How to Collect
Audio Journals
You could collect them on CD or cassette, but chances are, if your students were born in or after the 1980s, they might not know how to operate these timeworn technologies.
Upgrade your media!
You Tube
Start a Youtube channel for your students to add their audio/visual journals. If they don't want to be viewed, they can cover the camera and just use the mic. Better yet, if you can see them, you can see if they are reading their material.
Blog/Vlog
Start a blog with students having administrator access. You can password-protect your blog pages so your class (i.e. only those with the password) can view the journal. They can add their youtube videos or vlogs. They can also link their own blog to yours. Blogs are so easy to start.
MP3 Files
Do it the old fashioned way and have your students e-mail you MP3 files.
Speaking Course Project: Audio Journals
A portion of a speaking class grade could be a recording of students speaking the target language in a natural setting. Audio journals are a great way to capture this use of language.
Audio journals could be done over the course of the session and turned into you at the end.
Some considerations to facilitate the use of audio journals are to make sure students:
- include dates of recordings. Dates will help you measure progress and growth throughout the semester or term.
- stick to topics of conversation. You might want to guide the topics towards themes related to the curriculum.
- achieve goals. Using prescribed goals for audio journals helps to measure the grading.
Goals for your audio journal projects can include:
- being objective
- stating an opinion
- giving a testimonial
- telling a story
- selling a product
- persuading
- improving fluency and accuracy over the course of 1-3 months
Students will have SO MUCH FUN doing this. Just watch this and you'll see!