USING VOICETHREAD All you need to work through this tutiorial is one computer, with an internet connection, and a

microphone. Of course it wouldn’t hurt to have a little ambition to implement new technologies that

could enhance student engagment and learning.

Check out the Voicethread introduction here.

Getting Started

In your browser address bar enter www.voicethread.com and click on the Register link in the top right.

Enter all of your desired account information.

Your account will be registered for

use after you have verified the

activation e-mail sent to you.

Follow the link in the email once you

have received it and sign into your

account.

Identities

Upon re-entering the Voicethread site

for the first time we are going to set

up your identity.

Click on the top right drop down

menu beside your email address and

select My Identities.

The My Identities pop-up window will

open.

Select edit.

Note the Add an Identity option in this

window. You can add unique student

identities here. You could also use the

feature to create alternate identities

for you to use like a cast of characters

in a play. You can do so now, or

return here anytime in the future to

add or edit additional identities.

You can edit your name.

You can change your identity avatar

with a custom image by clicking on

select an image.

The Open pop-up window will appear.

From here you will 1) navigate your

computer file system to 2) locate the

image you want to 3) open (select) for

your identity avatar.

You can repeat this process to assign

unique avatars for each identity.

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Options

After you have completed any Identity or Account additions or edits we can begin using.

You’ll notice three tabs along the top. The Browse tab lets you search or browse through,

as well as participate, in “shared” projects. Feel free to take a look around now if inclined.

The MyVoice tab stores your

own library of Voicethreads.

It also provides you with a few

basic tutorial Voicethreads. I

would strongly recommend

using these as a visual

companion to this step-by-step

tutorial.

It’s from the Create tab that we will create your Voicethread projects. Let’s do this now.

Select Upload.

Create

The first thing we will upload is an image, document,

or video that will provide the context for the ensuing

Voicethread discussion. Click the Upload button.

If you selected My Computer a pop-up

window will open that allows you to

navigate your file system to open/select

your media of choice.

I’m selecting a picture of my cat running

interference on my home computer for

a discussion on work distractions.

After you have selected your media the

Voicethread has been created.

You should add a title to the Voicethread at

this point.

You can select your media from:

your computer

media sources such as previous

Voicethreads or from

professional collaborators (like

the New York Public Library)

a specific URL (web address)

directly from your webcam

Comment

Next select the 1) Comment button. You’ll notice a new

pane opens on the right hand side of your screen. This is

where you will record/make initial comments. For example I

might add a voice recording explaining that we will be

discussing work distractions and best practices for

procrastination. Then I might add an additional comment

sharing my anecdote about the topic.

Click on the 2) comment button in the new pane.

You now have the option to 1) make

voice or recording using your computer’s

microphone or 2) enter a text based

comment.

There are also options to phone-in your

comment or use your computers webcam

to make a video recording indidcated by

the icons to the left of the 1) voice record

button.

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If you click on the option to type your

response the text you enter will be

displayed above your identity icon as you

type it.

Click on save when complete.

Or click cancel to cancel.

Your recording will be played back for

your review.

Click on save if you are satisfied.

Or click cancel if unsatisfied.

Or add to your recording by selecting

record more.

If you click on the option to record your

response the microphone recording icon

will be displayed beside your identity

icon.

Click on stop recording when complete.

You can also switch identities if you want

to add additional comments from an

alternate identity or allow your students

to make their own comments now.

Just click on the identity icon on the

bottom left of the pane.

A pop-up window will allow you to switch

or create new identities.

Share

You’ll notice that after you have entered

a comment your identity icon will appear

at the side of the comment pane.

You can click on the identity icon to hear

or read the comment, click X to close it,

or click on the trash can icon to delete it.

Add any additional comments you

require to before proceeding to share

your Voicethread.

When you reach the end of recorded

comments by advancing through the

Voicethread naturally or by clicking on

the 1) navigation arrows you will be

prompted to Share your Voicethread.

Click on the Copy link and Share button to

copy the web address of your

Voicethread to the computer’s clipboard.

You can paste this address into an email

or document by pressing CTRL + V or right

clicking with your mouse and selecting

paste.

You can also click on the “Share” button

outside the comment pane on the left

hand side of the window.

Click on the Get a Link button to save the

URL of your Voicethread to the

computer’s clipboard.

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Now that you have created your Voicethread and you have its web address copied it’s time to share it

with your students, colleagues, or any other participants you wish to solicit. In other words, it’s time to

get the conversation started!

Congratulations! If you’ve worked through this tutorial you have successfully acquired the necessary

technological knowledge to implement this tool in your library or classroom.

You can browse examples of successful voicethreads in a database library here. You can navigate the

database by subject using the menu on the left hand side of your screen.

There are of Voicethread created tutorials available here.

And you can find an extensive “how to” section here.

VOICETHREAD Tutorial created by David Potts 2014

If you clicked on the Copy the Link button

a pop-up window allows you to copy the

URL of your voicethread.

From this pop-up you can also control the

View and Comment settings.