Tag Archives: vocaroo

Creating an Audio Bookflix

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Ahhhhh, May. I love spring, but honestly, what I don’t love is how I am supposed to rush to try to cover all the units in the book as the end of the course is knocking on my door. Less than a month and that’s a wrap for this school year. And I am beginning to panic! Are they ready to take final exams?

But, today, let’s forget about exams. I want to share with how I have changed the way my students do a book review. In the old times, we used to do this compulsory activity in written form, but with the amazing possibilities IA offers my students, I feel asking them to write a book review is pointless, don’t you think so? What is going to prevent them from copy/pasting the review or learning the summary by heart? Tricking me is very tempting, especially when pressed for time! So, I figured it would be a good idea to have them record themselves doing the book review. That way, they would work on their pronunciation skills while completing the assignment.

STEPS TO CREATING AN AUDIO BOOKFLIX

Step 1: Choosing a book

Easy. Students pick a book from the school library section that matches their level. I gave them enough time to read it and set a deadline.

Step 2:  Recording their audios

Students used the free app, Vocaroo, to record themselves. Why did I choose Vocaroo? For these reasons: 

  • It is free and very easy to use.
  • Students don’t to have to register or download anything. 
  • It offers a QR Code for your recording, which was just what I needed.

Step 3: Uploading their reviews

I created a PowerPoint presentation – if you use Google Slides it is just the same. The first slide outlines the instructions and the second slide provides an example of the desired outcome, including the correct positioning of the content. I then replicated this second slide as many times as students in the class (see pictures below).

My students’ ages range from 16 to 70ish; I think it is important for you to know that everybody can do it as long as you give clear instructions and take the time to demonstrate what they need to do. In my case, I recorded a video to guide through the process. You can see it here.

First slide: instructions

Second Slide

Third Slide: sample

 

Step 4 : Showcasing students’ work

It is now time to showcase students’ work. I bought  brown wrapping paper at the post office, printed the letters Book Flix using Typea4, downloaded the book covers and the QR codes, arranged them nicely on the wrapping paper. Finally, I hung the display on one of the walls in our classroom for everyone to enjoy. 

Step 5: The surprise

I told students that when gluing the QR Codes under the book covers, I had made 3 mistakes, i.e., in three cases the QR code does not match the cover. They will need to help me fix the problem. They can try either before or after the class starts. The first student to spot my mistakes will get a prize. I am still thinking about what.

I hope you have liked the activity!

Remote Teaching: 3 Tools to Assess Students’ Speaking Skills

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And here we are. Trying to make the shift to online teaching as smoothly as possible. For most of us, it is uncharted territory. Lack of information as to how we need to assess our students does not help either. We are on a roller coaster of emotions and sometimes we feel stuck, restless and unsure about what to do to help our students.

But, we need to stay at home. This much is clear. For how long? Quite uncertain. What is certain is that remaining at home is an unprecedented act of love to take care of each other and that we need to stay safe to keep our loved ones safe.

How can we assess our students’ speaking skills?

Meanwhile, the question of how to assess our students remains unanswered. In this post, I am going to share with you 3 easy ways to assess your students’ speaking skills. The tutorials are in Spanish but I have added notes in English to help you understand the steps you need to follow. Most of the times, the notes are unnecessary as everything in the app is in English.

1. The Easiest One:  Audio Recording with Vocaroo

Why do I like it?

  • Students don’t have to register.
  • They just need to click a button and start recording.
  • They can upload their own recording and then share the link with their teacher.
  • They get a link for their recording and share it with their teacher. So, no need to upload or download their recording unless they want to.

2. As if you were in class: Videoconferencing with 8x8.vc

Why do I like it?

  • Neither the teacher nor the students have to register.
  • You can create your own room with a click and then share with your student the link for the room, which is always 8×8.vc/ (nameofyourroom)
  • It is a videoconference platform so the interaction is automatic as if you were in class.

3. The Whole Package: Video Recordings with Flipgrid

This is a more complex tool but it allows students not only to record themselves from their homes and then share the video clip in a secure platform but also interact with their classmates or teachers. Not in real time, though

Why do I like it?

  • It is very reliable and safe for the students
  • It is completely free.
  • Students can record up to 10 minutes
  • They can upload their own video clip or record their own computer screen
  • Teachers can send written or video feedback within the app straight to the students’ email.
  • Teachers can develop their own rubric.
  • Teachers are   100% in control of the videos
  • Teachers can even share the recording with the student’s parents.

(NOTE: you might want to watch the original webinar here)