BP2_VoiceThread

Why Choose VoiceThread?

Voicethread is a multimedia collaboration tool.  Its flexible design and various security options make this an excellent choice for K-12 educators.  Teachers can set up a discussion based around an image, audio, or video, or they can allow students to construct the body of the thread themselves. 

What is the Sample Below?

My 4^th-5^th grade students will be building an “Instrument Invention” later in the school year.   I intend to use Voicethread as a platform for them to “show & tell” about their instrument.  They will also be required to record a short performance demonstration, and provide constructive feedback for a classmate.  The sample will give you an idea of the kind of collaboration that could take place.  (These are fake “students” for the sake of my cheesy sample.) 

Quick Facts 

Pros

 - 5 Methods of Commenting - video, microphone, telephone, audio file, or text
 - 2 Share methods – link or embed code
 - Comment Moderation – teachers can act as a “human filter” if desired
 - 3 Privacy Options – threads can be public, restricted to those who have the link, or restricted further to only include people whose names you’ve selected
 - Endless Creative Uses!

Cons

Grading – could become unmanageable for large classes
External Linking – potential safety issue for young, independent online students

My Personal Challenges for Implementation:

Class Size – Realistically, small groups are more effective.  A single Voicethread can contain “thousands” of comments, but for classroom purposes 10-15 students is more manageable.  My 4^th-5^th grade class alone is 188 students.  I have no choice but to assign smaller groups and create separate threads for each one.  Talk about administrative hurdles!

Proper Use – I will need to coach my students on where and how to comment, as well as why they should not follow the “external linking” without parental guidance.  I haven’t seen any questionable content on the public threads…but I don’t feel like getting my head chopped off because of a child’s natural curiosity. 

Additional Note for Educators:

There is a K-12 Voicethread account for educators, which narrows the “public” threads down to content that has been approved by teachers.  The cost is roughly $1 per user.