Getting Started with Videoconferencing

Tomorrow, I'll be working with social studies teachers at Cape Henlopen High School in Delaware. Cape Henlopen just received grant funding to obtain an HD videoconferencing unit, and this is a precursor to the kick-off of that program!

Training Overview

• Welcome/Introductions
  
  
• Introduction to Videoconferencing: What is it? How can it change teaching and learning in your classroom?
  
  
• LIVE Connection to Elephant Communication & Collaboration from MONROE #1 BOCES in New York (part of the Global Summit Project
  
  Do Elephants talk? What are they trying to say? Students are joining scientists to learn about these questions. Through the use of information that these High School Junior and Senior students have gathered and partnerships which are forming, they are capturing what might be Elephant communication. By analyzing the sound waves both the scientists and the students are attempting to create an Elephant dictionary. This project uses the resources of Internet2 to share large media files and interact with experts. Students are joining the research community and making a difference. During the this interactive presentation, the students will present their process and then will develop a plan for the work to be done in the coming year. Participating sites will be those locations which are interested in both learning about this phenomenal, authentic scientific project and potential adding to it. Come hear what can be heard and learn more about the Elephant world.
  

• LIVE Connection to the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, GA
  
  The Center for Puppetry Arts offers Distance Learning programs for PreK-12. Students are briefly introduced to different styles of puppets from around the world (1st grade and up). Students participate in learning activities about a topic and create a working puppet of their very own to use in the classroom. A comprehensive study guide and materials list is provided for each program. All puppet materials are easy to find and of little, if any, cost. Middle and High School programs are designed to encourage dialogue between the presenter and participating students. Teacher workshops and demos are also available.
  
  
• What's next? How to find content providers, MAGPI's website, MUSE and more.
  

Helpful Links/Handouts

• MAGPI Website
• Interactive Videoconferencing Pages from MAGPI Getting Started Guide
• The MAGPI Education Community (and setting up your account!)
  
• Elephant Communication and Conversation Pre-Videoconference Email
• Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration
  
• MUSE
• VC Content Providers Database
• ISTE IVC SIG
• ISTE SIG IVC News
• Center for Puppetry Arts Distance Learning Program
  
• Center for Puppetry Arts SchoolTube Channel
  

Presentation

Cape Henlopen Professional Development Event

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Adding the WOW Factor to Your Lessons with Streaming Media and Digital Collections

Looking for a video snippet to show students during a lesson tomorrow? Need an animation to illustrate a scientific technique? Want to take students live to the Congressional Floor? There are tons of video streaming, virtual media collections and digital learning objects available over advanced networks that you can access instantly from your classroom computer!

WGBH Teacher's Domain (http://www.teachersdomain.org/): Teachers' Domain is a free digital media service for educational use from public broadcasting and its partners. You’ll find thousands of media resources, support materials, and tools for classroom lessons, individualized learning programs, and teacher professional learning communities.

The Exploratorium's I2 Gateway (http://www.exploratorium.edu/i2/): The Exploratorium’s Internet2® gateway, where you’ll find a collection of Web resources that take advantage of cutting-edge Internet2 technology. See and hear DVD quality video. Listen to high fidelity radio. View 3D imagery

The Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/index.html): Online access to print, pictorial and audio-visual collections and other digital services. You can chat with librarians LIVE and we love the map collection. Little known fact? If a map you need isn't available, you can contact LOC and have them digitize it for you.

The National Science Digital Library (http://nsdl.org/): NSDL is the Nation's online library for education and research in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics.

The CSPAN Archives (http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/): C-SPAN has digitized its entire holdings from 1998 to the present and allows educators and researchers to access this collection via the Internet2 Network. The video library is searchable using a extensive number of fields such as topic, speaker, organization, committee, keywords and has an optimized word searching tool that includes abstracts and closed captioning text. The Flash Player permits clipping and posting of clips taken from longer programs. Text searching is available for many programs. The House and Senate are indexed in detail by speaker, bill, and time allowing one to find any speaker on the House and Senate floor, play that speech, and to read the text in the Congressional Record that accompanies the speech. Internet2 provides the highest access speed for faculty, students, and researchers at participating institutions to search and play video clips for teaching and research. Installing high-speed connectivity to the Internet2 access point. Upgrading the last mile of connectivity and expanding our server capability.

Planning Interactive Collaborations

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of speaking with several Bucks County educators via Elluminate about planning interactive videoconference collaborations - - despite schools being closed because of the snowstorm. The lucky participants have all received LifeSize videoconference gear through a grant initiative at their IU, and are looking forward to breaking it out of the box to provide meaningful exchanges for their students.

Not only did these educators ask some wonderful, thought-provoking questions about using interactive videoconferencing in the classroom, they started brainstorming some very exciting projects! I'm looking forward to seeing some virtual stock market game exchanges and others.

Here are a few links that we discussed yesterday:

• MAGPI Website
• MAGPI/CLEO Partnership Project
• MAGPI Fellows Program
  
• MUSE/Internet2 K20 Initiative
  
• Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration
• TWICE
• CAPSpace
• Megaconference Jr.
• ViDe Cookbook for K12
  
• Janine Lim's Out On A Lim VC Blog
  
• ISTE SIG IVC

And here's the power point presentation I put together. Hope it's helpful!

Increasing Interactivity - Planning Videoconference Collaborations

View more presentations from Heather Weisse Walsh.