https://www.chirbit.com/
Link to examples of Chirbit:
http://www.chirbit.com/playlist/n2mfe
- Linked "Hyattsville Violin" playlist has a total of four selections; one is embedded below.
http://chirb.it/pAx7De
- "Text to Chirbit"
Description of Chirbit:
Chirbit is a Web 2.0 tool dedicated to audio sharing on social media and websites. It provides users with a place -- and storage -- to record and/or upload audio files. Users can record audio files in real time on the Chirbit website using the microphone of their device, whether that be on a desktop/laptop computer, Smartphone, or tablet. Single audio files can be directly embedded onto Twitter and Facebook without an embed code; for websites, embed codes can be generated. Furthermore, single audio files automatically have QR codes assigned to them. These QR codes can be printed and placed throughout a classroom or school building as well as on worksheets, newsletters, etc. for students and parents to access. Another neat feature is that audio files can be combined into playlists and shared for a variety of classroom purposes, like to hold a collection of recorded student speeches for example. These audio playlists can only be shared by link, not by embedding. Finally, Chirbit does have a text to speech feature called "Text to Chirbit" and a video to speech feature for YouTube videos called "Video to Chirbit." I found the "Text to Chirbit" feature easy to use, but was not pleased with the speech output. The playback sounds very robotic and some of the words seem almost mispronounced, which is unpleasant to listen to; I would not use this feature in a classroom. The "Video to Chirbit" feature extracts the audio from a YouTube video of your choosing. A user merely has to paste the YouTube URL or video ID (string of numbers/letters after the "=" sign in the URL) and Chirbit creates an audio file.
The first example included above is an uploaded audio file I recorded using my Samsung Galaxy Smartphone. This audio file captures myself playing a violin exercise. I combined this audio file with three others into a playlist that I titled Hyattsville Violin. These four recorded violin exercises are the required audition pieces that rising my seventh graders must play as part of a Creative and Performing Arts audition. A link to the Hyattsville Violin playlist appears on my classroom website, and I encourage my students to access it regularly so they can listen to and practice along with the audio files while at home. I will continue to use Chirbit to record examples of pieces for my students to listen to and learn from. In the future, I would love to teach my students how to Chirbit or similar Web 2.0 audio tool at home so they can record themselves playing and share the audio files with me for feedback.
The second example included above is a "Text to Chirbit" that I created. Here is the text that I used to create this audio file:
"Hello class. This is Ms. Chapin, your instrumental music teacher. In instrumental
music, you will learn how to play an instrument of your choice and how to read music.
The class starts in September and stops at the end of May."
When converted to speech, most of the words in the sentences above are garbled and almost unrecognizable. Thus, while the idea of text to speech is a wonderful one, improvements would need to be made to the output in order to make this feature worthwhile in a classroom.
To learn more about how to include Chirbit and audio sharing in your classroom, visit the following linked articles/websites:
- https://www.chirbit.com/blog - Chirbit Blog provides articles, tutorials, use ideas, and more
- What's a Chirbit? - education blog describes step by step how to create as well as ideas for use, such as placing Chirbit QR codes around the classroom (word wall, etc.) or in centers
- Audio QR Codes: Make Paper Talk - Techie Teachers' Tricks cites several ways to include audio linked QR codes to classroom activities
- Can You Hear Me Now? Supporting Learners with Audio Resources from Chirbit - great ideas!
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