Last week, as I was in JITT (Just In Time Training) at the Middle School, Christine J. introduced me to a new tool that has quite a bit of potential! It is called Voice Thread. How cool would it be to use a tool like this to be able to comment, collaborate, or even debate photographs or videos. Voicethread is a Web-based digital-storytelling application that allows users to share their stories through audio, images, videos or text. It also allows visitors to make comments on their stories in five different ways:
- voice with a microphone
- voice with cell phone
- text
- audio file
- video with a webcam
The stories can be shared with anyone in the world or they can be kept private for selected individuals. Like many Web 2.0 applications, you can get a free basic account as well as a VoiceThread Pro account with unlimited creation and advanced features for a fee. However, VoiceThread is offering free educator accounts for all k-12 classroom educators.
It didn’t really dawn on me how valuable this (FREE) tool was until I was at JITT at the Elementary School talking to Mapuana about her penpal program with students from India. We were discussing ways each classroom could collaborate with each other using todays 21st century tools. Since we have a 12 hour time difference – tools like Skype would not work so well. I think Voicethread could be the ticket! Wouldn’t it be cool for each class to take a picture of something meaningful in their communities, upload it, and invite the other class to comment/collaborate on it? If you would like to learn more – I invite you to watch this VoiceThread presentation, What is VoiceThread Anyway? I am very interested if any of our teachers decide to use this program and how they use it! TOO COOL!
We have been experimenting with voicethread some this year at Goodhue Schools. So far our first grade teachers have used it to document projects and let the kids tell the world (mostly their parents) about them. I do like your idea about the collaboration with the school in India. Voicethread also allows for video to be uploaded. I can see two or more students from different geographic locations collaborating with this tool to develop short films as well. Another potential use for this tool would be to host an ongoing debate between people. For instance, a British school and an American school could colla
oops. …a British school and an American school could collaborate on a presentation about the Revolutionary war or some aspect of that war that our history books differ on.