There seems to be a plethora of apps coming
out at the moment that can give an added benefit to the ELT classroom
especially in terms of speaking and listening.
One such app is Movenote, which a friend introduced me to last week. At first glance this is an app like many out there that allows you to record a voiceover to the photos. However in reality it is more like a presentation app and this is what makes it an excellent ELT tool. What makes it stand out from other apps is the fact it utilises the video camera so you do the voice to camera. The website for app has some excellent instructional vides so it's easy to get started. You can use movenote either on an apple device or on the website.
When you open the app you need to have an account or login in with one of your social media accounts. When you create you get this screen:
You can see the video screen in the top left (you can also flip the camera so it films outwards). In the main screen you upload the photos you want to use (make sure you upload them in the order you want to talk about them). Then simply hit record and you're off. Once finished and you are happy you get to share the video on social media platforms or you can send it via email. It is a disadvantage that you can't download it but overall the video gives a personalised touch. Having shared the link (here's one I made earlier), a viewer can leave a text reply or record a comment (with video) back to the maker. This opens itself up to lots of out of class activities, authentic listening tasks, and proponents of the flipped classroom could use it for task setting and reporting.
Given it's simplicity it makes it a useful classroom tool as part of any classroom project. For example if the topic is hometown then students can take photos and provide a voice over for them. If the students are working on a collaborative task then they take photos to show their work and then record what they have done. With the impending summer school season, the app come in handy for the 'day trip' projects. The students provide a presentation of their day trip. This can then be shared with their parents to show not only what a good time they are having but also how much their English has improved :-)