Google Voice/Hangouts

Google Voice/Hangouts (Hangouts are the alternative to Google Voice outside the USA)

Google Hangouts - https://hangouts.google.com/ - is a great communication utility with huge educational potential. 

NOTE: 

1. To get started with Google Voice you'll need a G Suite Account
2. Google Voice is only available in the U.S.A. If you're outside the U.S.A., you can make calls with Google Hangouts.

Find out how to start a Hangout at https://support.google.com/hangouts/answer/3115553

FOR THOSE IN THE U.S.A...

Educators can use Google Voice to obtain a phone number to use when communicating with learners and/or other stakeholders (Employers etc.) without revealing their personal phone number. 

"Educators can connect their Google Voice number with multiple phone numbers (e.g landline number, mobile number, work number) and have incoming calls routed to all of these numbers simultaneously"

They can also select a single number to forward all their incoming calls to.

Google Voice Voicemail

All voicemails are recorded and transcribed. 

However only transcription of English messages is available for now.

Educators can set up their voicemail so they get voicemails emailed straight to their Gmail account. 

Voicemails are available as audio files that can be saved and embedded into a website or blog or used in audio editing tools such as Garageband or Audacity to create audio files for learning environment projects.

"From language teaching to storytelling, Google Voice can be used in a variety of ways with  learners."

Take a look at the following list of some good video tutorials to help you learn more about how you can integrate Google Voice within teaching and learning. 

1: What's Google Voice - https://www.youtube.com/embed/cOZU7BOeQ58
2: Voicemail Transcription - https://www.youtube.com/embed/fHuai7-jVlY 
3: One Number - https://www.youtube.com/embed/1KSoxdtyc58 
4: SMS to eMail - https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ka3T0RXwIbw 
5: Share Voicemails - https://www.youtube.com/embed/LpX0wbNtkC4 
6: Conference Calls - https://www.youtube.com/embed/QkNEntf6qdw 
7: Mobile App - https://www.youtube.com/embed/YSk9szCUDqA 

Also Check out Google Voice Help centre for more tips and tutorials - https://support.google.com/voice/#topic=1707989 

"We can but hope that Google Voice becomes available outside the U.S.A. in the near future.  Fingers crossed..."

If you give Google Voice/Hangouts a try or have already used Google Voice/Hangouts, do share your feedback, positive and/or negative, in the comments.

Thank you.

P.S. To make it easier for you to locate posts that are appropriate, take a look at my two Live Binders at...

1. https://www.livebinders.com/b/2510432 (for 2018 posts) and
2. https://www.livebinders.com/b/2510566 (for this years posts)

P.S.S. Disclaimer: I don't have any relationship (financial or in exchange for services) with any of the items that I post. 

"I post about items that I either like using myself and have found them to be very helpful and/or I feel that educators and/or Learners will find they can enhance their current practice by trying them out."