Appy Tuesday: Voxer

I have to admit when I first downloaded voxer and started to use it with just my family, I wasn't impressed. I thought why do I need this if I want to send them a short message I will just text them. I left the app sitting on my iPhone for a year unused and unloved. Over the summer I joined a professional learning experience "PTcamp" and was reintroduced to "The Vox" man oh man did I quickly start to realize all the potential this once misunderstood app held for me in the classroom and beyond.

What is it...

Voxer is a walkie - talkie like app on steroids. You can hear audio messages right as people speak or wait and get caught up on your messages later.  As well as voice messages you can send text, images, or even share your current location. Groups can be formed to organize those amazing PLN discussions you have going on.

How to use it...

I have started incorporating it right into my classrooms. Parents love it, they can quickly ask a question if they aren't sure what their child is supposed to be working on, or if they just want to check in on their son or daughter. Students have really started to get the hang of being able to ask any question they have pretty much anytime of day. I can listen to their questions and respond in the car hands free, no need to try to email them or text a message. Those quick questions that students think of when they are in homeroom. Honestly I was a little nervous as I initially rolled out "the vox" to my students and parents I was afraid they might abuse it and I would be getting voice messages at all hours of the day and night asking silly random things. While I do get messages throughout the entire day, they have never once abused it, and thanks to the voxer I can listen and respond to their questions when it's convenient for me (my 30 minute ride to work and home everyday).

Outside of the classroom I have found Voxer to be an irreplaceable tool for connecting with other educators. Through my voxer groups I have connected with educators as far across the globe as Australia. We can discuss everything from our differences in our classrooms to our differences in our culture. I have connected more with other educators outside my district in my 6 months of really using voxer than in my six years of prior teaching.

How to get started...

Download Voxer, have your students and parents download it as well (I created a short tutorial for my parents that is included on my class homepage) share your voxer handle with them and get started "voxing"!

Interested in connecting with me on voxer? You can contact me at cnidli834