Students as Historians Using VoiceThread in the Classroom Illinois Computer Educators Conference 2009 Amy Kenyon (akenyon@nscds.org) Vinnie Vrotny (vvrotny@nscds.org) North Shore Country Day School

National Council of Social Studies Teachers "Social studies educators teach students the content knowledge, intellectual skills, and civic values necessary for fulfilling the duties of citizenship in a participatory democracy." From NCSS website www.socialstudies.org - "About Us"

"Social studies educators teach students the content knowledge, intellectual skills, and civic values necessary for fulfilling the duties of citizenship in a participatory democracy."

From NCSS website www.socialstudies.org - "About Us"

National Council of Social Studies Teachers NCSS Core Values Democratic principles and values Diversity and Inclusiveness Global Interconnectedness Intellectual excellence Open and reasoned civil discourse Pursuit of Knowledge Altruism and Commitment NCSS website www.socialstudies.org - NCSS Strategic Plan

NCSS Core Values

Democratic principles and values

Diversity and Inclusiveness

Global Interconnectedness

Intellectual excellence

Open and reasoned civil discourse

Pursuit of Knowledge

Altruism and Commitment

NCSS website www.socialstudies.org - NCSS Strategic Plan

National Council of Teachers English "Literacy education supports all students in the use of language to interact, imagine, reflect, think critically, and create knowledge in order to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others." From NCTE website www.ncte.org - "Bedrock Beliefs"

"Literacy education supports all students in the use of language to interact, imagine, reflect, think critically, and create knowledge in order to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others."

From NCTE website www.ncte.org - "Bedrock Beliefs"

21st Century Learning - NCTE Twenty-first century readers and writers need to . . . • Develop proficiency with the tools of technology • Build relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally • Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes from NCTE Executive Committee, Towards a Definition of 21st Century Literacies

Twenty-first century readers and writers need to . . .

• Develop proficiency with the tools of technology • Build relationships with others to pose and solve problems

collaboratively and cross-culturally • Design and share information for global communities to meet

a variety of purposes

from NCTE Executive Committee, Towards a Definition of 21st Century Literacies

VoiceThread as Tool to allow for this to happen Allows students to create meaningful, non-static content Invites discussion and feedback Multimedia format allow for variety of learning styles to access Updates, changes, additions easy to add Fun!

Allows students to create meaningful, non-static content

Invites discussion and feedback

Multimedia format allow for variety of learning styles to access

Updates, changes, additions easy to add

Fun!

First Grade - Community Essential Question: Identify different communitites and how they relate to each other (i.e. classroom, school, town.) First graders North Elementary School in Lander, Wyoming created a movie of a walking tour of Lander Our first graders created a VoiceThread tour of our school and one of Winnetka, IL

Essential Question:

Identify different communitites and how they relate to each

other (i.e. classroom, school, town.)

First graders North Elementary School in Lander, Wyoming created a movie of a walking tour of Lander

Our first graders created a VoiceThread tour of our school and one of Winnetka, IL

Third Grade - Colonial America Studying the Timeline of Important Events 1) The old way - teacher directed 2) The new way - student created but static 3) Last year - VoiceThread

Studying the Timeline of Important Events

1) The old way - teacher directed

2) The new way - student created but static

3) Last year - VoiceThread

Third Grade - Dig Classroom of the Mysteries - Drama and Record of Findings 1) The old way - drawing and writing for classroom journal 2) The new way - a PowerPoint of photos, drawings, text 3) This year - VoiceThread

Classroom of the Mysteries - Drama and Record of Findings

1) The old way - drawing and writing for classroom journal

2) The new way - a PowerPoint of photos, drawings, text

3) This year - VoiceThread

Eleventh Grade - 13 Days Project Post AP United States History Project Students developed individual lists of 13 Days Students narrowed combined list to 13 Day Created Digital Stories which were integrated into VoiceThread for final documentary to allow for people to comment

Post AP United States History Project

Students developed individual lists of 13 Days

Students narrowed combined list to 13 Day

Created Digital Stories which were integrated into VoiceThread for final documentary to allow for people to comment