Abstract
“You know what would be wonderful? If there was some type of tool where you could post a picture and have the students interact with the picture, talk to each other and comment”
“You know what would be wonderful? If there was some type of tool where you could post a picture and have the students interact with the picture, talk to each other and comment”
“I feel very strongly that parents are important stakeholders, so we want them to have opportunities to connect with their children’s learning. VoiceThread is one of the ways we facilitate this connection.”
This article defines active learning before explaining the theory and practice of VoiceThread technology. It is a provocative, persuasive presentation of VoiceThread technology in action including available resources and how to produce it. Keywords: active learning, interactive learning, experiential learning, constructivist learning, engaged learning, motivated learning, hands-on learning, authentic learning, problem-based learning, case-based learning, group learning, team-based learning, collaborative learning, cooperative learning, simulation, game-based learning, discussion learning, production-based learning.
The integration of technology and literacy is essential to developing 21st century skills to create successful learners. In this presentation, presenters will describe how iPads are being utilized by primary grade teachers to enhance literacy instruction in their classrooms. Participants will: (1) gain knowledge of the iPad as an instructional tool to provide differentiation using multiple modalities, (2) become more knowledgeable about choosing and using appropriate apps for instructional purposes, (3) gain knowledge of the various grouping methods conducive to iPad use. Presenters will describe technological support essential to beginning iPad use, provide criteria for choosing appropriate apps, provide opportunities for participants to discuss educational apps supportive of individual learning outcomes, and provide opportunities for teachers to reflect and ask questions via VoiceThread, an online multimedia tool.
During this session, we will: 1) discuss the emergence of new literacies, especially digital storytelling, in the teaching and learning of English Language Learners (ELLs); 2) engage participants in an interactive discussion concerning the implications of the various new literacies for pedagogical practice; 3) demonstrate the power of digital storytelling in promoting the learning of ELLs by showing on a laptop a digital story produced by one of our students; 4) share the process of creating personal stories using a storyboard technique as a learning and teaching tool; and 5) invite participants to share their experience of creating a personal story as a way to explore how they would translate this written story into a digital form. Through these activities, we hope that participants will be motivated to explore other pedagogical possibilities for helping ELLs acquire new literacies and literate skills, thereby broadening these students’ educational experience.
Although there is a vast research base on the literacy practices of adolescents and the issues surrounding the integration of technology despite current widespread access to tools and the Internet (Cuban, 2003), very little has been completed on the attempts of teacher educators to integrate technology within a specific content area to prepare future classroom teachers (Boling, 2010; Bruce & Hogan, 1998; Goodson & Mangan, 1995; Koehler, Mishra, Yahya, & Yadav, 2004; Pang & Kamil, 2004). Based on the technological pedagogical content knowledge framework, the current study explores how technology can be used to improve teaching within the content area of English/language arts by examining the artifacts and reflections of 21 pre- and in-service secondary English teachers at a large university in the Southwestern United States. It explores how the digital medium VoiceThread could support their efforts to teach poetry. Results indicate that these future teachers found VoiceThread to be an effective tool to prepare, implement, and teach poetry to secondary students. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)
Many challenges that preschool children with disabilities encounter in the curriculum can be addressed by identifying AT support as part of a child’s individual family service plan (IFSPs) or individualized education program (IEP). These solutions, however, are specific to the child and connected to specific goals and objectives, rather than connected to steps in planned classroom activities designed for typical peers (and to associated benchmarks and standards). Flexible participation is a way for teachers to incorporate unique AT solutions to help young children participate in steps of a planned, technology-supported preschool activity along with their typical peers. Because many preschool teachers are just beginning to understand UDL and to implement its principles into planned, technology-supported activities, using flexible participation should be viewed as a work in progress.
This action research study was conducted on a fourth grade rural classroom in Orange County, N.Y. for the purpose of determining if the use of the VoiceThread program will affect student performance in mathematics writing. A baseline of student performance on this measure was administered in the fall of 2010 using the NYS Holistic rubric of a 3 point total value as provided from the NYS 2009 4th grade Math Test. Four questions on varying topics were pulled from the same test as the rubric mentioned here. In addition, a graphic organizer was utilized to support organization of student thoughts on the problem. A survey was administered to the students at the end of this study which demonstrated positive attitudes towards the use of graphic organizers and the VoiceThread Program to communicate in math. Other results of the data provide positive results with an increase in student performance. Implications from this study’s results should lead educators to try VoiceThread as a way to increase communication in mathematics and also to increase 21st century skills in their own classrooms. Recommendations for further studies in this area include; making the sample size larger, paying more attention to the type of question the participants work on and having the parties conducting the study someone different than the teacher of the participants. (Contains 2 tables, 1 figure, and an appendix.)
Development of receptive and expressive language skills is an important foundational skill in early childhood education. Recently, early childhood education professionals have begun using Web-based technology to assist in developing these skills. One Web-based technology that holds potential to support children’s learning is VoiceThread which has unique features that support Universal Design for Learning. This paper provides practical recommendations for use of VoiceThread in meaningful learning activities that can easily be implemented. A step-by-step guide is presented to create and use VoiceThread.
Consider these three students: Jeremy, who is easily distracted and who has difficulty staying on task in social studies; Brad, who has specific learning disabilities that place him at risk of dropping out due to lack of motivation and fear of failure; and Angelina, who has received interventions through several grade levels to address her struggles with assignments and assessments. This article shows how a web-based learning tool can boost the learning skills and motivation of these students and many others as they work with multimedia to explore subject areas, express their ideas, and share information – and all at their own pace and learning level.