Brainshark

Screenshot 1: Home page of brainshark

Description

Brainshark is a tool that allows user to insert narration into presentation such as word document, video, powerpoint and photo album. What users need to do is upload their files and add audio files into it.

How to use in classroom

1. Teacher can use brainshark in classroom by asking students to do a powerpoint presentation of anything they are interested in or about their family or life.

2. Upon finishing the powerpoint presentation, students can add audio files, recording of their own voice explaining the powerpoint presentation. After that students can email the powerpoint file with audio to their teacher.

3. Teachers can then reply giving comments on their language use or just focus entirely to the discussion of the topic the student write to further encourage speaking and discussion session.

Advantages

1. The tool is free.

2. Help improve multiple skills such as speaking and writing at the same time.

3. Can be set private or shared public.

4. The tool allows students to be more creative with their presentation style. Allows freedom to be creative.

5. Students can practice at home. This will reduce their anxiety filter and make them calm. They can also practice at their own pace to produce the presentation that they want.

6. The presentation can be emailed and embedded to the blog.

Disadvantages

1. Time consuming to construct the narration and the powerpoint. Cannot be done at class, needs to be homework. Classroom for preparation only.

2. Cannot be download to computer but only can be viewed online. Might be troublesome for places with no internet connection.

3. Needs to have microphone, computer and internet connection. So, some students might not be able to afford to do it at home if they do not have the necessary equipment. However teacher can try to make it a group task and assign each group to have members with the equipments at home. Or simply ask them to come and record their voice using school or teacher's computer one person or one group at a time.

Suggestions to improve

This tool will be next to complete if the presentation can be downloaded to computer and saved.