All of the "Tech Tools in Use" presentations thus far have been really interesting (WHAT UP FAKEBOOK!?), but I was especially intrigued by the podcasting presentation. Podcasts are something that I've looked at a handful of times before, but I'm not even sure I've ever listened to one all the way through... That being said, I wasn't exactly sure how I'd use this tool in my classroom, but now I think I have a few ideas forming.
Probably the most obvious use would be to either play podcasts in class, or assign listening to one as homework (or provide something like Grammar Girl as a resource for students who wanted extra clarification). To be honest, I'm not sure HOW often I'd do this, but if I came across something especially relevant, I'd certainly be open to working it into a lesson.
Of the many resources that that Laura, Kelsey, Greg, and Nathan presented, the ones that really stuck with me were the voice recording ones like Google Voice and Vocaroo. Before this presentation, I knew that Google Voice was a thing that existed and that people used, but that was about it. Now, I would definitely consider getting a Google Voice account specifically for my classes. That way, I could give my students a way to reach me with questions, without running the risk of being woken up in the middle of the night by someone who waited to 1 am to start their project (though, let's be honest, I'm not in bed by 1 am these days...). I also know that calling a teacher can seem kind of intimidating, and this would give students the option of texting me, with me being able to check those texts right from my computer. That seems just way more convenient in general to me.
I also like Vocaroo's recording capabilities. I think it could be interesting to use for grading feedback as well. While I still prefer pen-and-paper grading for student papers (sorry trees), I could see sending student recordings of feedback for group projects, or as kind of mid-term progress report update. I'm not sure yet how I'd base assessments off Vocaroo (maybe poetry readings? Maybe?), but I could probably think of something.
I'm glad that you found Google Voice useful. Another cool thing about Google Voice is that you can connect multiple phones to one Google Voice number. So, if you are ever in a situation where you are team-teaching with another instructor, you could set up one contact point for you and your collaborator. The same would be true for sports teams (six coaches could share a line) and extracurricular clubs (All the teacher-sponsors of the Chess Club or Dead Poet's Society could share a number). Google Voice is pretty cool; I hope the presentation helped you in your practice.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Emily! I have already used podcasting in my past teaching experiences, and will continue to do so. Audacity was my main choice for recording .wav files, which seemed to be easily embedded in PowerPoints (whether by me, as a teacher, or by my students), and transferable by email, if for some reason there was a cloud issue. Now, reading your post and Greg's response to your post have become two selling points for me to use Google Voice. Nevertheless, in the past, I had made a point of telling students that they could reach me via email, and had also informed students that there was a certain time at which I would (likely) stop checking emails. (However, I still sometimes found myself responding later than that time.)
ReplyDeleteHere's me brainstorming: With google voice, it may be possible to hold "virutal" (well over the phone, but we don't have a term for that.) after school help sessions. I think one of the main problems with after school help is that students don't have another way to get home after the first rounds of buses. Most school districts don't offer a second round of school buses. Parents may be too busy with work or other obligations.
ReplyDeleteAs you may know, Google Voice can be linked to multiple phones. It may be possible to hold these after school help sessions with a handful of teachers over a few subjects. A student can call the help hotline and ask for support on a problem. If one teacher is busy, another one can answer. After the hotline hours, you can unlink phones from the voice number. Just ideas running. This would obviously need a lot of support from various teachers and administration.