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?
Are you kidding? We actually have our first one that we’d like to ban from further use of this technology! It is wonderful that she enjoys it so much and even goes out on her own to search for and reserve connections of value to her class; however, sometimes these “gung ho” teachers get a little carried away and neglect the process that is set in place to make these things happen flawlessly!
So then we have to teach them the process or bug them about the process, right?! I now email mine once a month and remind them to record VCs in our calendar system that they might have forgotten to put online. It’s true some are better at this follow-up than others! 🙂 I’m starting to teach a scheduling workshop so I can give them freedom within my “rules” and procedures. 🙂
I see some teachers who do many projects each year, but am seeing another trend as well. I have teachers who plan our projects into their yearly curriculum plans and they start emailing ME when they haven’t gotten the call for participation. They repeat our projects year after year and each year they do it better with deeper understanding of both the project and how the technology works.
Shane and I are also talking about a scheduling workshop to teach and review the procedures next year. We are also working on a “when to use Skype and when to use email” document/skit/song. That became a problem this year when people would Skype Shane information that should have been sent email and vice versa. 🙂