Guest post from Mote Ambassador Leader - Alex Isaacs, EdTech Specialist in the Long Branch Public Schools District.
At a grade-level PLC meeting in the Spring of 2021, I asked my team: “What else can we do for the kids who have done such a great job this year?” A seemingly simple question but one that we could not quickly answer at the time. Hybrid teaching was in full swing and had educators drained, students and teachers had experienced almost a year of challenges, and warm summer breezes were calling our names. After such an extended period of isolation and lack of socialization among students, I felt building a greater connection with them was critical. Mote helped me do this in spades, and I've continued to promote the practice of using QR audio motes to help celebrate achievement as an EdTech Specialist in my new district.
I became increasingly motivated to highlight the stellar work and positive attitude displayed by many of my 8th graders throughout an increasingly challenging school year. I had recently started using Mote that March and thought the extension could be an excellent tool to celebrate student success. I used it to provide audio message embeds on my Google Slides landing pages for my multilingual students to reference. I wanted to do more with the extension to boost learners’ motivation in my math class, and I began to think of new ways to use Mote to recognize student achievement. I quickly discovered the extension allowed me to celebrate and amplify accomplishments in unique, engaging, and accessible ways, and I haven’t looked back since! In this blog post, we’ll explore three great ways to celebrate student success using Mote: sharing positive audio messages within emails and on websites, creating certificates with QR audio motes, and elevating Google Forms with mote messages.
Mote transforms Google Slides decks and emails into vehicles for spreading joy and positive news. Both are standard ways to communicate between educators, students, and families, but with Mote, they can become a source of inspiration! I provided new audio mote embeds within my weekly virtual landing pages, sometimes giving a shoutout to a specific individual or group of students. At other times, I would create humorous messages that included music and characters I created to lighten the mood and make my students laugh. As a result, learners began to look forward to mote messages in my virtual classrooms, which contributed to them visiting these spaces more often.
Emails also became “live” with mote links as I began to include celebratory audio messages within emails to students, parents, and guardians. I included these positive mote messages with families for instances where learners achieved something remarkable or displayed a great attitude in class. Whether an individual aced a test or demonstrated leadership qualities, I shared an audio message filled with genuine pride and encouragement to brighten their day. Parents and guardians appreciated these audio motes, which I consistently shared in emails, texts, and Remind messages. Mote messages had a tangible beneficial impact on the students in my math classroom as they instilled confidence in learners while encouraging them to strive for greatness!
Virtual Landing Page with Mote Message Embed
There's something about receiving a certificate for hard work and dedication that can lead to positive changes in young learners. With Mote, educators can add a personal touch that makes this experience even more memorable! Creating certificates with QR audio Motes allows us to include heartfelt congratulatory messages, inspiring words, and personalized feedback while explaining why each student earned this award. These innovative certificates are easy to produce by simply recording a mote message and embedding it into the certificate as a QR code. When students and their families scan the Mote QR code, they will be pleasantly surprised to hear your uplifting message, making the achievement even more special and meaningful! The transcribed and translated mote messages made these certificates more accessible to my multilingual learners and their guardians.
In February 2021, I began creating videos and matching certificates (see sample below) for Mr. Isaacs’ 3 Stars winners to celebrate my students' achievements in and out of math class. I used Canva to create these certificates and included personalized QR audio Motes to share a congratulatory message outlining why the student earned this honor. The 8th-graders in my class and their families truly appreciated this new and innovative level of personal touch. As a math teacher, I felt good knowing if one of my students wanted to hear my voice celebrating their achievement, they were a scan of a QR code away from doing so!
Mr. Isaacs’ 3 Stars Certificate with QR Audio Mote Message
If you want to explore and remix the Canva certificate template above, click here! Video instructions on embedding QR audio motes are available to reference.
Google Forms are a versatile tool for gathering information, but with Mote, they can become a powerful medium for amplifying appreciation and achievement. Whether it's conducting a survey to recognize exceptional performances or collecting feedback after an event, Mote enables us to include audio questions or responses. By sending out Google Forms with congratulatory mote audio messages, we can celebrate student success in a more personalized and accessible manner. Furthermore, these mote-infused feedback forms could be implemented as part of a PBS (positive behavioral system) where students’ efforts are validated, making them feel seen and valued.
The mote-integrated Google Form template below asks teachers to add a student's email, name, grade level, the characteristic that earned them this honor, and a personalized audio message. Submitted form responses are sent directly to that student’s email, where they will have a personalized mote message to listen to. With this new form, I witnessed a difference in the reaction of my learners to the positive feedback they received. In addition, these messages could be translated by my multilingual learners and their families, further building the connection between home and school.
Google Form Template with Mote Integration
Click here for an editable copy of the above Google Form and create a positive behavioral system with mote message integrations!
Celebrating student success is vital to creating a positive learning environment that empowers individuals to be independent facilitators of their learning. With Mote, we can move beyond conventional methods of providing positive feedback while embracing the power of audio to amplify achievements in a significant way. By creating certificates with QR audio motes, sharing mote messages in Google Forms, and sending emails with positive audio feedback, we connect with our students and their families on a deeper level, leaving an indelible impression on their educational journey.
As educators, we also have the privilege of shaping future generations of learners who possess the 21st-century skills needed to be successful in a rapidly changing world. With Mote, we can help students toward this path by inspiring greatness, nurturing confidence, and celebrating every step of their learning journey. Let's embrace the impact of audio messages with Mote on student engagement and motivation by recognizing their achievement with innovation, enthusiasm, and encouragement!
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