I observed a Spanish teacher using student cell phones with Google Voice as part of the lesson. You can read about it
here. After the lesson we discussed ways to increase opportunities for students to engage with the target language. Below were suggestions I sent to her after thinking about it for a day or two.
Listen and respond to voice mail message
Leave a voice mail greeting in Spanish on your Google Voice account that asks the students to respond to something you say in the greeting. The students just speak after the greeting and it is recorded as a voicemail. This could be done in class or for homework.
Listen to Google Voice greeting and write down responses
Students call your Google Voice number and listen to the greeting. The greeting would require them to write something down. This could be done in class or for homework. They could email or text you the answers
Students calling students
Have a sheet with students phone numbers on it. The phone numbers would be numbered 1- 25 (or how many students you have in class). Then tell student #1 to call student #7. You could have the arrangements set up in advance. Give the students a list of things to talk about. You could have one of the students call you. This could be used as a quick activity during class - possibly a Do Now.
Students texting students
Using the same scenario as above you could have students text Spanish sentences or responses to each other. This would give them the opportunity to write in Spanish.
Students texting Google Voice
Have students text responses or answers to your Google Voice number to be evaluated.
Text messaging to a central location
Handout a worksheet with some vocabulary words or writing prompts and have the students create sentences in Spanish. The students would then text their sentences to Wiffiti. The responses would be anonymous and could be projected onto a screen using an LCD projector. The students could then critique each response. The same scenario could be done using Poll EveryWhere or Twitter.
What other ideas do you have?
