URL:
http://voicethread.com/
Description: "A VoiceThread is an online media album that can hold essentially any type of media (images, documents and videos) and allows people to make comments in 5 different ways
- using voice (with a microphone or telephone)
- text
- audio file
- video (with a webcam)
and share them with anyone they wish. They can even be exported to an Archival Movie for offline use on a DVD or video-enabled MP3 player. A VoiceThread allows group conversations to be collected and shared in one place, from anywhere in the world."*
You can also add "doodles" which basically means you can use your mouse to write on the image or video while you are commenting. There is also a Ed.VoiceThread.com which is a secure are for K-12 teachers. Each VoiceThread can be shared with a specific group or the whole world. You can also collaborate with others in a specific group.
*quote from the VoiceThread website About section.
Price: Free with restrictions.
The free account allows for 3 VoiceThreads, 75 MB, 30 min of webcam commenting and 3 minutes of phone commenting. The free account cannot export VoiceThreads for free. They cost $2.99 for each export.
Privacy: Private and Public views
Online/Download: Online
Uses in the Classroom:
- Documentation by students of a trip, project or event in the class using their own recorded voice.
- Class presentations.
- Communicating with parents about projects, trips, etc in the classroom via the sharing feature.
- Collaboration on a project within the school or with another school anywhere else in the world.
- Cool, online way to do a travel buddy or Flat Stanley project. Giving more immediate feedback to the class.
- Online storytelling/story creation.
- Demonstrations, such as mathcasts, using the doodle feature.
- Online debates.
- Reflection - upload a project and have the student talk through why they made the choices they made or how they arrived at the final product.
- Foreign Language Practice - professor can begin with a response and students can repeat to practice. Could also try an interactive conversation where one student begins a conversation then another student answers the question then asks another one. This is then responded to by another.
- Visual Discussion Board - Art or Art History - display artwork and allow the class to comment and annotate on the image
- Easy video creation
For more interesting ideas check out http://educators.pbwiki.com/VoiceThread+-+Group+conversations
Best Practices:
Security > Higher Ed
- You may want to consider sharing be restricted to a select group. For example, set the VoiceThread to Private then invite all those who you wish to participate.
Security > K-12
- Set up a general login/password then create individual identities within that account for your students. (My Account > Add an Identity). This prevents them from having to create an account on their own but still allows then an individual id for commenting.
- Allow the students to choose a neutral image or scan a drawn self-portrait for use as their voice icon (avatar).
- You may want to consider sharing be restricted to a select group. For example, set the VoiceThread to Private then invite all those who you wish to participate.
More Training:
To learn how to use VoiceThread check out the following resources:
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