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

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

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tyler Robinson on November 26, 2008 at 12:50pm

Hi everyone,

In case you all haven't heard of VoiceThread, i'd like to briefly share its capabilities and possible applications to the education context. Basically, VoiceThread is an innovative way to share and talk about various images, videos, and/or documents in a one-on-one or group setting via the web. It's easy to access, easy to use, and practical for many educational settings. For example:

1.) This feature can be quite handy for our group pp presentations. Presently, in my CEP 810 online course, we are working on a group project/presentation. We, as group membes, are all admittedly very busy with our careers, families, grad classes, etc. which makes it nearly impossible to all be able to meet face-to-face at any given time. Obviously, VoiceThread will allow us to effectively collaborate, comment, re-order, argue, etc. regarding our subject matter from remote locations.

2.) In my classroom, I could make this feature available to group members in similar situations as we are in presently in terms of group project...and/or I could make this feature available to my kids so that they may contact me with specific questions, problems, ideas, etc. in cases of weekends and vacations.

3.) Similar to point # 1, VoiceThread can allow busy colleagues (for example, with my colleague who teaches the same class as me) to collaborate from great distances in terms of course/curriculum planning, etc. in times of vacations, weekends, etc.

4.) One potential drawback is the idea that VoiceThread can result in a lack of true, valuable, face-to-face human interaction where things like gestures, voice tone (assuming no mic is available), eye contact, etc. can be observed.

Hope this helps! Enjoy, everyone...

Permalink Reply by Lisa Hall on November 29, 2008 at 1:16pm

VoiceThread sounds like a wonderful resource at all grade-levels and in all content areas. I like your idea of collaboration with other teachers for content planning at your specific grade-level and subject.

Permalink Reply by Tina on December 5, 2008 at 8:21pm

VoiceThread sounds great. It is amazing to me how technology can bring people together. I have taken online courses and this would have made the group work so much better.

Thanks for brining it to my attention.

Permalink Reply by Angela Stump on December 5, 2008 at 8:42pm

Thanks for the information about VoiceThread. It sounds like a great program. What a great way to collaborate with group members when schedules seem to keep getting busier and busier. I do agree with the potential drawback. All this technology that is upon us is making for less human interaction. It is not good, socially, for our society.

Permalink Reply by carp on February 21, 2009 at 2:09pm

I like the features of Voice Thread as well, and am looking forward to finding ways to incorporate it into my classes in the future. The fact that all group members collaborating on a project don't have to be present at the same time is a big plus in my opinion - it's too hard trying to sync everyone's schedules. It would also eliminate students' problems when they have to deal with various family and practice schedules, without minimizing their accountability for participation.
I like your idea of letting kids post questions and problems - it's better than having them call you at home, but still gives them a venue for contacting you. And then others with the same question can hear your answer as well - good idea!

Permalink Reply by Bridget Pamela Reed on November 29, 2009 at 6:34pm

Hi Carrie,
Interesting thoughts... I have just used Voice Thread with my 8 year olds. Initially it has just been used to take a dip into the unknown but they are loving it! There is always a couple who need extra help with it but generally it's been good. I asked the children to upload a picture or two from the web or from their own files and then to click all the right buttons to share it with me and their friends. They then had to put a comment on it and look for other comments added.

It was interesting to see that most of them used the option to type a comment and many said they didn't have a mic at home. So it was a good exploration. They then uploaded their thread onto our class wiki on a page that I had created just for them individually. They really like the idea of taking ownership of their own space! Some of the voice thread's have comments on by mums, dads and other class peers which is great.

As most of them used the type comment option, I agree it's difficult to get a real feel for any emotions. Next I plan to do some short descriptive pieces with them... and I really want them to work on using their expression. Perhaps we will do this in class to get used to hearing each other in this way.

Permalink Reply by Jen on December 11, 2009 at 3:57am

Bridget,
I think it's really wonderful that you are using all the different tools we've learned with your class. It's encouraging since we teach the same age level. Hopefully I can start that wiki for some project and that hopefully take off from there.

Thanks for sharing

Permalink Reply by Lori Black on February 19, 2010 at 7:24pm

Carrie,
Thanks for your great description of how you use Voice Threads in your classroom. I also teach 8 year olds, and they are amazing at using and adapting to technology that is offered. I will be looking into this option further, especially in regards to using it with content and curriculum.

Permalink Reply by Nancy Wilson on January 29, 2012 at 9:09pm

I am excited that hear that you have used Voice Thread with 8 year olds. I am thinking of trying it with my first graders (6 year olds). We are going to be working on a non-fiction report and I am thinking that this would be a great way to bring their whole project together. I think they would love recording their voice and teaching others about the animal they choose for their report. I hope my first graders will be as successful as your 8 year olds!

Permalink Reply by Andrell D. Williams on February 1, 2011 at 9:15pm

This does sound like a cool media and a bridge to help groups communicate. I do wish that it was video and not just sound. I think this would be an alternative if a web conference does not work for my group

Permalink Reply by Carolyn McCarthy on February 21, 2011 at 10:41am

Thanks for sharing Angelica. It's interesting that SlideShare just added a face-to-face connection to their features. I haven't tried it yet. There's a neat Presentation on preparing students for the 21st century global environment by Lucy Gray titled: Going Global: Preparing Students to be Citizens in the 21st century.

Permalink Reply by Michelle Fairley on April 3, 2011 at 11:37pm

This could be a great program that I could introduce to my students who are just going to start group projects. The only concern that I have is for those students that do not have the internet. We have many students that do not have the internet do to location, a rural area, or because of the cost.