I'll put in a vote for VoiceThread at http://voicethread.com/. VoiceThread
is a free tool (in beta) that enables members to upload images, record
accompanying audio commentary, and invite others to add commentary.
VoiceThreads are hosted free of charge at VoiceThread.com and can be
embedded in blogs, wikis, and other types of Web sites. A VoiceThread is
quick and easy to create, has plenty of space for numerous images and
commentaries, and can be accessed by any Internet-enabled computer.
There are plenty of exciting educational possibilities with VoiceThread,
especially in the humanities, fine arts, and foreign languages. In
humanities classrooms students can analyze and comment on historically
significant photographs and create virtual tours of places or events they
are studying. English students can record their own poetry or short story
and add evocative images. Photography and Drawing students can present
their work and explain their techniques and motivations; students and
teachers can then leave commentaries. Foreign language students can upload
pictures from a trip and then explain their voyage in the language they
are studying.
A VoiceThread can also be used to create a video tutorial. You can use the
pen tool to draw lines and arrows on an image in real time as you are
speaking. I used VoiceThread to show my students how to edit Microsoft
Word's grammar preferences to make them better writers:
http://nobles.typepad.com/daccord0708/
(Register with VoiceThread to play it.)
You can also use VoiceThread to share holiday, wedding, and other special
event pictures and commentary with family and friends. In all, it is a
great, easy-to-use tool.
Tech tip: VoiceThread runs fine on IE and Firefox, but not so well on
Safari. Also, make sure your computer's audio input and output settings
are sufficiently high for recording and playback.
Tom Daccord
Academic Technology Advocate/History Teacher
Noble & Greenough School (Dedham, MA)
thomas_daccord@nobles.edu
Web Sites:
Best of History Web Sites
http://besthistorysites.net
Center for Teaching History With Technology
http://thwt.org
Teaching Literature and Writing with Technology
http://thwt.org/writingandlit.htm
edtechteacher (blog with Justin Reich)
http://thwt.typepad.com/edtechteacher/
Summer Workshops:
http://thwt.org/workshops.html
Books:
Best of History Web Sites (Neal-Schuman Press)
http://www.neal-schuman.com/db/9/599.html
Teaching History & English With Technology (M.E. Sharpe)
-March 2008
[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a Creative Commons license.
