Guest post from Mote Ambassador Leader - Alex Isaacs, EdTech Specialist in the Long Branch Public Schools District.
It’s that time of year again – the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is here! Schools are buzzing with parties, Secret Santa plans, and festive displays. As educators, we’re used to these holiday-themed events and decorations as we approach the new year. And what better way to celebrate the holidays than incorporating Mote magic into these activities? Mote includes many accessibility features in its powerful Google Chrome extension and offers fun, creative opportunities for teachers and students. In this blog post, we’ll explore some engaging ideas to elevate your celebrations and boost engagement as we close out 2023!
Secret Sender Parties with Mote
Embrace the spirit of giving and elevate your Secret Santa parties with an infusion of Mote. Before purchasing gifts, have participants record personalized mote messages for their giftee, sharing their preferences for what they hope to receive. Once it comes time to exchange presents with one another, teachers can then provide an audio mote follow-up to express their appreciation and well wishes for their gift partner! Click here to copy and edit a Mote-integrated Secret Santa Google Form.
Mote Karaoke Caroling
Don’t worry – I won’t be showing off my pipes and singing a carol for this one! Host a virtual karaoke night featuring classic holiday tunes. With Mote Unlimited, users can record messages up to five minutes in length, giving ample time to sing renditions of favorite songs for this time of year. At the event, teachers can share their sung mote messages with the rest of the participants, spreading joy while showcasing their vocal talents. Consider having teachers include background music in true karaoke form while they record.
A ‘Mote’ Spectacular Holiday Tale
This idea is particularly appropriate for reading and writing classes and uses Mote to create a collaborative holiday story with your students, colleagues, or families. This activity involves each participant contributing a short, mote audio snippet to build a unique and entertaining tale for everyone to enjoy. Download and combine each individual’s audio mote to weave a memorable holiday narrative with your students, families, and friends.
Create a Mote Holiday Town
Get into the festive spirit by creating a physical or virtual holiday display involving Mote QR codes. So many creative opportunities to include your students and colleagues are available for this activity. Would you like to incorporate QR motes next to carolers to share sung audio messages or sticky mote audio explanations for the holidays individuals celebrate in December and January? You could also have a space where students display Mote QR codes, sharing their heartwarming holiday moments. Check out the customizable Google Slides holiday virtual classroom below by clicking here to make a copy and remix it to fit your needs!
Mote Family Traditions
Why not establish a stronger home-school connection with your class by having learners share their favorite holiday dishes and family traditions? Create a space on Google Classroom or Wakelet where students can add mote audio messages on celebrating through food and spending time with loved ones during this time of year. Include family members in this activity and ask students to interview their guardians or siblings while gaining cooking tips for their recipe, personal stories about memorable familial moments, or meaningful events that represent the holidays in different cultures.
Mote transforms familiar traditions and holiday experiences into collaborative and engaging opportunities for teachers, students, and families. From more personalized parties and events to festive spaces and interactive storytelling, Mote lends itself to creating connections, fostering creativity, and celebrating the richness of diverse cultures through the power of voice. As we embrace these Mote-inspired activities, let’s make the 2023 Holiday Season a time of shared stories, joyful celebrations, and fun-filled creative opportunities that help educators share about themselves and better get to know their students. Here’s to a season of innovation, inclusivity, and incorporating Mote magic to build new, cherished moments with others!
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