Greetings from the Children and Technology Committee!

Last year our committee hosted  "21Things for the 21st Century KidsLib", which was an 8-week self-directed learning program for children's librarians to engage and explore using web 2.0 tools. After reviewing participants survey's our committee discussed ways we could provide learning opportunities to the ALSC membership about 2.0 tools that would be easy to follow, encourage self-exploration, and be not a huge time commitment. The solution we came up with was to post one learning module a month on the ALSC blog. This month we featuring Voicethread a very versatile tool that youth services department could use in a myriad of ways , such as: a way to share you book talks virtually, marketing your summer reading program, or digital storytelling.

We hope you enjoy these monthly modules and take time to have fun in exploring the possibilities of the tools we share.

The following Voicethread module was developed by Children and Technology committee member, Patty Saidenberg.

What is Voicethread?  And Why do you want to use it?

Voicethread.com is an application that has tremendous possibilities for the classroom and the world beyond those four walls.   A Voicethread album can hold any media type (documents, audio, images and videos)  for a specific group.  Invited participants can interact, comment and share 5 different ways -

• voice - with a microphone or telephone
• text
• audio
• video

All this is explained in this Voicethread tutorial.

Furthermore, a Voicethread offers group conversations that could be used for digital storytelling.   If you want more information on what Digital Storytelling is, please watch this video:

Now that you know what Digital Storytelling is, you'll understand more easily how useful Voicethread could be in a class, a business, and for a family.

To get started, go to:

www.voicethread.com register.

Then, once registered, click CREATE which is on the top bar and get started.

A new window will appear, and the first thing that you're to do is to UPLOAD an image.  As you can see, there are a few different ways that this could be done.

Once you upload your image or video you can now comment on it.

As you can see, there are a few ways you can comment.  By phone, by webcam/video with voice, by voice and  by typing your comments.  Voicethread lets you review your comments before saving them.  Comments by the participants are also allowed and added in the same way.

You're now off to a great start, but not quite ready to share with your group.  Click on the Playback Options and decide it they're what you want.  Do you want your comment to start 1 second after the new slide opens, or 6 seconds?  Would you like this to open to full screen?  Have others export it?  You decide, but SAVE your preferences.

Now, SHARE your thread and see where it takes you!