Apparently Web 2.0 is a parallel universe that exists within
this one and of which I have very little knowledge. I had no idea that voicethreads even
existed. They sure are helpful in the
classroom though! Let me explain some more. First there are wikis. I’ve heard
about Wikipedia.com, but apparently a wiki can be used in just about any
setting where collaboration and communication are key. They are primarily for sharing information
and almost anyone can edit the information and contribute to the ongoing
conversation. The difference between a
wiki and a blog is that more than one person can edit a wiki. Blogs are usually
contained to one contributor and there is not really a conversation going on
between the viewers and the writers.
Next is something called social bookmarking. Rather than just bookmarking the webpage on
one computer, social bookmarks can be saved on the internet. This way it’s easier to find the bookmarks
that have been made and other people online can see what you’ve bookmarked and utilize
those sources. I didn’t think this would
be practical until it was mentioned that a teacher could more easily bookmark
the useful educational websites they find in this way. Finally the last thing I learned about in
this unit are voicethreads. Apparently a
voicethread is a website where an image or media is uploaded and a voice
recording is attached to the image. It’s
like a presentation where the speaker has already done their part so they don’t
have to be present.
It’s pretty easy to see how all of these things can be used
in a classroom setting. Some of my classes are currently using wiki (although I
am not sure how to operate it. Maybe now I will try again.) as a medium to
discuss topics and share information. Social bookmarking is a brilliant idea! I
feel like I’ve been living in the stone age because I didn’t know that it
existed until today. It’s so practical and I feel like I have been missing out.
Voicethreads are awesome, too. I went to a small school so we didn’t use
websites a lot or the internet. I don’t know
how practical it would be for a class to put together one of these
voicethreads, but they are a great way to put on a presentation and share information.
Victoria, I have barely heard of Web 2.0 too until I started taking this course! It does seem like a parallel universe, but a very useful one at that! Voicethread would be SO useful in using all of the learning methods all into one lesson. Social bookmarking would be useful to share information through both faculty and students. I agree it may be hard for a student to put together a voicethread, especially without very detailed directions, but I do think if a teacher used it it could be a great learning tool! Good luck in your studies :)
ReplyDeleteBecky Keel
I am glad to see someone feels the same as I do! I need to remember to take advantage of these programs once I am officially a teacher. Yes, it would be a long process to get a class to organize a voicethread. It may have to be worked on throughout the semester and graded as a final.
DeleteThanks for the comment!
Hi Victoria!
ReplyDeleteI loved your blog post. I enjoyed reading your post because it was not only full of helpful information but the tone you wrote in was easy and fun to read; I think I will try that on my next post! I believe my favorite tool I learned about was Voicethread, as well. I suppose I enjoyed reading and learning about Voicethread because I have taken numerous online courses. The tutorial video provided by our instructor showed exactly how it could work on an online class and I would love to take my next online class using Voicethread. Thank you for sharing in your post!
-Dawn Taylor
Thank you Dawn! I'm just trying to keep it real. I usually try to write more formal but I also want to be relatable. I agree that the examples provided made it easy to visualize the use of voicethreads in the classroom setting. I enjoyed watching the one where the children talked about famous women of Russia.
DeleteThanks for commenting!