SHS: Book Reviews on Voicethread

Julia Roberts, library media specialist at SHS, recently worked with New Canaan High School library media specialist Michelle Luhtala to learn more about creating a Book Review Voicethread. Robin Stiles, library media specialist at SHS, soon joined in on the project. Julia began the process of adding several book reviews and other staff members have started adding their book reviews. Students and staff are encouraged to recommend new books and add video, audio or typed book reviews.

Julia wrote, " Our goal is to broaden our discussion around books...Having talked with others who have used this form of discussion schoolwide, I know it will take a while to catch on, but there have already been some voluntary student and teacher comments. The library staff has been commenting as they find time. (All comments and recommendations come to me first for some control.) Another goal is that the Summer Reading list will be on VoiceThread. Those who recommend a book for summer reading will comment. ... In the fall, we hope to have an online survey of What Was the Best Book You Read over the Summer? based on what we did in the spring to prepare for summer reading."

This Voicethread was shared with 30 teachers at the recent ITL Steering Committee meeting, and was motivation for several to start similar Voicethreads at their schools and many found new books to read on the Voicethread presentation! If you have read one of the books, please leave a video, audio or written book review. For the original larger version please go:
http://voicethread.com/#u5821.b316167.i1723018

LLS: VoiceThread

Currently in the Long Lots 1st grade technology class, Michael Brownstein, technology teacher, is using VoiceThread to record and share students' verbal responses to fiction and nonfiction literature. (When you visit VoiceThread, BROWSE the many samples of work K through adult.) He is using Scholastic's BookFlix, a new subscription service in the elementary schools that pairs fiction and nonfiction books around specific themes or topics -- in this case Ezra Keat's The Snowy Day is paired with Katie Marsico's Snowy Weather Days.

Students go to their Blackboard page (and click on the Bookflix Book Rev button on the left hand side of the screen) and enter the listed password and logon (with some help by the classroom teacher and Mr. Brownstein). Students upload an image they have created to represent themselves and record their response to the book. In the "work in progress" below you will notice the faces on either side of the center image. These faces, called identities in VoiceThread, have a voice attached to them. You can either click on each face OR press play on the bottom center of the main viewing area, and the VoiceThread presentation will play automatically. (To get a larger view of the VoiceThread presentation, click on the VoiceThread and you will be taken to the original presentation.)