VoiceThread Article

Bomar, S. (2009, March). A PRE-READING VOICETHREAD: Death Comes for the Archbishop. Knowledge Quest, 37(4), 26-27. Retrieved September 12, 2009, from Professional Development Collection database.

This article describes a pre-reading strategy developed by a highschool honors English teacher and the school library media specialist (SLMS). In an effort to boost student interest in the novel Death Comes for the Archbishop, the teacher and the SLMS had their students research various topics related to the novel and present their findings in VoiceThread presentations. The students formed two- or three- person groups and chose topics which had been specifically selected by the teacher and SLMS. The topics ranged from the book's author to the historical setting of New Mexico. It was hoped that the students' research would make reading the novel more interesting and that the students would enjoy learning a new way to show their information (VoiceThread).
Although I would not be able to do this same project with my kindergarten students, I found this article very interesting. I liked that the teacher collaborated with the SLMS and dared to use new technology with her students. By having students research related topics prior to reading the novel, the teacher linked prior knowledge and provided schema for the students to build upon while they read the book. The teacher mentioned that the students struggled to use the Web 2.0 tools for academic use even though they were quite comfortable using them for recreational use. It was a learning experience in that aspect as well.