November 1, 2011

A little bird told me about VoiceThread

I played around with the digital story telling tool, Little Bird Tales last spring and shared it with the Grade One teacher in my school. With the support of the IT teacher, these two colleagues then collaborated in the true spirit of innovative education to create a classful of student narrated tales. Although the end products were enjoyed by parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and peers, my colleagues' experience was plagued with disappearing images, voices that existed digitally on Monday yet not on Tuesday, and some basic login issues.

Four months later, I expected this tool to have either flown the coop and fallen off of digital storytelling radar, or to have molted and left its chick-like technology quirks behind. Sadly, it exists, and still in its infancy stage. Multiple login attempts left me frustrated. A password forgotten led to the creation of another account, which requested a school code, which, having been created and forgotten last school year was eventually deemed irretrievable.

Did I call it quits? Throw in the towel? Snort in frustration over the idiots at LBT mission control?

Yep.

Time slows for no woman! I have an evening in which to play with a digital story telling tool and blog about my experience before I single-parent the next three nights as my husband heads off to the provincials in Kamloops with the senior boys soccer team. (Go Titans, go!)

Two hours later. . .

I am in love, again. Jessica Levitt, Grad Student, Narcissist, falls for yet another Web 2.0 tool. I can't wait to share VoiceThread with the Grade One teacher in my school. It leaves the fledgling LBT behind in the nest.


Please, add your voice or video to the VoiceThread.

3 comments:

  1. Okay I am commenting the old fashioned way on this one because I can't figure out how to work my husband's PC that I am currently using. I need my Mac! What a lovely voice thread about your girls. Have you shown it to them? This is an awesome program. I am going to need you to teach me how to use this because I am formulating a plan for my Grade 11s and possibly the Grade 9s.

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  2. Pam, I replied to you via email as I thought old-fashioned referred to commenting through email rather than on the blog. Now I realize you wanted to comment right on the VoiceThread! You will not believe how easy this tool is to use. I can't wait to hear your ideas for using it in the GYP!

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  3. Just actually got your email now ... I should actually check my email every once and awhile! Louise and I have been kicking around a photo essay idea that this program would be perfect for. As for the fundraising thing you sent me, I have passed it on to the Prefects, looks pretty awesome.

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