Guest post from Mote Ambassador Leader Fredrick Ballew
Mote is a powerful tool that allows for personalized feedback and the addition of audio to Google Slides. But did you know that Mote can also be used in Gmail?
This feature comes in handy when you need to quickly inform a colleague about a classroom incident or an event during passing time, situations that may take too long to type up. Personally, I have found it useful for updating my Dean of Students about student activities in the hallway. It's a faster alternative to sending an email or leaving a voicemail, and my colleagues appreciate the immediate nature of this form of communication.
Another valuable application of Mote with Gmail is enabling students to send progress reports to their guardians using their own words. This not only serves as a practical means of sharing updates on their classroom success but also creates a delightful digital keepsake for the guardians. Many years later, I've received feedback from former students' "grown-ups" expressing their joy in revisiting their students' voices from their younger days.
Furthermore, I have utilized Mote with Gmail to record my class singing "Happy Birthday" to a fellow teacher in our school. The effort is well worth it for the teacher who receives the heartfelt birthday wishes.
There are instances when I find myself providing more information in my email responses than initially asked for. To address this, I often write a TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read) summary at the top after finishing typing out the detailed response. However, even the TL;DR summary can become lengthy. I use Mote to tackle this issue. Now, the recipient of my email can simply click on my mote to grasp the essence of my message in my own voice. If they don't have the Mote extension installed, they will be redirected to the Mote site to listen to my message.
By incorporating Mote into Gmail, we can enhance the clarity and efficiency of our communication. Whether it's sharing updates, creating cherished keepsakes, conveying concise summaries, or sending special greetings, Mote proves to be an invaluable addition to our email conversations.
Check out the short demo below!
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