This presentation deals with the different web tools that may be used in the English lesson to enhance and/or develop listening and speaking skills. In this presentation the sites Blabberize, Go Animate!, Voki, Tellagami and MailVu will be analysed in detail.

1. Web Tools in the English
classroom
by Alfonso, Rocío
Ayala, Julieta
Imperi, Tatiana
Jukic, Mariel
Vertullo, Jorgelina
Técnicas informáticas
May of 2014
Prof. María Laura García

2. Webtools
● Blabberize http://blabberize.com/
● Go animate http://goanimate.com/
● Voki http://www.voki.com/
● Tellagami https://tellagami.com/
● MailVu http://mailvu.com/

3. Content
● Make: edition of the
blabber / 30 secs.
● Browse: search other
blabbers
● My stuff: stores users’
blabbers
A website to create
monologues out of pictures.
You need a microphone or
any recorded material to
upload.

4. Evaluation of the site
❖ Login required to make a
blabber (but not to see
others).
❖ Easy and simple format to use -
Visually attractive design.
❖ Audience: children - adults -
>check content appropriacy
❖ Supports visual and auditory
learners.

5. ❖ Difficult to find relevant
blabbers for educational
purposes-> no explicit
educational content -
>no categorization into
topics ->MAIN
DRAWBACK
❖ Links updated and valid -
>New blabbers->Constant
contribution

6. ❖ Downloadable into video format:
A)check compatibility and quality
B)expires ->Premium account
❖ Publishing: easy and varied-
>embedded/url code - social
networks (Facebook-Twitter-
Blogger, etc.)
❖ Edition: not possible once the
blabber is finished -> only tags
and name.

7. Blabberize the English classroom
❖ Sts do some research about a famous personality and then record themselves
pretending they are that person.
❖ Sts talk about their routines, holidays, plans for their holidays (present/past simple -
future forms)
❖ T makes a blabbler to present a topic (Environmental issues - life in the future -
friendship, etc)
❖ Sts do storytelling.

8. ❖ Sts do retelling : a short interview
❖ T does listening comprehension.
❖ Sts practice pronunciation. T gives feedback with
Blabberize.
❖ Sts do physical descriptions

9. Useful links
● How to make a blabber PDF
● Archamedis talking about himself
● Lesson plan: talking poetry with blabberize
● Lesson plan: Digital storytelling

10. Go Animate is an on-line
web tool to create
business-related videos.
Content:
● Regístrate
● Inicia sesión
● Explora (Blog, videos, foros)
● Planes y precios
● Crea un video

11. Evaluation of
❖ Sign up is required
❖ The website can be
used for free, but users
have to pay to access to
certain options

12. tutorials
The web page offers a wide variety of
tutorials about how to use the site
(there are links to videos and there are
transcripts of what is said in the videos;
besides, there are two options as
regards the videos: one of them is made
up of images, the other is exactly the
same, but with a woman talking. All
these options are excellent for teachers
who work with students of different
levels).

13. ● Themes/
settings
● Characters
● Props (saw,
sword, ball,
ring,
microphone,
feather)
● Speech
balloons
● Background
music and
sounds in
the scenes

14. Making the
characters move:
● Movements
● Emotions
(body)
● Motion
● Expression
(face)

15. Making characters speak:
● Mic recording
(record your own
voice)
● Upload file
● Your library (file
from GoAnimate
library)
● Text-to-speech (only
180 characters; wide
variety of accents to
choose from)

16. Save and share your
video:
● Share by
copying and
pasting a link
● Embed the
video on other
sites
● Download as
MP4 file
available to
subscribers
only
http://goanimate.com/vide
os/08pYxBIJq7C4

17. in the English Classroom
❖ After having been introduced to certain topics (introducing yourself, present
continuous, and certain situations at an office, for instance), students think of a
conversation that may take place between two people (secretary and boss, two
employees, etc.). Students write the conversation including all necessary details like
setting, the names of the characters, what they are doing at the moment of speaking,
etc. Students go to www.goanimate.com and choose a template and the characters
they need to animate the dialogue they created.
❖ Students can narrate the continuation of a story they have read.

18. ❖ Roleplaying of a certain topic or scene
❖ Teacher may provide a certain video (with a certain setting and characters) so that
students create and record a dialogue.
❖ After having read a story, students recreate a scene. They create a GoAnimate video,
they write a dialogue and record themselves acting it out.
❖ Teacher may introduce a new topic by creating a video of a conversation (Teacher can
intervene and create a text according to her students’ level)

19. Useful links
● Go Animate for schools
Educational version of Go!Animate
● YouTube tutorials
YouTube channel with tutorials, webinars and samples
● Go!Animate lesson plan
Lesson plan with Go!Animate
● Other ideas on Go!Animate
Evaluation of the site
● Using Go!Animate for e-learning
Prezi presentation giving ideas to use Go!Animate for e-learning

20. Voki is a FREE service
that lets you create
customized speaking
characters
Content:
● voki
● voki classroom
● voki presenter

21. Evaluation of the site
❖ Login is NOT required
to create a VOKI
❖ you can record up to 1 minute
long messages
❖ Easy and simple to use -
Visually attractive design.
❖ Supports visual and auditory
learners.
❖ VOKI Classroom and VOKI
presenter are not for free

22. ❖ VOKI was created with
Teachers and Students in
mind
❖ the web page is full of
tutorials on how to use
the different sections
❖ VOKI offers tips for
teachers on how to use
VOKI in the classroom

23. ❖ VOKI has a
section called
Lesson Plan.
It is a
database
with different
lesson plans
that teachers
around the
world have
shared
❖ If you have
used VOKI
in your
lessons. you
can share
your ideas
here!

24. ❖ This is a VOKI
lesson Plan

25. ❖ you can select a character
from one of VOKI many
styles: Classic, Animals,
Oddballs and more.
❖ you can change your
characters’ looks, clothes
and accessories.
❖ you can choose a
background from VOKI’s
library or upload one of
your own
❖ you can record by phone
number, type your
message, record with a
microphone or upload an
audio file

26. ❖ you can reshape your VOKI
❖ you can post your VOKI to
your social networks -
facebook, twitter…
❖ you can copy and paste a
permalink
❖ you can embed it to your
webpage.

27. In the English classroom
❖ Teachers can use VOKI to exemplify activities or give instructions
❖ Students can publish their class progress protecting their identity, very useful for
primary students, especially.
❖ Students can introduce themselves, describe characters (their monsters, book
character….)
❖ Students can talk about their routines or somebody else’s routine
❖ Voki can be used for Storytelling
❖ Voki can be used for Roleplaying
❖ Teachers can use the lesson Plan section to get new ideas on how to use VOKI in the
classroom
❖ Students can also practice writing summaries or any type of text and then everybody
can listen to it. They can also record the same text as a separate activity.
❖ Students can share VOKI with classmates.

28. Useful links
VOKI FAQ
VOKI Getting started
VOKI Tip of the Week
VOKI tutorials on youtube
VOKI Lesson Plan

30. About the App
- Tellagami is a downloadable application to create short animated movies
called “Gamis.”
- It allows you to create a customized character, and choose a background
image. The background can be chosen from a set of given options, or
uploaded from your device.
- You can then give voice to your character in two different ways: you can
record your voice, or type a text so the app ‘reads’ it for you.
- When your ‘Gami’ is ready, it can be saved in your device, watched online,
e-mailed or shared via Facebook or Twitter.

31. This ‘Gami’ very
clearly explains
what Tellagami
is.

32. Good and bad points
- When it comes to designing your character’s physical appearance, the options are quite
limited. However, it is possible to select the character’s emotion or facial expression which
best represents the general mood of the movie.

33. Good and bad
points
- The app allows the
user to take a picture
and upload it as
background image,
making it possible to
have as many a
number of
background options
as there can possibly
be.

34. Good and bad
points
- If you want to record
a message, you only
have 30 seconds to
do so.
- If you type your
speech, the
application has male
and female voices,
as well as different
accents to choose
from.

35. Good and bad
points:
Once your ‘Gami’ is
ready it can be
saved,, sent by e-
mail, shared via
Facebook or Twitter,
or just watched
online.

36. Good and bad points
Other aspects to take into consideration
- It is possible to record many movies and put them together to make a longer
one, but a different tool is necessary for this purpose.
- The app does not require internet connection since it is
downloadable. It is not necessary to create an account, either.
However, it can only be used with devices such as iPad, iPod,
iPhone, or Android.

37. Uses in the EFL classroom -
Some examples:
- Create narrated animations -either adapted from a story students have read
or made up from scratch-
- Talk about holidays - describe places visited.
- Retell anecdotes
- Read a poem or speech
- Create a character -might be a famous one- and have it introduce itself

38. Some other examples:
After reading the first part
of a story, students were
asked to imagine and
develop an introduction to
the beginning of the
following episode of the
story.
Retrieved from
http://ictwithmissc.weebly.co
m/tellagami.html

39. Some other
examples:
As part of a history
lesson, students can go
back in time; describe a
significant event or
period, an important
character, etc.

40. Some other examples:
As part of a geography
lesson, students can
take a trip to any place
and describe its
landscape, climate, flora
and fauna, whatever!

41. Useful sites
Lesson ideas
Example: Weather forecast
'Bring Common Core Alive With Tellagami'
The Tellagami Project

43. MAILVU is a web tool to
send free video emails
Content:
✓ Home
✓ Products and Pricing
✓ About us
✓ Sign up
✓ Login

44. Describing the site
● You can try it free without signing up.
● It’s very easy to record.
● You just need a video camera
● Once you record you can share it or send it by email straightaway.
● You have 10 minutes to record.

45. ● You can record videos in mov,
mp4, wmv, flv, 3gpp, mts and
avi formats.
● You can set a self-destruct time
or number of views.
● You can play the videos not
only on computers but also on
new smartphones and tablets.
● You can store your videos in a
private online account.
● Depending on the services you
need, you have to pay for a
specific account.
● You can watch this video to get
a better idea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei2WIa3erko

46. ● You can send 10 minute videos by e-mail
for free.
● You do not need to download anything.
You just record and send it.
● Good sound and video quality.
● Very simple format
● Not so attractive for children. Especially
for intermediate students and adults.
● Although teachers are mentioned on the
webpage, there is no specific educational
focus found.
● Teachers sending video emails will help
auditory and visual students.
Evaluating the site
● Webpage looks professional
and it’s easy to follow.
● The webpage looks
professional. You can learn
about the software company
and about the people managing
it.

47. mailVU in the English Class
● Teachers can record themselves while telling a story, for example, and send it to students
so that they can practise listening skills in a non-traditional way.
● Students can work in pairs and record themselves as if they were in an interview (role
playing).
● If students have to deliver a presentation on a specific topic, they can record themselves
and the teacher can play it in the classroom. This will help students who are shy or feel
peers pressure.
● Teacher can deliver different topics so that students prepare their own videos and send
them to the teacher so that they have to bear in mind pronunciation and fluency.
● Students can also record themselves as one character of any book or short story they have
read. They can also dress up as that character and choose a specific scene they want to
show.

48. Interesting LINKS
● How To Create a Connected Classroom with MailVU
● Secret tips for English Success
● mailVU’s Video Mail: Another Boost to Online EducationmailVU API Video
Recorder and Uploader Display Videos on Your User Pages Email Videos or Share
Link
● Private Label Offer branded video email service, user accounts, and mobile video
email apps