ChatGPT’s ‘Voice Chat’ Mode

And How I’m Transforming My Drive Time into Professional Development

Have any of you tried ChatGPT’s Voice Mode? It allows you to use your voice to engage in a back-and-forth conversation with ChatGPT and launched last September. I’ve already used it many times, especially during my car rides to and from work. Here’s just a sampling of the questions I’ve asked it to answer:

1. Could you please provide me with three APUSH-style SAQs related to the Civil War and starting with ‘Briefly describe ONE…’? I plan to upload these to Class Companion.
2. I could use some help crafting an exit ticket for a lecture I’m giving today on the Homestead Steel Strike. My intention is for students to access the exit ticket via Classroom Companion.
3. Give me three historical scenarios for students to use in creating fictional diary entries. I’d like students to choose one scenario and write their diary entry on Classroom Companion.
4. In today’s class, I’m going to give my students a chance to engage in a Socratic Seminar centered on the Gilded Age, Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Vanderbilt. Give me some thought-provoking reflection questions that I can upload to Class Companion.
5. I’m discussing muckrakers in class tomorrow. The school where I teach is located about a half-hour northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Can you tell me about any renowned LA muckrakers?
6. When I teach APUSH Topic 7.4, the Progressives, I start by saying that Jacob Riis’s 1890 work ‘How the Other Half Lives’ marks the end of the Gilded Age and the start of the Progressive Era. That said, try to convince me that the Gilded Age didn’t end until the start of World War II.
7. I’ve been teaching the APUSH course for years, but I’m still unclear about whether the WPA and CCC are examples of relief or recovery. What do you think?
8. Could you name and briefly describe the five most important U.S. Supreme Court cases that my APUSH students need to know?
9. The APUSH textbook says that the Chinese Exclusion Act came to an end in 1943. Why then?
10. In class today, toward the end of the period, I will have my students access Class Companion. The plan calls on them to try to earn the thesis point for an LEQ. Assume that I’m a new teacher and teach me how to teach them to write a thesis for a prompt that reads: Evaluate the extent to which the American Revolution resulted in significant political change in the US in the period from 1776 to 1790.”

To get started with Voice Chat, head to your Settings → New Features on the ChatGPT mobile app and opt into voice conversations. Then, tap the headphone button located in the top-right corner of the home screen and choose your preferred voice out of five different voices.

Beyond my car rides, I also utilize ChatGPT’s Voice Chat Mode while on my bicycle, and sometimes even on my motorcycle. With voice commands, I can engage safely in conversations without needing to remove my hands from the handlebars. This feature has been a game-changer during airport layovers, transforming idle waiting time into opportunities for professional development. By asking questions and accessing information through voice interaction, I make the most of these moments. Whether I’m on the road, riding, or awaiting a flight, this tool consistently keeps me learning and productive.