What is VoiceThread? What's special about Ed.VoiceThread?

A VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slide show that can hold images, documents, and videos and allows participants (students or BCPS colleagues) to communicate and collaborate by leaving comments in 5 ways -- using voice (with a computer microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via webcam). Ed.VoiceThread restricts users to K-12 educators, students, and administrators. By default, an educator or administrator must moderate and approve student content before it is posted to a Voice Thread. 

BCPS Voice Thread Protocols

BCPS has purchased a district license to Ed.VoiceThread. BCPS educators and administrators who wish to use VoiceThread with students or BCPS colleagues must use an account under the BCPS license. Professional development (school-based or inservice) is required to obtain a BCPS Ed.Voice Thread account.

• All BCPS Ed.Voice Thread users are responsible for following the BCPS Protocols for the Use of Online Collaborative Tools for Teaching and Learning for Voice Thread. This includes providing direct instruction to students about complying with the BCPS Telecommunications Acceptable Use Policy for Students when they are using Voice Thread.

Your VoiceThread Support Team:

• GJSMS VoiceThread Manager: Jamie Higgins  
• GJSMS Instructional Technology Liaison: Kelly Ray
•  PLEASE NOTE: The BCPS VoiceThread Manager's training scheduled for January 11th was cancelled due to inclement weather early school closing and has been re-scheduled for February 15th. We will share information about requesting student accounts and setting up classes in VoiceThread after we have attended this training. Follow-up sessions will be scheduled!
• Jamie and Kelly have taken the one-credit BCPS Inservice Course Using VoiceThread for Communication and Collaboration which was offered by OIT in Fall 2010. Check the Continuing Professional Development online catalog under Office of Instructional Technology if you are interested in taking this course in the future (no class is being offered for Spring 2011).

Introduction to Ed.VoiceThread

EXAMPLES of Educational VoiceThreads

Ed.Voice Thread Community Library

Some Grade 6-8 VoiceThreads 

Your Ed.VoiceThread Teacher Account

GJSMS teachers who participated in school-based professional development on January 24, 2011 have been given Ed.VoiceThread accounts at the request of your VoiceThread Manager. Please follow these instructions for logging on the first time and changing your password.

• If you did not participate in this PD but have used the free version of VoiceThread before and would like to continue, contact the BCPS VoiceThread district administrator @ VoiceThread@bcps.org to ensure compliance with the Protocols for the Use of Online Collaborative Tools for Teaching and Learning for Voice Thread.

Ed.VoiceThread Tutorials, Manuals, and Handouts

VoiceThread Overview

Educator's Getting Started Guide

Getting Started with VoiceThread

Pro Educator Quick Start Guide - Creating Classes; Adding Students to Classes; Changing Your “Face” in VoiceThread

Other VoiceThread Wikis for Educators: 

• Disruptive Technologies K-16 - VoiceThread.  Includes historical background, relevance to education, sample lesson plans, tutorials
• VoiceThread 4 Education wiki 
• Digitally Speaking - Voice Thread Includes tutorials, samples, handouts, assessment tools.

Your Objectives:  

• Use your learning from today's PD session and the support materials on this wiki to create a VoiceThread which addresses an upcoming content curriculum objective. 
• Keep it simple for your first VoiceThread! Could be just one slide!
• Find a lesson or objective which would lend itself to the use of media (images, video, Resource Sheets from your curriculum guide, PowerPoint slides you've already created, etc.) for students to respond to or discuss. 
• Create separate Copies of your VoiceThread for each class; keep one "master" and then create copies by adding Period 1, Period 2, etc. to the title. 
• Add photos or avatars to your own identities. One free tool for creating an avatar is Yahoo! Avatars  (you must first register a free Yahoo! account).
• Request acces to this wiki and Add or Reply to Comments on this page. Ask/answer questions and collaborate as members of a VoiceThread PLC (Professional Learning Community).