Weir, Laila.(2008)."VoiceThread Extends the Classroom with Interactive Multimedia Albums." www.Edutopia.org.
Easy to Use, but Start Small
Teachers can keep VoiceThreads private or publish them, either on the VoiceThread site or embedded on their own sites. Participants can post from anywhere, at any time, making it easy to involve groups in disparate time zones, or even different countries, in a single conversation.
The technology is particularly accessible because viewers can comment using just about any technology -- including a good old landline. "We've tried to make it fairly universal in access," says Ben Papell. "If you don't have a microphone on your computer, you can use a telephone to comment. If you're in the classroom and don't have either, you can use text if you need to, or webcam commenting."
It's also easy to learn the basics of VoiceThread. Tutorials on the site help newbies get started or explain more advanced features, such as video doodling -- pausing a video and drawing on the frozen image like a sportscaster commenting on a play.
For educators new to VoiceThread, it's a good idea to experiment a bit before starting with students. VoiceThread offers free educator accounts on its public site. Teachers can begin there, commenting on others' threads and creating their own practice threads.
When a teacher is ready, he or she can use a free account to create VoiceThreads for or with students, or they can migrate over to the Ed.VoiceThread site. "Use it, experiment with it, figure out how it's going to suit your needs," advises Papell. The educator site costs money -- classroom or school subscriptions are available -- but it's secure and private and should pass even stringent school Web filters.
"Take it slow -- don't upload 600 images and try to get fifty people to comment on each and every one," he says. "One of the great things is that it will take off on its own."
Laila Weir is a contributing editor and writer for Edutopia. Her work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, and online publications around the world.
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I liked this article because Weir provides practicle advice on getting started with Voice Thread. After learning it on my own and experiencing the trials and errors that come with this learning experience, I agree that it is a good idea to set up a basic account and practice with other teachers, before setting up a thread for students.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with her advice that teachers should start small. If a teacher teaches over a hundred students, which most high school teachers do,asking them to each post one response will be over 100 to review. They should not try to integrate it too quickly or frustration is bound to surface!