Contributors

Fall 2011 (10:30):

Shelby Scrabeck

Tiffany Fox

Stephanie Scholer

Fall 2011:

Sara McDonald

Fanny Alvarez

Ruben Avila

Spring 2011:

Amanda Donajkowski

Fall 2010:

Brittany Andersen, Josh Delander, Ryan Dick

Spring 2010:

 Lindsay Fletcher, Anthony Jones, Katherine Reese

Fall 2009:

Julie Holliday, Julie Malick, Olivia Maldonado, Bethany Western, Kayla Giuliano, Brittany Rutledge

What is VoiceThread?

VoiceThread is an online tool that allows users to create interactive presentations where teachers, students, and peers can comment, collaborate, and hold guided discussions. VoiceThread focuses on collaboration making for an easy way to work together, with or without being in the same room, and providing creative different ways to give feedback, discuss and comment on a presentation.

Create an Account

In order to utilize VoiceThread, you must register and make an account. Registration is a quick and painless process. Once you put in an email and password, it will automatically take you right to your "MyVoice" page to start making a VoiceThread!!!

Account Options:

• Business: For clients, team members, and colleagues (Manager Account is $29.95/month)
• K-12: For educators, schools, & administrators (a single educator Class Subscription is $60/year or $15/month and full school subscriptions available with prices pending upon the number of educators and students)

 ** District and State Licenses are available** 

• Pro: Advanced features to allow greater creativity with fewer limitations and open access to features that are unavailable to free accounts ($59.95/year)

Creating a VoiceThread

The best way to get started is watching the tutorials, reading the how-to section and referring to the manual when necessary. You can access the how-to section and the manual under the Support tab on the VoiceThread homepage. To get into the tutorials, you can go to the "MyVoice" tab on the top of the homepage where you will find the amazing tutorials in a link on the left side of your "MyVoice" page. These are great tools to help you attain the full embodiment of VoiceThread. You cannot make a VoiceThread here in your "MyVoice" section, but the tab next to "MyVoice," labeled "Create," is where you can start uploading pictures and videos from your computer files or internet.  NOTE: Remember the copyrights and fair use guidelines though when uploading pictures from the internet!!! You can add more than one picture at a time by holding shift and selecting pictures.

Commenting

Ways of commenting are creative and plentiful. You can comment on anyone's VoiceThread, as long as it is made public, as well as your own. If you want to comment on a private VoiceThread, you have to have been sent an invitation to view it.

Commenting Forms 

•  Doodling
• Webcam/Video
• Text
• Phone (VoiceThread calls you and you leave a message, you can find this in the tutorials)
• Voice Record

Great link for seeing these in action: http://voicethread.com/about/features/ 

Features 

• Makes learning fun and engaging 
• Zoom and move pictures while watching a presentation 
• Full screen if needed
• Timed slides 
• Conserves teachers' voice 
• Everything flows (comments are running non-stop unless it is paused)
• Multiple Identities (ability to have multiple users/identities on the same user name) 

Privacy/Collaboration

• All users known
• Access can be attained by to K-12 educators, students, and administration 
• Student email addresses not required
• Students can only participate if their teacher or school personally adds them.

Your VoiceThread

• Make it Snazzy! 
•  Invite your friends!
• Send through email
• Send your VoiceThread link to others
• Public viewing or private viewing on your VoiceThread page   

Ideas for Use in the Classroom

• Put's the learning process in the students hand during Class Projects
• You can Go Global because it is internet based allowing people from all over the world can contribute
• Feedback is quick and painless
• Discussions are a little more interactive than your standard back and forth in classroom setting
• Using VoiceThread can make for a fun mini-lesson on a Half-day
• VoiceThread can be utilized for Test Reviews, creating interaction and involvement from students allowing them feed off one another when studying from home or in the classroom.
• Help students feel as if they are part of a community. 

Tips

• Confidence is key! As the teacher, you should feel comfortable with the program when presenting it to the class.  
• Be clear in giving directions.  
• Let them know why they are using Voicethread and why it is important.  Show them how they can apply it to life inside and outside of the classroom and how it can benefit their learning.

Examples

Here's how some teachers are using VoiceThread in their classrooms:

•  This VoiceThread was created by a 5th grade class to demonstrate the difficulties immigrants experienced during their Ellis Island Journeys.
•  This was created by a 7th grade Science class to explain the water cycle
•  This VoiceThread shows each student in a 1st grade class discussing his or her favorite book. Each student describes the plot, setting,  problem, and explains why it is his or her favorite book.
• This is the VoiceThread we created. Please click the link and add a comment somewhere on the presentation. 

Helpful Links

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

http://voicethread.com/support/   *This is a great site for all your questions about how to be an expert on voicethread.

http://voicethread4education.wikispaces.com/ * This is the home page of another wiki about Voicethread in education with multiple links to examples.

http://voicethread.com/media/misc/getting_started_in_the_classroom.pdf * This is a great site to use if you have the K-12 Class: "ed.voicethread" subscription...highly recommend!

APPLICATION FOR TEACHING 

       http://www.developers.voiceobjects.com

      http://www.voicethread.pbwiki.com

      http://www.classroom20.com

      http://www.thedigitalnarrative.com

      http://www.arllennium.wordpress.com