Exposing it: Free App AutoRap by Smule

Ok, friends! Here is the first of many “Exposing It” posts where I share something great I've found. It may be an app or a game or anything I can use. This app: I love it, and what I love the most about it is that I “stole” it from my student. Last year, I created an assignment for my 5th graders to learn and reteach the UNRAAVEL strategy for reading comprehension and citing of evidence in text. In small groups, they were to make a poster and a rap. I made a deal with them: “Make a good effort and good product, and I’ll put you on YouTube.” Remembering my generation, we would’ve been mortified. Not these students. They were squealing at this point. I had no idea how I was going to “produce” their final rap for them, and I figured I'd wing it when we got to that point. Luckily, I didn’t have to. As soon as I released them from their mini lesson, a student was pulling up AutoRap on his IPad. Wait, wait, wait...well just WHAT is this??

Basically, AutoRap is a free app that allows you to speak or read into your device, and with a few taps, your voice is transformed into a rap, complete with beats and riffs, and the true mark of an artist… autotune!  It’s so cool!!  Here is a resulting clip of me plainly reading a Dr. Seuss poem, simply click on the link.  Play a fun game while listening, can you name the beat in the background?! It's from my era of fun nighttime outings. =)

http://khu.sh/autorap_52c89937332e6&v2  

Step by step directions (as of January 2014):

1. Homescreen
2. Choose your beat
3. Press talk or rap and speak into device when prompted
4. If satisfied, click Save and Share or Start Over
5. To find your saved song, click on Menu on the top left of the screen and click on My Rappertoire
6. To share, choose the song to share, and click Share at the bottom of the screen. The song will be sent as a link.

Other ways I’m considering using AutoRap:

• Project presentation
• Studying tool
• Student lesson-teaching
• Review tool for tests
• Just for fun and creativity (remember those things?)

If your students are like me, they will speak or read the information a million times until they create a version they like. The beautiful end of my story is that the students did get a video on YouTube. Even better, they learned the UNRAAVEL strategy. Click on their photo below to see how they used AutoRap. I would love to hear how you would use AutoRap. Just leave ideas in the comments section.

One song is included for free.  If you want more beats, you can subscribe for $4.99/month or $39.99/year. It is available for Apple and Android. I welcome links to any of your or your students’ rap hits.  I hope you enjoyed the first of many "Exposing It" posts. Happy Rapping!