Vocaroo

Vocaroo is a voice recording service and anyone can easily use it by going to http://vocaroo.com/.

Getting Started:

I have created the following video to show you how to use Vocaroo for teaching listening and speaking. Ways of sharing the saved file with others have also been explained. 

Pedagogical Implication:

Vocaroo is a great tool if you want your students to practice speaking. Sometimes a recorded speech helps to find out the problem of pronunciation or stress. If the students record their speech and listen to it, they will find it helpful. Moreover, for rehearsing presentation, students can give the speech and listen to it. Therefore, it may help them for improving features of pronunciation and for rehearsing the speech. Students can do this autonomously if they want to check their self-progress. They can also do it collaboratively with their friends.

The teachers, however, can use vocaroo for giving feedback and for creating fun and motivating activity in the classroom.   

Advantages:

1. A lot of other recording tools are available, but what makes Vocaroo unique is its easy to use features. It allows to send audio files to email. It is also a free tool. Log in or details are not mandatory to record and send the speech.

2. Downloading options in mp3, Wav formats are helpful if the user wants to keep the recording for his or her own use.

3. The recordings can be easily deleted from the website. Therefore, if the teacher or student is concerned about privacy, this option will be helpful.

Limitations:

1. The maximum recording time allowed in Vocaroo is five minutes. Therefore, for recording speech that is longer than five minutes, other recording tools should be used.

Using in Bangladesh:

1. In Bangladesh, the teachers can use it to give oral feedback. As it can be used for free, the teachers do not need to pay money. For example, after reading any assignment of the students, the teacher can record the detailed feedback and send it to the email of the students.

2.  It is a great tool for self-assessment. Students can record their own speech and see  the problems of pronunciation, stress and intonation. Students can also work in groups and help each other by emailing the recording and giving feedback. The teacher may form groups in the class and assign task throughout the term for such group activity. A digital portfolio can be maintained in Mahara for assessing the improvement of speaking skill.

Disclaimer:

The logo is a registered trademark and copyright to www.vocaroo.com.

Screencast-O-Matic

Getting Started:

In order to use Screencast-O-Matic, one needs to go to https://screencast-o-matic.com/ and download it by clicking the Start Recording option. Login is also possible by clicking the Sign Up option. Tutorials have been given in the tutorials option of the upper right side of the website to make the use easier- https://screencast-o-matic.com/.


Using Screencast-O-Matic:
The following video has been made by me to show you how to download Screencast-O-Matic and to record screen of your computer using this software.

Advantages:

1. A free version is available. Therefore, students or teachers can use it for recording speech or for giving spoken feedback.

2. The three different types of recording- only the screen, screen and the webcam, the webcam only give a lot of choices that the teachers can use according to the purpose.

Limitations:

1. Editing video opportunity can only be found if the user becomes a paid subscriber and pays 15 dollars a year. The free version does not allow the user to edit the video.

2. The free version only allows to record a speech for 10 minutes. So, if someone needs to record for more time, the free version might not be a good option. In that case, the user needs to pay for Screencast-O-Matic or use other screen capturing software.

Sample Activity:

1. Digital storytelling activity can be given to the students as a project. They can use a lot of slides and pictures and make a short video assignment by recording the slides.

2. The teacher can make short instructional videos of showing or explaining the content to the student. The main advantage of this is that if the teacher saves the recording, then the same video can be used in similar circumstances again.

3. Oral feedback on any written document can easily be given if the teacher opens the Microsoft Word document, opens Screencast-O-Matic and records the feedback on that written assignment.

Using in Bangladesh:

In Bangladesh, students can be asked to record and submit digital presentation as part of a speaking activity. They can use Screencast-O-Matic. They can use blog to keep and share a portfolio of recordings with other students. The teacher can also give recorded oral feedback on this type of project work. The recorded speech helps to reflect on pronunciation, intonation, stress of the speech. Therefore, in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context of Bangladesh, Screencast-O-Matic can help both teachers and students to reflect on the delivery of their speech.  

Disclaimer:

The logo is a copyright to Screencast-O-Matic.

Movenote

If you, as a teacher, want your students to record and share small video presentations with other group members of the class or with you, you can easily suggest your students to use Movenote. Students can download Movenote from Google Play, App Store or from https://www.movenote.com/.

Getting Started:

The following video has been recorded using Movenote and it shows how to use Movenote for presentations.

Advantages:

1. It is easy to record and share using this application. The video files are easy to share. You can share the link in email, youtube, linkedin, twitter and other social media sites.

2. It does not need a lot of technical knowledge to use it.

3. Laser pointer is an advantage which helps to point out any important part of the presentation.

Limitations:

1. For using this application, affordances should be there. The students need to have the mobile phone and they should be allowed to use it in the classroom. In many cases, the educational institution does not allow students to use mobile phone in the classroom. So, the teacher needs to consider it as well and may ask students to use it at home for homework or project work.

2. High quality video may not be created by using Movenote. Therefore, if the teachers want to give oral feedback or instructional video to the students, they may consider using other types of screen capturing tool.

3. Editing the video will not be possible by using Movenote.  If the teachers use website, then they will be able to add or delete slides by going to the Re-Order option, but editing the whole video once it will be ready will not be possible.

Sample Activity:

1. The teacher can divide students in pairs and give a pair work of an activity which involves speaking. Each pair can record the task/work using Movenote and share with other pairs through links. they can also show it in the classroom to other pairs. If they have a chance of creating digital portfolio and submit it to the teacher as part of the assessment, they can record and use it.

2. Students can record their presentations and can watch it to assess their own voice modulation, intonation, pronunciation, facial expression. In this way, they will be able to prepare themselves.

Disclaimer:

The logo and video are copyright to Movenote.

Plickers

Teachers nowadays have to manage a lot of class works and home works for doing formative assessment of the students. In the classroom, Plickers can help by allowing to record the responses of the students instantly.

Getting Started:

The teacher needs to have an email account and the Plickers account to start using Plickers. The website address is www.plickers.com. Using the email address, the teacher can easily open the account. However, once the account is open, the teacher needs to print the paper clickers or cards. The mobile app needs to be downloaded too.

Using Plickers:

The following video shows how the teacher can easily use Plickers in the classroom.

Advantages:

1. The teachers can use this tool for formative assessment even if the students do not have mobile phones.

2. If the teacher fears that the students might be distracted or browse other websites while using the mobile phone or iPad in the classroom, this tool can be a very good alternative.

Limitations:

1. Glossy laminations often reflect light and may create problem during scanning of the cards. Therefore, teachers need to make sure that the cards are matte-laminated or not laminated at all.

2. It might be time consuming as the teacher needs to scan the answer of the students.

3. Plickers might be difficult to use in large classes where there are more than 50 students.

Use in Bangladeshi Context:

In Bangladesh, Plickers can be a very useful tool for the teachers considering the fact that students are not allowed to use mobile phone in the classroom. Moreover, a lot of students in the village may not afford mobile phones. Therefore, the teacher can use cards and Plickers in such circumstances.

Disclaimer:

The logo and video are copyright to www.plickers.com.

Nearpod

In the present world where portability is an issue in language learning, a teacher can think about Nearpod. In order to use Nearpod, one needs to download the app and go to https://nearpod.com/. The teacher can subscribe for free or subscribe. Once the teacher creates a presentation or share an activity or language task, the students can use it from their mobile phones. The teacher is in control of the task. The students can not control or avoid doing the task until he/she exits from Nearpod.

Theoretical Considerations:

Using Nearpod for language learning is interesting because of authenticity, collaboration and motivation. For example, authentic language activity can be given by sending students to a real situation and asking them to fill up the gaps or writing the short answers after finishing talking with someone in English. This situation might be about exchange greetings or bargaining the price of a good or about discussion with a friend regarding studies. Students feel motivated when they are pushed out of their comfort zone to work in a real life context using Nearpod. They can either collaborate for the task or do the task individually.

Sample Activity:

1. The teacher can use the quiz for vocabulary activities. The students can be asked to do homework from their home. The teacher can see who has done the work and the statistics of participation are shown too. Therefore, for formative assessment, it can be a good tool.

Here is a simple activity that can be played from the Nearpod app. After entering the app, students will have to type MBAVS and they will be able to answer the questions on a simple lesson on brainstorming ideas.

Advantages:

1. Teachers can easily upload their PowerPoint presentations in Nearpod. They can highlight, copy and delete as well. Videos can be uploaded from a computer or from YouTube.

2. As this is controlled by the teacher, the students may not be distracted in the classroom. The teacher can share one idea at a time.

3.The teacher can share the best answer without even sharing the name of the person and embarrassing others. Therefore, students will feel secured as their mistakes will not be revealed to peers.

4. The teacher can edit and add a new activity in the middle of an ongoing language learning task. This flexibility gives an advantage of improvisation of task in the classroom depending on necessity.

Limitations:

If the teacher wants students to take picture and share with students, it needs to be made sure that in the devices of  the students this feature is working properly.


Disclaimer:

The logo is a trademark of https://nearpod.com/.