WAP # 3--Students as Scribe

Voicethread

        Voicethread is a powerful scribing tool. I found it especially useful for foreign language learning. 

        The main function of Voicethread is to let users record audio or video to comment on presentation. It's an awesome tool for student to do the scribing and practice their oral language. The following are some more details.

--------------------DETAILS--------------------

Presentation types:
* Audio (upload or webcam)
* Video (upload or webcam)
* Slides (or pictures. Teachers could upload a couple of slides and let the students to comments on it.)

Comment types:
* Audio (record from microphone or even phone call)
* Video (record from webcam. While recoding the video, you could even add some drawing on the presentation.)

* Text 
* Upload text. (This is function is powerful for the teacher to add long instruction.)

--------------------------------IDEAS------------------------------

Ideas:
* Slides presentation and students scribing.
    Teachers could use this app to upload their slides and let one student to be the scribe. This idea will let the scribe student pay extra attention on scribing and understand the lesson best. Also, it helps other students to learn from their peers.

* Foreign Language Activity or Assessment.
    Teacher could start a foreign language activity or assessment with students' audio records. Activity might include to have the students read a story, record their voice day by day. Students will be able to listen to their own voice and see how they improve their oral language. Teachers could also record a model reading to the students. Students could listen to the teachers' pronunciation and practice everyday.
     I also see a Chinese teacher use this app as an assessment. Every student record their oral presentation as comments and perform their final language skill. They could also listen to their peers' presentation, too. Awesome!

--------------------DISADVANTAGE--------------------

Disadvantage:
     Just as all the other app or website, Voicethread has its disadvantages, too. It takes a while to upload the voice and video comments. Every time I upload a 30 second audio, or 20 seconds video, it takes nearly 1 minute. Students has to spend extra work on waiting. 
    Also, the website is not very steady. There is once, my video comment was mute. 

Risk or question:
    The phone call comment is very cool. But I am wondering whether it could call the phones at other country, such like China?