PowerPoint Games and Voicethread Presentation

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of presenting at Oakland Schools' 2008 PowerUP Conference. It was my first time presenting in front an audience outside of school, so needless to say, I was very nervous. So while things did not go exactly as I had planned, I am happy to have had the experience. And I learned the most important thing: make a backup of the backup.

Anyway, my topic was Using PowerPoint Games and Voicethread in the Classroom. PowerPoint game templates are fun easy way to use technology in the classroom, especially if you have some sort of data projection available (like a SmartBoard or TVator, etc.) For those who may not feel all that comfortable with technology, PowerPoint Game templates are one way to ease into technology integration pool. The kids absolutely love them, they can be used for any grade level and subject, and there are tons of games available for download online. I personally like the Jeopardy templates and have used them with my first graders for a few years now. It is a great way to review material before a test.

Voicethread is fantastic online site that allows you to upload photos, video, or PowerPoint slides and then add narrative text or audio to your visuals. It is a great way to introduce your students to digital storytelling. I've also used the site for spelling practice and math casts. If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend it. Voicethread also has added an community specifically for teachers and students, so definitely check it out.

Oh yeah. Here is the presentation...

Using Voicethread for Digital Storytelling

I just finished watching the 1927 silent German film Metropolis. (Gotta remember to drop off that Netflix envelope! Anyhoo, I digress...) I was very impressed about the visual conventions used by the filmaker and actors back then to convey emotions, metaphors, setting, etc. Then I began to think about ways I could incorporate this into my classroom for this year.

I read today's post from Wes Fryer's Speed of Creativity blog. He posted about using Voicethread to create a digital story about his daughter's haircut using 5 pictures. Voicethread allows for voice narration; the narration by his daughter is absolutely precious! I really like the feature of being able to add voice or text comments to the story.

I'm thinking of possibly using this for a social studies project about family members or grandparents. What would you use Voicethread for?