Our Workshop Plan for VoiceThread

Introduction: VoiceThread is a program that creates interactive slide shows. The teacher can post a picture and students can comment, make up stories, or analyze the picture.

Title: Teachers Find Their Voice!

Goal: We would like teachers to work collaboratively to design a project that integrates technology into the curriculum.

Objective: Each teacher will create a VoiceThread. Each VoiceThread will contain an introductory statement with an uploaded image, three comments by students and three additional images upload to represent the student.

Rationale: All teachers and resource staff often have a tendency to plan at the surface only. Using a tool such as Voicethread would encourage teachers to collaborate and communicate for the duration of a unit of study and rely on the expertise of all members of the school community from the media specialist to the computer lab teacher, art teacher and the academic coach.

Prerequisites: To present the VoiceThread workshop, I will need the ability to access VoiceThread in a computer lab and time to set up smaller workshops. The smaller workshops would be needed to show the basics for those that are not as technology oriented.

Resources: We will need a digital camera, scanner, promethean board/smart board, and a microphone. We would also need the presenter to have a subscription to VoiceThread. Also, each teacher in the class will need a computer to work on.

Process: To “hook” the teachers, I will present many VoiceThread examples in a faculty meeting. I will list the benefits and the examples of all subjects being used in VoiceThread.
Krista’s Example: http://voicethread.com/#u468891.b602522.i3213816- Kindergarten class (Reading/ Language Arts)
Kelly’s Example: http://voicethread.com/#u454725.b593609.i3166315- Media Specialist’s example
Ellen’s Example: http://voicethread.com/share/606263/- Media Specialist’s example
Chris’s Example: http://voicethread.com/#q+solving+quadratic+equations.b607559.i3237197
– High school math teacher example
Keri’s Example: http://voicethread.com/share/607416/ - High school math teacher example
I will then announce the date of the workshop and alternate dates for those that could not attend that day. On the day of the workshop, I would walk each teacher step by step in creating a VoiceThread of their own.

Feedback: To evaluate my ability to teach VoiceThread and the likelihood of using VoiceThread in the future, I could direct the teachers to my survey on surveymonkey.com http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=54oLLg_2faMwQ33Xdjt0kVyw_3d_3d to answer questions about the workshop.

This website http://www.docstoc.com/docs/4935513/voicethread-Instructions is a good resource to use for VoiceThread instructions for teachers.
If you would like a more detailed copy of this plan you can email us at kbowen88@gmail.com.