Mobile Audio Lab

Language labs/Audio labs are terribly expensive and ridiculously hard to use.  But with the info below any school can create an audio lab for little to no cost!

The Mobile Audio Lab idea revolves around 2 things:

1. An audio hosting website with apps on multiple platforms 
2. Hardware with microphone & internet access 

Audio Hosting Website - These 2 websites Cinch.fm & Audioboo.fm allow Audio to flow to and from student devices without any wires or syncing.  

Here's how:

1. Teacher creates a free account
2. Teacher makes the password generic and changes it at the beginning/end of each day
3. Students then sign each device into the account with login info the teacher provides
4. Now recordings are made and published via the internet to the teacher's account

Now you are ready!  Here are some of the ways we use this:

• Teacher makes a recording and publishes it; students listen to the recording
• Students listen to recordings and respond by a writing activity.
• Students make a recording and publish it; teacher listens to/grades the recording from anywhere.
• Students listen to themselves.  Great for cognitive language skills, public speaking and language learners.

www.cinch.fm

• Record from classroom phone, all IOS devices, Android blackberry, or any computer via web.
• Create albums (folders) - allowing the teacher to have one folder per class
• Widgets - place a widget on your website that holds and plays all your recordings

www.audioboo.fm

• Widgets - place a widget on your website that holds and plays all your recordings
• Revoke devices ability to post to your account remotely from any computer.

Hardware:  - Traditional audio labs require a dedicated room with headphones, microphones, a server to capture all the recordings, not to mention the software, licensing and tech support.  With either of the two websites above, all you need is this:

• Micrphone
• Device(s) with an internet connection

This means you could use any of the following: Computer, Laptop, iPad, iPhone, *iPod touch*, Android, or blackberry.

*3rd Generation iPod touch will require an external mic.  I suggest this chill pill mic on Amazon.

Please help make this page an even better resource by sharing your lesson plan ideas for this audio lab by leaving a comment below.