Using+Voicethread+in+the+Classroom

=Using Voicethread in the Classroom=

[|What is Voicethread?]
A [|VoiceThread] is an easy to use, collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds [|images, documents, and videos] and allows people to navigate slides and leave [|comments in 5 ways] - using voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam).

Why Should I Use it in My Classroom?

 * 1) Collaboration - Allow students to comment on other's work, build a collaborative project, or share knowledge of a subject you are teaching.
 * 2) [|Literary Devices]
 * 3) [|Book Review]
 * 4) [|Geography - Where We've Lived]
 * 5) [|Collaborative Discussion on Educational Blogging]
 * 6) Show Student Work
 * 7) [|Louis & Clark Projects]
 * 8) [|8th Grade Artwork]
 * 9) Present Content and Problems
 * 10) [|Estimation Problem]
 * 11) [|Projectile Motion]
 * 12) Virtual Field Trips
 * 13) [|Virtual Field Trip to Ghana]
 * 14) [|Virtual Field Trip to Lake Scott State Park]

How to Get Started
Step by Step (much borrowed and adapted from [|Jen Dorman], who explains it even better.)

1. Register and create a new account for each class using a unique e-mail address - you can get a new e-mail addresses from your current Internet service provider or get a free one from gmail or yahoo.

2. Go to the Create page and make the VoiceThread by importing images, video, documents, etc.

3. On the Account & Identities page add a new identity for each student.

4. Have your students prepare to comment on the images by at least thinking about ‘the story’ behind the images, and even better, to write a script for their commentary.

5. Now when you are viewing the VoiceThread and one of the students wants to comment on a particular image, you simply click the word “Switch” in the upper right hand corner, choose that child’s ‘identity’, and now they are all set to comment. I find that kids tend to forget to switch identities, so it's a good idea to remind them often.

That's it; you're all set to make a classroom VoiceThread. I usually share by posting to my class wiki. To do this, you will need to make the VoiceThread publicly viewable. Another possibility is to send invitations out to all the parents. You can even choose to add a page at the end of your book for the parents to leave their comments. If the VoiceThread is private, and only viewable by people whom you invite. After you've made a couple of VoiceThreads you can experiment and explore other formats, i.e. poetry reading and VoiceThreads made and narrated by individual students. The possibilities are limitless.

How to Share

 * 1) Share the link
 * 2) Embed on your class wiki
 * 3) Embed in your class blog