In the past couple of weeks, I have learned a lot about open source software and free web based software. Open source software is software which can be used, modified and improved by anyone and can be redistributed freely. Lately, I have fell in love with Audacity and Google Docs!
Audacity - http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Audacity is a free audio editor and recorder. I recently used the program to shorten a track that was too long for one of my presentations, and I recorded narration with background music for a PowerPoint. As listed on the Audacity website, you can use the program to:
- Record live audio.
- Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs.
- Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files.
- Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together.
- Change the speed or pitch of a recording.
- And more!
I I was surprised at how easy it was to use. I completed the tutorial provided on the website and within minutes, I was editing a track! This is a great tool for digital storytelling projects.
Google Docs - http://www.google.com/google-d-s/intl/en/tour1.html
Likewise, I have grown fond of Google Docs. To be honest, I wasn’t aware of the many tools Google has to offer. I mainly used Google to check my email, search the web and blog. However, Google Docs is a gem! Google Docs is an online word processor, spreadsheet and presentation editor that enables you and you to create, store and share documents online.
You can create new documents from scratch or upload existing documents, spreadsheets and presentations. What I love is that there is no software to download, and all your work is stored safely online and can be accessed from any computer. I simply login to my Google email account and ta-da!
I recently used Google Docs to create a help form for a curriculum webpage I am building. It was very easy to create and I see this being an excellent resource for students and educators. If you want to learn more about Google Docs, click here for a tutorial!
Overall, I’m kind of embarrassed that I didn’t know about these tools. The Internet is full of resources and I am always amazed at what I find. Are there any hidden web resources that you have found? If so, please share!
I love audacity. I use it all the time. It’s super easy to use and it’s a great way to cut, mix, and edit music and audio. Sometime when I get in my music producer mood, I can easily waste over 5 hours just working on various songs by using audacity. It makes me feeling like Timberland or Swizz Beatz in a music studio. I can see students using Audacity in the classroom to do storytelling or other type of presentation projects. They can each record different lines and then merge them into one presentation. Elementary teachers could probably also have a lot of fun using this program to create different character voices to use along with a read along story book.
ReplyDeleteI haven’t heard or used Google docs but it seems like another innovative product of Google. It sounds like a great way to access, use, and save word docs and other office like programs in an easily accessible way. Thanks for bring the Google Docs to my attention and I will make sure to look further into it
I think its pretty cool that you use Audacity. I have always wanted to make my own beats and songs. I think it would be pretty cool to have students record a song about a topic or concept they learned in class. Just one of my crazy thoughts...
DeleteI've never used Audcity. I'm encouraged to try it out from the information in your post. I've used Jing for recording short (under 5 minutes) tutorials from my computer desktop.
ReplyDeleteAs for Google docs, I use it everyday! It is so easy to use and makes my life as an online teacher so much easier. In addition, Google Voice is great! And, as I listed in my post Google has a virtual science fair! What will Google conquer next?
Great post!
Kim