Discussions

Your Name and Title: Vicki Phillips

School or Organization Name: Rasmussen College

Co-Presenter Name(s):

Area of the World from Which You Will Present: Florida, USA

Language in Which You Will Present: English

Target Audience(s): Teachers and administrators in the online teaching environment

Short Session Description (one line): Creating Community in Online Classes with VoiceThread Discussion Boards

Full Session Description (as long as you would like):

Do you teach online students?  Have you struggled with getting the students to engage in the discussion forum and do more than just post a sentence or two?   If you want to infuse your online classes with excitement and give your students more of a face to face experience in the online platform, then tune into my presentation on “Using VoiceThreads to Build Community in the Online Classroom”.  I have been using VoiceThreads in my college teaching for about four years now.  Recently, I added a simple VoiceThread creation on one of our authors of the week in American Literature and was astounded at both the quality and the interest from the students in posting to the VoiceThread, even though it was an option and was not a graded requirement.  I will be sharing screenshots of my creations with you as well as explaining how you can add this simple to use and exciting technology to your own online teaching.  In a few simple steps, you can create a real sense of community among your online students and give them an enhanced asynchronous learning experience that equals the level of a face to face encounter in the typical residential classroom.  What makes VoiceThread so easy for the students to use is that they can post their comments by using a tablet, smart phone, or webcam on their computer. The comments can be typed in if they do not have sound capability.  There really is a way for every student to participate fully.  If they are not using a webcam to record, they also can upload a photo of themselves to the comment, so the students see their classmates just as they would in a residential class.  They can even use the stylus pen in VoiceThread to circle or underline, so it appears later when the others listen and watch as if it were in real time.  This is a tool that you will love to use!  Join me online in November, and find out just how easy and fun it is to create community in the online world by incorporating this simple presentation tool.

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