Audacity

Applications of Audacity in education

Audacity has created a wikispace where they have explained all the educational uses of their tool in the classroom . you can visit http://audacityined.wikispaces.com/education , and in what follows are some of the ideas they suggested .

• Record student assessments or presentations.
• Record student performances, celebrations, and other events (including guest speakers).
• Record student interviews (such as oral histories, documentaries, reinactments, and "mockumentaries").
• Record course content (for just-in-time, on-demand learning).
• Record spoken language for English Language Development, Language Arts, or Foreign Language.
• Record exerpts from text books, novels, or poetry for language arts.
• Record weekly announcements, assignments, or "week in review" segments (including sub plans).
• Record multi-track soundtracks for Movie Maker projects.
• Record narrations for presentations (even PowerPoint).
• Record content for student radio stations or podcasts.
• Record instructions (or How-To's) for certain lessons.
• Record a field trip and bring it into the classroom... or more classrooms.

Visit Audacity wikispace to learn more .
That’s it about Audacity : a practical audio tool for recording and editing sounds

Here is another free audio tool that you might want to check out :

Audioboo : Your audio alternative in education

Here are all the educative web2.0 tools i have covered so far in this blog .I have organized them into different categories , select the category you want and explore the tools

1. Presentation/Mapping Tools

2. Organizing / Collaborative Tools

3. Google / ResearchTools

4. Audio/Image/Music Tools

5. Converting/Writing/Storytelling Tools

6. Video Tools

7. Teacher Resources

8. Best of The Rest

Sketch : the educative way to communicate with your students

Sketchcast is a very interesting web2.0 tool for educators to try with their learners . Sketchcasting is “ a new way to communicate something online by recording a sketch , optionally with your voice speaking . Any sketch can then be embedded in your blog homepage for people to play-back , and you can also point people to your sketchcast channel or let them subscribe to your sketchcast RSS feed. “
If you still didn't have the chance to learn what RSS Feed is and how we can use it in education then you are recommended to read :  RSS Feed in Education

How can i get started using Sketchcast

Log on to Sketchcast main page and register with them .
Once you are logged in click on “ create” link on top ¨
Provide a title for your sketch . If you want to record using your voice then tick “ with voice” box.
Choose a category for your skecth , you can choose from :

• Tutorial
• fun
• art
• other

then you click on start recording draft .



Type your text , draw something, or delete what you typed use the graphic tablet buttons as shown in this screenshot.




When you finish making your sketch and after previewing it , you can then press “ publish”. You can either make it public or private .

Applications of Sketchcasting in education

Here are some ideas of how we can integrate this awesome web2.0 tool in our classrooms .
As for teachers

• They can use it to create tutorials on “how to do” formulae like experiments in science and physics , or math
• they can also use it to create online courses for students

As for students ,
they can use it to

• review vocabulary , grammar, math , and many more
• practice their writing skills
• project works with everyone contributing to the final sketch

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• A great functionality to improve twitter in education
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• Web2.0 the machine is using us
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• The 21st century pedagogy teachers should have
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• Springpad : teachers' free notes organizer web2.0 tool
• A great functionality to improve twitter in education
• Alphabetizer : organize students' writings
• Web2.0 the machine is using us
• The 21st century skills teachers should have
• The 21st century pedagogy teachers should have

Audioboo : Your audio alternative in education

Audioboo is a very sophisticated platform for recording and sharing audio files and clips , a very important podcasting tool for teachers.It is very simple to use and doesn’t  call for any special computer training . Audioboo is the kind of web2.0 tool that every educator should consider .You can think of it as your audio digital archive where you can record you audio , share it or just keep it intact for future use.
I have already talked about how we can use Safesharetv to crop videos and eliminate the destructive features that are around YouTube videos ( nasty comments , inappropriate language) you can read Safesharetv : The Educative Way to Share Youtube Videos to learn more .Today I will walk you through a step by step tutorial on how we can use audioboo to do great things with our students .

General tips about audioboo

Here are some tips you need to keep in your mind before you start using audioboo:

1. Audioboo can be used both on pc and mobile devices like: iphone and android.
2. It is audio-only format to which picture , titles and headlines can be added
3. Audio recordings are limited to five minutes
4. Boos can be shared in social networks like twitter and facebook
5. You can embed a boo in your site/blog using the audio boo widget

How can I start using audioboo ?

First , go to http://audioboo.fm/

Click on sign up on the right hand corner .You can either sign in with your twitter account or create your audioboo account.

Once you are logged in you can start recording your boo . To do so, click on “my profile” tab then click on “new recording” button


Audioboo is also a social network .It allows you to build an online community of friends, you can follow people , send messages and start discussions either in private or publicly.
To see boos of other users click on the “ browse “tab and you can select from the categories provided


To be able to share your boos just click on the “settings” button and choose the social platform to which you want to send your boo. Five social sites are provide : Twitter, Facebook, Posterous, friend Feed and Tumblr

These are the basic things you need to know to start using audio but if you want to read more about it then read Getting Started with Audioboo .

Podcasting with audioboo

Applications f Audioboo in Education

Here are a set of ideas on how we can use Audioboo in education

• Encourage students to make digital storytelling using sites like Digital Storytelling Tools
• Students can use it as an alternative to text-based tasks
• They can use it to practice vocabulary items and word pronunciation
• The can also use it to practice communicative functions .They can simulate situations of role play dialogues where they will be interviewing a celebrity or an expert . This helps them in fluency practice plus it is so much fun for them too.
• Have students record their boos talking about their learning experiences , study projects , or just their personal views . Encourage them to share their boos between each other and with students from other schools and countries.

This is it about Audioboo : Your audio alternative in Educayion

You might also like :

• The Educative Way to Share Youtube Videos
• What Every Educator Should Know about Google
• Google Docs in Education
• Google Reader in Education
• Rss Feed in Education
• Google Bookmarks in Education
• Google Buzz in Education