Voicethreads victory!

I really enjoyed poking around on the Voicethreads site. I saw lots of examples here of educators and students using this medium in exciting ways. Technofeeb that I am, I really appreciated the simplicity of the whole experience. Basically, if I can figure it out anyone could. I think Steve Muth and Ben Popell were thinking of me when they decided to use the amazon.com site as an example---2 or 3 clicks and you've succeeded in your quest! The site allows you to create something with layered complexity, but the new user is their guide.

What's a Voicethread anyway? offers some great examples of what kinds of things are possible with Voicethreads. Some examples:

• multiple family members' comments on a vintage family photograph
• a young artist's (age 5?) description of a drawing he'd made
• a teacher's lecture and slides,
• a school project media mash up of Catcher in the Rye,
  
• a demonstration of how to do the Hustle
• a book review by several students
• a comparison of a book and a movie exploring the strengths of each
  

This list will undoubtedly grow as more people interact with this flexible format. It is easy to see every department and curriculum area finding useful applications for Voicethread projects. Voicethreads could be used in Math, Science, Home Ec, Woodworking, P.E.-- any area where a demonstration is used either to help with instruction or to demonstrate understanding. Distance learners would also benefit. In fact, part of the reason I found this easy to use was because of the tutorials that showed exactly which button to press to carry out an action.

The One Minute Voicethread gave simple enough instructions that even I managed the set up and creation of my masterpiece Swirly Sarah. Okay, it's not a masterpiece but it is a start. For someone who has never even attempted a powerpoint presentation, not too bad!