VoiceThread

I got the idea to try out some of these nifty web 2.0 tools from CogDog. I used my CAID PowerPoint and saved the slides as .jpgs and then uploaded them to Voice Thread.

It is a really neat tool but as the title implies it is best use is to record your "voice" in making comments. This doesn't work well with a majority of our students. Yes, you can add written comments but it would generate richer comments if they can make them in their first language, ASL. I emailed the company asking if they could add video comments feature. I received an email a few hours later:

Thanks for the feature request. We were considering allowing video commenting, and hadn't made a decision yet on it, but didn't realize there was an application where it wasn't a just a novelty but a really necessary feature. We would love to be able to provide for this, we'll consider it seriously and see if we can fit it in in the next month or two.

How cool is that? Just think of the potential of the tool if they add that feature. Teachers could create a VoiceThread with photos from a field trip and have students could sign their description of each photo. Parents could access it and add their own comments (in written English, spoken English or ASL) as well.

Or VoiceThread could be used by students to create digital storytelling projects about an important event or person in their lives.

Ah, the possibilities....

Click the image below to play the presentation but the text is hard to read.
Click here to view it on the VoiceThread web site.