Simple gadgets for your class: MP3 Player
A small gadget that can save up to 15,000 songs, the MP3 player is a favorite gadget among students due to its compact size and multiple features.
How can you use MP3 players in the classroom? Here are some possible educational uses:
Audiobooks
Audiobooks (recorded voices reading out loud a particular book) are downloadable and easily managed. Students can play an audiobook on their MP3 player, and repeat certain passages for better comprehension. And they can do this while traveling to and from school or doing household chores!
Foreign language lessons
When it comes to learning a new language, students have to hear the words being spoken out loud. This is the best way for them to get the pronunciation right, and to get a quicker grasp of the contextual clues in the conversation.
Data storage
Some MP3 players also serve as USB storage devices, and can therefore hold, transfer and share files including photos for projects or videos for a presentation.
Voice recorder
Another feature of some MP3 players is voice recording. This is a great advantage when it comes to rehearsing presentations, summarizing notes or reviewing lessons in preparation for exams. Voice recorders are also very useful in interviewing people for the class or school newspaper.
Here are some ideas for projects that involve the use of an MP3 player.
First, you can ask students to make an oral history of the community by interviewing relatives and older citizens in the community. This could focus on a certain aspect of community life like work or family or schools.
The audio recordings that students have gathered could be compiled with letters or old pictures to create a more comprehensive history of the community.
Second, students can research the lyrics of popular songs during the EDSA revolution, and reflect on what the lyrics say about public attitude during that period. They can also record their reflections, interspersed with snippets of the song.
Third, a famous political speech can be introduced in class. Students can think about and write down their impressions while listening to the speech. Have some guide questions in advance, regarding the speaker’s key message, for example, or the point of view. Students can also analyze the speaker’s oratory style and how it impacts the message.
Sources:
Briere, Russell. “Every Student Needs an MP3 Player in Class.” Retrieved January 13, 2010 from
http://www.catnet.sdacc.org/articles/tech_ID205.pdf
“Using Primary Sources in the Classroom.” Retrieved January 13, 2010 from
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/primary.html
(Published 01 February 2010, Smart Communications Inc.)
