Voicethread
Overview: VoiceThread is a Web 2.0 tool that allows users to connect and collaborate on images, documents, and video. Using VoiceThread group conversations are collected and shared in one place. A VoiceThread is the 21st Century version of a PowerPoint. It is a “collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos and allows people to navigate pages and leave comments in 5 ways – using voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam).”
Strengths: A users first three VocieThreads are free. There is no software to install. Users can doodle while commenting and use multiple identities, allowing an entire class to have their own identity on one account. The moderator can choose which comments are shown through moderation allowing any inappropriate comments to be deleted. VoiceThreads can be embedded to show and receive comments on other websites, such as a class blog. Or they can be exported to MP3 players or DVDs to play as archival movies. Voicethread also has K-12 Educator subscriptions allowing for a single educator, a school, or a district to purchase a subscription. Ed.VoiceThread is a secure environment for educators to interact with schools all over the world. VoiceThread has various security settings ranging from public to private.
Weaknesses: After an account has made three VoiceThreads they must purchase an account to create more. The Pro Account is $59.95/year. A single K-12 Educator subscription is $60/year.
Threats: Internet safety should be discussed before using VoiceThread. Since, a VoiceThread can be shared with others there is a small risk for personal privacy.
Ideas for the Classroom: This past Spring I embarked on a “Caribbean Connection” with 3rd graders using Skype and VoiceThread. Before my third graders connected with third graders from the island of St. Croix, USVI they each created an “About Me” VoiceThread that they could share with the other students in the class and the students in the Caribbean. Our classes engaged in two separate converstations and then my students collected their data and each student created a page using VoiceThread. When the students finished we shared the link with the class in St. Croix and our new friends were able to comment and add information to the VoiceThread.
Here is a great Edutopia article discussing the use of Voicethread in the classroom.
VoiceThread can be used as an assessment tool, a discussion forum, a way to publish student work and receive feedback, and much more!
Please leave a comment if you can think of another way VoiceThread can be used in the classroom or if you have used Voicethread in your classroom in the past.
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Classroom Ideas 