Social Education 71(3), pp 120–124 ©2007 National Council for the Social Studies

Sounds Good To Me: Using Digital Audio In The Social Studies Classroom

George B. Lipscomb, Lisa Marie Guenther, and Perry McLeod

In a recent edition of Educational Leadership, technology pioneer Marc Prensky and the difficulty in obtaining it. The issued the following warning regarding the state of education today: “Educators have digital revolution is rapidly changing slid into the twenty-first century—and into the digital age—still doing a great many this situation. things the old way. It’s time for education leaders to raise their heads above the daily grind and observe the new landscape that’s emerging.” 1 Prensky differentiates between Audio Streaming today’s children (digital natives) who have grown up around technology, specifically Even though much of the information games and the Internet, and educators (digital immigrants) who have found that is currently online is protected by themselves in a rapidly changing digital world. As immigrants, Prensky holds that copyright, teachers and students can still it is not necessary for teachers to immerse themselves in every area of new technol- listen to numerous speeches, interviews, ogy, but feels that they should be aware enough to allow students the opportunity to songs, eyewitness accounts, and other incorporate some of these technologies in the classroom. historical artifacts through a process known as streaming. No sophisticated equipment is needed—simply a com- In social studies, in particular, this Background puter, Internet access, and a means to incorporation of technology presents Educators have long found ways to play the content for students (speakers, some unique opportunities. With such enhance their teaching by bringing in individual headphones, etc.). The fol- innovations as blogging, interactive map- music and other sound elements to the lowing examples illustrate how streaming ping, digital resources and others enter- classroom. From phonograph records to audio can be used in lessons concerning ing social studies classrooms, there is radio, cassette tapes to compact discs, a World Wars I and II. great potential for teachers, but it is hard variety of audio content has been a staple In the study of World War I, textbooks to know where to begin.2 This article in social studies classrooms.3 A number and other print sources often fail to cap- will focus on one familiar, yet rapidly of educators have encouraged the use ture the human element of life during this changing area of technology—digital of music as a means of helping students great conflict. The website “First World audio. We will provide examples of some relate to a moment in time.4 Waller and War.Com” has an entire section devoted of the materials social studies educators Edgington believe that music allows stu- to songs, speeches and descriptions of can use in the classroom, discuss means dents to connect with the people they are that era.6 Among these sound files, teach- of investigating such content, and explore studying and can “stir emotions in a way ers and students can hear several versions podcasting, a new medium for students that no book or lecture ever could.” 5 The of George Cohan’s “Over There,” a pop- to access and create their own interpreta- main challenge for teachers wanting to ular song in the United States after the tions of the past. use audio content in the past was the cost U.S. entry into the war. Students could associated with purchasing the material listen to this song while studying life on

S o c i a l E d u c a t i o n 120 the homefront during the war and use the price. The service has expanded beyond lyrics to examine motivations for young the United States with new online stores General Sites for people to go off and fight in Europe. in Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Similarly, streaming supports students and Japan. Once you have downloaded Streamed Audio who wish to examine American reaction iTunes audio files to your , you to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The can share them with up to five users. For Library of Congress (LOC) website the classroom, any downloaded audio contains hours of “Man on the Street” content can be played straight from the interviews in the days immediately fol- computer or burned to a . lowing the attack.7 By accessing the LOC site, teachers can provide short clips of Podcasts individual interviews to engage students Among digital audio offerings, podcasts in the realities of December 1941. While offer some of the most promising con- the sound quality of these recordings may tent for today’s social studies classroom. be distracting to students accustomed to Originally pioneered by former MTV clear digital sounds, the historical sig- “veejay” Adam Curry, these Internet American Rhetoric nificance of these recordings makes them broadcasts get their name because they (Top 100 speeches of all time) indispensable for the classroom. In order can be easily stored on an Apple iPod™ or www.americanrhetoric.com/top to help students who may have difficulties similar portable digital music player. They 100speechesall.html with these interviews, transcripts avail- can run as little as several minutes to more able on this site may be photocopied to than an hour in length, are available on American Slave Narratives add to their overall understanding. many websites, and can be downloaded to xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/wpa/wpa a computer or portable player. home.html Downloading Audio There are podcasts on every conceivable Digital History: Historical Music While streaming audio has a number of topic including health, religion, sports, www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/audio/ advantages in its implementation, the and popular culture. Some podcasts even music.cfm major deficiency is that without Internet have a video component (vodcasts), and access or a fairly new computer, the con- can provide some additional insight for History Channel-Speech Archives tent cannot be accessed. For teachers visual learners. For teachers, perhaps the www.historychannel.com/speeches/ wanting possession of audio files, however, most attractive aspect of podcasts is that archive1.html there are a number of options, some legal they are available free of charge.9 and some not. For social studies classrooms, podcasts History Matters historymatters.gmu.edu During the late 1990s and early part of can be incorporated into daily instruction this decade, many teachers used Napster, in a number of ways: Library of Congress American Kazaa, LimeWire, and other file swap- 1. To supplement curricular goals— Memory Collection ping services to acquire free audio content. There are many podcasts out there that memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse/ However, this created an ethical dilemma. can provide social studies teachers with ListSome.php?format=Sound+Reco While some have argued that acquiring additional information on classroom top- rding such content is simply “fair use” in the ics. For example, Colonial Williamsburg classroom, others resisted, worrying uses its re-enactors to share information World War I www.firstworldwar.com/audio/ about copyright laws. Fortunately for about life in colonial America from prom- educators, there are a number of guide- inent figures such as Thomas Jefferson lines and resources available for helping and Patrick Henry to more common to make sense of this critical issue.8 citizens such as weavers, bakers, and For legal downloading, a number of blacksmiths. services including Napster, Rhapsody, 2. To update students on current AOL, and Walmart, offer digital content events—News providers, such as National for a monthly fee; but one service, the Public Radio, The New York Times, the iTunes Store (previously known as the BBC, and many others, provide report- iTunes Music Store) from Apple, has ing on news stories that are updated on a become the leader in this field offering daily basis. Specifically, CNN offers the ability to download songs, books, tele- its Student News show as a daily video vision shows, and now even entire movies, podcast (vodcast). to and iPods for a reasonable 3. To inform students about the politi-

A p r i l 2 0 0 7 121 Relevant Podcasts Key Terms in Understanding Digital Audio for the Social Studies

Classroom iPod™ portable music player distributed by Apple; comes in various styles and sizes; newer versions contain video capabilities BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/radio/newspod

CNN Student News, iTunes Store portal for digital audio and video; songs, audiobooks, podcasts, www.cnn.com/EDUCATION , and movies available here; credit card needed to establish an account and make purchases Colonial Williamsburg, www.history.org Podcast term derived from a broadcast that is compatible with Apple’s iPod C-Span, www.c-span.org/podcast RSS stands for “really simple syndication” which is a file format that allows National Geographic, users to subscribe to a favorite website, podcast, blog, etc. www.nationalgeographic.com/ podcasts Streaming a process or technique for allowing computer users to access large The New York Times, data files in a steady and continuous stream; useful applications in www.nytimes.com this process include Real Player, QuickTime, and NPR Story of the Day, www.npr.org

White House Radio Addresses, Vodcast podcast with video enhancement www.whitehouse.gov/news/radio

cal process—The White House has made teachers have used similar activities in and interactions with Native Americans use of this medium to include weekly the past, never before has it been so in their newscasts. addresses (in English and in Spanish), simple for students to have their work so The students began their podcasting press briefings, and speeches as a means easily created and disseminated. The fol- project when they were about halfway of showcasing the role of the chief execu- lowing examples come from two teachers, through reading Dear Levi. At this point, tive. A number of individual Congress one elementary and one high school, who they had gathered enough information members and potential candidates are used podcasting to engage their students about Westward Expansion not only also using podcasts to express their politi- in historical inquiry. through reading the novel, but also cal viewpoints on key issues. C-Span also through various classroom activities, offers a number of podcasts related to The Elementary Classroom discussions, Internet research, and other legislative activity and politics. Fourth grade students at Ellen Woodside sources. Once the students had completed 4. To take students where they other- Elementary School in Pelzer, South their research, they wrote scripts for each wise couldn’t go—For teachers hoping to Carolina, created podcasts in their study news broadcast they would make on the expose their students to different parts of Westward Expansion. The students trip west. Although the students were of the world, National Geographic has worked in groups of five and based their granted a good deal of freedom in what created brief clips showing a variety of podcast creations on the book Dear Levi, they reported in their news shows, they unique topics including Nepalese tongue by Elvira Woodruff. They were asked were always encouraged to keep in mind boring, Japanese puffer fish, and sewer to create informative news talk shows where they were on the trail in order to divers in Mexico. as though they were on a journey across keep their broadcasts relevant. the country. Each show was recorded at Once the students had written, revised, Creating Podcasts specific points along the trail chosen by edited, and rehearsed their scripts, they While one means for bringing podcasting the students. They used a map to pick out recorded their newscasts on an iPod into the classroom is through profession- nine major points, such as forts or major using a voice recorder. In the beginning, ally crafted programs, another powerful cities, where a broadcast of their news the students listened to what the news- aspect of this medium is that podcasts can show would be appropriate and most casts sounded like and, as a group, dis- be created by anyone, including young likely heard by the greatest number of cussed ways to make it more effective and students. All it takes is a microphone and people. Students were asked to include interesting to the listener. The students a script for students to become “stars” details such as weather, food, supply quickly learned to control the volume in their own right. While social studies rations, sickness, morale, local terrain, of their voices, to dramatically empha-

S o c i a l E d u c a t i o n 122 Students at Richland Northeast High School use iMovie to combine digital audio and photographs to create an original podcast.

Photograph by Perry McLeod

size emotions, and to add music or small School in Columbia, South Carolina, and make the vodcasts more authentic to jingles, as well as sound effects, to catch recently engaged in an oral history project the Vietnam era. Much of the music the the ear of the listener. In the end, students in order to gain a deeper understanding students used on their vodcasts was copy- used their voices and other sound effects of the war in Vietnam. Through in-depth righted, so, in preparation, the school to create effective newscasts. They con- research and the use of digital audio and media specialist came to the classroom veyed excitement whenever the group video technology, students were assigned to speak about copyrights and student use broadcasted from a fort with lots of sup- a three- to five- minute podcast relating policies. The students understood that plies, and their voices expressed sorrow to some aspect of the war. all sources used in their projects had to following the loss of family members or Students began the project by reading be cited, as in any other written or visual friends along the trail. Once the students their texts to gain an overall understand- research project. Another way students were satisfied with their newscasts, they ing of the war. From this reading, they avoided the music copyright issue was to downloaded the voice files into iTunes. developed ideas about certain aspects of create their own music in GarageBand, They then created an audio CD which the war that they wanted to investigate in a music creation software. The students was presented to the rest of the class and greater detail, turned these details into love writing their own songs for their used as a review tool before a written test visual stories through video editing using projects. Upon completion, these proj- on Westward Expansion. iMovie, and then shared them as vod- ects were burned to CDs and uploaded to Overall, this project helped each of casts. During class, students searched 30G video iPods to be used at the school the students gain better insight into what the Internet for images of Vietnam and by U.S. history teachers as introductory it was like to cross the United States in a watched a number of video documenta- material or thought-provoking activities wagon back in the late 1800s. The pod- ries about the war. These visuals helped during their lessons on the war. casts were not only fun and interesting the students with their early storyboard The beauty of podcasts and vodcasts is for students to create, but the end results planning and scriptwriting. The students that students can see and think about con- were informative and entertaining tools were grouped and began their research. cepts as many times as needed without that could not only be used for review, All the groups produced a storyboard disturbing their classmates. The “cool” but to introduce future classes to the topic and wrote a script for their project. factor is also very motivational. Students of Westward Expansion, as well. Narration was not required, but stu- love watching an iPod and are oblivi- dents were encouraged to include some ous that they are learning. In a few years, The High School Classroom voiceovers. Music was a requirement for Richland Northeast will have a library Students at Richland Northeast High this project to help set the mood or tone of student-produced podcasts that will

A p r i l 2 0 0 7 123 enhance teaching and help students learn resources for teachers today and will it is likely to continue having for years for years to come. only improve as digital capacity grows. to come. Downloading remains a reliable and Conclusion affordable medium for adding audio to Notes Many of the young people entering any lesson. Podcasting and vodcasting 1. Marc Prensky, “Listen to the Natives,” Educational Leadership 63, no. 4 (December 2005/January today’s social studies classrooms are not only enrich the classroom experi- 2006): 9. auditory learners, and the typical text- ence, but can also provide students with 2. For more information on these and other applications of technology, see Social Education 70, no. 3 (April book does little to engage this type of a hands-on opportunity to make history 2006) entitled “Connecting Technology with Social student. While by no means the sole relevant and enjoyable. While it is impos- Studies.” provider for relevant information, digi- sible to predict future uses of digital 3. For example, Gail Gerlich, “Tape It! Using Audio Tapes as an Integral Part of a Multi-Media, Multi- tal audio can do much to supplement audio in the social studies classroom, it Material Approach to Social Studies in the and enhance historical understanding. is exciting to witness the impact that this Intermediate Grades,” Social Studies Journal 6, no. 3 (Spring 1977): 18-22; Anton Ninno, “Radios in Audio streaming provides numerous technology is having today, an impact the Classroom: Curriculum Integration and Commun- ication Skills,” ERIC Digest: www.ericdigests. org/1999-3/radios.htm. 4. B. Lee Cooper, “Popular Records as Oral Evidence: Creating an Audio Time Line to Examine American WORTH PUBLISHERS History, 1955-1987,” Social Education 53, no. 1 (January/ February 1989): 34-40; Jennifer T. Nelson, “The Sound of Music: Linking Music and Geography One choice. Two great options Skills,” Southern Social Studies Journal 19, no. 1 (Fall 1993): 11-19. for your economics courses. 5. Lynn Waller and William D. Edgington, “Using Songs to Help Teach the Civil War,” The Social Studies 92, no. 4 (July/August 2001): 149. 6. First World War.Com, “Vintage Audio: Over There,” ECONOMICS www.firstworldwar.com/audio/overthere.htm. Paul Krugman • Princeton University 7. Library of Congress American Memory Collection, Robin Wells “After the Day of Infamy,” memory.loc.gov/ammem/ ©2006 afcphhtml/afcphseries.html. Economics (AP* Version) • 0-7167-8355-X • $98.40 8. Relevant articles on copyright include: Doug Johnson Microeconomics • 0-7167-5229-8 • $83.00 and Carol Simpson, “Are You the Copy Cop?,” Macroeconomics • 0-7167-5228-X • $83.00 Learning and Leading with Technology 32, no. 7 Enthusiastically received, this breakthrough (April 2005): 14-20; Carol Mann Simpson, Copyright for Schools: A Practical Guide (Columbus, story-driven text closely mirrors the coverage of Ohio: Linworth Publishing, 2005); Kate A. the AP Economics course while teaching economics Thompson, “Copyright 101,” Learning and Leading through vivid real-world cases and examples. The with Technology 32, no. 7 (April 2005): 11-13. accompanying AP Tool Kit is designed to help teach- 9. For more information on the specifics of how to AP Correlations ers teach the AP course, and includes AP-style ques- access and create podcasts, see Brian Flanagan and available! tions and practice tests, plus other helpful resources. Brendan Calandra, “Podcasting in the Classroom,” Learning and Leading with Technology 33, no. 3 (November 2005): 20-23; Will Richardson, Blogs, “The new ‘gold standard.’ The text is as powerful as it is fun.” Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for John Belcaster • Northside College Prep, IL Classrooms (Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin, 2006); Robin Williams and John Tollett, Podcasting and Blogging with GarageBand and iWeb, (Berkeley, New! Calif.: Peachpit Press, 2007). ESSENTIALS OF ECONOMICS Paul Krugman • Princeton University George B. Lipscomb is an assistant profes- Robin Wells sor in the Department of Education at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. He is Martha Olney • University of California, Berkeley a former middle and high school social studies ©2007 • 1-4292-0508-3 • $75.00 teacher and currently serves on the board of the Essentials of Economics brings the same captivating writing South Carolina Council for the Social Studies. He and features of Krugman/Wells to the non-AP combined may be contacted at [email protected]. micro/macro course. It is the ideal text for teaching real-world Lisa Marie Guenther is a fourth grade teacher economics to students taking their only economics course. at Ellen Woodside Elementary School in Pelzer, South Carolina. She is a graduate of Furman Uni- versity with a degree in Elementary Education. She *AP and Advanced Placement are registered trademarks of The College Board, which [email protected] did not participate in the producton of, and does not endorse, these books. may be contacted at . Perry McLeod is a National Board Certified To request your exam copies, contact your Bedford, Freeman and Teacher at Richland Northeast High School in Worth representative, or call toll-free 866-843-3715, and mention Columbia, South Carolina. He teaches U.S. history, oral history, and digital technology with a special the promotion code: NCSS Ad. emphasis in digital video editing and podcasting. Or visit us online at www.bfwpub.com/highschool He may be contacted at [email protected].

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