Sharing Tips and Tricks of Using Technology in the Classroom Part 2

[Carrie Albin]

In your courses you have been asked to share your tips and tricks of using technology in the classroom. 

[Daniel Grant]

VoiceThread sounds really interesting and seems to be a very effective tool.  Our Sig group is planning on using a platform called Popplet, which also allows for online collaboration and creates a very professional, engaging presentation. 

[Kimberly Anglin]

I agree.  This sounds like such an awesome tool to use for the classroom.  However, I teach in a rural area as well.  The majority of my students don't have access to the internet at home.  Also, I think I would have to ask permission to use a site like this.  My school has a lot of firewalls.  I could see where something like this could get easily abused.  I hate to say that because I'm sure it is a great resource.  I love to try new things and so do my students.  It amazes me how much more they learn when they use tools that they are excited about.  I hope to be able to utilize something like this in my classroom one day.  Thanks for sharing!

[Ben Rimes]

VoiceThread might be an interesting tool to test out in your more rural area Kim! They have a "phone" feature that allows people to submit comments via a phonecall (it calls you and then records). You could put the VoiceThread together as the teacher, then let the kids comment or narrate the story.

[Mark Nerczuk]

It sound interesting and I am sure I will try it out.  I wonder how it compares to Adobe Connect or Whiteboard or few other programs available one the web. Adobe Connect that we use for on-line lectures works great.

[James Rolle]

Voicethread has made some big improvements of late, including video commenting, which means you can see the person making the comment as they make it. So while it will ever be the same as speaking in realtime face to face or even online via, say, Skype, it is pretty good for asyncrhonous communication. Speaking of same, there are a number of services that make it very easy to send video emails, such as Mailvu and Eyejot, to name 2. Just record and send. The recepient sees your video and can reply. So if you don't need the permanence of Voicethread, these can be great for sending a 'live' message.

 

In terms of classroom use, though my primary interest is foreign language - for which  the uses seem to be endless - I've seen it used across almost every subject, including math, English, history, and also outside of the classroom. There is an amazing 91 screen introduction to Second Life by several educators. http://ed.voicethread.com/?#q+second+life.b8878

[Mariah Trentacosti]

Thank you so much for sharing VoiceThread with us.  I have been trying to use Facebook this past year to create that one-to-one or small group discussion.  It is difficult for both myself and the students to get our points across sometimes. This would be very beneficial for projects with students and colleagues.  This is a great tool that I will be adding to my bag of tricks.

 

[Jessica Haggerty]

Hi Tyler,

Thanks for the tip on VoiceThread, it was not something I had ever heard of.  I really appreciated reading your applications for this tip.  I can imagine how helpful it would be in the group work for my masters classes.  We currently all update google docs, but it would be great to share with each other in real time so that we could accomplish things faster.  I could also see myself using in my classroom as a review session some evening or during breaks.  I really like your idea about group work also. 

 

Thanks for the tip!

 

Jessica

[Angela Tashjian]

I've actually used VoiceThread as a student in undergrad, but now I'm on the other side of the spectrum wanting to use VoiceThread as a teacher instead of a student. I've been thinking about ways to incorporate VoiceThread into the classroom and these ideas that you've shared are really great Tyler!  I have thought about having students do presentations with VoiceThread, however I have never thought about making it a tool available for students to use to contact me outside of the classroom. I think this is an awesome idea and a cool way to use VoiceThread. When I used VoiceThread it was a great way to communicate with my group members without meeting face-to-face, but I never thought about using it as a means of communication between teacher and student!

 

I've also thought about uploading VoiceThreads for my students to watch that explain instructions for a project or an assignment that they have to complete. Along with explaining assignments in class, this could be a place for students to look for instruction when they are not with my in the classroom. Like you mentioned, students could post questions that they have about the assignment or project easily when they are working at night or on the weekends.

[Tai Kimmerly]

Hello!

 

Thanks for sharing your experience with this program. For my CEP 810 class, my group has chosen to do a project on VoiceThread. It is nice to hear that it can be so helpful in collaborative settings. Have you continued your use of this program outside of your class? I look forward to using this program in our presentation and to benefit my teaching. It could be a great tool for collaboration, but also for professional development. If I upload a video of my teaching and send it to a colleague, they can respond with their thoughts and feelings about my teaching. I could do the same for them. We could basically do remote observations and not have to take time out of our classrooms. I can see the drawbacks that you are talking about, but I feel like those are general drawbacks for anything on the internet. However, this program has the potential to remedy that through the use of a microphone or video.

 

Tai

[jason]

Though I appreciate the post on voice thread, I do have the mention this sounds very similar to Google Doc's or similar applications. I did notice this posting has a date of almost three (3) years ago, so that could have something to do with it. I see the potential of Voice Thread, but if I want to communicate with someone, I call them, Skype them or use Face Time. Today in CEP 810, Fall 2011 we are collaborating through Google Doc's, so not only can we use it as an open forum and leave messages, but work together and edit the work. Google Doc's also works great for communicating with parents and community members in that they can have access (though limit their editing abilities) to view this at any time. Voice Thread sounds great in principle, but I believe there are better alternatives.

[jason]

Hello everyone,

To assist in saving money and resources we've implemented a easy way for students to submit their daily logs and monthly papers for our mentoring program. The logs and assignments were generated though the school website for students to download. They then open them up using a basic word processor and submit them via email or Google doc. This creates a zero use of paper/ink and more importantly, allows students greater access to submit papers and receive feedback. This is the first year we have implemented this process, and it seems to work. Students can submit their assignments at anytime from any location. The teacher in return can provide feedback and evaluation in similar fashion.

We started the process with email attachments, but through the growth of the CEP courses, I've migrated to using Google Doc's. This also allows me to store papers/logs without downloading them or keeping them in a filing cabinet.

Hope this gives some new ideas to those teachers that collect hard copy papers.

[Siming Hu]

Hi Tyler,

     Sounds like a good idea to use Voice Thread in class. It makes communicating fun and engaging. I agree with you that it can help collaborating work to be much easier. I will try to use that in my elementary classes. Thanks for sharing.

 

Siming Hu