Audacity. The Role Of The Technology In The Learning Process - Essay Example

Technology Assessment: Auda An educational technology has been selected (hardware, software, or a combination of both) for research, review and evaluation which would help in teaching. Identify the technology that you are evaluating. The technology being evaluating is Audacity, which is "free, open source software for recording and editing sounds."1 Who is the technology intended to be used with "Programs like Audacity are also called open source software, because their source code is available for anyone to study or use."2 Who makes this product, URL, etc "Audacity is free software, developed by a group of volunteers and distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL)."3 What is the cost to purchase/license the product(s). Do you foresee any hidden costs Since this is free software, there are no costs to purchase or license the software. The only costs are the burden upon the school to have functional computers in order to run the software. The expense of the software should be the responsibility of the school to equip students with functioning computers. How can the technology be integrated into the curriculum Students could go to the computer lab, and, instead of having to write their homework or projects in class, could get a jumpstart on their homework and projects by dictating them into microphones connected to the computer. The words will then appear on the screen and the students don't have to do any typing whatsoever. This would be ideal for students who have learning disabilities or difficulties spelling, as it takes care of that aspect for them. Their speech is all they need. This aligns to NET-S standards by helping students use their creativity, use digital media to communicate, use information, think critically, practice responsible use of technology, and operate new technology.4 This aligns to NETS-T standards by facilitating and inspiring student creativity, desigining and developing a digital-age learning experience, modeling digital-age work and learning through use of Audacity, promoting model digital citizenship and responsibility by using this technology correctly, and engaging in professional growth and leadership by demonstrating the effective use of the digital tools and resources of Audacity.5 Role of Technology: What is the role of the technology in the learning process or how will it support the learner This technology is designed to help the learner. It edits what is being said, for the most part, with minor spelling mistakes which must be corrected in the end. It supports the learner by helping him or her not have to physically write his or her papers; rather, he or she can dictate the papers to the computer and the software will process them for him or her. That is the beauty of this software. What is the role(s) of the student when interacting with the technology Students will use Audacity in order to help them write papers without having to touch the keyboard at all. All they have to do is speak the words into a microphone and suddenly they will have their papers and homework at their fingertips, recorded and edited for them on the word processing equipment. This is a triumph for students who have failed in school before for lack of good resources to help them achieve in school. What is the role(s) of the teacher and/or other individuals when interacting with the student and technology The teacher needs to stand by and make sure that students are correcting their mistakes while in the learning lab (computer lab), and that students are not having problems with Audacity. If a student is having problems, the teacher should respond in kind and try to resolve the problem immediately so that other students aren't hindered by the problem and so that the student can get back on track with his or her work, and continue dictating his or her paper. What is the role(s) of the administration in supporting this technology The Principal/District should seriously consider introducing Audacity in their school for children who have difficulty writing papers due to motor control problems or physical handicap. Students may be limited in that way but their speech is perfectly intact, and that should be capitalized upon by using Audacity. Audacity will pick up on students' speech and help them to write papers quickly using students' personal thoughts. It is an invaluable tool. A few comments of people are mentioned here. One was, "One of the very best freeware apps I have ever used!!"6 Another comment was, "In my opinion, this is the best audio recording and editing tool out there that is FREE!!! In fact it is better than most ones you have to pay for. If you don't think so, try it. I think it deserves no less than a 5 out of 5."7 One friend of this writer in graduate school used Audacity to write his Master's thesis because he was talented at talking into the microphone at length about his subject area, and ended up dictating quite a bit of his thesis. It's a revolutionary piece of technology thatwill be able to aid studentswhenwriting reports thatrequire the English languagein my Spanish classes. Audacity is the wave of the future that is already here, really,in terms of helping special needs students who--like this writer'syounger brotherwhen he was in high school==may have motor difficulties orbe slow to process in the act of writing itself. Additionally, many students may have extraordinary language or verbalability that can be tapped. This writer wishesAudacityhad been on themarket when this writer's brother was in high school, because it would have truly helped him be able tocrank out his school papers more effectively.When you have a disability that limits your output, any kind of tools you have at your disposal to makeyour environment least restrictive are welcomed. The fact that someone is able to talk into a microphone and audio software can turn that speech into words on a screen is amazing to me. This software Audacity is the new technology of the future that we will soon see in many of our schools someday to be utilized by our students. Overall Audacity is a wonderful product that can be utilized by students, staff, and faculty. It is hoped that this technology will be utilized more in the future in order to aid those who have a difficulty with writing, so that they may orally perform necessary tasks for work, school, or home. REFERENCES Audacity Web Site. Retrieved 11 January 2009. . File Forum Beta News Web Site. Retrieved 11 January 2009. < http://fileforum.betanews.com/review/1023856334/1/view>. The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Students Web Site. Retrieved 11 January 2009. . The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers Web Site. Retrieved 11 January 2009. . Read More