Download - VoiceThread Tips

ACollectionofTop10TipsForTeachersUsingVoiceThread

By:BradWilson

Educator&Founderof21innovate,LLC

Learnmoreatabout.me/bradleyjwilson

2011

VoiceThreadisapopulartoolbeingusedinK‐16classroomsaroundtheworld.

Fromed.VoiceThread.com:

WithVoiceThread,groupconversationsarecollectedandsharedinoneplacefrom

anywhereintheworld.Allwithnosoftwaretoinstall.

AVoiceThreadisacollaborative,multimediaslideshowthatholdsimages,documents,andvideosandallowspeopletonavigateslidesandleavecommentsin5ways‐usingvoice(withamicortelephone),text,audiofile,orvideo(viaawebcam).ShareaVoiceThreadwithfriends,students,andcolleaguesforthemtorecordcommentstoo.

Userscandoodlewhilecommenting,usemultipleidentities,andpickwhichcommentsareshownthroughmoderation.VoiceThreadscanevenbeembeddedtoshowandreceivecommentsonotherwebsitesandexportedtoMP3playersorDVDstoplayasarchivalmovies.

CreatedbyBradWilsonhttp://www.21innovate.com

CreativeCommonsAttribution3.0License.

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Usethispublicationtohelpyoumakeinnovationsinyourcurriculum.

Ihavespentseveralyearsresearching,seekingbestpracticesandusingVoiceThreadin

myownclassroom.Ihavefoundittobethemostdynamic,impactfulandeasy‐to‐useweb‐basedprogramavailableinaneducationfriendlyenvironment.Itallowsmetoprovide21stCenturylearningopportunitiesformystudentsacrossthecurriculum.WiththereleaseofVoiceThreadMobilein2011,thisplatformwillbeatrueanywhere/anytimeteaching&learningtechnologytool.

*IamnotaffiliatedwithVoiceThread.**StartingeducatoraccountswithVoiceThreadarefree.However,toaddstudent

accounts/classrooms,moderatecommentsandgetmanymorecustomizablefeaturesthereareavarietyofsubscriptionfeesavailable.Tolearnmorevisited.voicethread.com

TableofContentsTop10…

EasyCurriculumIntegrations…………3‐4

DesignTips………...5

TeachingTips………..6‐7



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Top10EasyCurriculumIntegrations

1.)DISCUSSIONLESSONSTARTER.Postapicture,videocliporgraphicorganizertoactivatepriorknowledgeandhavestudentslog‐inpriortothelessontorespond.Poseanessentialquestionandrevisitthethreadattheendofthelessontocheckforunderstanding.

2.)PEER/GROUPEDITING.Postassignmentsonathreadandhavestudents(whole‐grouporindividually)capturetheirthoughtsusingthecommentingtools.Asstudentsworktorevisetheirprojecttheywillbeabletolookbackatwhatwassaid.

3.)CLASSROOMDEBATE.Thisclassiccritical‐thinkingactivitybecomesanasynchronousdigitalconversationinano‐pressureenvironmentwhenitisframedusingVoiceThread.Postscanbecarefullythought‐outandgroupsofstudentsfromthesameviewpointcancollaboratetouploadtheirarguments.

4.)STUDENTREPORTS.Anysubject,anylength,anyfile!UtilizetheflexibilityoftheVoiceThreadplatformtomakedynamicprojectsandpresentations.Frombookreportstoscienceprojects,thisisamajorupgradefromPowerPoint(andyoucanevenusethose.pptslidesonyourshowifneedbe)!Havestudentsleaveapageattheenddesignatedforpeerandteacherfeedback,anddon’tforgetthatVoiceThreadscanbedownloadedforofflineuseandarchiving.

5.)DIGITALPENPALS.Inagloballyconnectedworld,teachersofallsubjectareasarestrivingtomakereal‐lifeconnectionsandhelpstudentsexpandtheirculturalhorizons.Workonasharedprojectwithyourbuddyclassandwatchstudentengagementsoar!



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6.)POST‐LESSONREVIEW.Facilitatestudentreflectiononwhattheyhavelearnedandcapturethatlearningforfutureuse!Itwillcreatearecordforabsentstudentsandallstudentscanusethethreadasastudytoolforupcomingassessmentsandformakingconnectionstofuturematerial.

7.)STUDYGUIDES.Uploadyour.docor.pdffilesfromyourcurriculumandhavestudentsworkindividuallyorinsmallgroupstosolveandrespondtoquestions.Theywillinturnbecometeachersforotherstudentsastheywatchtherecordings…anytime,anywhere.

8.)STUDENTPORTFOLIOS.Studentscanincludedocuments,pictures,scannedimages,videos,etc.andcreateanarratedshowwhichcommunicatestheirlearning.Foryoungerstudentsthismayfacilitatestudent‐ledconferencesandforolderstudentsitcouldbecomepartoftheirjob‐seekingorcollegeentrancematerials.

9.)NARRATEDTEACHERLECTURE.Whilenotgenerallyhighonstudentengagement,thelectureisacommonmethodofteachingwhichcanbeadvancedthroughtheVoiceThreadapplication.Invitestudentstoparticipateoncertainpages(possiblyoutsideofclassashomework)andusethedoodlertopointoutimportantpartsofaslide.Capturingyourteachingallowsabsentstudentstoaccessthelessonorstudentstoreviewitpriortoassessment.

10.)PUBLISHSTUDENTWORK.Scanit,takeapictureorvideoofit,uploadit…howeveryougetitthereisnotimportant.Sharingwithanyonefrompeerstoparentsinotherclassesorothercountriesjustbecamesupereasy.Studentswilltakeprideintheirworkfromthebeginningiftheyknowthattheyarepublishingtoaglobalaudience.Celebratelearning!

Formanymoreideasandawesomereal‐worldexamples,visit:

http://voicethread4education.wikispaces.com



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DesignTips

Highresolutionimages.ThenativesizeofaVoiceThreadis600X450pixels.Usingasmallpicturewillresultinitbeingstretchedandthereforepixilated.Thisisespeciallyimportantforfullscreenplayback.Videoswillalsobere‐sizedtomatchthethread,sousingvideothatisclosetothenativeresolutionwilllookthebest.

Largefontsizes.Viewersshouldbeabletoreadthetextonthepagewithouthavingtozoomin,sotryatleastsize18fonts.

Contrastcolors.MakesurethatyourtextisreadablebyusingdarkcoloredfontonawhitebackgroundormatchtheVoiceThreadgreybackgroundwithawhitefont.

Simpleslides.PowerPointslidestransferwelltoaVoiceThreadiftheyfollowtheabovedesigntips.Don’ttrytoputtoomuchononepage.Useasinglesentenceorevenasinglewordtostartaconversation.

Formatyourdocumentforthethread.BecauseVoiceThreadconvertsyourfileswhenyouupload,makesuretohavelargemarginstoavoidlosingtexttoanotherpage.Also,tryworkingin“landscape”modeonadocumentsothatitmatchesVoiceThreadlayoutandwillfitbetterinfullscreenmode.



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Top10TeachingTips

1.)SETTHETONE.Priortogettingonthecomputers,playfortheclassafewqualitythreadscreatedbyotherstudentstodemonstratehighexpectationsforparticipationandreiteratethatthisisalearningtool.

2.)SHOWME,DON’TTELLME.Demonstrateeachactivitybeforehavingstudentslog‐in.Leavetimeinyourplanstouseaprojectortobrieflyshowthestepsfortheday’sproject.Postlogindirectionsandhavestudentscopythemdownsomewheretheycanaccesslater,likeathome.

3.)PREVENTA“MYVOICE”MESS.Clearlycommunicatethatthe“Create”tabisonlyforwhentheyhaveplannedforandarereadytomakeanewshow.Ifstudentspresscreateseveraltimesanddonotdoanythingfurtherwiththoseshows,theystillallshowupasblanks.

4.)TEACHANDPRACTICECOMMENTING.Leavingfeedbackforpeersonlineislikelyanewskillforstudents.Playseveralexamplesandthenletstudentspracticewithyouasawholegroup.Coverthingslikehowlongacommentshouldbe,whatwordstoavoid,andhowtobespecific.UtilizetheCommentingpracticepagesormakeyourown.

5.)ALLOWEXPLORATION.Makeandsharewithstudentsafewsamplethreadswheretheycanexploreallthefunctions,butdonotletthemleavesillyorpointlesscommentsonothers’work.Letstudentscreatetheirownavatar/logosandplantimeforthisearlyonintheprojectsothatitdoesnotbecomeadistractionlater.



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6.)FAILTOPLAN,PLANTOFAIL.Brainstorming,drafting,storyboarding…whatevermethodismostappropriateforyoursubject,makesurestudentshavethoughtthroughthecreationprocessandhaveallthenecessarymaterialsreadybeforeloggingin.Computertimeisprecious,somakesurethegroundworkhasbeendonepriortostartingaproject.Therearetemplatesavailabletohelpwiththisoryoucancreateyourownforaspecificneed.

7.)STARTSMALL.YourfirstVoiceThreadprojectshouldbesomethingeasyandquick,nota10slideresearchpresentation.LetstudentsparticipateinotherthreadsontheEd.VoiceThreadorthedistrictnetworkthatarerelevanttoyourcurriculum.Startwiththemostbasicofdirections,somestudentswillonlygetthatfar.Give2‐3extendedoptionsforstudentsthatfinishwiththeseinitialresponsibilities.

8.)TAKECAREWHENYOUSHARE.TheabilitytopublishandsharestudentworkonVoiceThreadisagreatfeature.Makesureyouhavediscussedwiththeclassthevariouslevelsofsharingandforwhomeachprojectshouldbesharedwith.Remembertoavoidthe“SENDINVITE”button(inmostcases)sothatteachersdonotreceivebulkemails.9.)STUDENTSASTEACHERS.Ateachercanonlyhelponestudentatatime.Ifeverystudentwho“getsit”isabletosharewithafewotherstudents,yoursanitywillremainintact.Designate3‐5helperseachsession;studentsarenottoasktheteacheruntiltheyhaveaskedahelper.Sharehelperswithotherclassesorgradelevelswhenavailable,thisisagreatopportunitytofosterconfidenceinyourlearningcommunity.

10.)TEACH21stCENTURYSKILLS.Whatdoesaqualitytextmessagelooklikeonline?Whatdoespositivepeerfeedbacksoundlikerecordedontheinternet?Whatisanappropriatelogo?Howmuchinformationaboutyourselfshouldyouprovide?Howdoyouciteyoursources?Thesearenotinherentskillsforalldigitalnatives.ModelgoodchoicesonVoiceThread,itisaperfectplacetoteachdigitalcitizenshipasstudentscreate,communicate,collaborateandshareontheweb.