Monthly Archives: July 2009

Learning and Doing

Ok, this post isn’t tooooo closely tied to VC, but I want to keep these tweets somewhere close by! Thanks @cheryltice and @lcolwill for helping me find these!

They are all related to the idea that if you don’t use or experience knowledge, you haven’t really learned.

And the one that started my search:

@roxanneglaser: “@rhumgordon hmm. Now you are making me think. If you read and don’t do anything w/ the knowledge, do you learn?”

Makes you think, doesn’t it?!

Reflecting on Jazz and the Jazz Workshop

Last fall I attended an evening concert/lecture with Jazz Impact at the Banff Centre. I reflected then on the connections between jazz music and the 123 VC: Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with Videoconferencing. Today, as part of my Leadership PhD program, I’m attending an all day workshop with Jazz Impact. The lessons are still striking and applicable to the Jazz Workshop. So I write again, this time challenging those facilitating Jazz next week to reflect with me!

Jazz Lead Facilitators Meeting
Jazz Lead Facilitators Meeting

There are five themes that make jazz music work:

  • Autonomy
  • Passion
  • Risk
  • Innovation
  • Listening

So here are some questions for you to think about your own participation and contribution to the “music” of the “Jazz workshop”. If you aren’t facilitating Jazz next week or participating, use these questions to think about a group of people you collaborate and work with.

Autonomy

  • Where do you have autonomy within the Jazz workshop?
  • How is your autonomy moderated/tempered by the relationship and dependence on the group?

Passion

  • How do you feel a sense of purpose in your work in the Jazz workshop?
  • Do you feel a sense of emotional commitment to the success of the workshop? (It’s the emotional commitment of the individual that sustains the strength and integrity of the organization as a whole.) So how are you emotionally committed to Jazz? How did you get emotionally committed to Jazz? What inspired it?
  • Do you feel that your potential and your voice is heard in the planning and implementing of the Jazz workshop?

Risk

  • Where is the uncertainty in the Jazz workshop?
  • How are the guidelines of our score simplified so that everyone can improvise from it? In Jazz, the score is simplified so that improvisation can occur around it.  (Compare a classical score to a jazz score: the key, 8 notes, the time. That’s it!) Have we simplified the score enough to allow for appropriate improvisation based on the needs of the participants?
  • Think “local activities”. Are they simple enough to allow for improvisation yet enough structure for the new facilitators? The construct of a jazz tune is: the tune, zone of improvisation, the tune at the end.
  • Do we have enough uncertainty? Does our “organization culture” allow for “competent mistakes?”

Innovation

  • Innovation is a relationship, a social function. How are you contributing to the innovation? How is the relationship with other Jazz facilitators inspiring your own innovation?
  • There’s a cycle of new musical ideas to structural foundation, to create new musical ideas to expanding the structural foundation, to expanding the musical ideas – i.e. a cycle of VC ideas, to a structural foundation – the basic structure of the Jazz workshop, to getting new VC and Web 2.0 ideas, to expanding the foundation, to getting even more ideas. Where are you in the cycle? Are you improving and expanding the ideas? Or are you improving and expanding the structure? or both?

Vicki Listening
Vicki Listening

Listening

  • Listening is a verb that generates cooperation. How are you listening to your lead facilitator? How are you listening to the other facilitators? How are you listening to the participants in the workshop?
  • Do you listen defensively, and only hear what you already know? Or are you able to listen with empathy to hear the new ideas from others?

Life is an echo – what you send out comes back. –Unknown

Teacher Comments on VC

This post is part of a series of posts with some of the results from a survey of my top VC-using teachers. Read more about it in the first post of this series. Remember, they are using videoconferencing to support curriculum instruction (not full length courses).

The question featured in this post is the last question in the survey:

Any Other Comments You Want to Share?

This is a qualitative representation of the results using Wordle. Click the graphic for a larger version.

Teacher Comments

Students and learning are front and center. Are you surprised? Here are some more comments:

This is a song we sang at our Read Across the Planet (to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star) Distance learning is a fabulous experience & I’m exceedingly thankful that I can give my kids the chance to be a part of it!

We hope you’ve enjoyed our show
Distance learning helps us grow
We learn to speak and to perform
We get to explore explore
We hope you’ve enjoyed our show
Distance learning helps us grow. – Heidi Clark, 1st grade teacher at Three Oaks Elementary, River Valley.

We enjoy the videoconferences and I feel that my students learn about themselves, the curriculum, and the world around them while participating. –Wendy Zahrn, 4th grade, Sylvester Elementary, Berrien Springs

This has been an exciting opportunity for our Preschoolers and created new methods of learning and teaching. –Esther Nixon, Preschool, Mars Elementary, Berrien Springs

The students gain so much from a VC that they are worth the time and effort involved. -Karen Ennesser, 7th grade science, Dowagiac Middle School, Dowagiac

My goal is to have videoconferencing right in my classroom. –Linda McConville, 4th grade, E. P. Clarke Elementary, St. Joseph

Videoconferencing is much easier than many think it to be. It is an excellent tool to share with your students. Real world/life plays a big part in this process. We are becoming a technological world and students will need these kinds of experiences to succeed. -Dori Hughes, 2nd grade, Eagle Lake Elementary, Edwardsburg

One of the 7th graders stated that the video conference was the most memorable activity for this school year. Students are “charged” to learn in this way. It’s a great tool to connect small-town students to the world around them. -Peggy Clore, 5-7th language arts, Coloma Middle School, Coloma

I am a big fan of videoconferencing because of the interactions of host and classroom. -Barb Vegter, 3rd grade, Countryside Charter

Videoconferencing has proven to be a great motivator of student interest. They enjoy the experience and invariably ask when we’ll do another. –Anonymous high school teacher

Reflecting on the process:

Did you get any ideas for your future program evaluations? I’m thinking that some of these questions could be easily made into a multiple choice to get more quantitative data to compare from year to year. I’m thinking I would also like to survey my teachers who have done a VC before, but didn’t do one this year. This could be very valuable data as well.

Did you find this little series helpful? What did you learn? Click comment below to share your thoughts.

Critical Supports for Teachers

This post is part of a series of posts with some of the results from a survey of my top VC-using teachers. Read more about it in the first post of this series. Remember, they are using videoconferencing to support curriculum instruction (not full length courses).

The question featured in this post is the following:

What are the supports that are critical for you to keep on using videoconferencing?

This is a qualitative representation of the results using Wordle. Click the graphic for a larger version. This time instead of including all the words, I renamed them similar topics to the same words so that the results were more understandable.

Critical Supports to Sustain Use

To me, these results are a mandate to continue the following components of our videoconferencing program:

  • Our online registration which provides scheduling for most of the programs our schools do
  • Supporting, training, sustaining VC Coordinators, making sure they are replaced and trained if they leave
  • Providing resources, both print and web-based, to help teachers see how VCs match their curriculum
  • Offering free programs to our schools (ASK and collaborative projects) that are tightly matched to their curriculum, including the “boxes” that come with the ASK programs
  • Offering mini-grants to help pay for programs
  • Increasing access to VC in every school
  • Assisting principals and tech coordinators in the districts with supporting VC

How would your teachers answer this question? If you’re a teacher, do you agree with this list? What supports must continue to sustain your use of videoconferencing? If you support teachers, are you able to provide most of this support? Do you provide any other supports? What do you see as most important? Please comment!

Selecting and Preparing for VCs

This post is part of a series of posts with some of the results from a survey of my top VC-using teachers. Read more about it in the first post of this series. Remember, they are using videoconferencing to support curriculum instruction (not full length courses).

The question featured in this post is the following:

Comment on how you select and prepare for a videoconference.

This is a qualitative representation of the results using Wordle. Click the graphic for a larger version.

Selecting and Preparing for a VC

Curriculum and questions sure stand out, don’t they? Let’s look at a list of how my teachers find out about programs:

  • Check websites
  • I use the ISD website to search for programs that are available.
  • I go to the teacher who helps us in our building for help. VC Coordinator.
  • Look is ASK directory.
  • Investigate messages listing available topics. (My emails to the teachers came up quite a bit.)
  • Jazz mini-sessions.
  • Librarian assistance. VC Coordinator.
  • I use some of the same ones each year because I know the expectations and the results. I watch for Janine’s emails to see what is new that I can use, and I look for FREE ones.
  • I use the ones I have experienced. Interesting on these repeat comments. What hooked them the first time?
  • There is a print out at the beginning of the year that I try to find things that go with my theme.

What is their criteria for choosing?

  • Whatever is free!
  • I look for videoconferences that integrate with our learning.
  • Based on our GLCEs / curriculum. This came up again and again in various wordings.
  • Videoconferences that are at my students’ level.

Preparing for a videoconference can include:

  • Making sure they understand the content before the VC
  • I usually provide the students with guidelines and we vote on what medium or type of presentation to give. The students then work in groups to complete the presentations.
  • We prepare according to the instructions, formulate questions, discuss the topics etc.
  • As for preparing, sometimes the ISD sends kits for us to use or I check with the place holding the VC.
  • I expose my students to the information necessary for them to become fully engaged when viewing the decided VC. WE discuss and then prepare questions that can be asked or answered by viewing the VC to make it a much more richer experience.
  • Prior to the LEST WE FORGET conferences I will spend a class period providing background info or reinforcing prior learning of the war involved. We then develop questions based on student ideas of what they would like to hear more about.

Your Turn: How do you select and prepare for videoconferences? What resources and strategies do you use to help teachers select videoconferences? How do you help teachers prepare for videoconferences? Please comment!

Videoconferencing is like…

This post is part of a series of posts with some of the results from a survey of my top VC-using teachers. Read more about it in the first post of this series. Remember, they are using videoconferencing to support curriculum instruction (not full length courses).

The question featured in this post is the following:

If you asked your students to fill in the blank: Videoconferencing is like ___________ What would your students put in the blank?

This is a qualitative representation of the results using Wordle. Click the graphic for a larger version.

VC is Like...

Some of the teachers actually had their students answer the question, and they came up with very creative answers. See what you think of these:

… going on a cool fieldtrip without leaving our desks.

… eating double deluxe chocolate pie.

… playing the best video game ever.

… real live movies that we participate in.

… a rainbow on a Sunday afternoon.

… a fieldtrip coming to our classroom.

… talking to someone in the same room, even though they’re far away.

… school… only way better! 🙂

Do you get the sense that the students in these classes (where teachers have done 6-12 videoconferences in a year) found that videoconferencing enriched their learning and engaged them?

So, how would you answer this question? How would your students answer this question? Do you get the same reaction from your students? Please comment!

Sustaining Use of VC

This post is part of a series of posts with some of the results from a survey of my top VC-using teachers. Read more about it in the first post of this series. Remember, they are using videoconferencing to support curriculum instruction (not full length courses).

The question featured in this post is the following:

Please identify and describe a key experience that helps sustain your use of videoconferencing.

This is a qualitative representation of the data using Wordle. Click the graphic for a larger version.

Sustaining Teacher Use of VC

This Wordle is a great confirmation of Owston’s (2007) model on the sustainability of an innovation. He suggests that an essential condition (among others) for sustainability is that the students must support the innovation. Clearly these teachers see the value of videoconferencing to their students. Here are a few full quotes:

A key experience that motivates me to continue using videoconferencing is the fact that my students are able to communicate with other classrooms, authors, and educators around the world. –Wendy Zahrn, 4th grade, Sylvester Elementary, Berrien Springs

Connecting kids to experiences outside of our community without leaving the school! -Tami Miller, 2nd grade, Eagle Lake Elementary, Edwardsburg

The comments the students were making and the level of understanding they had was amazing. -Lacy Payne, 6th grade, F.C. Reed Middle School, Bridgman

The students enthusiasm! They love to VC. -Karen Ennesser, 7th grade science, Dowagiac Middle School, Dowagiac

These are interactive field trips that we don’t even have to leave the building for. Students walk away with new knowledge and experiences. -Dori Hughes, 2nd grade, Eagle Lake Elementary, Edwardsburg

When I see the students interact, with great interest, listening to the speaker or other classroom, I’m delighted to see their involvement. -Peggy Clore, 5-7th language arts, Coloma Middle School, Coloma

I LOVE videoconferencing! It gives my kids exposure to things we couldn’t otherwise do. It gives them practice in presenting & performing skills and is just so much fun! -Heidi Clark, 1st grade teacher, Three Oaks Elementary, River Valley

So, how would you answer this question? What keeps you going in sustaining the use of videoconferencing in your classroom or school? Please comment….

Reference: Owston, R. (2007). Contextual factors that sustain innovative pedagogical practice using technology: an international study. Journal of Educational Change, 8(1), 61-77. doi:10.1007/s10833-006-9006-6

A Little VC Technical Knowledge

After the discussions that arose from my posts last week about mentoring, I thought it might be helpful to share some of the ways that I work with the tech coordinators in our districts.

A Little History
First, a little history. I’m at heart and by training a teacher, and the technology scared me at first. When we started with VC in 1999, my supervisor did all the technical stuff. I didn’t want to touch it. But over time I learned more about it, and sometimes say that I’ve learned more about networks than I ever wanted to know! Experience was my teacher. So I encourage you to try to learn what you can about how VC works on your network!

Background Knowledge

Word Wall from Jazz Workshop
Word Wall in the Jazz Workshop

I really started to learn more when we made the switch to IP videoconferencing in 2005. An early workshop that I attended in 2006 was “Understanding and Troubleshooting Videoconferencing Networks.” I thought for sure I wouldn’t get anything out of it and that it would be over my head. But surprisingly, I’d experienced enough situations in our IP calls that I learned something and actually understood it! Some basic concepts (written in my lay language!) include:

  • IP numbers that start with 10. are internal addresses and people outside can’t call them.
  • Most videoconferences are at 384K. Compare that to the amount of available bandwidth on a typical day to know if you’ll be able to sustain a “good enough” videoconference.
  • Packets are little pieces of info sent over the network. In email the packets eventually get there, get together, and give you an email. But in VC, if the packets don’t show up in time, they get thrown away. Hence, packet loss. Usually 2% packet loss or higher becomes intolerable.
  • A NAT is network address translation, and both the codec/endpoint and the firewall/router need matching settings for NAT to work. This is because the endpoint/codec needs that info to set up the packets properly.
  • An IP videoconference call is set up on port 1720. After that the two codecs negotiate which ports to use for the audio and video streaming. This is what’s going on when it rings & rings.
  • If you’re using a gatekeeper, ports 1718 and 1719 are used to find and register with the gatekeeper. More on ports here.
  • Two great resources to learn more about H323 and your network are: H323 and Firewalls from MOREnet in MO; and UKERNA/Janet Security Guide for H323 from the UK.

Working with District Tech Coordinators

  • It’s important that they understand the impact of VC on their network. See the notes above. Even if you don’t understand how it all works, it helps to know a bit of “techie language”, enough to explain what VC does. I’ve found VTC Talk a useful site to learn to talk to the technicians. It’s desirable to be able to point them  in the right direction of what to do to make it work, and where to find answers.
  • It’s also important that those of us in VC realize that network technicians have legitimate concerns about the health of their network. Listen. Realize also that they are busy and usually overworked. Hear their side. Send them to third party resources (such as those above) to explain the issues in their language.
  • We try to do summer installations and upgrades if at all possible. During the school year, there are so many problems to fix, it’s hard to find time to learn new things or change network policies to make VC work. It can take 3-6 months to get VC working on your network during the school year. Better to do it in the summer.
  • Know your audience. Some tech coordinators in our districts came from the education side, and others came from business/technology. Some of them are interested and want to know a lot about how to use VC in the curriculum. Others know that the teachers want and use it, and all they want to know is what needs to be done on the network. Tailor your message accordingly!

Your Turn
What do you think? Do you use any of these strategies? Do you have any other tips? Please comment!

How Principals Support Videoconferencing

This is my first year participating in Leadership Day. The idea is to share “whatever you like related to effective school technology leadership: successes, challenges, reflections, needs, wants, etc.”

So I thought it might be helpful to share what principals in my service area do to support curriculum videoconferencing. I don’t think any of them actually do ALL of these, but it provides a nice menu of ways to support videoconferencing in the school.

Learning About VC

  • Kamloops, BC Superintendent visits the Jazz workshop
    Kamloops, BC Superintendent visits the Jazz workshop

    Watch a videoconference or two each year to see how students and teachers are using this tool

  • Subscribe to my email list with the “ads” of what curriculum opportunities are available
  • Attend Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with VC

Promoting Professional Development About VC

  • Scheduling every year or so a staff meeting overview of videoconferencing in the curriculum, how to sign up, mini-grants, etc. They schedule this with me.
  • Send the VC coordinator to initial full day training and to follow-up training as needed.
  • When the VC coordinator leaves or retires or isn’t working well, send another person to get the coordinator training. This full day training I offer in the fall every year.

Promoting VC

  • Find funding to assist in paying for programs
  • A few elementary principals each year encourage EVERY teacher to participate in a VC that year
  • One principal encourages teachers who aren’t using VC to include VC in their personal professional development plan
  • Have teachers share success stories during staff meetings.

Your Turn

How does your principal support videoconferencing in your school? Please comment!

Mentoring: Lost in Translation

This post is part of a series examining research and theory on mentoring and coaching from the perspective of mentoring school videoconference coordinators.

Article Reference

Orland-Barak, L. (2005). Lost in translation: Mentors learning to participate in competing discourses of practice. Journal of Teacher Education, 56(4), 355-366.

Summary

This article focuses on the “competing discourses of practice” between mentoring and teaching. Instead of focusing on what is similar between the two, the author focuses on what is different, suggesting that mentoring for teachers is like speaking/learning a new language.

The study is based in the Israeli education system where there are formal programs with “school mentors” for new teachers within a school, and “outside mentors” who are assigned to a school and often teach part-time elsewhere. The mentors observe, evaluate, organize and conduct workshops, lead staff development, and assist with curriculum.

Challenges in this role include:

  • Finding it diffcult to implement a new curriculum in their own class while trying to mentor novice teachers in the same thing
  • A dual sense of accountability to teachers and principals/inspectors
  • Trying to make sense of being a mentor and being a teacher and differing behaviors for each
  • They believed in mentoring as “collaborative and democratic,” but their actions were more “prescriptive and controlling”
  • They might be an expert in teaching, but a novice in mentoring, which causes dissonance

Skills mentors need:

  • Confidence in themselves and their profession
  • Ability to develop relationships with teachers
  • Evidence of master in their content area
  • Ability to understand the “power relationships with new accountabilities”
  • A clear vision of what it means to be a good professional in changing contexts

In this study, the education system is centralized and focused on product, whereas the universities are focused on process. This scenario pulls the mentors in different directions.

Application to VC

Similar challenges?

  • Do educational service level agency VC support personnel or our VC coordinators run into any of these challenges?
  • Are there any competing expectations that make life difficult for our VC coordinators in the schools?

I haven’t heard anything that sounds quite like the level in this study. However, there may be similar challenges:

  • Competition for Time: VC Coordinators who support VC on top of their regular job (teacher coordinators and media specialists who teach full time)
  • Competition for Tech Integration: VC Coordinators who are responsible for promoting and supporting the integration of technology in their school. Is there enough time for VC plus all the other technologies?
  • Competition for Curriculum: A tightening of the curriculum with little room left for creative teaching.

Your Turn

What do you think? What are other challenges that school level VC coordinators face in trying to mentor teachers to use VC in the curriculum?