As a teacher you work very hard. Get to work early, prepare lessons, fullfill your morning duty by watching students get off the buss, homeroom, meetings, classes, lunch observation, and then afternoon duty. Barely enough time to go to the bathroom.
The last thing on your mind is going to a staff meeting to hear that the budget has been cut, you have more duties because they had to let go of another position, and there's no more ink for the printers.
Besides, staff meetings tend to be a big gripe session because teachers are tired, frustrated, and anxious to leave because they have duties at home, too!
Voicethread can be a great administrative tool. Instead of gathering all the staff members together to watch a video or give input on the new School Improvement Plan, an administrator can upload this to Voicethread and ask teachers to comment via text, audio, or video.
You won't have to sit and wait for everyone to get to the meeting because they're on duty and one-third aren't sure where the meeting is being held. Teachers are able to comment when the time is right for them. And, they're more likely to give positive, encouraging, and thoughtful feedback once they've had a chance to unwind from the tornado day.
Everyone benefits from this form of meeting, and there's a little technology development because everyone learns a new tool!
