Monthly Archives: May 2006

VC News & Views

I’ve been following technorati searches on videoconferencing terms. Mostly a lot of junk, but here are a few items that were interesting that I’ve collected over the past few weeks.

  • ZDNet has a thorough review of the new Polycom Communicator that works with Skype.
  • Codian has licensed Siren14(TM) from Polycom® for high quality audio.
  • Tandberg has a Usage and Adoption Kit to help “blow the dust” off of unused videoconference units. Of course you have to register to access it.
  • I’ve been hearing the term Access Grid in the last couple months. Need to learn more about it.
  • Yesterday Meet in School, a videoconferencing project in Kent, UK, published a nice set of information, connection, and VC start up sheets.
  • I ran across another videoconferencing blog from Allen County, Indiana. ACELink seems to do mostly videoconferencing but includes other digital contact as well.
  • This is a really cute family videoconferencing story via iSight. The grandchild tried to feed his grandfather via videoconference. Very cute.
  • I had to chuckle at this. Scott Merrick is writing yet another blog. This one celebrates interactive videoconferencing from University School of Nashville.
  • At the Singularity Summit, one of the speakers presented “via a cool videoconferencing technology that projected a life-size image of him onto a glass surface, behind a lectern. It really looked at times as if he were in the room with us.” Interesting to hear about high end new videoconferencing.

Troubleshooting H.323 Class

Here’s the info/flyer on the workshop I’m taking & contact info for arranging this for your area.

University of Wisconsin-Madison
Department of Engineering Professional Development

Understanding and Troubleshooting Videoconferencing Networks

ITU H.323 is the primary standard for videoconferencing over IP or other packet networks.

In this course, you will go through the standard function by function and view examples, studies and applications. You will also discuss typical problems and issues and be able to visualize them with the help of a sophisticated protocol analyzer. Key topics include:

  • Standard components, including terminal, gatekeeper, gateway, and multipoint controller
  • How voice, video and data flow over H.323 and how calls are processed in the network
  • Problems with video and voice over packet networks and how they are addressed in the standards
  • How ITU H.323 relates to the IETF Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), MGCP and Megaco
  • Options for handling firewalls in an H.323 network
  • What is the new H.264 codec? How does it relate to the H.261, 262 and 263 codecs?
  • What is available in troubleshooting and analysis tools and techniques?
  • New developments in H.323, including directory services, security and calling features

Who Should Attend

  • Network engineers, managers, and operators who need to understand how to provide voice, video and data services in a public or private network
  • Individuals who design, manufacture, sell and service network equipment
  • Advanced users of multimedia conferencing services in education, advertising and business services
  • IT support staff and ISP support staff who work with customers of H.323 based networks

For More Information
We can deliver this course to your site, tailored to your needs. To discuss delivery options, please contact:

Thomas W. Smith, Program Director
Engineering Professional Development
432 North Lake Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53706
Phone: 800-462-0876 or 608-263-7426
Email: smithtw@engr.wisc.edu

Learning More about H.323

Today & tomorrow I'm attending a workshop on "Understanding and Troubleshooting Videoconferencing Networks". I was worried it would be over my head because it's really geared to networking people, but I am learning! The workshop is coordinated by ETOM and attendees are from K12, community colleges, and colleges around Michigan. The workshop is from the University of Wisconsin, and they could come to your state too! Tomorrow I'll post more details on how you could arrange for this in your area.

Here are some of my "take aways" from today's session.

H.323 was designed for corporate LANs
Now I know why sometimes I feel like I'm pushing the edges of this technology – with events like MysteryQuest and Read Across America and really any classroom-to-classroom projects. Because all use of IP videoconference outside of your own network is really beyond what the original designers of the H.323 standard envisioned. Among other things, they did not think of firewalls at all when designing the protocol! Which explains why we're having such troubles connecting to each other outside our networks! While this knowledge doesn't solve anything, it explains the root of the problems that annoy me daily. It also explains some of my frustration with vendors. The vendors are working within the H.323 standard and also mainly considering the corporate world. The design issues that affect the projects I want to do are there because the vendors never thought of using it quite the way we do with K12 projects. Having this perspective tempers my annoyance.

H.323 is for voice too
You probably knew this already, but I just learned it today. The H.323 protocol is used in Voice Over IP. SIP is the competing standard. Interesting to know.

Different versions of H.323
The H.323 standard is evolving and growing. So there are different versions of H.323. This explains several things. Why you can have two H.323 units that have issues connecting. Why you can have an "H.323 aware firewall" and it doesn't work with the endpoint. It also reminds me of the importance of paying for maintenance on endpoints. That way you get the upgrades as they fix issues and implement the new version of H.323. In theory things work better with the latest version.

H.325 is coming down the pike
Another standard is in discussion that addresses several issues with H.323. It is probably a few years in the future at least. Hopefully it will be backwards compatible. Either way, don't get too settled in the status quo! Change is always coming… especially with technology!

Interoperability Events
The IMTC runs interoperability events where vendors get together and test their equipment to see how they connect to each other. I'm glad to know that they do this considering how much we connect to "unknown" units around the world!

Gatekeeper/Gateway
In my first two years of dabbling with IP, we had a Radvision Gateway/Gatekeeper. I'm not even sure now exactly what model it was. It did the functions of both the gatekeeper and gateway. I didn't understand the difference and used the terms interchangably. Well, now I've learned that the gateway converts between H.323 and H.320, and the gatekeeper controls and directs calls. Sometimes they are in the same box, some times the gatekeeper is packaged with a router, sometimes the gatekeeper and/or gateway are incorporated into the MCU. It helps to understand the functionality so that I can use the correct terms!

Endpoints Signaling Firewalls
The industry is very aware of the firewall issues. Much of the current work is now being done on the endpoint signalling the firewall. This sounds very promising and is encouraging to know! Another reason to pay maintenance contracts to get the new software upgrades as they address these issues.

Gatekeepers and Endpoints
The basic H323 call model is from network (IP) address to network address. However all other higher level call models use a gatekeeper (dialing plans, etc.). These call models "increase functionality." I put that in quotes because these gatekeeper call models assume a corporate network world. They don't address the unique issues that seem to arise mainly in the K12 world where we just want an IP address to call the other endpoint so our classes can do projects together. Calls that require gatekeepers, gatekeeper registration, and neighbor gatekeeper registration all increase the complexity of the calling. Although in theory they are intended to make it easier to call other people.

Right now my videoconferencing is primarily all in the direct IP address to IP address dialing world. But from what I learned in the workshop, vendors, standards, etc. are all moving in the direction of gatekeeper controlled dialing. So what does that mean for K12 videoconferencing? I'm still mulling it over.

There is a project called Videnet mainly in higher ed communities to use the Global Dialing Scheme. Some schools have experienced this dialing scheme when participating in Megaconference or Megaconference Jr. Many K12 schools in the United Kindgom are just now switching to IP and they are incorporating GDS. You can review this clear explanation of this scheme and how it is being implemented in the UK. These cooperative dialing schemes require higher level coordination and obviously the purchase of gatekeepers to make it all work. Is this where K12 VC in the U.S. should be heading? If so, how do we get there? Some states have statewide networks that would make this kind of dialing scheme easier to implement. In other places, a district or a building can buy an endpoint, hook it up, and be on their way doing videoconferencing, without a thought of the big picture or even without any knowledge or awareness of a wider dialing scheme. How would we address that? I'm thinking out loud here. What do YOU think?

I'm sure I'll learn more tomorrow and will write again….

Lest We Forget: Vietnam War

Today we have several local schools as well as two schools from Pennsylvania interviewing four of our local Vietnam veterans. This is the last in our series of Lest We Forget videoconferences. Students viewed a video produced locally with experiences from our veterans, prepared good questions, and then participated in the videoconference. Here are some of the questions the students asked:

  • Can you explain your first 24 hours in Vietnam?
  • How did you feel about the war protests?
  • Do you think there are similarities between the war in Iraq and the Vietnam War? If so what are they?
  • What did you miss about home when you were overseas? Do you agree with the reasons for starting the war?
  • Describe your accommodations.
  • Did you volunteer or were you drafted?
  • What kind of reaction did you have when you returned to the U.S.?

The classes that participated today really appreciated the experience. These interviews make history come alive for students as they learn the personal experiences of those who have served our country.

This is my last videoconference for the school year. My schools are doing a couple more on their own, but we’re basically done for the year. It’s been fun sharing these programs with you. I hope you’ve been inspired to do more videoconferences in your area, and maybe we can connect our classes together next year! Maybe you’ll start blogging your VCs too so we can learn from you!

Author Ben Mikaelsen

Between Friday and today we have three sessions with Author Ben Mikaelsen for Coloma Middle School. Since it costs so much we obtained permission to have several other schools connect as view only sites as well.

Students realize very quickly into the session that Ben is a master storyteller, not only in words but in person too! He tells the story of growing up in Bolivia, of integration into an American junior high in Minnesota, and of his experience not being able to spell. His story is inspiring to all students, no matter their skill level.

Ben also tells stories about his bear and the adventures they have together. He draws several lessons on dealing with bullies, following your dreams, and getting along with others.

Finally after the presentation, students asked great questions. One of the teachers said afterwards, "The presentation was very complete and thorough. The kids loved the session."

The program is a tad expensive, but authors have to eat too! If you have a budget for bringing in authors, this program is well worth it. 

Megaconference Jr. Magic

Here are some more highlights from today's Megaconference Jr.

Megaconference Jr. is facilitated mainly by student VJs. It's a great opportunity for these students to practice and showcase their communication and presentation skills.

Here's a picture of the students from Riverview Elementary School giving clues about their location in the Rainy River District. There were quite a few "where are we" type presentations and clues today which made it more interesting and engaging for classes watching.

This picture shows University School in Ohio sharing information about space science simulations. I really liked the layout used here as the presenting students took questions from the 5 interactive sites assigned to their session. In past Megaconferences I have really enjoyed the roll calls even though they can be fairly chaotic. So I was disappointed at first when I saw the schedule for this year's Megaconference Jr. But I have changed my mind! I think the 5 interactive sites per session has worked very well and shown everyone the true possibilities for student-to-student project connections.

Here's another example of the interaction during sessions. This class did a Jeopardy game as you can see in the picture.

Megaconference Jr. is always an amazing experience and a learning experience for videoconferencing etiquette. This year 235 sites are connected and there's always some weird glitches due to mics not being muted and people not paying attention to their site that is connected. It's a good way to learn what NOT to do in a videoconference. It's also a good way to learn to keep going no matter what! I was pleased to see that the presenters and VJs were well trained to keep going no matter who popped in and interrupted the program!

Another neat new feature this year is Virtual Postcards. But they aren't web-based as I first thought upon hearing the name. To leave a postcard, you dial into the IP address given at one of the times listed and record your session with the assistance of a technician. It's a video postcard! Recorded using your endpoint! How cool is that! To view the postcards you dial into another IP address and you can select the postcards from a menu.

I would sure like to know what type of technology is behind that. I'm suspecting a Codian but I'm not sure. Do any of you know? Leave a comment!

Kudos to the Megaconference Jr. team of volunteers. It takes so much work to make a big event like this happen! And we participants sure appreciate all the labor & love that goes into this project! The impact on student global understanding is incredible! 

Are You Watching Megaconference Jr.?

Are you watching or participating in Megaconference Jr. today? Here are a few highlights from today already.

Kuo Kwang High School in Taiwan shared some wonderful little skits on topics such as the Moon Festival and a day in the life of a Taiwanese student. Their presentation gave them a chance to practice English and show off their understanding of words and puns. It was a delight to watch!

Young students at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras/Chennai shared learning games and other fun activities with the sites interactive with their presentation. They played a game of Duck Duck Goose, and we saw an interactive class in Ireland share one of their games too. The classes also tossed a virtual ball back and forth between India, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania.

Another presentation shared a couple of beautiful Chinese dances from a dance school in Minnesota.

I'll post more later, but if you're not connected via videoconference, you should watch via streaming. 

K12 Videoconferencing Trends

I've been working on my end of the year reports on use of distance learning in our 18 school districts, and I'm noticing some interesting trends. Based on my conversations with other videoconferencing colleagues, my sense is that these trends are true across the U.S. as well.

More Programs, Less District Financial Input
The usage in all districts increased this year, except for two districts whose equipment wasn’t working. Our student connections (content provider programs & projects) increased 86% over last year. While the programs increased, the amount of $$ districts contributed to programming stayed about the same. Districts have less funding for programming and field trips of any kind. However, they are also realizing the power & value of classroom-to-classroom projects.

Projects Are On the Rise
52% of the programs my districts did this year were completely free. There was no cost to the district or the ISD and they were via IP so we had no ISDN line charges. Most of these were classroom-to-classroom projects. Some of them were ASK programs that we offered to our schools, interviewing local experts who didn't charge for their time. Obviously with tight budgets, free programs are an essential component to a successful distance learning program.

Mobile & Cheaper Equipment Increases Access
Building access to the equipment made a huge difference in use. A couple of our districts switched to a mobile unit (within the district). They just carry the Polycom, mic, and remote from school building to school building. Within the building or classroom, they hook the Polycom to whatever is in the classroom – sometimes a projector, sometimes a TV. A couple other districts purchased additional Polycoms for their buildings. In both scenarios, the district use of videoconferencing increased dramatically. Even in one of the districts where their T1 bandwidth is maxed out all the time, and the picture quality is less than desirable, they've been using it more & teachers have been happy with the results because of the tight curriculum focus of the programs and the access in their classroom.

Regional Service Agency Support is Essential
As a regional service agency I'm providing more programs to my districts. Some of them cost money to provide (such as Author ASK programs), and some of them just cost time & effort (such as MysteryQuest). These opportunities also contribute to the increase in usage in my districts. See my previous blog entry about providing programs for your districts for more details.

Teacher Path to Creating Projects
Alan Greenberg and Russ Colbert, in their October 2003 publication, Best Practices in Live Content Acquisition, suggest that schools start by using videoconferencing within the district/consortium, then add access content from various providers, and finally at stage three they begin delivering programs. Based on this article and my own experience, I have believed that teachers had to experience a videoconference with a content provider before they were ready to do a project with another class. My perception on this is changing. I've had several teachers this year (who had never done a videoconference before) come up with a great project and successfully plan it with a partner class. Some examples from this year include: Math & Robots, ESL Exchange, and many of the Read Across America connections. Part of their success has definitely been local media specialist support as well as ideas & suggestions from me.

Continued Barriers
Lest you think that all is pie in the sky in my neck of the woods, some of my districts still aren't using videoconferencing as much as they could. There are three main barriers that continue to challenge us.

  • Bandwidth. The majority of my districts have just one T1 line to us (we provide their Internet access). Between old routers and busy networks, quality of VCs has degraded in most of my districts since we switched from V.35 to IP. However, the teachers who are committed to and interested in the quality of the content don't seem to mind the degraded quality of the video as the students are still learning from it.
  • Local Building Support. One of the major contributing factors to the use of distance learning continues to be the local building media specialist, teacher, or tech who is my distance learning contact. I've noticed a direct correlation between the distance learning contact taking my online classes (Planning Interactive Curriculum Connections & Kid2Kid Videoconference Connections) and the district or building's total videoconferences for this year. Having a trained local contact is essential to the success of our program.
  • Access in the Building. My teachers are definitely tired of getting on a bus to go to the high school to use distance learning. It worked in the first few years of our initial installation, but with tight budgets (no money!) and tight curriculum schedules (no time!), the hassle of transportation to the high school is not worth it. We are slowly overcoming this with a USDA RUS DLT grant installing 35 new Polycoms this summer. Half of my buildings are not eligible for this grant due to their rurality scores, and those districts are overcoming the access issue by purchasing more Polycoms or switching to a mobile Polycom.

Do you see these same trends in your district/region's use of videoconferencing? How are you addressing these issues in your area? Leave a comment!