Ring Tones in the Classroom

In November, I was sent a hilarious ring tone of the spiritual Woke Up This Morning with My Mind Stayed on Jesus. The voice on the ring tone sounds like Alvin the Chipmunk singing in a gospel style. At the end of the ring tone, the voice starts an church-style exhortation one would hear in an African American church. Every January, I teach the freedom Woke Up This Morning to my third grade students. When I heard the ring tone, I immediately knew that I would use it to help me teach the song in January.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9c9R4QUChg

Compare the ring tone on the Youtube link with the words in the PowerPoint picture.

This year after introducing the song and the form, I played the ring tone from my cell phone. I connected my phone to the iPod via a cord and let the students hear. They were so busy laughing that they missed everything the Alvin-like voice said. They asked to hear it again and again and again. Once the students finished laughing, I explained to the students that a freedom song is a song/spiritual from the African American church where a word has been changed so that it could be used during the civil rights struggle. I proceeded to ask the students what word was original word and what is the changed word. They responded, "Jesus." I asked them what was the word changed to and they responded, "Freedom."

The ring tone helped me effectively teach the meaning of a freedom song better that I ever could. So be on the look out for ringtones people send to you. You may be able to use it to connect with students on a different level and engage them in the lesson immediately.