UFLA+2009

= UFLA Conference 2009 - Easy Oral Assessment =

= = (thanks to Scott Benedict)
 * Proficiency Based Rubric for Speaking -** []

**__Free Recording software for use with Headsets __**
__**Disadvantages**__
 * Requires ability for students to save their files to a space where you can access them in order to grade them. A tech person at your school should be able to set this up.
 * Requires software to be installed on computer. The software is free, but this may limit the ability of students to work at home.

> Nice software for doing any kind of recording. Saves as wave files, but can also do .mp3 files if you download the LAME encoder that is also available as a link from the sourceforge site. Save it anywhere and then when you go to do your first mp3 export, it will ask for the location of the Lame file. > Featuring the "Ken Burns" effect. Great for use with projects such as weather report, anything you could do as a Powerpoint. Teachers can also preload the images and have students talk about them.
 * 1) **Audacity** - @http://audacity.sourceforge.net
 * 1) **Photo Story 3** -@http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx

Good tutorial on using both Audacity and PhotoStory [|here]

Online Solutions (with headsets or built-in microphones.)
**Disadvantages of Audacity and Photo Story 3 don't apply here as recordings are saved online, however these solutions require a teacher to create an account and set up the assignment. Some also work better if the teacher has their own website (or wikispace!) to embed the assignment. Get your free ad free wikispaces account (for educational use) ** here!

> Audio Drop Box and Conversation Tools (among others) available here. > Very similar to MSU website above. This web 2.0 tool has great potential, still some bugs, in my testing of it. Don't shy away from using it, but you will want to practice it for a while to make sure it will do what you want. You can embed videos, audio prompts (either recorded directly with a headset or with audacity or by using Google Voice, etc.)
 * 1) **Center for Language Education and Research (Michigan State)** - @http://clear.msu.edu
 * 1) **Lingt Classroom - @http://lingtclassroom.com**
 * 1) **Vocaroo.com** -@http://www.vocaroo.com The vanilla option of online recording services. Simple and straight forward, uses a flash recording tool like clear.msu.edu above, but requires students to enter your e-mail address or send you a link in order to share their recording with you -- and still requires headset or built in microphone.

__ Solutions using a phone either in the classroom or at home! __
Cell phones are gradually becoming more acceptable in some schools and districts, however be aware of the risks. This could be a good solution if you have limited access to computer lab and/or headsets and if you are allowed to use cell phones or are willing to take the risk.

> Google Voice has been around for 3 years, but is only now starting to become easier to get an invitation to. It is taking between 1 and 3 weeks to get your invite once you sign up. You get a new phone # that you can use to collect messages and/or connect to your existing phone #s without students knowing what your home #s are. You can set it so calls always go straight to voicemail (do not disturb) or you can have it screen calls from any unknown caller and if you want you can send a call to voicemail and still listen in on it.
 * 1) **Google Voice** - @http://voice.google.com
 * Don't forget the convenient web button that students can use to send you messages without knowing your google voice # (See example here: @voicemail) Google Voice will call your students when they want and take their recording.
 * Google Voice will send voicemails to your e-mail account, but they an also be accessed through the Google Voice web site.

All other phone based services are far behind Google Voice in my opinion. A few others are worth mentioning.
 * Voicethread (free account doesn't allow you to create student accounts :-,
 * [|Gabcast] works well when the site is up. They do maintenance often and sometimes students have reported to me that the phone # doesn't respond. They do have a toll free # that students can call, but they need to have your channel # and password and there is a small (very small) chance that a savvy snooper could have access to the messages left to you until you download and delete them.

Finally, to own your own copy of Song Smith, enroll as an educator here:
Once you are enrolled, the download link is on the home page. The terms of the license restrict the free use of the software to classroom use.
 * Microsoft Innovative Educator Network (UK)** - http://uk.innovativeteachers.com/Pages/Welcome.aspx