VoiceThread: A New Generation of Storytellers

Joyce Valenza mentioned the online photo-storytelling tool, VoiceThread, as she cruised through new technologies for teaching & learning at the AASL (American Association of School Librarians) conference in Reno, NV, October 2007. The quick demo she showed set off a fireworks display in my brain...possible uses for this technology as a school librarian in collaboration w/ classroom teachers were exploding in my mind.

Here's the idea: you post a photo, and record audio to "comment" about the photo. Multiple "voices" can be added to the photo or photos, which create a story.

I wasn't able to get back to VoiceThread to play with it until now...a few extra days at Thanksgiving! I've created my first thread, and it was SO much fun. After signing up for an account, I watched a couple of tutorials to get some ideas about how to upload images & comment.

I'd encourage anyone to go check it out and give the tool a try. If you have a Flickr or Facebook photo account already, uploading photos is a snap even when you're not at home. If you do travel w/ a laptop or have a homebase computer, there's an option to upload photos from your files.

I have a $15 mic that I purchased at Staples last year, and it works beautifully. With very little technology know-how, you can record your stories...or your students' stories...with ease.

Here's a few ways I could envision using this tool:

• Booktalking...kids & teachers share their favorites, or talk about personal connections to literature/illustration using (copyright friendly) images
• Sharing a field trip experience w/ other students & schools
• Flat Stanley goes 2.0
• Biography projects w/ community members
• Collaborative cross-country or international student projects.
• Language classes-collaborations w/ students from around the world

There's so much out there to learn & explore! If you're using VoiceThread w/ your students or colleagues, please share!