I’m thrilled to dive into a topic: voice transcription platforms and notetakers, or so-called "meeting assistants." At first, you might think: “What’s the connection to teaching?”. However, turns out that they are a very powerful time-saver and aid in the teaching process. Today, I’d like to share my adventures and insights into integrating these platforms into the curriculum. We’ll start with the general descriptions, and then, I’ll show which practical applications they have.
Amberscript
About
Our first stop is Amberscript platform. I stumbled upon it during my college teaching days, searching for a straightforward solution to aid my students in translating videos and audio recordings. Amberscript seamlessly transforms voice and video files into text, integrating valuable editing tools that enhance accuracy and efficiency for students, teachers, translators, and editors. Its standout feature, highlighting spoken text as audio plays, not only aids in tracking but also in correcting errors on the spot.
Example of use for teachers
I use Amberscript with my students preparing for TOEFL and IELTS English tests, as well as other oral examinations. I provide a list of questions from the mock speaking test and ask students to record their answers and send them via WhatsApp. I download these messages from WhatsApp to my computer using WhatsApp Web. Once they are in my downloads folder in the form of mp4 files, I open Amberscript, upload the message to the platform, and transform it into editable text with the click of a button. Afterwards, I am able to provide written feedback on the answer. I can highlight mistakes and write my recommendations. Also, students can learn how to use this function themselves and start to self-check.
Fathom Note Taker
About
Transitioning from traditional to online teaching introduced me to Fathom Assistant, a meeting assistant that integrates with Zoom. It turns Zoom meetings into detailed summaries, ready to be transformed into handouts, archives for later review, or even the foundation of future educational content. Its free version efficiently captures the essence of meetings, while the paid version offers an extensive transcription. The ability to revisit, share, and repurpose these notes with just a click adds a layer of versatility and convenience that is hard to overstate.
Example of use for teachers
I see Fathom Assistant as a tool for creating educational materials. I collect transcripts of my literature lessons with students, and turn them into blog posts on a variety of topics related to our study, which I later share with the students. For example, I wrote an article about Middle English that was published after our session dedicated to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Thanks to Fathom, I had all my ideas from the lesson written down. I only had to edit them and add some examples.
Another application is creating handouts for students who missed the lesson, parents who wish to be involved in our learning process, or future students willing to know which material we are going cover in the course. Once the transcript is ready, I copy-paste it to Chat GPT and prompt it to rewrite the transcript in the form of a message to a student/a parent. Here is an example of such a handout:
Another application is creating handouts for students who missed the lesson, parents who wish to be involved in our learning process, or future students willing to know which material we are going cover in the course. Once the transcript is ready, I copy-paste it to Chat GPT and prompt it to rewrite the transcript in the form of a message to a student/a parent. Here is an example of such a handout:
Hi S.,
I'm really sorry you couldn't make it to our last session on Macbeth! It was a deep dive into Act 3, Scene 4, where Macbeth meets Banquo's ghost at the banquet. We talked a lot about how Shakespeare shows Macbeth's mind unraveling. His hallucinations of Banquo's ghost aren't just spooky—they really show his guilt and fear getting the better of him. This scene is a great example of how Shakespeare mixes the supernatural with a serious look at mental health.
Here’s a quick rundown of what we covered:
Macbeth's Hallucinations (14:15): We looked closely at why Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost and what it means for his state of mind. The ghost is like a walking reminder of his guilt and paranoia. We talked about whether Macbeth might be showing signs of what we'd now call schizophrenia. There was a really interesting debate about whether it's fair or even possible to diagnose a fictional character using modern psychology.
Psychological Interpretations (42:57): Later, we got into some of the deeper psychological aspects of Macbeth's behavior. Shakespeare really seemed to get how people's inner lives can be troubled. We used the DSM (that's the big book of mental health diagnosis) to look at symptoms like Macbeth's hallucinations. There was also a lively discussion about whether the supernatural stuff in the play—like the witches and the ghost—are real within the world of the play, or just figments of Macbeth's messed-up mind.
We wrapped up by agreeing that Shakespeare's take on Macbeth offers a rich way to explore mental health themes, way ahead of his time. Everyone appreciated how Shakespeare lets us interpret his characters in many different ways.
Hope this catches you up! Looking forward to seeing you at the next session, where we'll do a writing task and possibly dive into the next scene. Don’t forget to give scene 3.4 a read before then!
Best, Tanya
It literally takes me less than 5 minutes to create, and makes the student feel cared for and catches them up on the topics they missed.
At the same time, for students who did participate in the session, the notes can help review the lesson and probably come up with some new ideas.
Fathom's session notes are perfect if you provide individual consultations. It could be consultations regarding test-taking, grammar, or any other topic related to the course that you teach. After each consultation, you can send out an email and include the link to the recording and the script of the notes, so the students can always review everything that has been discussed and ask further questions,
At the same time, for students who did participate in the session, the notes can help review the lesson and probably come up with some new ideas.
Fathom's session notes are perfect if you provide individual consultations. It could be consultations regarding test-taking, grammar, or any other topic related to the course that you teach. After each consultation, you can send out an email and include the link to the recording and the script of the notes, so the students can always review everything that has been discussed and ask further questions,
Voicenotes
About
My latest discovery is voicenotes.com, a platform providing high-quality voice transcription technology in 50 languages (!). Whether in its free or paid versions, voicenotes.com offers an immediate transformation of voice messages into a variety of formats, such as to-do lists, tweets, or blog articles. This feature is a game-changer for those of us who appreciate the power of quick, on-the-go note-taking without sacrificing depth and precision.
Example of use for teachers
I suggest using Voicenotes for recording full lessons or full lectures, and then, with a click of a button, turning them into a list of main points or a to-do list depending on the topic of the lecture. Another way to leverage the platform is to create comprehension questionnaires / tests based on your lectures. So turn on the recording when you teach, and then use the script to write a questionnaire. Just prompt the built-in AI to do it for you. In Voicenotes, there are ready-made prompts such as "turn my voice note into a to-do list" or "turn my voice note into a blog post". But there's also a button that allows writing a customizable prompt, such as "turn my lecture into a text with questions" or "write quiz questions based on my lecture." This feature is an incredible time saver.
As we wrap up today’s exploration of note-takers, I want to tease what’s coming next. We’ll delve deeper into the creative applications of these tools in the educational sphere, offering you strategies to harness their full potential in your teaching practice.
So, stay tuned, subscribe to our channel, and feel free to engage with questions or share insights with your fellow educators.
So, stay tuned, subscribe to our channel, and feel free to engage with questions or share insights with your fellow educators.
📩 Feel free to drop me a line and suggest what other topics I should cover in this blog.: info.linguacom@gmail.com
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✨ For instant updates about new applications of technology in classroom, subscribe to our EdTech Helpline channel on Telegram