Tech Tools & Pedagogy I – ReadtheWords, Voki & xtranormal

Just updated my blog post on using these three tools.

Here is the comparison chart from my post:

Comparing the three applications

	Readthewords synthesized voices only	Voki with syntesized voice	Voki your voice or your students’	Xtranormal syntesized voices only
Restrictions to free accounts	30 second recordings	Approx 60 seconds	Approx 60 seconds	Not sure; no info but at least 5 mins maybe more
Quality of Avatar Voice	Flat and monotonous robotic voice	Flat and monotonous robotic voice	Depends on who records, teacher, students	Same as for other pre-recorded
Avatars	Some variety; male avatars look rather odd; can change clothes; hairstyles All avatars adults	Can play with avatar looks; a lot more variety of looks, clothes, hair, glasses Includes cartoon characters suitable for children Includes animal characters suited to children	Can play with avatar looks; a lot more variety of looks, clothes, hair, glasses Includes cartoon characters suitable for children Includes animal charactes suited to children	Reasonable range of avatar looks; adults and younger people; teenagers Includes playmobil like characters and other fun types.
Additional featuresand issues	- Speaker speed can be adjusted - Advice given on how to deal with mispronounced terms - Can insert longer pauses - Video is saved on the application server but can also be downloaded and brought to class in a flash stick or CD	- Can choose from a limited number of male/female voices and accents - Video is saved on the application server but can also be downloaded and brought to class in a flash stick or CD	- Microphone can be external or internal - Can have two voices recording a dialogue too (though only one avatar) - The message can also be sent by phone. - Sometimes start of recording gets chopped off	- Two characters can be used who interact - Variety of backgrounds/ settings - Camera anges (10) - Characters can be given additional movements and expressions - Cues to all these tools are visual - online video tutorial available
Online tutorials	Video tutorial Available Additional tips also available	No video tutorial but instructions quite clear	No video tutorial but instructions quite clear	Video tutorial available
Pronunciation	Minimal sound linking Wrong rhythm & stress Unnatural pauses/wrong chunking Flat android intonation	Minimal sound linking Wrong rhythm & stress Unnatural pauses/wrong chunking Flat monotonous intonation	Very good if teacher recorded Can be excellent motivation for student reading aloud challenges with a focus on good pronunciation	Minimal sound linking Wrong rhythm & stress Unnatural pauses/wrong chunking Flat android intonation
Ease of Use for teachers	Relatively easy to use; need to know how to embed but also possible to send link by email	Relatively easy to use; need to know how to embed but also possible to send link by email	Relatively easy to use; need to know how to embed but also possible to send link by email	More complicated as there are camera angles to choose from – can easily confuse someone not used to dealing with such applications
Ease of use for students	Instructions in tutorial may be too complicated for lower level students but the visual element helps	Instructions have to be read but the application runs alongside them and it is not too difficult to see what to do.	Instructions have to be read but the application runs alongside them and it is not too difficult to see what to do.	Instructions in tutorial may be too complicated for lower level students but the visual element helps

If you would like to read some ideas of classroom uses please click here to read original post.

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Comment by Grace Gorman on November 20, 2010 at 1:51pm: I use VOki with 4 th grade ESL students to improve their pronunciation. It records for 90 seconds. They do short book reports or oral reports. They listen and if it's not clear they an erase it and practice till it is good.

Comment by Marisa Constantinides on November 20, 2010 at 1:57pm: Thanks for sharing that - will try to correct my post

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