Tag Archives: sigivc

IVC Ops Supports the ISTE10 SIG IVC Playground

At the ISTE10 Conference last week, the pirate crew hosted a playground for learning about videoconferencing.

Two people provided the most technical support: pirates Shane Howard and Paul Hieronymus, the SIG IVC ops team for 2010. In addition to arriving several days before the conference to set up the network and equipment for videoconferencing sessions Saturday – Tuesday; they moved all the equipment over Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning to be ready for the playground’s opening at 8 am.

Besides providing tech support, Shane guarded the treasure from anyone who didn’t complete the pirate tasks!

Paul guided incoming sailors to the queen to gain a “letter of marque” for permission to sail the islands.

Paul and Shane also spent a significant amount of time solving problems, answering tech/bridging phone calls, and fixing any issues that came up during the playground. Watch out for that sword!

Arrr, good job mates, argh! We could not have had a playground without you, argh!

Pirate Crew from ISTE 10 IVC Playground

The videoconferencing playground, a first at the ISTE conference, was a smashing success! More detailed posts coming as I sort through my notes and pictures. I want to share a report from each of the six videoconference solutions featured at the playground, as well as some reflections on the learning that occurred. I thought in the meantime that you might like to see this picture to get a feel for the fun we had!

Everyone in the picture tweets about VC:
Back row: @hairynomas, @outonalim, @lcolwill, @shanehoward, @roxanneglaser, @museumgds
@amyspath, @sckdln, @cmollerstuen

This isn’t the whole crew – just a few of us! My copy of the whole group pic didn’t turn out well.

The playground was set up with six islands with different videoconferencing solutions (mostly H323). Attendees first visited the pirate queen to get a letter of marque so they could explore the islands. If they visited at least 3, they were entitled to some pirate treasure, and their names entered in a drawing for over $4000 worth of content provider programs and professional development.

You can read more about it at the official wiki for the IVC playground. More information to come in future posts! And if you’re planning to go to ISTE 2011, keep us in mind & volunteer!

Videoconferencing Lesson Study: Learning from the Classroom

Poster Session: Amy Colucci, Jefferson County Public School with Jeremy Renner

Just stopped by a poster session on the way that Jefferson County Public Schools uses classroom-based videoconferencing systems to facilitate real-time lesson studies without interrupting the classroom instructional.

I talked to Pam Caudill, who is the videoconferencing contact supporting the project. It’s a really cool professional development model. (In case you’re interested, they are using Tandberg equipment.)

So imagine this:

  • The model teacher is in the classroom – and videoconferences back with a group of teachers at another site.
  • She explains the idea for the lesson; prep etc.
  • She teaches the lesson. The teachers at the other site are watching. A mic is on the teacher, and a room mic is used also. Someone in the room unobtrusively manages the camera so the far site sees everything going on.
  • After the lesson, the model teacher debriefs with the teachers at the far site.
  • THEN, the teachers at the far site learn how to use the technology tools they just saw used with the students.

Sweet, huh?!

Think of this:

  • Teachers see the technology tool used WITH kids! BEFORE they are taught how to use it.
  • Teachers see the benefits to learning and how it fits into instruction; and THEN they learn how to use it and develops their own lessons.

Neat use of VC!

SIG IVC Forum

It’s ISTE SIG IVC Forum time, and we’re getting our tickets for the prize drawing!

First, we’re hearing some presentations on various things going on in VC land:

  • KC3 Kids Creating Community Content (check out the Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy if you haven’t seen it before)
  • CET Challenger Learning Center (they are almost ready to unveil a new CyberSurgeons program, where students are surgeons on a mercy ship – cool!) It’s not on their website yet. Students will work in teams to solve diagnoses and treatments for several pages. NIH funded this mission because they want the next generation of young people to be familiar with clinical trials and to be willing to do them (they are running out of people to participate in the trials). The e-missions are listed here. We got to see a bit of the new e-mission – which has great use of Google Earth, and other visuals.
  • Blended Learning with the Arkansas Department of Education – we heard about all their full courses offered via videoconferencing, online learning, and a combination of both. They are also using technology that allows them to push content to every student’s computer as well. (I didn’t catch what it was.)
  • Marci Powell, Polycom hosted several people sharing what universities are doing with videoconferencing: Dr. Thomas Kane from Prescience Communications on videoconferencing in the UK – administrative meetings, higher ed meetings with industry, some classes. He’s also doing a lot of work in K12: connecting K12 students to higher ed, etc. We also heard from another person how schools in California are using videoconferencing for 3d simulations, live performances, and others within colleges and community colleges. California is also working on K20 Video: a common scheduling system for all of California.

News:

After that there was some time to share business cards & eat snacks; some items of business from the leadership; and some time to share what everyone is doing, and a whole bunch of prizes. If you missed it, you missed out!

Elephant in the Room: Students Learning Science through Exhibit Design

IVC Showcase: Cathy Ryan-Smith, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo with Jason Schafer

In this session, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo gave an overview of their videoconference programs, specifically a session on exhibit design. They are redesigning their elephant exhibit, so they brought the students at Springmill Intermediate in Mansfield, OH to participate in the design.

With this program, the Springmill Intermediate principal approached the Cleveland Zoo to integrate their changes with the math, science and technology curriculum for their students. The project they created included students designing their own exhibit.

The program included:

  • a proposal and approval from everyone
  • a Professor Wylde Animal Presentation (a traveling animal show)
  • 5 videoconference sessions: Exhibit Design, Animal Care, Horticulture, Education, Guest  Relations
  • and a field trip to the zoo

I really like the combination of on site visit at school, on site visit at the zoo, and the videoconference sessions; along with the inquiry learning and student designed projects/exhibits.

Students asked some great questions during the programs:

  • What tools are used to trim an animal’s feet?
  • How do zoo keepers handle elephants when they get scared?

Students had to take notes during the sessions so they could use the information later as they designed their exhibits.

How awesome – the Cleveland Zoo got a picture of the ISTE Blue Bear during one of their videoconferences.

Then we got to talk to one of the teachers involved in the program – and she told about her students’ reaction and engagement in the project and showed examples of the student work.

Cleveland Zoo programs are FREE!!

Note also that their registration opens on August 2, and their programs fill up very quickly, so make plans to get in!