Voice-activated devices like Amazon Alexa and Google Home have , and they鈥檙e beginning to shape schools鈥� approaches to preparing students for the future of work, as outlined in 鈥�The New World of Work,鈥� an Education Week special report published this month.
Julie Daniel Davis, director of instructional technology and innovation at Chattanooga Christian School in Tennessee, has in the last few years developed a reputation in her community and beyond for her passionate advocacy for using voice devices like the Amazon Echo as classroom tools. Rebecca Dwenger is an instructional technology consultant for schools in Hamilton County, Ohio; she too has urged teachers and schools in her area to embrace the possibilities of voice technology.
Education Week chatted with Davis and Dwenger to learn how they came to appreciate voice tech as classroom tools, as well as how they navigate privacy concerns and other criticisms. Interviews, conducted separately last fall, have been edited for clarity and length.
How did you become interested in voice tech?
Dwenger: I鈥檝e had the Alexa device for the full five years she鈥檚 been around, for normal home stuff. I have a young son with some language disabilities. One day, I came home and I said, 鈥榟ey, let鈥檚 work on your homework鈥� and he goes, 鈥業 already did it.鈥� I was like, 鈥榟ow did you do that by yourself?鈥� He told me that when he had a problem and he didn鈥檛 know what he was trying to do, he just asked Alexa. My lightbulb kind of went off, this has got to have so many awesome uses.
Davis: I started by placing one device in the classroom four years ago for about 15 minutes. At that point, I didn鈥檛 feel it offered enough intentional integration to add value. As with any emerging tech, things are constantly changing with new options and opportunities to consider, discerning what the strengths are for a product helps to be intentional in its use. For me, the efficiencies it brings through routines, reminders, linking with calendars is beneficial to the teacher. The value of using blueprints to support the actual learning in the classroom is another big strength. The price point to have a device that connects to more information and its availability to everyone in the class is a strength. Lastly, the community aspect of its connectivity is important to me. One can ask it a question for clarity without looking down from the conversation at hand.
[Being an early adopter has] given me a voice into that community that I don鈥檛 think I otherwise would have had as an educator. A lot of people who created voice skills ask me to pilot them or try them or give them feedback.
What about voice tech appeals to you?
Dwenger: 鈥淩eally cheap teaching assistant鈥� is the way that I sell teachers on it. After that, they start to see the benefits for the students.
, , , and the allow for personalization, differentiation, and even student creation opportunities in and outside of the classroom. They allow for 糖心动漫vlog to easily personalize their Amazon Echo device to meet the needs of their students and parents at home and school. Many of these teacher-created skills provide a simple, engaging way for students to practice skills in order to retain acquired knowledge. Voicelets take it one step further and give the teacher quick feedback that can be used to know if their students have mastered content.
What I like even more about Amazon Alexa Blueprints and other voice skill creation tools like is that they open the possibility of student-created voice skills. Student creation is known in education to show the highest level of academic achievement, especially when solving real world problems. Utilizing a design process, students can identify a problem that can be solved by voice, and design a solution using these tools.
What are the biggest challenges to broader implementation of voice tech?
Davis: The biggest challenge nationwide is the scare about student privacy. Lots of districts refuse to let their teachers use it because they鈥檙e not convinced that these devices are compliant. For me, we only use the kids鈥� edition Echo Dot because it has come out and said they鈥檙e . I created for teachers to consider and on the device itself are expected for classroom integration. I also share with teachers who want to use the device in their classrooms.
The biggest issue at the school itself is that we started so early in the process of using it that it was truly cutting-edge. Most of what we do is bleeding-edge, somebody鈥檚 worked out the kinks. Teachers don鈥檛 have a lot of time. When something doesn鈥檛 go right, it鈥檚 really hard to get them to use it. That鈥檚 been the hardest part for me, convincing them, 鈥淚 do see that that鈥檚 a problem, here鈥檚 a workaround.鈥�
How plentiful are resources for teachers who want to start using voice tech?
Davis: There鈥檚 not a lot out there. I鈥檝e created a weekly Alexa flash briefing that鈥檚 also . I鈥檝e also created some resources on my website, .
When the iPad first came out, apps first came out, 糖心动漫vlog had no voice in what was happening. We鈥檝e got to start helping these skill developers figure out what鈥檚 best practice.
How do you think about that have been raised by critics of these devices?
Davis: I would love for students to create their own skills and learn how that practice works. I鈥檓 not convinced at this point that if I allow them to do it I鈥檓 following student privacy guidelines. There are some 糖心动漫vlog out there that do that, using third-party sites to create those skills.
There is going to be an opportunity for students everywhere to learn how to create these skills for their future. It鈥檚 more than just learning how to code. It鈥檚 truly, how do I create a voice skill that can make a difference in the world? If you look at the immersion of voice in the world right now, I think we have to start looking at it in terms of, how do we prepare our students for the world of voice?
I believe that all 糖心动漫vlog looking at any emerging tech need to do so through a critical lens. There are many attributes of voice assistants that I feel would benefit education but we have chosen not to implement them to keep student privacy concerns in the forefront of implantation. For instance, I would love for the devices to recognize the voices of students that struggle with speech issues but at this point, I choose not to turn that option on...yet. There is a goal of these voice enterprise companies to have these devices store personal information locally. Until that happens, or there is a device specific for educational purposes, 糖心动漫vlog need to work with what they have been given in a way that makes IT directors and administrators feel comfortable. I believe controlling settings, as well as setting usage expectations for teachers and students creates the opportunity for 糖心动漫vlog to integrate these devices in a positive way. We are years into these devices being mainstreamed into society and with every update privacy issues are intentionally being addressed. I would urge the naysayers to stay openminded and continually do a risk/benefit analysis on a regular basis. Voice isn鈥檛 going to just be about assistants but it is soon going to enhance the apps and platforms 糖心动漫vlog are currently using in a more multi-model approach. I strongly believe educational leaders will need to stay aware of this growing paradigm to make wise decisions forward.
How quickly is the voice tech market evolving?
Dwenger: When I first started speaking on this three years ago, there were 10,000 skills. Now there are over 100,000. You鈥檙e hearing it more mainstream. Both Google and Amazon came out with wearables that allow you to connect to that outside of the home. Now I have Echo Auto, Echo glasses, Echo ring. It鈥檚 happening so quickly.
In my area, it鈥檚 not being utilized in a way that鈥檚 for preparing students for the future of work. But that is definitely the ultimate goal when we talk to districts and schools.