26. Setup your account
Unless you already have one
1. Go to http://ed.voicethread.com
2. Click on the Sign in or Register link in the top
right.
3. Enter your information to create your account.
4. To upgrade to a free Educator account, go to:
http://ed.voicethread.com/pricing/k12/educator/
-Introduce myself
-If you have questions, I’ll be happy to answer during the demo part of the workshop.
The goal of this session is to reinforce the importance of conversation in the way we learn, and to introduce to you a simple and effective tool for conducting online digital conversation with and between your students.
Talking is part of our biological, social, and educational culture
It doesn’t matter how old you are...
...conversations form the backbone of how we acquire information and explore ideas.
Of course, this is not news to anyone who has been on either side of the teacher’s desk for the last 30 years (or more).
Of course, this is not news to anyone who has been on either side of the teacher’s desk for the last 30 years (or more).
Of course, this is not news to anyone who has been on either side of the teacher’s desk for the last 30 years (or more).
Of course, this is not news to anyone who has been on either side of the teacher’s desk for the last 30 years (or more).
Of course, this is not news to anyone who has been on either side of the teacher’s desk for the last 30 years (or more).
Of course, this is not news to anyone who has been on either side of the teacher’s desk for the last 30 years (or more).
Why limit a conversation to the time and space of your classroom?
Digital conversations can be moderated and organized very easily.
Voicethread is a digital tool for conducting conversations using text, audio, and video. Several years ago, the makers of the product, recognizing its potential for education, created a sort of “walled garden”. Ed.voicethread.com has become a model for how Web 2.0 tools can be customized to the needs of educators and students and leveraged into paid products.
It’s sometimes called a “group audio blog”, but like so many other Web 2.0 tools, it is difficult to describe something like Voicethread in terms of existing, familiar tools.
You might think that you need to grade the comments that students make. Maybe you figure they’ll need the “stick” to motivate them to participate, or that they won’t really try unless they know if will affect their grade. Most of the time, however, these kids do the work even if it isn’t graded.
This evaluation (from Bill Ferriter’s Digitally Speaking Wiki) is an example of a meta-cognitive, reflective style of assessment that works well for Voicethread.