Toolkits: Awesome Audio

This afternoon I took part in the Awesome Audio toolkit run by Cheryl Torrie. We explored the chrome extension 'Mote', an accessibility feature that allows you to add voice note feedback or instructions for students within Google Docs, Slides and Sheets. 

When using Mote in Google Slides you can leave verbal instructions making this extension a great tool for rewindable learning. Having both written and spoken instructions gives students a better opportunity to access the learning. To demonstrate this I have used a slide from last week's distance learning that was set for the students who require teacher aid support in class. By clicking on the Mote speaker icon and format options you can change the colour and audio playback options for each voice note. A bonus feature is that a Mote recording can be copied and pasted into different slides.

To insert the spoken instructions I clicked on the Mote icon which can be found in your extension tool bar if you have pinned it, or next to the comments icon in Google Slides, (refer to the image below). After doing this a box appears on the screen and prompts you to begin your voice recording. What I liked was that the box is moveable so that meant the need to memorise instructions was removed. Recording the instructions allows you to add a personal comment eg: 'Have fun!' which is often in the text lost when written.

The Mote extension also allows you to leave sound bites in the comments tool. To use this feature you need to click on the purple Mote icon in the comments tool. You then record your feedback and click done. Your voice recording is then inserted into the comments tool and can be accessed by clicking the play button. The comments tool is the only place Mote can be accessed and used in Google Docs.

Mote recording sit in the cloud and allows you to see who has accessed (viewed and/or listened to) your voice recording. This was a great toolkit to attend as I am already thinking of ways this extension can be used creatively and purposefully to open the connections to our learning up to a wider range of students.