One of my absolute favorite new tools in 2021 was a Chrome extension called Mote. With Mote installed you can add audio comments to Google Docs, Google Classroom, and Google Slides. You can also use Mote to add audio to Google Forms and insert audio into Google Slides with just one click. Mote also lets you record audio messages to share directly in Gmail and or via QR codes. All of those things are featured in this Mote compilation video that I put together earlier this week.
Applications for Education
As I’ve been saying since the first day that I tried Mote, the thing that I like the best about it is ability to give students feedback in your own voice. There’s a comfort in hearing feedback instead of just reading it that a lot of students benefit from. That’s especially true when the feedback is being provided to students who might struggle to understand your feedback when they’re just reading it instead of hearing it.