By Sharon Young, WCSU Department of Social Work

I was fortunate to take the online teaching workshop offered by CELT/TIDDL last summer. Like many of my colleagues, I felt intimidated by the idea of conveying classroom content in an online platform. The workshop spurred me to think about new ways to use technology to have an asynchronous dialogue. The message boards on Blackboard are fine, but I wanted something better. This is where Voicethread comes in. The Voicethread platform is easily, yes easily, accessible through computer, tablet, and phone. My students get a log in so they can view and create their own Voicethreads. My social work research course has always involved student presentations of research proposals. Voicethread allows them to easily upload Powerpoint slides, photos, or videos and comment on each slide. Then they can get feedback from me and their peers about their work. I can upload my lecture slides and record my voice, make notes on each slide, and drop in any media along the way. Check out my quick video below to see it in action.