VoiceThreads

By Brittany Winberg & Cody Bozek

What is a Voice Thread?

     A VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos and allows people to leave comments in 5 ways. - using voice (with a mic or phone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam). Share a VoiceThread with friends, students, and colleagues for them to record comments too.

Users can doodle while commenting, use multiple identities and pick which comments are shown through moderation. VoiceThreads can even be embedded on web sites and exported to MP3 players or DVDs as archival movies.

With VoiceThread, group conversations are collected and shared in one place from anywhere in the world. There is no software to install, you just go to www.voicethread.com and register.

     In addition, when you go to the VoiceThread website, they have a whole section for students and educators. Ed.VoiceThread is a place for creating and collaborating on digital stories and documentaries, practicing and documenting language skills, exploring geography and culture, solving math problems, or simply finding and honing student voices. However, Ed VoiceThread charges a small fee for this option, but it is much safer, and allows the educator to choose who is allowed access in the voice thread.

History of VoiceThreads:

     Voice Threads is a relatively new technology, and it is still being experimented with for utility in many circumstances.  So far, they've found much use in a (typically) entertainment instance, where people will comment on a subject in a humorous fashion, similar to "The Colbert Report."  At the same time, schools and classrooms are using them to give students a voice, and they're even coming out of the classroom and being used on a personal level.  Families use them to keep in touch with each other and share ideas when they're far away from one another.

How can voice threads be used in the classroom?

Here is a great example and a tuturiol of a school using VoiceThread. This will also give you a better idea on how to use it:

http://ed.voicethread.com/#q.b129422.i0.k0 <--Here is a link to kindergartners celebrated Mothers Day through a VoiceThread. 

http://ed.voicethread.com/#q.b58461.i0.k0 <--Spelling practice example

http://ed.voicethread.com/#q.b164403.i0.k0 <--lesson on Olympics through a voicethread

• Book Discussions
• Video Discussions
• Collaborating with other classrooms around the world
• Photography or Art Discussions
• Students can create their video, picture book, artwork, and allow people to comment
• Discussions with Parents
• Reading Essays
• Speeches with visual
• Math Casts
• Presenting a new lesson or material
• Digital Storytelling
• Online Critique tool
• Promotes public speaking

Resources for future learning:

www.VoiceThread.com

http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/Top100Tools/voicethread.html

Resources for future teaching:

www.voicethread.com 

This site if full of VoiceThread curriculum ideas for teachers and shows you step by step lesson plans on using VoiceThread in your classroom. Tons of great samples of work as well:

http://voicethread4education.wikispaces.com/

This is a great place to discuss about VoiceThreads with other educators and administration from around the world:

 http://voicethread.ning.com/

http://www.edutopia.org/voicethread-interactive-multimedia-albums

Other resources:

www.teachertube.com

www.youtube.com

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