Speaking Assessments Using Google Voice

Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend EdCamp Chicago and learn from other educators who are interested in using technology in the educational process.  It was a great experience.  Not only did I learn a lot, but I was able to network with like-minded educators.

One of the sessions I attended was about Google Voice.  I know many language teachers use Google Voice to assess their students' speaking abilities.  I had not really thought too much about it in the past since I have been using Audio Drop Boxes from the Center for Language Education and Research along with Lingt Language at school. However these sites require some type of microphone, so I have only had my students use them at school.  If a student has an older computer, they might not have a built in microphone or own a standalone microphone.  By using Google Voice a student can use any telephone to record.  There is no need to worry about them having a microphone at home.  By signing up, you receive a phone number which students can call and leave you a voicemail.  You can be notified by email or text when a new voicemail is received.  If you would like to save the message as an mp3, you also have the option to do so.  Best of all, students do not even need to remember your phone number.  You can embed a widget on a web page that they can click on to dial the number.  You can also respond, or give feedback to the students, through an email or text message. There is also a speech to text transcription option. However, I plan to use the app to assess my students speaking abilities and therefore would not be using the transcription option.

I suggest you check out the features of Google Voice by watching the video that can be found at this link.  If you need help setting up your account, then I suggest you check out their support page.

Audio for Sites

SpeakPipe is a new service that allows a person to embed a widget that allows visitors to leave voice messages on blogs/websites/wikis. The widget can be used for students to record themselves speaking and then be sent to their teacher.  The site is currently in beta and is free while in beta.  Another alternative that I highly recommended is the Center for Language Education and Research's (CLEAR) Audio Dropboxes.  You can sign up for a free account at the CLEAR website.