E-422: Blog 8
Using
Voice Thread in a PK-2 Classroom
This
article caught my attention because it mentioned a technology that related to
the previous article I read (“Excellent Educators” by Fingal, D.). Voice Thread
is a website where projects can be posted on the internet, allowing parents,
students, other teachers or members of the community to respond and offer
feedback via audio, text, or video. “Voice Thread is a web 2.0 tool that allows
users to upload images and video into a slideshow for presentation. Parents,
teachers, and peers can comment on student work using a microphone, a video
camera, a keyboard, or a doodle pen.” The website has a hierarchy of accounts
and features (including a basic free account) and also allows teachers to
monitor comments so that the virtual space is safe and secure for the students.
Using the website can “lead to increased confidence in using computers and the
internet, and they prepare students for reflection and revision as a part of
the creative process.” In general, the website gives young students more ways
to interact with each other, teachers, and parents and receive feedback in ways
that they can more easily comprehend such as in audio or video.
One
of the things I like about this article, and the website it reviews, is the
possibility of using this tool to better interact with students and parents who
are learning English. Pictures can communicate despite language barriers and
this website provides a way to do so. As a future teacher, I can use a website
such as this to post the work and images from students and their parents can
see and reply in a way that breaks language barriers. I also appreciate that
the article listed ways to implement Voice Thread in various subjects such as:
math, language arts, social studies, science, art and assessment.
This
article clearly demonstrates a variety of ISTE NETS for both teachers and
students. For teachers this is a good example of ISTE NETS 1: Facilitate and
Inspire Student Learning and Creativity and 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age
Learning Experiences and Assessments. The article is also a clear example of
ISTE NETS for students 1: Creativity and Innovation, 2: Communication and
Collaboration, and 5: Digital Citizenship.
Ball, M. (2012). Using Voice Thread in a PK-2
Classroom. Learning
& Leading with Technology, 40(3), 34-35. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201211#pg36
Very interesting review of the article, and I agree that pictures and visuals in the classroom help cross any language barriers. One of the big topics in my Education 364 course is English Language Learners and understanding how difficult it is for them to adapt in their new learning environments while picking up enough English to keep up with the rest of the class. The difficulty and frustration of not being able to speak the language of what you are learning can be overwhelming and cause many ELL students to mentally shut down and lose focus. I think the use of visuals in the classroom and new virtual tools for learning would be a great way to make the transition for ELLs much easier.
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