While he was still a high school student, Blake Harrison, came up with the idea for Flocabulary. He was having trouble memorizing facts for tests, and realized that if he put them to music he could remember them much better. Years later when Harrison met Alex Rappaport and they decided to record a rap album that defined SAT vocabulary words, which was commissioned by Sparknotes. They launched a website and performed a "Shakespeare as Hip-Hop" tour in 2005. Today, Flocabulary has material on many subjects. Check out www.flocabulary.com to view all of their songs/products.
Flocabulary artists also created a series of rap songs called “The Week in Rap” that is released every week online and covers the main news of the past week.
Here is the link for "The Week in Rap" for the week that President Obama was inaugurated: http://theweekinrap.com/?p=134
What do you think about this video or about Flocabulary in general? Do you think this would interest students today? How do you think this may or may not be helpful for students? Would you consider using these websites or products in your classroom?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I like the idea of Flocabulary. The video about the inauguration was both catchy and informative. While it didn't provide an in-depth look at the issues it brought up, it provides a great base for further discussion and exploration. While it may be aimed at a higher grade than I plan on teaching in the future, I think it would be great to use in junior high and high school classes to introduce discussion of current events at the beginning or end of each week.
ReplyDeleteI think that Flocabulary is something that can make learning new words a little more exciting. I really do think that this would interest students today, whether they are in elementary school or in high school. It would be helpful to students because it would force them to know the words, and they would be more inclined to remember the words. I think that students could have quite a bit of fun coming up with a song to fit the words. Also, I think that this is something that could work well across many different subjects. I would definitely consider using this website and products in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI think Flocabulary is such a creative idea. I have always been a firm believer that songs help students learn and this site is a perfect example. I think this would definitely grab the attention of students today because rap music is so popular in this generation. I think it would also be a cool idea if we let the students come up with their very own rap about a topic they just learned about. I'm really glad I saw this website because I will definitely being using this website as a reference in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteI have definitely heard of people who use songs, or other types of study techniques to study for tests, that I would never think about. After going to this site, and to the flocabulary site, I actually was interested. The beat kept me engaged, and I remembered most everything that was said in the two songs i heard. For me, reading a text book is really hard, because I cannot keep my attention that well. I feel like this is a great tool, but obviously it does not give you as much detail as a book would, however students cannot usually retain all the information given anyways, so the basics are easily explained to them using this technique.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great idea, as long as the student can connect with the song. Songs aid in memorization, but they do not always help students understand the material. Still, I think songs are a very important tool in classrooms. I still remember a Spanish conjugation song from high school! I agree with Katie Taylor's post in the value of a song laying in knowing the basics, and leaving the rest of the details and understanding to the student.
ReplyDeleteI think flocabulary is a really cool idea! I didn't know something like this existed. I previewed some songs, and I think they would be very useful for students studying vocabulary (or any of the other subjects available on the site). I think kids would remember a lot of information if they were given the chance to study this way, and it is a great way to keep music in the classroom and still relate it to curriculum standards. I think that, if given the chance to hear the song multiple times, flocabulary could really help students succeed on tests. Because of the hip-hop flare, I think a lot of students would be interested in it. If I ever become a secondary school teacher, I will use this resource.
ReplyDeleteThis is the coolest thing ever! I will absolutely use it in my classroom in the future. It is a great way to incorporate different types of art (and fun) into the classroom, as well as reach different types of learners. I looked at the website and listened to the history rap on MLK - so great. I appreciate it even more as a history minor (and someone who plans to get a social scienes credential). History is a really hard subject to get to be "fun" for kids - this really makes a difference! Great find Krista!!
ReplyDeleteFlocabulary sounds amazing. If there is anything I ever learned in life, it's that it is so much easier to learn things when you add music to it, and make it fun. I think this is why I loved the show Animaniacs so much when I was younger. They taught so many lessons using music. Flocabulary does the same thing. If it helps students for the better, it must be a good thing, and the fact that Sparknotes commissions it makes it even better. What a fabulous idea.
ReplyDelete