Sound Effects and Music

As students work on multimedia assignments they could likely be in need of music or sound effects to enhance their work. Here are a few resources:

• Megatrax (login info found in "CHS Resources" block in CHS Learning Hub courses)
• BBC's free sound effects and music 
• CHS Library's list of Copyright Friendly Media

Keep in mind that background music is not covered under Fair Use when you're using copyrighted music, like songs you purchased. Instead, stick to audio found through the resources above or what is already included in the editing software/website/app that you're using. 

Soundtrap: Online Music Creator

Soundtrap is a new browser-based music creation program that harnesses the same simple but powerful approach and combines it with an HTML5 interface and video features that make it easy to collaborate with other musicians wherever they are. Here’s a great article about it.

Features include:

• Opportunity to collaborate in real-time with other SoundTrap users!! 
• You can even video chat while you’re working together.
• The free plan gives you access to 480 loops and allows you to create up to 5 projects with 125 instruments.
• Can store up to 5 songs, but you can download your song as an mp3! (Makes it easier to add to your video.)
• Appears to be device-neutral because it runs on HTML5.

Histography - Timeline of History

This is one of the coolest websites I've run across.

histography.io

Every dot is a historic event from Wikipedia.

Resize the bottom bar to view any time period or era.

Use navigation on the left to narrow by topics including literature, music, wars, politics, construction, inventions, riots, women rights, disasters, art, nationality, discoveries, empires, assassinations, and religion.

Write Music in Google Docs

I think this is so cool! You can write basic music in Google Documents with the VexTab Music Notation add-on. To read more about it, see what Richard Byrne of Free Tech 4 Teachers has to say here.

Booktrack: Soundtracks for Books

Booktrack.com is a website (and apps also) that provides background music while you’re reading an ebook! The music usually goes with what you’re reading, so its helping set the mood. It looks like they already have some of the classics available. 

http://www.booktrack.com/#!/

For anyone who's not much of a literature reader it could really help motivate them to want to read! 

There’s also Booktrack Classroom where teachers can create classes for students.

http://booktrackclassroom.com/#!/

Teachers can control which books their students have access to (grade / age appropriate, etc.). Students can also “create” their own books with their own writing and add sounds to it!

o   They add music based on Emotion, Genre, or Style (so it really gets them thinking about what they’ve written.)

o   You can add sounds for very specific sections of text, or a whole chapter.  Very cool!

o   They can’t add pictures.  Its text only.

o   Students can read & rate each other’s books in their Class!

It might be cool for teachers to give students this as an option for reading!

Here's an overview video.