VoiceThread Aids English Language Learners

VoiceThread Aids English Language Learners
Posted on 12/14/2015
Many of us use maps every day, but often, little thought is given to the people who are responsible for making them. What choices do cartographers make, and what influences how they represent the world?

Students in Dave Saavedra’s Blocks 1 and 3 World History class recently explored this concept when they examined unconventional maps to uncover the biases and perspectives of the cartographers who made them. Students chose one map from a collection curated by Mr. Saavedra. They analyzed it to find the choices made by the cartographer, and they carefully considered those choices to ascertain the cartographer’s perspective. Finally, they created presentations and responded to each others’ work with VoiceThread, a web-based platform that allows students to collaborate and create projects that incorporate the modalities of sound, visuals, and text. Nicole Hart, Instructional Technology Specialist, and Jennifer Sloan Green, Learning Community R Technology Technical Assistant, were instrumental collaborators, helping guide students through the process and pushing them to do their best work.

VoiceThread proved a highly effective platform for Mr. Saavedra’s students, all of whom are English language learners. Students were able to develop their content knowledge and language skills simultaneously and to expand their facility with technology. VoiceThread’s seamless integration with Google Drive made it easy for students to import maps and other images into their presentations with the click of a mouse. With VoiceThread’s user-friendly audio feature, students could rehearse their speaker notes multiple times before saving their favorite recordings.

Back in class, students presented their VoiceThreads to their peers, adding additional information and responding to questions while standing in front of an audience. The VoiceThread platform certainly contributed to high-quality presentations. Students were more confident with the material, having recorded and rerecorded important content previously. They were also less nervous standing up in front of a crowd. They were able to calm their nerves while the VoiceThread played, thereby speaking more confidently when it came time to do so on their own.

VoiceThreadThe next day, students returned to the computer lab and provided additional written feedback to their peers in the form of VoiceThread comments. Feedback was required to be targeted and specific, noting components that were well done and components that could be improved. Again the VoiceThread platform helped lead to inciteful comments. Students could replay parts of the thread before commenting, helping them to better remember the presentations and provide useful feedback. Throughout all stages of the project, VoiceThread proved to be a valuable learning tool for all students.

Dave Saavedra is a National Board Certified Teacher in the area of English as a New Language, Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood. His article “Empathy Is the Gateway” on the cultural adjustment process faced by ELLs will be published in Educational Leadership in February 2016.
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