Voice in Education

Ambient computing can best be explained as accessing a computer in a way that causes less friction in our lives but brings us the benefit of efficiency and information. In this episode, Julie Daniel Davis talks about how the future will include more ambient computing in our lives and how that has the potential to impact education if student privacy laws adjust to these capabilities. 

In episode 125, Julie Daniel Davis discusses the Amazon Echo Show 5 for kids. She discusses its features and how it can add a multi-model approach to your voice assistants. In a time when adolescents want to be connected and parents want to slow the inevitable process of constant connectivity of their children, this device, much like the concept of a smartwatch for kids becomes a good stepping stone for children to have access but in a way that parents have control. Listen to my thoughts on getting to know the Amazon Echo Show 5 this summer to consider for use in the fall. If you decide to do this, check out my website for information on setting up an Amazon device safely for classroom use. 

This is my third interview with Irina Fine and she is someone I could talk voice with for hours! A former educator turned voice application creator, she and I see the value of voice for learning in much the same way. In episode 124 Irina tells the listeners about Bamboo Learning's new voice app available on Alexa-enabled devices that is a one-stop-shop for learning- a treasure chest of math, English, reading, language arts, listening opportunities (and so much more)! Bamboo Learning's goal has always been to "strengthen the link between classroom and home by empowering parents." Listen to this great episode and hear the passion Irina has for this latest accomplishment by Bamboo Learning.

In episode 123, Julie Daniel Davis dreams big about the future of educational technology. After having Susan Bearden as a guest for episode 121, it is clear that the future of educational technology should include interoperability between platforms. How does voice play into this future? Hear the dreaming in episode 123! 

It's the end of the school year and many educators are looking for fillers for some non-expected downtime. This is the perfect time to pilot the use of an Amazon Alexa in the classroom. Buy some buzzers that pair with your echo device and your students have the ability to play competitive games. Download the Alexa app, click on "Skills & Games", check out "Education & Reference" or "Games and Trivia" and find a fit for your students. 

As the voice industry continuously chats about the future of voice technology and a need for interoperability among devices, Julie Daniel Davis interviews educational technology guru, Susan Bearden, serves as Director of Digital Programs for InnovateEDU, and is currently involved with Project Unicorn. Project Unicorn is an effort to improve data interoperability within K-12 education. Why does education need interoperability? Listen to episode 121 to find out! 

This special Mother's Day episode 120 has Julie Daniel Davis interviewing Lauren Johnson, founder of the Alexa is a Human campaign. Lauren is a mother of a 9-year-old daughter named Alexa who wants others to understand the issues of having Alexa as a wake word for the Amazon Echo devices. Listen to this mother's heart and balanced passion for this problem. Want to know what you can do to help? Listen in! Also, consider listening to Lauren's recently created podcast, Wake Up: The Truth About Alexa.

In Episode 119, Julie Daniel Davis discusses the concern she has over the quirkiness of voice assistants. With any technology, there is a tipping point in the mind of the user that makes them decide if the benefits outweigh the quirks. Amazon Alexa debut in November 2014, and some of the quirks we see feel like they should have been solved in the 6+ years it has been on the market. If we want users to adopt the device for more than just a novelty, the value add has to be apparent. The usefulness has to outweigh the tech issues and I am not sure we are there for most users. Another topic of this podcast is the major shift Apple has made to help users protect their privacy by making all apps ask for permission to track user's digital activity across other apps and websites. The hope is this solid move by tech giant Apple will cause other tech companies (including voice technologies) to follow suit.

In episode 118 Julie Daniel Davis welcomes guest Lance Huang who serves as the Educational Lead at Agora. Agora is "The Real-Time Engagement Platform for meaningful human connections. People engage longer when they see, hear, and interact with each other. With Agora, you can embed vivid voice and video in any application, on any device, anywhere."

For the last year, Julie has been saying the future of educational technology will include voice interfaces. Agora is such a platform. Companies will start embracing the ability to add a voice interface to the products educators are already familiar with and also those that will be developed in the future. Agora is already an interface of familiar educational platforms like VIP Kid. Agora is an interface that includes voice technology for engagement, development of social skills, and learning opportunities. Learn more from Lance in this episode!

In Episode 117 Julie Daniel Davis talks not only about the benefit the Project Voice conference had on her personally but also how exciting it was to hear from both mainstream and new players in the space of voice technology. In this episode, Julie focuses on the need for the k-12 curriculum to not only include how AI works (STEM) but to lead students in learning how to think critically about the function of AI in society and the ethical considerations surrounding its use.