Tech Tip of the Week: VoiceThread iOS App for itouch/ipad + Posterous

I have used several “digital storytelling” apps in the past year with my classes. Storykit & Storyrobe were those that we used most often. Dabbled in puppetpals and recently used the voicememo app to create a podcast. The voicethread app, which is free, has blown all of these apps out of the water. I have yet to see such a functional app for digital storytelling, critical application, oral reflection etc. While I am a social studies teacher, this app has endless possibilities in all content classrooms in supporting students in creating unique digital stories about whatever subject they are focusing on. I do like the voicethread web creator but if you have the ability to use the itouch/ipad app in your classroom over the web app, you should.  The added ability for students to collaborate on projects within the app (students can send their voicethread to other students (to thread their voices together) to collaborate on projects. TOO COOL! I will be having both 11th graders and 9th graders using this app this week to create independent projects and then to give eachother feedback through the collaboration (voice commenting) option.  11th graders will be creating voicethreads on the effects of Imperialism, Nationalism & Americanization connecting the past to the present.9th graders will be creating Enlightenment opinion pieces (persuasive essay, shared orally).

I also love how simple it is to share the voicethread once it is complete. Students hit the envelope in the upper right hand corner to automatically pull up the voicethread in an email and it sends instantly. Students can also add text to the email body at this time if neccessary. I recommend having a couple reflection questions prepared for students to respond to in the email with their voicethread. I highly recommend using Posterous to set up a class blog because students can email directly to the blog. In this case students voicethreads can be automatically posted to the class blog directly from the app. You are not wasting time sharing the voicethread to a personal email, editing, and then posting. Every posterous blog comes with a personal email for example if my posterous is titled “gowildcats.posterous.com” the email to post directly to this blog would be gowildcats@posterous.com (you give students this email and their post will go directly to the blog!) Pretty amazing, effective, and smooth if you ask me! 

 

Please click the link below to check out my “Learning VoiceThread” I created this on my iphone, then emailed it to myself and opened the Voicethread to show the collaboration feature. You can add text, voice, a pre-recorded voice, and also video via webcam to comment on a voicethread. Once you listen to the actual voice thread (which is the voice to the left) then click on the comment to the right to listen to my comment that I added). If more than one person comments their picture with a little speech bubble would be visible to click on to hear their response. 

You can also add a comment to try it out! Coolest app I have found this month by far! Happy purposeful tech integrating! 

Find the “Learning VoiceThread” voicethread I created here<a href=" http://voicethread.com/share/2333185/” target=”_blank”> http://voicethread.com/share/2333185/

Sharing- you can set the sharing multiple different ways to make the voicethread as private and/or public as you so choose. This particular voicethread is set to anyone can view/comment for the blogs learning purpose. 

Get the app here —> http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/voicethread/id465159110?mt=8

Using voicethread in the classroom ideas here —> http://voicethread.com/about/library/

being resourceful and putting our textbooks to good use- impromtu recording studio while using Evernote (to create script) and Voicememo to record (oral response during Expanding our Empathy project) you can check out their recordings here. Constructive comments welcome! http://sandershonors.posterous.com/

 

Okay, just had an ah ha! Even more excited about this now, if that is possible. Just realized how easy it will be to give students cross state/country collaboration through this app! Share with another class in another state and have those students add voice/video comments onto the voicethread. This app may have just taken my number one app seat! I will be sure to share how both projects go, once students have finished. Happy voicethreading!