TL;DR: Record voice notes during or after lessons to save time. SparkAI transcribes your audio into notes and automatically identifies the skills your student practiced to update their progress.
Homeschooling is busy and hands-on. You don't always have time to type long notes or track every skill by hand. The audio recording feature lets you stay in the moment while keeping perfect records of your teaching.
By using your voice, you can capture the details of a lesson as they happen. Then, let SparkAI turn those words into helpful summaries and progress updates.
How Audio Transcription Works
When you record a lesson, SparkAI listens to your words and performs a skills decomposition. This means it breaks down what you said to find the specific educational skills your student used or mastered.
This information helps update your student’s mastering skills and progress in the Performance tab. It’s the easiest way to track learning during "living lessons," like nature walks or museum visits, without needing to type.
💡 Good to know: Using your voice helps personalize your LearnSpark experience. The more SparkAI knows about how a lesson went, the better it can suggest what to teach next!
How to Record a Lesson
Open your lesson: Go to your Schedule or the Lessons page and click on the lesson you are teaching.
Start recording: Look for the microphone or record option within the lesson details. Try to be in a quiet area so your voice is clear.
Speak naturally: Describe what is happening. Mention if the student is finding it easy, what they are curious about, and any "aha!" moments.
Finish and transcribe: Stop the recording when you are done. SparkAI will process the audio to create a text transcription and a summary.
⚠️ Heads up: Processing audio and generating transcriptions uses your SparkAI credits. This covers the complex work of turning speech into organized data.
Syncing with Feedback
Recording a lesson is helpful, but you should still complete the final feedback. After the lesson, use the feedback form to provide a performance rating and note any struggles or gaps.
Your audio notes give SparkAI the context it needs for gap analysis. Between your voice notes and your formal feedback, your student's progress report will always be accurate and up-to-date. That's it — you're all set!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit the transcription later?
Yes! Once the audio is turned into text, you can add your own user notes or edit the summary to fix any mistakes SparkAI might have made.
Does the recording automatically grade the student?
No. While SparkAI uses the audio to understand what was taught, you still provide the performance rating through the lesson feedback form to confirm how they actually did.
How long of a recording can I make?
Most recordings are best kept under 5 minutes. This is usually plenty of time to capture the key learning moments of any activity or project session.
Can I use this for non-lesson activities?
For ad-hoc moments like reading or outdoor time, use the Log Activity button on your Dashboard. Lesson recordings are designed specifically for your scheduled lesson plans.