Category Archives: Change

Day 9: Cancellations

20 Days to Being a Better VC CoordinatorGuest blogged by Roxanne Glaser

Sometimes life interrupts the best laid plans. You have worked with teachers and found content that fits with their curriculum. You submitted the paperwork. You have conducted test calls. You follow up with the teacher and you hear this, “I cannot do that videoconference.” What do you do?

Let’s start with what not to do. Don’t yell. Don’t take it personally. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Here are five tips for how to handle a cancellation

  1. Find out why the teacher is canceling.
  2. If the teacher is nervous or unsure about the event, contact facilitator or content provider for reassurance.
  3. Contact the content provider or facilitator of the session to find out if adjusting the schedule is possible. (NOTE: Be sure to read the cancellation policy of a content provider when you book the session. Some will charge a cancellation fee.)
  4. Try to find another teacher in your building to replace the class that is canceling.
  5. Communicate to all involved that the connection will not take place and diplomatically explain why.

comment1 Challenge: Add a tip in the comments section that you have used in the past when a teacher cancels a connection.

The Joy in Their Eyes

Last year, a teacher from one of my poorer and more urban districts took the Planning Interactive Curriculum Connections class and got really excited about videoconferencing! They weren’t included in our recent RUS grant due to their high population, and so last spring she took the kids over to the high school to access videoconferencing several times. One time they walked through the snow, and each time they took a bus over they were struggling to find funding to get to the high school.

One of the programs was the ASK program with the book Ice Bear and Little Fox, and the students talked to Rebecca at the Buffalo Zoo. The kids loved it and afterwards the teachers found out two of the students had never been to the zoo!

Then, another teacher from this same school took the Jazz class this summer. With such enthusiasm and dedication from the school, what could I do but figure out how to get a unit to them!

Thankfully, due to closing a building in another district, I was able to reclaim an old Polycom Viewstation purchased by grant funds that we applied for. (Those things are like the energizer bunny – they just keep going!!)

Last Friday, my supervisor and I went out to deliver the Viewstation and discuss the details. We did a contract similar to the RUS grant contracts. They laughed when I said you need to do at least 5 VCs a year. I KNOW they won’t have a problem at all meeting that goal! And they have more than half of the required professional development done already.

So that was pretty exciting. It was fun to see the joy in their eyes over the opportunities they can now bring to their students!

VC7 – Brain Based Learning Techniques

James Tapankov: The VC7 – Brain Based Learning Techniques in VC
At Elevate 2008

This session will explore the use of brain-based learning techniques in the videoconferencing environment. The VC7 is a list of seven approaches that are guaranteed to enhance the level of interactivity and value to every VC, regardless of its focus. The session will involve the history of the development of the VC7, from its beginning roots to the current project with the VCRLN (Videoconferencing Regional Leads Network) to develop an online multimedia reference to highlight effective aspects of learning via VC.

I’ve been really looking forward to this session since I read the blurbs for the sessions at Elevate. I’m so interested in what the 7 things are!! James doesn’t have this information online anywhere that I could find, but last night at dinner he gave me permission to blog his session, so you too, can learn about the VC7.

James’ work is influenced by that of Marcia Tate of Developing Minds and Stephen Covey, and Viktor Flankl – Man’s Search for Meaning. I’m impressed with the connection and grounding in theory.

His handout has room to write down the 7 things, room to scribble and draw. He does this session via videoconference as well.

Keys to Brain-Based Learning

  • Relaxed alertness
  • Orchestrated immersion in complete experience
  • Active processing

#1. Make it meaningful.

Get everyone involved ASAP. Give meaning right away. Why are we here? Allow input into the “how”. Have everyone to something in the first 5 minutes instead of listening. Aim learning at solving problems together. Process learning in multiple ways. Connect life experiences. Build in reflection.

#2. Get them active.

Build in reasons and opportunities to: move. talk. draw. role play. play games. sing/dance. SHARE. “The last thing you want is a videoconference that could be recorded and sent out and it would have the same effect.”

#3. Keep it fresh.

Chunk it up, change it up. Take timely breaks. Give things to do OFF camera. Do unexpected things. Plant a “mole”. Change participant perspectives. Use new tools.

Marcia’s rule – maximum length of an activity: average age – up to 20 age/minimum. Grade 5 students who are 10, then chunk 10 minutes. Adults, 20 minutes max.

Example of unexpected things. He had some “moles” to pull out this snack that he likes – and everyone would taste it. Garlic sauce covered pretzels.

#4. Engage the senses.

Use A/V cues. Involve peripheral learning. Provide physical props. Use music. Use smell/taste. Use touch.

Visuals around and behind you but you don’t actually reference. This goes along with my idea to crunch MysteryQuest to an hour and change some of the clues to being nonverbal – like the climate and human environment interaction clues.

How do you convey the other senses when VC only conveys sight and sound?

He talked about the project he did with Santa and how they used clues. One of the squares in a multipoint is a sign that said “everybody scream” and after they did, Santa came on screen. When the grinch came on that same screen they hand to ring their bells and sing a song to make him go away. They used a green screen to transport Santa in & out of the different places. Like Santa got stuck in the dungeon and they had to answer questions to get him out.

#5. Make it personal.

Connect a camcorder. Tell (appropriate) personal stories. Give things to do OFF camera. Do unexpected things. Plant a “mole”. Change participant perspectives. Use interactive digital tools.

He thinks the robotic movements of the camera are impersonal, so he likes the camcorder instead hooked into the aux ports. You can really quick zoom in on what is going on that you want the other site to see. Of course you have to have enough bandwidth to handle all the motion.

When you build relationships with people, you want to see their reactions. Kids love to be behind the camera running it. Hmm. I wonder if a camcorder plus PVX plus Promethean is where I should be heading with my “every classroom” project

#6. Engage their emotions.

Use music to direct/adjust mood and focus. Create opportunities for empathy. See first five points. James wants us to contribute too so that these don’t repeat quite so much.

#7. Celebrate the experience.

Encourage/reward risk. Enjoy your time together. Be silly when you can. Highlight progress made. Provide opportunity afterwards.

Celebrate what happens at the end of things – like the big bang finale in Jazz.

Low threat / high challenge for brain based learning.

So many “one-offs” happen, so provide an opportunity to keep connecting.

Presentation Tips

  • Play music while the people talk. When the music stops, everyone stops talking.
  • Use a parking lot to write down questions and comments for afterwards.
  • “I’d love to hear 3 comments.” and he gave away 3 pens.

James has set up a wiki to continue the conversation and wants us all to contribute and extend these ideas. Gotta add this to the Read Around the Planet materials for this year!

Diffusion of Innovations

Rogers, E. M. (1995). Diffusion of innovations (4th ed.). New York: Free Press. Quoted in this article:

Rogers (1995) suggests that there are five factors related to the nature of innovations and their rate of adoption: relative advantage, the degree to which an innovation is perceived as better than the idea it supercedes; compatibility, the extent to which it is consistent with existing values, experiences, and needs of adopters; complexity, how difficult it is to use and understand; trialability, the degree to which it can be experimented with on a limited basis; and observability, the degree to which the results of the innovation are visible to others.

So, how do you think videoconferencing is doing?

  • Relative advantage: What idea does VC supercede? For course delivery, it’s the face to face instructor, right? For curriculum videoconferencing, it’s the field trip, right? Is that advantage strong enough? Do people perceive it as better?
  • Compatibility: Is VC compatible with our values and experiences? in what ways? how does it meet the needs to adopters?
  • Complexity: I think we have a ways to go yet on this one. Just read this blog post: “Does it have to be so formal and complicated?”
  • Trialability: Hmm. How would you experiment with VC on a limited basis before you decided??? You can watch some videos maybe, but it’s pretty hard to just try it out.
  • Observability: Certainly other teachers in the building know when you’re using it or not; but do others interested in educational technology know about it? I think we still have a way to go in this area as well.

I think this theory does show some of the challenges to videoconferencing becoming a mainstream technology. Do you agree? What do you think?

Using VC for Homebound Students

Here’s an interesting article published in Feb/March. Did you read it?

A Healthy Education

Videoconferencing allows a Florida boy with an immune system deficiency to attend school for the first time.

Kevin O’Connell is a typical third grader at Spring Hill Elementary. He jumps up from his chair and recites the Pledge of Allegiance with his classmates. He huddles with his small reading group and reads a story when it’s his turn. And when he knows an answer, he raises his hand and patiently waits for his teacher to notice him in the back of the classroom. The only difference is, he’s actually attending class at home.

Take a moment to read it. It’s a pretty cool example of using VC to bring full courses to students.

Repeat Teachers

Are you starting to see teachers who are doing more than one videoconference in a year? It’s not just a novelty one time thing? They are doing a bunch! For example….

  • I have a kindergarten teacher who has done 10 videoconferences this year (4 with content providers, rest collaborations & projects)
  • Another kindergarten teacher who did 12 (only 2 with content providers, the rest collaborations & projects)
  • a second grade teacher who did 18 (3 content providers, a couple ASK programs, mostly collaborations and projects)
  • I had an email from a teacher in TX who was doing MysteryQuest USA. She was confused on the preparation and her excuse was that her schedule was jammed with a bunch of videoconferences…. (teacher this is – not a media specialist coordinator)…
  • a middle school teacher who did 9 (all content providers who offer free programs)

Why are they doing so many? It can’t be “just for fun” or for the novelty’s sake. Multiple collaborative projects with the same teacher and/or different teachers. These videoconferences have become an integral part of their teaching. Why!? What made them use it so much? What value do they see in it? Clearly they’ve found that this technology makes an impact on student learning. I want to ask them more about it.

Are you seeing this in your area? What stories do you hear?

Scalability of Distance Learning Initatives

USLDA Conference: Scalability of Distance Learning Initiatives within Current School Models Resistant to Change by Daryl Diamond, Assistant Director, Enterprise Change Implementation, Broward County Public Schools, FL

6th largest school district in the country; first franchise of Florida Virtual School

She started with a “distance learning program attribute checklist” with keys for implementation. It has five categories:

Some of these ideas come from Comprehensive School Reform.

Scaling isn’t just the number of people using a technology or tool. It’s not just pockets of educational reform.

Coburn’s (2003) Dimensions of Scale

  • Spread – increased numbers
  • Depth – changes in teachers beliefs and practice
  • Sustainability – how does it sustain after reform funding ends
  • Shift in Reform Ownership

Think about scaling up vs. going to scale. Going to scale means that it’s integrated into regular practice and becomes the norm.

There are some ways that distance learning is better than face to face – where the online learning model meets multiple intelligences and authentic assessment is used. And face to face is just the lock step workbook page that everyone has to be on the same page by the mideterm.

Do you ever feel like you’re building an airplane in the sky?

Does the distance learning program change the pedagogical principles? Is the project able to continue if funding is pulled?

Broward has videoconferencing systems in all the high schools, used mostly for full courses. They also have VC in the elementary and middle schools. In addition they have a middle & high school level virtual school.

“going to scale” includes changing basic pedagogical practices.

“researchers have been looking at the wrong thing” – only how many teachers are using it? how many students are using it? Instead we should look at how teaching has changed?

We need to move past “it’s innovative, it’s fun, it’s viable, it’s enjoyable”.

Interesting idea she has: use VC to mentor teachers. Both teachers hook up their classes – the mentor teacher teaches both classes while the other teacher learns/observes. It’s implemented in face to face classes to meet the needs of new teachers.

“How many of your programs started with a grant?” What happens when the grant funding dries up?

She sees distance learning as a critical tool to address the mandates for all students to have access to quality learning.

There’s a nice intro to their VC programs here. Their VC courses are supported by web resources.

Then we looked at the checklist again to consider how our programs are going to scale based on the checklist. The checklist isn’t online that I could find, but you can email Daryl – her contact information is on the link at the top.

Listening to Teachers

Listening
On a slightly off-videoconferencing topic…. I’ve been teaching an online class, Technology in the Early Elementary Classroom, the last 8 weeks. I love listening to the teachers discuss, create projects, and sharing great ideas with each other. This week there was a discussion of the use of the overhead projector. Kindergarten and 1st grade teachers talked about how students went crazy over it when they first saw it. New to them! And how it helped them follow along in using their math books, etc.

I thought about the tech coordinators I’ve heard wanting to get rid of all the overhead projectors in their school and replace with [insert preferred technology here].

And I wondered, how often do we really stop and listen to the teachers? How often do we observe how they are actually using the tools in their classroom (without judging teaching philosophy or strategy)? How often do we think carefully about how teachers will still do their great work minus a tool we’re tired of? Do we really listen and hear the potential impact of technology decisions on teachers?

——

One of the ways I want to listen to my teachers this year is to do a little end of the year survey. Actually two surveys. I’ll send the Zoomerang links to my regular VC listserv for my teachers, with a link for if you did a VC this year, and if you didn’t. I want to ask them some questions. To see how we can serve them better.

How are you listening to the teachers you serve?

Talking to tech coordinators

At the MACUL 08 Conference this year, I ran into some of our local tech coordinators and we chatted about the progress of videoconferencing in their districts.

We commiserated about the great fact that the school level videoconference coordinators are doing fine on their own, and the sad fact that we don’t get to see the videoconferences as much anymore. We miss “running the show” for our teachers, but the increased usage is a testament to the fact that the new model of a school level champion, with district and educational service agency level support for that person, is a successful model. The support tree structure makes it easy for teachers to participate, and hence we have greater use of videoconferencing.