Voicethread
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Introduction to Voicethread
What is Voicethread?
Voicethread [[1]] is a tool for having a conversation around multimedia. You can use images, videos, and documents in creating group discussion around an presentation. You can have written, and verbal comments around a given presentation.
How do you use Voicethread?
To create a Voicethread you first must create an account. You need to fill out your user name, email, and create a password to log on to the service. Once logged into the service you can upload an image and share your Voicethread with a wider community. Voicethread allows you to make your project public (anyone can comment) or you may choose to make your Voicethread available only to specific email addresses that you designate. Others can comment on your Voicethread without signing up for Voicethread account. But all people/students who want to comment must have an email address in order to be invited to comment on the Voicethread. An excellent one minute tutorial [[2] ]on the Voicethread website can teach you to make your own Voicethread quickly and easily.
Classroom Uses
First Person Photo Journals
Description: Have your students narrate an interactive photo journal about a historical event or important political figure.
Prep work: Teachers need to find first person narratives that help students understand/appreciate a historical figure (or time period). Next, upload a series of pictures that correspond to this story. These images should be uploaded to a Voicethread album.
In class: Individually, or in pairs, students read the narrative of their highlight the significant events in the story. Next, they view the images selected to accompany their story on www.voicethread.com. Next, students write a diary entry, as if they were the narrator of the story they just read. (Each diary entry should be between 45 sec and one minute long and students should use their own words. And I recommend that students should be required to submit the diary entries for review before they can record on the images on Voicethread.) Last, student record their diary entries next to one of the uploaded photos.
FYI – You must make the album public in order for your students to be able to view images and record freely. To make the album public, click on “menu” in the lower right hand corner of the Voicethread album, then select “edit” and then click on “share.” Look to the right side of the screen for options to make it “public.” If you keep it private you must “invite” students through email address to join the album.
Example: Stories from survivors of the Blitz of England [3]
Example: Stories of life in the Third Reich [4]
Narrate a Historical Timeline
Description: Create a visual timeline with oral explanations, provided by students.
Prep work: Teachers must find images that illustrate major happening of a certain event. In the example below, I chose the history Israeli-Palestinian conflict. .
In class: After reading and discussing the timeline of events that has led to the intractable conflict in Israel and Palestine, students were assigned one of the images on the Voicethread album. They were instructed to research the event depicted, and write a one paragraph explanation of the event. The tough part is they must pretend to be the an Israeli OR a Palestinian when they wrote the paragraph. In other words, they were to describe that event from the point of view of one side of the conflict or the other. (Again, I recommend that students be required to submit the paragraphs for review before they can record on the images on Voicethread.) Last, student record their paragraphs next to their assigned photo.
Example of Historical Timeline [5]
Online Debate
Description: Have your students to present both sides of an argument by recording their opinions on Voicethread images.
Prep Work: Teachers need to find materials that give students access to information about sides of an argument. Upload images that correspond to both sides of the argument.
In Class: Break the kids into two groups. One researches one side of the argument, and one side researches the other. Every student writes at least one paragraph explaining why their side is “right.” Students record their argument on Voicethread, creating a verbal online debate.
