Google+Voice

[|Google Voice] Resources/Links/Class Examples [|YouTube Introduction to Google Voice] [|Voicemail, the Google Way] Google Official Teacher Resource Academy Page on Google Voice

SWOT Analysis Strengths · Use one number for all phones (home, work, cell phone) · Free SMS (within the United States) · Conference calls (up to 4 people) · Receive SMS through email and can type on normal keyboard · Receive transcribed voicemail online · A lot of storage is available · Can record parts of or entire conversations

Weaknesses · Could take a bit of time to “sort” users, so that your phone will not always be ringing · Transcription service is not always correct if the caller does not enunciate. · Google Voice could go down and could lose connectivity with others · Caller ID could show wrong number(cell phone or home phone number) instead of Google Voice telephone number

Opportunities · Can choose your own personalized number, if available · Can add a widget to an existing web site for people to contact you · Hearing impaired students could easily have calls transcribed · Reach students who are away from school · Purchase cheap call time to another country and contact a school in a foreign country · For teachers who do not want to give out their phone number to parents, obtain a Google Voice number and forward it to your cell or landline. This forwading can be turned on and off at any time and numbers can be blocked, in the event of wanting a break from having parents be able to contact you.

Threats · Information is stored on Google’s servers · Could include ads in the future

Ideas for the Classroom (These calls would be made outside of the classroom, but the teacher could easily use this to assess students.)
 * Students can contact teachers for help, if teachers are willing to be available.
 * Students can practice oral reading in an English or Language Arts class
 * Students can provide a quick 1-minute summary of any concept learned (how to solve a math problem, steps to solve a physics or chemistry problem)
 * World language teachers can set up their voicemail prompt to be a question that the students answer instead of taking up class time for individual oral assessments.
 * Establish contact with a "partner classroom" in another country. Google Voice's minutes to other countries are so cheap that almost any classroom can afford it. Students can then learn about another culture.