LC Alexa Tool Tables
Alexa Skill tables
Alexa Skills can be a moving target. However, some are better and more reliable than others. To access all the current Alexa skills, please go into your Alexa app > More > Skills & Games. You can also ask Alexa to share skills related to a specific topic. She will give you as many options as she has available and ratings on many of them.
There are currently over 15,000 Alexa skills developed at this time. Many skills may be useful for the classroom with customization. Please review the tables below to see the latest tools being tested and evaluated for possible use in the classroom by Learning Connect. Learning Connect is not affiliated with any skills listed and bears no responsibility for content quality or misuse of the skill by any LC subscriber.
Alexa Table - An Alexa-Ready Classroom - This table provides information on responsible use of Alexa devices in the classroom, ensuring to be compliant with COPPA, CIPA and FERPA. Additional safety measures are provided to manage skill permissions, voice purchasing, shopping notifications, music filters, calls and voice deactivation. All Alexa history can be erased, as directed, manually or automatically.
Alexa Table - Announcement Skills - Have Alexa make class announcements while taking role, ensuring all students know about upcoming assignments, tests and events. Start class with this day in history or end class with a positive thought or a 10-minute motivational speech.
Alexa Table - Classroom Management - Have Alexa select your next responder or give a reward for chores and good deeds.
Alexa Table - Content Skills - Have Alexa provide new and exciting facts and trivia about the world. Start or end class with trivia in Geography, History, Social Studies, Math, Science or Vocabulary. Make a game on who can answer the most questions. Hear the latest from NASA and the Curiosity Rover on Mars. Learn the SAT Vocabulary Word of the Day.
Alexa Table - Echo Show Skills - Use an Echo Show Screen for Wiki-How-To Instructions or Drop In Video Calling.
Alexa Table - Game Skills - Have Alexa engage students with trivia or fun games, such as Jeopardy or Akinator. Akinator can use information from the lesson and see if Alexa can guess the answer.
Alexa Table - General Maintenance - Learn what to do if Alexa does not work.
Alexa Table - General Use Commands - There are many skills that Alexa does not need to have enabled to work. Plus, Alexa can change her name and have a different wake word, than Alexa. Alexa can also whisper, repeat, slow down voice and follow-up without the wake word. Let Alexa remember where items are located in the classroom and provide a classroom calendar, timer or to-do list.
Alexa Table - Multiple Alexa Skills - Drop in to the classroom from your office or home. Use Alexa plugs to turn on all classroom equipment at the same time.
Alexa Table - Reading Skills - Type out a word document and have Alexa read upon request. Classic literature in public domain can be downloaded free of charge so that users can listen along to their favorite novels, such as David Copperfield or Macbeth. Alexa will lead students through Wiki How-To Instructions. Alexa Show will demonstrate a how-to on its screen.
Learning Connect Updates: Learning Connect has provided a preview of the upcoming tools to be available in the future. They are listed below:
PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS – A series of tools ranging from establishing leadership roles and project goals, to creating project action plans and stakeholder presentations.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP TOOLS – A series of tools for students to begin their journey of constructing their own personal Small Business Portfolio, brick by brick, as a pre-requisite to an actual business plan.
CAREER TOOLS – Five Year Time Capsule to establishing career goals is available. Tools for Job Interviewing and Workplace Success are in the future.
WRITING TEMPLATE TOOLS – A series of current writing templates are available from pre-writing planning, opinion writing to storytelling and technical writing.
All these drafts will be continually modified, eventually published and aligned with Alexa to ensure successful implementation in the classroom. Any current classroom implementation and feedback from a classroom experience would be appreciated.
Preparing Students to Succeed . . .
“In order for the United States to produce young people who are well prepared to succeed in whatever they undertake, every teacher at every grade level in every domain must become a strategies teacher. Strategies instruction needs to be adopted across the curriculum and throughout schools and school districts. It needs to begin when children enter school and continue through 12th grade.”
Gaskins, Irene. (December 23, 2009 Update). Strategies Instruction. Education.Com.