Friday, August 12, 2011

Easi-Speak Digital Microphone

I was able to get my hands on the Easi-Speak Digital Microphone and I played with it for a while to see what it can do.
The microphone is very simple to use and has everything a teacher and student could need for recording short messages. It has a record button and a pause/play button. It allows the user to skip ahead of recorded tracks to find the one they are looking for. It has volume buttons and the standard on and off button. One of my favorite parts is the the string attached to the cap that conceals the USB drive when not in use. If this cord was not attached, I know this cap would be missing in 24 hours once the students got to it. 

The device fits nicely in the hand and is point and click ready to record. Once the recording is done, it can be plugged into a computer and the files are easy to pull off. I did a couple of quick recordings and found them on my computer once I connected the microphone. Another neat feature is the ability to add recordings to the microphone from the computer. I could record something from my home computer and upload it to the microphone for students to listen to. Its a nice touch to a nice piece of equipment.


The Easi-Speak also comes with Audacity for the user to download. Audacity is a nice tool to use when editing the recordings for the various projects the students and teacher are working on.

For me, I see this device being very helpful with my journalism students working on our digital newspaper, The Tower Pulse. Students could record interviews and conversations to be uploaded to the site or use as they write their articles. Students are sometimes so rushed to get accurate quotes, they might miss something else. This will allow them to focus on the interview. 

Another fun use of microphone could be story telling. Students could add sentences to a story and pass the microphone around to hear what everyone said and add their part. This would be a great way to get students collaborating on a story and end up with something funny to share with everyone. 

I could also see this microphone coming along on field trips so students can share their thoughts on the things they are seeing. This is a great way to keep students engaged and it will great something that can be shared to parents and the rest of the class.



Overall:

The Easi-Speak is priced at $69.99. That might seem a little steep, but the application possibilities are endless when it comes to this microphone. Students can record themselves anywhere they are for varied projects. While this microphone might lend it self to the lower grades more readily, I think it could prove valuable in the upper grades for a creative teacher. I would recommend that teachers in my district consider purchasing some of these with lessons in mind.

I have an extra Easi-Speak Digital Microphone available to one of my lucky readers. In the comment portion, please share with everyone one way you would use the microphone in your classroom and I will choose a winner at random.

Full Disclosure: Learning Resources sent me the product for the purpose of a review. 


14 comments:

  1. This microphone looks perfect for my World Language classroom. We will be podcasting more this year and I need a durable, handy mic. Excellent review!

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  3. This could be a great tool to use - and easy enough for the kids to use. Thanks for the review.

    - Lawrence

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  4. This is what I've been looking for! Our students are starting to podcast in all of the core areas. I would love to check this out! Thanks for the review!

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  5. I love the looks of this little microphone, and just from reading your review I've thought of several ways to use it in my classroom. As you mentioned it would be great for interviews. It would be handy for recording student readings. Also, I could use it to load podcasts to audioboo. I would really like to try using it in writing. I find that many students who struggle with print have great thoughts and ideas and just need a way to record them. This is a very clever device and I would love to try it out.

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  6. I would really like to have kids try using a microphone to read aloud, and hear themselves on recordings, especially with their own writing.

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  7. Ooooh! Perfect for the digital storytelling we are about to start. A great way to practice fluency and pacing!

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  8. I would use the Easi-Spwak for the digital portfolio project I am starting this year. Students can record their reflections and upload it to their wiki.

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  9. This would be great for the school news podcast my students will produce this year.

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  10. Students would use it during Crazytalk; megacognition where student tells self what he/she was thinking; literacy, inquiry.

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  11. This would be a handy tool to help with developing and recording the progress a student is making with reading fluency. You could record a benchmark reading at the beginning of the year, and then make periodic recordings of the student reading to compare.

    Additionally, you could also use it as an easy way for students to create audio books for their classmates.

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  12. What a neat tool! I teach middle school English,and if there's one thing that is consistent from year to year, it's that my students like to beat and freestyle. Whenever they are given the option to do a musical project, abou half of them consistently choose that option. I would use the microphone to record these gems and allow the kids to use their soundbites for other projects, too.

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  13. This would be great for my emergent kindergarten readers to use for enhancing fluency while reading. Listening to their reading and rerecording to compare improvement.

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  14. good post ,I like it very much ,hope you will give another post asap Great info Thanks!
    Recording Call

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