Sad News...Drop.io Removed Voice Recording Feature, but There Are Some Good Alternatives!

I was incredibly sad to read that as of Oct 1st, Drop.io has removed all voice recording on their site. Drop.io was by far my favorite site for easy podcasting, video and image storing and that has now come to an end. However, I would like to pose some nice FREE alternatives to Drop.io below:

Google Voice
I am a big fan of Google Voice for their recording feature. First when you create an account, you can get a local area code number (so that students could call from a land line). In addition you can set up the number so it goes right to a unique greeting in voicemail. All the messages are stored in a private space on Google Voice as MP3 files.

iPadio
This is a free podcasting site and can be used internationally. The phone number is not toll-free but you can use cell phones. The bad news is that you have to register your cell phone number so you can only use a couple different numbers at a time to connect with the site.

Yodio
This a free audio recording/podcasting site. Your phone does not have to be registered with the site to use the site (which is nice) and you can create one teacher account for all the student's to record into.

Tumblr
The Tumblr blog allows anyone to post images, video, text and audio directly from their basic cell phone to a Tumblr blog. The only thing I don't like is that I can only have one phone number associated with the blog at a time.

Geograffiti
Leave an audio voicemark from you cell phone in a specific location on a Google map.

Google Map Mashup
Post audio from a cell phone on a specific location on a Google map.

UhaveAudio
You can record up to 60 seconds at a time with the phone to web recorder and it is a toll free number.

Cinchcast
You do not have to be registered with the site to make a podcast. You simply call in to the Cinchcast number and record your podcast that is then posted to a space in Cinchcast.

Phonecasting
Once you create an account, you can use a phone (any phone) to call in and make a podcast. The podcasts are housed on the Phonecasting site but do have ways to post on other sites or download the files.

Geograffiti's focus on K-8 Education

A while back I posted about a web2.0 tool that couples with cell phones called Geograffiti. One of the concerns with the tool is that you had to be at least 13 years of age to use the tool. However, Geograffiti has now lifted that ban and is encouraging educators in K-12 classroom to consider using their free and innovative tool. Geograffiti couples with ANY phone that can make a phone call (Yay! No Smartphone required, but it is not a toll free number so one should use a cell phone). It allows someone to make a phone call, speak, and have their voice instantly appear on a map (at Geograffiti on the Internet) from the location where they called in. This is an excellent and easy to use tool. Teachers should note that the voicemarks left on the map are PUBLIC, so the teacher should talk with students about digital footprints, appropriateness and the permanent record of the Internet before using this resource.

Here are a fe ideas of how to use Geograffiti in the K-12 classroom:
1) Center Time (K-3)
Students can work on fluency, oral presentation skills, reading, creating an argument, reasoning, inquiry, questioning, by calling in to Geograffiti.
2) Homework, Field Trips, Spring Break
Students can work with their parents over spring break or summer break and leave voicemarks about their experiences, vacations, and what they learned over the break. Students on a field trip could record their observations (such as a trip to the zoo or a science museum).
3) Language Study
Students learning a new language can call in voicemarks and practice their new language skills
4) Social Studies
Students can ask others (friends and family) to call in from different parts of the country to give their perspective on local, national, and international social and cultural issues.
5) Oral Histories
Students could document oral or local histories by conducting interviews that would be placed on the map.
6) Real time Math
Students could call in to Geograffiti when they recognize that they are doing algebra, geometry or physics in their real life, they could describe the situation and put it into mathematical terms.

Episode 2: Rules and Regulations around using Cell Phones Inside of the Classroom for Learning.

Links from Broadcast:
Drape's Takes Post on Controlling Mobile Use

TxtEagle

Geograffiti


Next Episode: Wed Oct, 22nd (between 2-3:00) Mobile Picture Projects with Cell Phones.

Geograffiti...VoiceMarks: Mobile Audio Geotagging to Google Maps

If you call 213-221-3802, you can create your own voicemarks. A voicemark is an audio "blurb" posted on a virtual free verbal message board ... for exchanging location-specific community information ... any place with any mobile phone! This is made possible by a site called Geograffiti. I have been playing with this site a bit and found it engaging. What I like is that you can create audio "geo tagged" projects with this resource. This means that every audio file is immediately put on a private google map in the place where it was documented (or you can assign it to a specific zip code/phone number if the audio file is being documented in one place but referring to another. Such as students creating a "walking tour" of history in Spain from a classroom in Kansas. After they record their voicemark, studnets can submit the location where they want their voicemark placed on the google map! Super Cool! AND you can do this from any basic cell phone (even a landline!)...Great for including those without cell phones.

Geograffiti also allows students to publish "breaking news stories" on-the-go! Students can become instant mobile citizen journalists! And create their own News Map, like this one.


Additionally, students do not have to have an account in order to use Geograffiti (just call the number). But I found it works best if the teacher creates one account, and then adds their student's cell phones into the account. Also, students can all call in to the same account to create their voicemarks (which will automatically be placed on a class google map). I immediately thought of the Murmur project in CA, as a great example of how schools could take advantage of a resource like Geograffiti. Murmur documents oral histories by asking people to recount events in the geographic location that the event occurred (making the oral histories richer by being able to walk through history).

There is also a comment/response feature for each voicemark. So students can comment on each other's voicemarks and give feedback or their opinion on a story. Since the teacher has control of the account, they can monitor the comments and delete any they think are inappropriate.

Did I mention tagging? Yes! you can also create tags and keywords for each voicemark so that you can ask students to use specific keywords/tags for each post...which makes it easy when someone calls in to Geograffiti to hear the voicemarks (YES! you can listen to voicemarks on your phone as well as view them on a map...great for visually impaired students).

Finally for students who do not have cell phones or schools that do not want phones in the classroom (although you can easily do all the mobile posting outside of the classroom), students can click on any point on the Geograffiti map, and it will let them type in any phone number (even a landline) and record Geograffiti will call them to record their post! Fantastic! Saves on long distance fees for landlines!