Reflective Communication with Google Hangouts on Air + Videonot.es

In the years that I worked as a World Languages teacher and teacher trainer, one of the most common challenges was getting any level of student speaking in a non-prompted way and in a fashion where the teacher would be able to evaluate that speaking.

Then I went to the 2015 ACTFL conference and heard how Dr. Kelly Arispe with Boise State University harnesses the free technology of Google Hangouts on Air and Videonot.es to accelerate language proficiency for her students. But this pairing of technology isn’t only applicable in a language classroom. It’s a great idea for any educational situation!

Below I describe how to set up the technology. Whatever the students discuss and analyze, and how that is graded can be adjusted according to the assignment and subject. The genius idea behind this is that people actually learn very little when someone else corrects them. The learning happens when students self-correct and learn from their own mistakes. The pairing of Google Hangouts on Air and Videonot.es allows for this self discovery to happen. And all the instructor needs to do it evaluate the reflection process.

The materials necessary for this activity are…

• A computer or personal device