Got Videoconferencing?

Poetry Slam 2009

2009-06-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

It is hard to pick a sample of this years poetry slam since so many of our students did such an outstanding job of writing and performing their poetry. The young poet in the video exemplifies the flavor and talent that our students exhibited in the nine virtual slams we had last week. The culmination of slam was an "Open Mic" which gave our young poets a chance to perform in front of their peers "live". The Poetry Slam program which I have been involved with for five years is a poetry writing and performance residency that takes place in the classroom over a ten week period. During this residency a slam team is chosen. The slam team consists of 5 members and 2 alternates. This team then goes on to slam using videoconferencing technology. The competition is with other schools. This year our teams slammed with other students in Queens and the Bronx. Two of NYC five boroughs. This program has expanded to other cities as well. Chicago has a Poetry Slam program. To learn more about the program go to Globalwrites.
For the past three years I was able to fund this program through a generous New York State Learning Technology Grant. I wrote the grant for three schools. The middle school where I work as a technology coordinator, another middle school in my district and a Catholic School. One of the grant requirements was to have a non public partner. The idea behind the grant was to follow classes from 6th grade through 8th grade and to see how their poetry developed. This was the last of the three years. Most of the students were now 8th graders and they had been writing and performing poetry for three years. It is wonderful to see the student develop their poetry and performance over the years. To see students who are shy find their voice and build their confidence.
Over the years that I have been involved with poetry slams I have seen teachers and schools continue poetry slams even when there was no money to pay a residency. The program is just that rewarding. This year I added an ASK style videoconference with a Kahlil Almustafa, a poet and author who wrote a book of poetry called "Growing Up Hip Hop". I blogged about it in my previous post. Also, this year our some of our students performed for the community at the Queens Botanical Gardens. As much as I love the technology of videoconferencing our poetry through slams, I also love the different ways our students have gotten to share their poetry. In fact this year we printed all our students poems in an anthology "Written and Revealed: Youth poems from the 7 train". That is the subway train that connects our schools. A common thread among many that our young poets share.

Growing Up Hip Hop

2009-05-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today we had a videoconference with Kahlil Almustafa, poet and author of "Growing Up Hip Hop". I have worked with Kahlil for the past 5 years in our Poetry Slam program. He is not only a gifted poet and performer but he is an amazing teacher. The relationship that Kahlil has with the students is truly inspiring. The students light up when he enters the classroom and the poetry they write reflects this extraordinary teacher student connection. As part of a grant I invited Kahlil to host an ASK format videoconference. ASK which stands for Authors, Specialists, Knowledge brings authors and experts to answer student questions based on the books they have read. The student had just finished reading Kahlil's first book of poetry "Growing Up Hip Hop". This is why Kahlil came to our school today to share some of his poetry and answer the students questions about his poetry, life as an artist and tips on how to perform poetry in a poetry slam.
Kahlil's visit was actually two part. At first he visited some of the classes in the flesh. He performed some of his poems, fielded questions and warmed up for the videoconference that would take place later on. By the time the videoconference started he was all warmed up and ready to go. The videoconference was with three of our Poetry Slam classes. These classes have been working with other artists as part of a ten week poetry residency. In two weeks they will be performing in a poetry slam so Kahlil's videoconference was very helpful and timely.
When the videoconference began some of the students looked bored and detached but Kahlil's personality and style soon got the students involved and excited. Kahlil stood close to the monitor at times he even touched the screen. When students asked questions about specific poems, Kahlil performed the poems so everyone was familiar with the poem. When he was asked what inspired him to write poetry he told them about discovering "The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes" at his "fake cousin's" house when he was 15. (According to Kahlil everyone has a "fake cousin"), Every answer to ever question was thoughtful and often flavored with humour. Kahlil also gave advice to our aspiring poets on writing and performance. With regard to the latter he told the students when they practice their poems they should do whatever comes naturally to them but they should pay attention to gestures and deliveries that they like and then purposefully incorporate them into their performance.
Kahlil Almustafa is a treasure and because of that the videoconference today was very special. I will be blogging about our 2009 Poetry Slam very soon but as an off shoot of Kahlil's work with our students our schools will be participating in the Queens Art Express event at Queens Botanical Gardens. This is a great opportunity for our student poets to join Kahlil in performing their wonderful poetry.

"If I Just Had Two Wings" by Virginia Frances Schwartz

2009-02-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

Now that my first attempt at coordinating an ASK format videoconference is one for the books, or more appropriately blogs, I'd like to reflect on the experience and on the extraordinary videoconference. The day began with my losing my cellphone. I would soon retrieve it but I was a little uneasy that it might be a portent of what was to come. Next I received a call from one of our participating schools. It was the one in Nova Scotia, Canada and I was very excited about this school's involvement since our author Virginia Frances Schwartz was born and raised in Ontario Canada. I would learn in this conversation that they would be audio only and that they were not sure if they would be able to connect as they had some problems during the test call the previous week. My spirit sunk a little bit when I realized we wouldn't see the students and possibly may not even hear them. What next? I was even nervous about my own equipment which worked perfectly for the Dr. Ben Carson ASK videoconference on Monday but is sometimes at the whim of how much traffic is out there in cyberspace as we connect using a commercial cable modem with a dynamic IP.

So, by 11:00, the videoconference was at 12:00, I was so relieved and happy to see the author arrive and realize that it was almost showtime. At 11:30, the 6th grade class at my school, arrived at the Media Center. They had the book and their questions in hand. I seated the students who would be asking the questions at the table with the author as the rest of the class of 29 filled up the other 3 tables. I quickly prepped them for the videoconference. I told them not only were they special to have the author in the room with them but they also had had a special responsibility to be really quiet when the author was talking. Then it was time to dial into the bridge. To my great relief a class was already there as well as Roxanne Glaser, from Waco Texas, who would be facilitating the videoconference.

One by one the other schools connected to the bridge and we were ready to begin. Roxanne called the schools by alphabetical order. First up was Chester Middle School in Nova Scotia, Canada. Their sweet strong voices were music to my ears. Then one by one students in Minerva, Ohio, Monroe Township, New Jersey, Lynbrook, New York, and the two New York City schools took their turns to ask questions to author Virginia Frances Schwartz.

The students questions were wonderful. Sometimes they would refer to specific pages in the book. Other times their questions were more broad. "Why did you write a book about slavery and the Underground Railroad?" Ms. Schwartz had two answers for that question, One as a classroom teacher, she was teaching kids about slavery and the children were yawning all the way through the lessons. She couldn't find any good historical fiction books about that time in American history. So, she decided to write one herself. The other reason is that where she grew up in Ontario, Canada she lived near depots that were used in the underground railroad. So a combination of experiences in her life and her love for writing led her to write two books about slavery. She feels she may write one more about the lives the slaves now free men and women lived in Canada.

Another fun part of the videoconference was our lightning round. With just about seven minutes left, Ms. Schwartz answered a full round of questions in less than six minutes. This left just enough time for the students to give her an enthusiastic round of applause. I just want to thank the teachers and students at the six participating schools, Roxanne Glaser for her fantastic facilitation, Ra at the New York Institute of Technology for bridging the calls and our amazing author Virginia Frances Schwartz.

My hopes in my previous blog for this my first attempt at "producing" an ASK videoconference were that everyone shows up. That the technology works. That everyone involved enjoys participating in the program. It looks like those hopes were realized above and beyond my expectations. Watch for ASK #2!

The Producer

2009-02-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

I am one week away from my first ASK format videoconference that I am producing. It is exciting and at the same time a little bit scary. Last year I tried to do this same videoconference without success. I have a colleague who's wife is an author of young adult books. They are mostly historical fiction dealing with Slavery and the Underground Railroad. Last year I purchased a class set of books for one of our 7th grade ELA classes. I posted the videoconference on the Polycom Special Events website and sat back to watch the magic happen. After a few months and postponing the date from February to April, I had no takers except for the class at my school. I finally had to cancel the program. I was disappointed but not deterred and this year I tried again with much better success. I posted the ad on the ED1VIDCONF Digest. Enthusiastic educators with questions about the program started filling up my mailbox. After many e-mails back and forth I had five registered classes in addition to the one at my school. One class is from Nova Scotia, Canada. This class I am especially excited about because the author is from Canada and parts of the story take place there. The other classes are from Ohio, New Jersey and Long Island, New York. I always feel that when students see students from other places that in itself is a videoconference! It is not easy coordinating a multipoint videoconference especially when you don't have a bridge yourself. However, I am fortunate to have access to the bridge at the New York Institute of Technology. I have used them for our Poetry Slams. This Thursday, we will be doing our tests with the bridge. On Wednesday, February 11th at 12:00 EST it is "Showtime". I will blog about the program more fully then. Right now I am hoping that everyone shows up. That the technology works. That everyone involved enjoys participating in the program. I have planned 3 more ASK format videoconferences after this one but right now I am looking forward to #1.

Tagged for a Meme

2008-12-21T05:50:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Janine, for tagging me for a meme! First I had to find out what that meant! Then I had to think about the meme and my thoughts about what I believe about all students. I got a good explanation of what a meme and tag is here:
The second task of sharing three things that I believe about all students wasn't as simple. First of all I want to say that Janine Lim took all the best answers. I also feel I would like to relate this to videoconferencing. So, I will try my best at adding to the already great answers and putting on my own videoconferencing spin.
1. Students learn best when they have can have a first hand or hands-on experience. Videoconferencing gives students the opportunity to experience things in a way that traditional classroom learning does not offer. If they can't go on a real field trip a videoconference is the next best thing. Speaking with authors and experts make for lasting experiences.
2. Most students like all people are social animals. They like to interact with each other. They like to work in pairs or groups. Videoconferencing offers an opportunity for this interactivity. When students get to share with students from other places they are very excited and motivated.
3. Students like to be rewarded for their effort. These rewards can be extrinsic or intrinsic. When the presenter or expert during a videoconference says "great question" or "terrific answer" students react with pride and self confidence.

Happy Holidays to All!

Here’s who I’m tagging for this meme. You’re it!

Roxanne, Amy and Paul H.

Your mission is to:

Read Martha’s original post from the Opening Digital Doors blog.

Share three things that you believe about all students.
Reflect on your thoughts in your blog.
Be sure to link to this post and to where you were first tagged.
Tag your response with AllStudentsMeme
Invite others to join the conversation by tagging them to be a part of the meme.

Empire State Conference

2008-12-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

Today for the second time I presented our Poetry Slam program to several school districts that are part of BOCES Greater Southern Tier. The Greater Southern Tier (GST) is a large region in New York State. The Empire State Conference was organized by the GST Distance Learning Service. Their mission is to provide their districts with the support and training required to locate appropriate educational video conferencing opportunities, plan implementation strategies, and support integration of distance learning across the curriculum. I truly enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience with Poetry Slam. I think it is one of the most exciting and rewarding uses of videoconferencing. In our Queens district this program has impacted hundreds of student and as part of the Globalwrites network the numbers now are well into the thousands. I have blogged about poetry slam many times and hope to continue to blog about it in the future. Today was about sharing with other educators. I invited 5 members of one of last years poetry slam teams. They are part of a three year NYS Learning Technology Grant. As 6th graders they began a poetry residency that they continued last year as 7th graders and again this year as 8th gaders. There are 7 classes in all. The grant will evaluate how these students improved in their ELA scores compared to other similiar classes that did not participate in poetry slam. Today the students shared their poems and then fielded questions from the educators at the different sites. They were asked questions like: Do they think poetry has improved their writing in other areas? Will they continue to write poems after the program is over? Are the poetry slam competitions fierce or friendly? What is makes them more nervous performing a poem in front of their classmates or over a videoconference? They answered these questions and more with honesty and thoughtfulness that the adult audience recognized and complimented them on their maturity. Mostly the answers to these four questions were yes, maybe, friendly and videoconferencing. At the end of the conference I think we might have gained some new competition for future slams.

How High Can You Jump on Jupiter?

2008-11-17T19:04:00.000-08:00

This past summer our principal went to Brazil as a guest of the Brazilian Department of Education. She had the opportunity to visit several schools and to observe their educational programs. This week some principals from Brazil came to our middle school in New York City to take a look at an urban American public school. Since one of our 6th grade classes was participating in a videoconference with NASA I invited the principals to join the class for the videoconference. So the group of principals, their translator and the participating class learned about "Planet Hopping Through Mathematics" one of the many NASA programs offered free to our schools through the NASA Digital Learning Network. It was great. The students measured how high they could jump on earth using a meter stick. Then through various mathematics formulas they used their calculators to get the jump height on the other planets. Each mathematical calculation was preceded by some interesting facts about the planet they were determining the jump height. The students learned about rings, moons, hurricanes and volcanos on some of the plants. They also got to sharpen math skills like rounding to the nearest hundreth and changing fractions to decimals. Kudos to Karen Ricks our NASA presenter for a program that totally engaged and informed not only the students but the educators in the room too. I would love to videoconference with one of the schools in Brazil my principal visited but I am not sure how much interest there is for purchasing equipment. I couldn't help but think how lucky we are in America to have an agency like NASA to provide programs with such quality science content.

Do Elephants Have Body Odor?

2008-09-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Today, I am slightly embarassed to admit, I participated in my first webcast. It was on of all topics, Tips for Integrating Videoconferencing into Your Classroom, with Doug Meyer from CILC. I went by the name "Integrating". Somehow I missed how to sign-in with my real name. However, I was not the only one, there were a few participants named "Tips for Integrating". Beside that gaffe I did rather well. I was very adept at smiley faces, applause, survey taking, and comments on the whiteboard. I actually enjoyed the webcast experience very much and saw more than a few familiar names participating. The webcast was a very basic introduction to videoconferencing. I think for the novice it was just putting their toes in the pool. But I liked how Doug Meyer covered the topic in just under one hour. I hope there is follow up for these participants in their schools or districts. I always feel that any videoconference PD needs a videoconference to really get the technology across. But I am more and more finding these web 2.0 applications to be exciting and engaging too. Since I personally have been using interactive videoconferencing for ten years now, you'd think "what new things can I learn from a basic intro?" But the truth is that even though I did it for the "webcast" I did pick up a few new ideas for both my students and teachers. That brings me to "Do Elephants Have Body Odor?"

Our first videoconference for the new school year was with
the Hall of Science. It was a wonderful program on the science of sports. Why do balls bounce? How does a surfer stay on the board? The program explores the science of sports through classroom activities and demonstrations from the Hall of Science sports challenge exhibit area and shows how most sports can be related through science. The students learned about gravity, velocity and reaction time. The presenter was a wonderful young man named Anthony who had the qualities of knowledge, enthusiam and patience which are all so important for a successful videoconference.

He engaged the students for the full 45 minutes through interesting demonstrations on the exhibit floor, hands-on materials delivered to the school and a lively exchange with the students. (Although I must note the majority of the verbal exchange were from the boys!). Now what does that have to do with elephants? Well you see the Hall of Science is less then 15 minutes from our school by car. So when Anthony came to our school today to say hi the excitement was palpitable. Not to mention the excitement in the class when I suggested a field trip to the Hall of Science to see the Sports Exhibit. Even though we are so close to the Hall of Science most of the class had never visited there. But the videoconference certainly whetted their appetite and got them thinking about the science behind the sports they love. But as Doug Meyer said, when you have the real thing, you should definitely go there and we will. But for all you out-of-towners I highly recommend the Hall of Science

Dr. Ben Carson to Receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom

2008-06-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

Dr. Ben Carson, it was announced today by the White House, is one of 6 people to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, The medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor, recognizes people who have made an especially “meritorious contribution” to the United States. President Bush will honor the recipients at a ceremony on June 19. When I heard the announcement today I realized that because of videoconferencing, and as part of a Polycom Special Event, many of our students have had the opportunity to hear and interact with this great American. Dr. Ben Carson is a pediatric neurosurgeon and author who always finds time to do what he considers his most important work, to talk with students about believing in themselves and pursuing their dreams. This year was my third year of having a class of eighth graders read Dr. Carson's autobiography "Gifted Hands" and then prepare questions to ask the Doctor. He always gives thoughtful and in depth anwers to questions about medicine and his personal experiences. These conferences are always inspirational. How many lives has Dr. Carson touched and or changed through his medical work, books and yes videoconferences. Congratulations to Dr. Ben Carson! This most distinguished honor is most deserved.

What do poetry, veterans and aquaculture have in common?

2008-05-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

This week in three days one of my schools partcipated in three very different and interesting videoconferences.

On Monday, a group of teachers and poet mentors videoconferenced with a like group of teachers and poet mentors in another school district as part of a staff development about poetry performance. This year is the fourth year that we are participating in poetry slam using videoconferencing to facilitate the competition. Our five schools and 10 classes will have their poetry slam next week and our teachers have been having workshops in teaching poetry writing and performance. The opportunity to have them join another group of teachers and their workshop was very beneficial for not only our teachers but for our poets as well. Getting new ideas and techniques from other educators and artists without having to leave your own school is, I feel, one of the many great opportunities videoconferencing provides. Our teachers were asked to write a poem that was a recipe for something. Then they were asked to be coached by three of their colleagues on lines, expression and movement. The teachers were modeling what they would go back and ask their students to do in order to prepare for their poetry slam. Very often when a slam team is chosen, the rest of the class is left just watching the team. By giving the students meaningful coaching jobs they stay involved in the process.

On Tuesday an eighth grade class participated in an ASK program with Viet Nam Veterans. The students read the book "The Wall" by Eve Bunting. This provided the students with a springboard for them to begin a discussion of the Viet Nam War and the soldiers that fought in it. The videoconference was with four veterans who served in Viet Nam. The students asked the veterans questions ranging from their experiences in Viet Nam to their thoughts about the War and even about the war in Iraq. The teacher from our class was himself a Viet Nam Vet and in a touching moment he asked a question of his fellow vets. I think the students came away from this conference experience with an understanding that we study wars to hopefully learn lessons from them. That war should always be a last resort. That our veterans sacrificed a lot for our freedom and deserve our respect and appreciation. Veterans are true heroes. And in the case of our New York class, they learned their teacher is a hero too.

On Wednesday we were off to Hawaii to learn about the fishing industry in Hawaii. This was a very special program.
A group of high school students prepared a wonderful presentation on aquaculture. They made powerpoints about ancient Hawaiian fishing and fishing vocabulary in Hawaiian. They made videos of local fish markets, fishing boats and a fisherman catching fish with a net. They had plenty of interactivity through questions and answers. They had the students stand up and catch fish using an imaginary net. Our students practiced their Hawaiian by repeating fishing terminology. Mahimahi is a dolphin fish. It was a great experience for our students. I just want to say, MAHALO to the wonderful students in Hawaii and their teacher, Lynn Sueoka. To see the students and their website go to:
http://www.mohs.k12.hi.us/media-central/language-arts/kc3-aquaculture/aqua-index.html

The Cask of Amontillado

2008-04-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

When I approached an 8th grade teacher in one of my schools about participating in a Read Around the Planet videoconference she asked me what that entailed. I told her that the students could do some kind of reading activity, like a skit or a book talk. The next time I saw the teacher she was all excited about a play that she was planning for her class RAP videoconference. They couldn't possibly be ready by the first week in March. There were costumes and scenery to be made and lots of rehearsing. This production would be ready by the first week in April. I assured her that her match teacher would understand and that she should communicate her plans by e-mail and see what the partner school was preparing. Although I don't recommend letting these videoconference's planning drag on for too long, I did see in this instance an enthusiatic teacher who needed MORE time. So, March came and went as did Read Around the Planet videoconferences. The two originally paired teachers had lost touch. But the play must go on. So, we found an 8th grade class in Arizona that had originally matched with another class and was still eager to share. There were a few snags along the way like kindergarten registration in AZ and spring break in NY but today April 29th almost two months to the day originally planned the play did go on. And what a play it was.
The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe is is a murder story about a person being buried alive. It takes place during carnival time.This play was rich in acting, sound and special effects, costumes and scenery. It took almost as much time to do the scene changes as the scenes themselves. The production gave some challenges to our usual videoconferences. The camera needed to follow the action but also provide some drama. I felt more like a cinematographer! I don't know how much of the fog from the fog making machine was picked up by our Arizona audience or the sound of Amontillado cane tapping the floor but the play was meticulous in every way. Again the endless possibilities provided by videoconferencing is what is most apparent.
The class in Arizona had never read anything by Poe so for them this was an introduction to a new writer. The students in Arizona had their own bit of theatrics for our students as well. They wrote their own "Fairy Tales News Show" complete with re-enactments. There was Cinderella suing the prince in court for her lost Prada slipper. A search for the Muffin Man. A weather report about a tornado at the home of the three little pigs and on and on. They were amazingly creative. Even though their production was like Shakespeare's stage without scenery it "was by no means lacking in spectacle". Our NY student were inspired to write their own play.
It was a wonderful conference and well worth the wait. Although I think the first week in March works out just fine for most of us more simple folk.

"That's a "RAP"...almost

2008-03-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say that with finality but the truth is there are two classes that still need to videoconference with their match schools in April. However, 6 of the 8 classes I registered for Read Around the Planet did get to meet and share with their partner schools so I think I can call it a "rap"... almost. The connections so far have been amazing. Our NYC students have met classes from Michigan, Texas, Arizona, Upstate New York and Western Canada. They have videoconferenced with rural communities whose town populations were less than our school's student population. They have met students whose afternoon chores were rounding up cattle. They have seen just how different their lifestyles can be but they have also learned how much they have in common. They have been introduced to new books and reading activities. They have also shared their stories and projects. All in all it has been as it always is, incredible. A glimpse into the lives of other kids whose geographic locations they have only seen on maps. Those moments when you realize how important these connections are for learning a little bit more about our world. Students have had penpals for generations but seeing and talking to your videopal in real time is really special. The challenge is can this wonderful connection continue beyond this videoconference. Usually the videoconference ends with the classes vowing to keep in touch but the truth is these "Read Around" conferences are usually a beginning and end unto themselves.

Except in the case of the Mary McGuire Elementary School in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Their 5th/6th grade class videoconferenced with a 6th grade class at our BELL Academy. The students had a wonderful time. The students at BELL put on a skit about Harriet Tubman. The Michigan students shared a story. They learned a little about each other's respective school and community. Shared their goodbyes and it was over or so we thought. A few weeks later two big boxes arrived from the school. Accompanied by a letter from the teacher Buck Buchanan telling the students at BELL how excited his students were for being a part of their school year. The boxes were full of things donated by the Saginaw Chippewa Nation and a beautiful scrapbook of the Mt. Pleasant Community which Mr. Buchanan called "small rural but friendly". The class at BELL is already working on their scrapbook for their friends at Mary McGuire. I think this Read Around the Planet VC has some "legs". Making a connection is one thing ... keeping connected is another.

Do You Know Someone Famous?

2008-03-05T15:51:00.000-08:00

Do you know someone famous? This was the first question asked two days in a row as our NYC classes participated in this year's Read Around the Planet. It just intrigues me how students from other states view our students lives. The truth is our brush with greatness is far and few between but we won't let the out of towners know that. So, our students rattle off the names of famous graduates from our school. The likes of Lucy Liu, John Legugamos, Adrian Brody and so on. This year 8 classes from two of the schools where I work are videoconferencing in Read Around the Planet programs with classes in Texas, Michigan, Arizona, Upstate New York and Canada. So far five videoconferences have taken place and each one has been an amazing and rewarding experience for our students.

Each videoconference begins with some kind of literacy exchange. Two of our 6th grade classes are reading The House on Mango Street which is a collection of vignettes. Our students wrote some vignettes of their own. Some poignant snapshots of their own homes and lives. Others more humorous as they capture hot school topics like school lunch, detention and what to do during recess. Another class perfomed a skit bases on a chapter out of a book about Harriet Tubman. The skit was complete with costumes and scenery. Our partner schools also share their literary experiences. But the literacy exchange is just a warm up for what is to come...questions and answers. This is when the real fun begins. The students learn about what's different about their lives and how much they have in common. There are always the moans and groans when one class learns there day is longer, their weather is colder and their recess is shorter. The NYC teachers groan when they learn the class size of the schools in Texas. But for the most part there is just a real comradery amongst the classes.
Our videoconference with Paris, Texas was just great. Some of the boys in the Texas class were wearing cowboy hats which definitely made an impression on our city slickers. The conference with Coloma, Michigan unveiled that the population of their town of around 1500 was less than our student population of 2000. The contrasts are striking but so are the similarities. They like the same kinds of music, dances and sports. These videoconferences always end in the same way. The students always want to become penpals or in our case videoconferencingpals. A connection has been made.

NASA Family Night

2008-02-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

It all started when one of my school's Parent's Association wanted to have a videoconference at their monthly meeting. It sounded like a good idea but with no budget and the challenge of a videoconference at night I wasn't sure I would be able to find an interesting program. Around that same time some of our teachers were participating in a NASA Distance Learning Network Overview & Program Showcase and the presenter while discussing some of the different kinds of programs NASA does mentioned "Family Night". It turned out that the NASA Ames Research Center is located in California (a difference of three hours from our EST time zone ).

I was put in touch with Greg Pitzer, who was very helpful and accomodating in putting together a program for our parents and their children. He made it very interactive and informative. Greg even had a hands-on activity for the students and parents to do together. They made paper airplanes and flew them. He answered lots of questions from the kids and adults alike. He showed a slideshow of the shuttle mission that was launched to the Intenational Space Station just that morning. We even got to see his blue screen which allowed Greg to be on Mars or on a beach on the Pacific Ocean in one mouse click.

NASA Family Night was a great success. Our parents got to experience the kind of programs their children are participating in during their school day. Parents and students learned new things about NASA, the International Space Station and aeronautics. And most important of all families got to spend some quality time together at NASA Family Night!

Can You Hear Me Now?

2007-12-15T06:46:00.000-08:00

Last summer I had the opportunity to videoconference with a group of educators from BOCES, which stands for the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services and provides school districts in New York State with a program of shared educational services. about 123 Jazzing Up the Curriculum with Videoconferencing. "Jazz" is an intensive week long professional development where the teacher participants model the actual activities and videoconferences their students will be doing. At that time they invited me back to be a presenter at their two-day modified "Jazz" on December 11th and 12th. They wanted me to talk about Poetry Slam and how we were utilizing videoconferencing in the program. They wanted it to be as interactive as possible. So, I recruited 5 of our last year poetry slam students to come and perform their poetry and field some Q & A from the grown-ups. We were all ready to proceed for our 9 AM start when the dreaded "we can't hear you" rang out from the various sites. I wasn't on mute, nor was it that the volume was low but rather it was that pesty microphone that was dropped last spring. I had been jiggling the connection for months and always had success but now it just wouldn't cooperate. "Can you hear me now?" (I felt like that Verizon guy.) Finally they decided to move on with their conference and I offered to try and get another vc unit from a nearby school. Global Nomads who were suppose to follow my presentation were able to take my place. I got the other equipment and was able to follow at 10:30. Unfortunately I lost 3 of my student poets along the way but I was left with two troopers who did an amazing job performing their poetry and answering several questions from the adult participants. Their teacher told me later that when they came back to class they were "elated". Videoconferencing gives students such unique opportunities and experiences. Ones that they will remember all their lives. I will remember that old adage "don't put off till tomorrrow what you SHOULD do today". The next order of business is to order a new microphone.

Planet Hopping With Mathematics

2007-12-01T05:38:00.000-08:00

Did I ever tell you how much I love NASA? I am sure I have but yesterday's videoconference "Planet Hopping Through Mathematics" just reaffirms my affection and enthusiasm for the NASA Digital Learning Network. With over 50 free programs, all supported by excellent online lesson plans and activities it is no wonder that the NASA Digital Learning Network's schedule fills up fast. By this time of year it is more challenging then a space launch to find a spot in one of their videoconferences. However, if one is persistant and you have some time on your hands you can probably still find a spot or two. The best advice, book early in the school year. Now back to Planet Hopping with Mathematics.
I am always interested in videoconferences that relate to mathematics. So, this program looked perfect. The desription of the program asked "How high can you jump on Mars?" and in this highly interactive session students used mathematics to explore and learn about the planets in our solar system. The students had to complete equations that required both multiplication and division and decimals to the nearest hundredth, to determine which planets they can jump the highest and lowest on.

The program came from the Langley Research Center, in Hampton, Virginia, one of ten NASA Centers. The students learned that there is more to NASA than just Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas and Cape Kennedy in Florida. The Langley Research Center's ultimate goal is to stimulate interest in science and math fields.
The 6th grade math class that participated in yesterday's program were given a real treat. Dan, the expert and presenter at Langley had a wonderful personality and was chock full of planet facts and information. The multimedia style presentation really enhanced the program. Our thirty students were broken up into groups of three, and using a meter stick they calculated (in inches) the height of their jumps on Earth to the nearest inch. They then calculated their jumps on the seven other planets (remember Pluto has been booted out and is no longer a planet) by doing different equations. Throughout the program each planets characteristics was explored in great detail. I don't think any of the students will forget the red spot on Jupiter, the craters on Mercury or the storm that is no more on Neptune. I found this program to be excellent and as always learned a great deal too. How high can you jump on Mars? You take your jump on Earth, multiply it by 5, and divide by 2. You do the Math.

Just in Time for Thanksgiving a Videoconference About Giving

2007-11-21T06:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a sixth grade class and I participated in a very special videoconference with a very special boy. Stefan Lyons, is an 11 year old, who has been raising money to build a school in Africa. He started his Kenya Project of giving and caring at the tender age of nine. He raised $2,000 baking and selling cookies but he still needed to raise more money to finish the project. So he wrote a book “My Adventures with Stitch” about his pet white rat, Stitch. It is filled with true stories and Stefan took many of the pictures that are in the book. He raised enough money to convert an old cowshed in Kenya into a large schoolroom called “Stefan’s Wing," but now he wants to raise more money to build another school in Kenya. Stefan has now written a second photo journal book about Stich called "Stitch Tours San Francisco" He hopes that by selling his two books he will be able to meet his goal of raising $40,000.

The videoconference which was offered through Polycom's educational programs included classes in New York, South Dakota, Texas and Arizona. With Stefan in San Francisco, all 4 time zones were represented. The students had a chance to ask Stefan a lot of questions about his Kenya Project, about his being an author and about his pet Stitch. When asked if Stitch had learned any new tricks Stefan answered that Stitch has a daughter who could separate legos into light and dark piles. I think everyone would have liked to see that! The classes got to share some of their own fund raising projects. Everybody got to share new ideas on how to raise money. Whenever, Stefan asked "how he could help". The reply was to send some of his books to sell. A group of second graders in Arizona read some of their own pet stories. While one student in Texas shared a story titled "I Am Thankful for My School". It was a humorous tribute to the different rooms and activities in his school. He even got to pay tribute to the school bathroom.

I think the students were truly movitated about giving and helping others. They were inspired by Stefan and how one young boy could make such a difference in our world. This was Stefan's first videoconference. He did great. He has poise, intelligence and a wonderful personality. One student asked if he was becoming a star? Stefan answered modestly that maybe he was a little bit. When the videoconference was over, Stefan, like any other 11 year old, had to go to school.

EEZ

2007-10-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

I'm confused. On Monday I went to an EEZ meeting. EEZ, Educational Enterprise Zone, is the closest thing to a distance learning organization for New York and New Jersey VCers. EEZ is a not-for-profit consortium. Members of this consortium are content providers who create programming for K-12 classrooms and learning environments that receive the programming, as well as corporate facilitators who assist with hardware, software and connectivity needs for the various programs that EEZ sponsors. At quarterly meetings members get an opportunity to see state-of-the-art educational technologies and exchange ideas and strategies.

The first meeting of the year saw a demonstration of the software SAFARI Montage® Live! This software lets teachers and students connect from their computers via the Internet. This simple Web-based, video-conferencing tool becomes an easy solution for providing school-to-school distance education. I actually am always very skeptical of these low end connections but I have to say the quality of the videoconference I observed was somewhat impressive. Granted the connection was between the presenter and someone back at their corporate office. Not exactly a room full of enthusiastic students. But the picture was crisp the sound definitely audible (maybe a little tinney). There were features like text chat, live polling, and viewing and sharing files.

And here's why I am confused. The director of EEZ, Stan Silverman, prefaced the demonstration by telling the story of the two blacksmith shops on opposite sides of the road. The blacksmith shop on the left made very high quality horseshoes. The one on the right started selling mufflers along with horseshoes. The shop on the right stayed in business and the one on the left did not because even though the one on the left made better quality horseshoes there were no longer any horses. What does this mean for videoconferencing in our schools? Should we be moving toward sacrificing quality for greater access and lower costs? Is there a breakthrough in the technology that we cannot ignore?

I remember talking to Alan November two years ago at a conference. I was telling him about the things I was doing in videoconferencing. He asked me if I tried Skype. I was taken aback. Here I was talking about serious, high end videoconferencing in the classroom and he's pushing some rinky dink webcam online system. I dismissed it then but two years later I am not so sure. And then, my favorite question, what about Internet 2?

A School Named for Distance Learning

2007-08-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

Today was an orientation for students and parents for Bell Academy, a new middle school that is part of the New York City school system. Bell is an acronym for Bayside Enrichment and Long-Distance Learning Academy. I will be working there this year two days a week. It is very exciting to be working in a school whose central theme is distance learning. I have worked in several schools that had technology themes and the middle school I have been working in for the past few years is a magnet school of telecommunications. But with Bell Academy, distance learning specifically through the use of videoconferencing is front and center. The enrichment component is much broader than just the technology of videoconferencing but it also reflects how videoconferencing is integral to enriching the curriculum. The school will be following the Renzulli School-Wide Enrichment Model (SEM) . The main objectives of the Renzulli School-Wide Enrichment Program are:
• To expose students to topics that may not be included in the essential curriculum
• To increase student skills in research and problem solving
• To increase student awareness of personal strengths and interests
The use of videoconferencing will focus on exposing students to a wide variety of experiences. They will hear from experts and specialists in many fields and learn about different kinds of occupations, and hobbies. They will have the opportunity to observe and participate in demonstrations, experiments and research through videoconferencing with other institutions and other classrooms. They will travel the world without ever leaving their school. I am really looking forward to working with the students and their teachers in finding programs and collaborations that will "enrich" their learning and thinking. I don't think a school needs to have distance learning in their name to enjoy the benefits videoconferencing can bring but it can't hurt either.

VCing From the Comfort of Home

2007-08-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

On July 25th I had a videoconferencing first. I participated in a videoconference using H.323 protocol with a group of distance learning coordinators in upstate New York from the comfort of my own home. At the end of school in June I brought home a Polycom 4000 desktop unit that one of my schools had won during the Megaconference 2005 roll call. The unit is an all in one piece of equipment. The camera, monitor and microphone are all built in. I used my home cable modem to participate in the call. I am actually very comfortable using a cable modem since that is what our schools use to participate in videoconferences.
This past May I heard from Michelle Bartholomew, of Broome Tioga BOCES. BOCES, stands for the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services and provides school districts in New York State with a program of shared educational services. Sharing is an economical way for districts to provide programs and services that they might not be able to afford otherwise. Hence their interest and involvement with videoconferencing and other technologies. NYC schools are not part of BOCES but of course I welcome the opportunity to develop new partnerships and collaborations. Michelle was especially interested in learning about 123 Jazzing Up the Curriculum with Videoconferencing. I participated in facilitating that training last summer with a group of 16 NYC school teachers. The coordinators I videoconferenced with this month represented all the different BOCES programs in New York State. It was their goal to develop their own Jazz type training.
It was a lot of fun to videoconference with these people and especially from my very own home. Of course I had to apologize for the barking of my dog Moby. The videoconference coincided with the time my mail is delivered and Moby is no fan of the mailman. But other than her ocassional barking I thought the videoconference went very well. I had e-mailed some Jazz material to be distributed prior to the conference. I was able to present the Jazz schedule and structure. They were able to ask questions and clarifications. I was able to meet and network with these distance learning coordinators from my state. Best of all, Michelle sent an e-mail to thank me for participating in their Jazz planning session. She told me that they decided to put together a mini jazz session that they hoped to have on December 11 and 12. She also said that they will be contacting me at some point as they would like to have me as a guest speaker during that session.
Probably that videoconference will take place from my school without Moby. However, it was wonderful to be able to participate without the commute and from the "comfort of my own home",

Poetry Slam 2007

2007-06-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

For the past three years I have been involved with poetry slams through videoconferencing. I have blogged about Poetry Slam in the past. This year I was fortunate to win a NYS Learning Technology Grant and continue the Poetry Slam program . In the past I had 8 different schools compete via videoconferencing in poetry slam competitions. This year was a little different. The grant I wrote was for only 3 schools. Six of the eight poetry slam classes were in the middle school where I work. The other two classes were in a neighboring middle school and in a non public Catholic School. The poets have been going to these 3 schools for the past ten weeks teaching poetry writing and performance to sixth graders. Yesterday we had a live slam in my school and the top scoring class went on today to slam with their non public partners virtually. Since the Catholic school had only recently received their videoconferencing equipment I decided to go to the school to help facilitate the poetry slam. There was also a judging site in yesterday's competition. That was a middle school in the Bronx. It was in the Bronx where using videoconferencing as a way to bridge geographic distances and scheduling logistics first began. Now this program has grown nationally to a new organization called GLOBALWRITeS.
The students at the Catholic school started their day in a prayer circle. They prayed for our world and even prayed a little for their poetry slam. Then the slam began. The student's poetry and performances were great. There will be a poetry anthology of all the poems as part of the grant. Some of them will also be posted at the GLOBALWRITeS website. Interestingly, the class from my middle school was a bridge class. This means that all of them are English Language Learners (ELL). The fact that they placed first in their school slam and now in the inter-school slam is quite an impressive accomplishment. The other nice thing is that as part of the grant classses will continue their participation in Poetry Slam through 7th and 8th grades. Imagine three years of poetry writing and performing. There will be classes of future poet laureates!!!

Career Day

2007-06-09T05:23:00.000-07:00

It seems if you want to love what you do become a scientist. At least that is what I have learned from all the scientists that our classrooms have videoconferenced with over the past years. The meteorologists at the National Weather Service an arm of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) are no exception as they shared with our students yesterday their love for the work they do. Meteorologist Richard Watling began his talk with the students advising them to find something they love to do. He recounted the days of his youth in the Finger Lakes Region of New York watching the sky and the weather. He talked about the educational steps he had to take to become a meteorologist. Then he shared his favorite weather pictures of hurricanes and tornadoes and the power of these weather systems. He also spoke of global warming and the attention that needs to be given to this issue. Meteorologist Laurie Hogan also looked up to the sky as a child. Her sky was the great open spaces of North Dakota. Our students live in an urban environment and don't have the opportunity to see weather in this dramatic way but they definitely see its effect on the news they watch and some of the weather events they have personally experienced. She also talked about the kinds of equipment that meteorologists work with from computers to satellites and of course the trusty weather balloon. The students were also introduced to the NOAA Education Resourcesat the NOAA website that are available for students and teachers by educational specialist Cheryl Latif.

Of course the students had the opportunity to ask questions. How do you get the 5-day forecast? Why do hurricanes have names? How much money does a meteorologist make? Are just a sampling of some of the questions asked. From the attention and interest the students paid to these meteorologists I could tell they are even at the ages of 11 and 12 seriously considering their future careers. This wonderful opportunity to hear and question these leading scientists are really made possible through the technology of videoconferencing since the physical distance of their location as well as their busy schedules make a classroom visit difficult at best. You can see a wonderful video called Tornado’s Hero: A Meteorologist Roll over the video section and pick interview with meteorologist.
Finally a few comments on some technical and scheduling glitches. These always point to the importance of planning, planning and more planning. On our end we lost a class and our audio for the second program. The teacher was unaware that her class was scheduled for the program and until the class was located more than half the time was lost. The loss of audio lead to our writing notes on a dry erase board for communication. This is a reminder of the importance of a phone at each site for communication.

Where Do We Go From Here

2007-05-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finished the last session of an "Integrating Videoconferencing Into the Classroom" for a group of teachers in Brooklyn, NY. All the workshops were suppose to be for the same group of teachers but that was not always the case. Some teachers did participate in all five trainings but there were also new teachers joining along the way as well as some drop-outs. This is also not the Region in NYC that I work in but I was hired as a consultant. The first workshop was an overview and introduction to videoconferencing. The next two we did a Mini Jazz. Here we collaborated with a group of teachers in El Paso Texas via videoconferencing for two Saturdays in a row. In March we worked on developing specific videoconferencing lesson plans. The teachers created pre and post activities and used the various videoconferencing databases to search for appropriate programs. Yesterday I titled the agenda "It's a Wrap" I hoped to tie together loose ends as well as help them to develop a plan for "where do we go from here". We covered their roles of providing "turn-key" training to their colleagues as well as getting the support they need for their videoconferencing programs. They also shared their successes and failures. These were schools that had videoconferencing equipment for almost 3 years but had never used the equipment. I was not sure what to expect. But I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

The first school shared a video of a conference with 5th graders and the San Diego Zoo on "Animal Classification". They also had posted parts of the videoconference on a Thinkquest website some of the students had created. In addition they were planning a videoconference with NASA fo a group of 2nd graders and they will be sharing that program with a like group of 2nd graders from New Mexico. Another teacher shared that he had videoconferenced with his El Paso "Mini Jazz" partner. They did a couple of programs and shared some poetry as well as some facts about each other and their cities. As each teacher shared their accomplishment, no matter how small, I realized that they were on the road to providing their students with wonderful videoconferencing experiences.
As a staff developer, especially this year, where I am not working as a full time distance learning coordinator. I am not in touch with what is happening in the many schools with their videoconferencing equipment. It always makes me smile inside when I get an e-mail from a former workshop participant, like the one I got from a school media specialist who wrote "It has been a great year....especially in videoconferencing. I have had much success .... I spoke to my principal who very much would like to expand videoconferencing. This is "music" to my ears.

Internet TOO?

2007-04-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

I always check my ED1 VIDCONF and CILC e-mails for program opportunities. Lately there have been a lot of interesting posts from Magpi at UPenn. A Multicultural Youth Exchange: An Art-Based Videoconference Workshop for 6-8th graders and
a Virtual Coffee House Project peaked my interest. The content seemed very appropriate for our middle school students, and the price was right...free. The only problem was the the connection requirements: *H.323 Videoconferencing and Internet2 Connectivity Required. I have the H.323 protocol but not the Internet2. This exclusion from participating is a little frustrating. At a time when great efforts are made to connect all kinds of videoconferencing equipment and software to make videoconferencing more inclusive, it seems that Internet2 is working to become exclusive. What is Internet2 and how can we get it? According to Wikipedia "Internet2 is a non-profit consortium which develops and deploys advanced network applications and technologies, for education and high-speed data transfer purposes". What Internet2 users experience is a faster, steadier network that is less congested and free from commercial traffic. "Imagine driving on the commercial Internet as analogous to driving on a four-lane highway in St. Louis during rush hour. Driving on Internet2 is more like driving on a rural four-lane highway in western Kansas. You get where you're going a whole lot quicker." What are the costs for involvement in Internet2? They are in the tens of thousands of dollars. So, with an investment of that much money it is no wonder that the users would want exclusivity. The excitement of using Internet2 for videoconferencing is extremely tempting and we can only hope the price comes down as the technology becomes more widespread. But for now I can just read those program postings and wish I had Internet 2.

The Ultimate Gift

2007-03-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

One of our 8th grade classes participated in a wonderful ASK program this past Thursday. ASK, which is an acronym for Authors, Specialists, Knowledge gives students the opportunity to read a book and then ask questions of the author or in some cases specialists who are experts on the topic. Our videoconference this time was with Jim Stovall, an author, motivational speaker and media executive. He is also blind. He lost his eyesight as a young man. He discovered his love for reading books only after he had lost his sight. Now, Stovall starts everyday listening to a book on tape. He shared this fact about his life and others as he answered a wide variety of questions posed to him by students from six different schools. All together he fielded 36 questions about his book and his life. His accomplishments are very impressive. His Narrative Television Network has resulted in developing a second audio track on televisions for the visually impaired so that they can hear the actions and scene descriptions that they cannot see. Mr. Stovall has written many motivational books. His most successful book is "The Ultimate Gift". This is the book that was read by the students and discussed in Thursday's program. It also has been turned into a movie and is being released this month. I always find these ASK progrmas to be a great experience for the classes. First the students get to read a book and then meet and question the author. They also get to see and hear the other students as they ask their questions. It's an exciting event for all involved. It is inteactive videoconferencing at its finest.

February and Freak the Mighty

2007-03-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

A month has passed since I entered my last blog. February is always a short and very busy month. Throw in the fact that NYC schools have a week off for a winter break and it is easy to understand how a month can go by so quickly. But February was a very busy month for videoconferencing. On February 12th one of our 8th grade classes got to participate in an ASK program with Dr. Ben Carson. This was the second year that our students had the opportunity to read Dr. Carson's autobiography "Gifted Hands" and then meet with this outstanding pediatric neurosurgeon, author and motivational speaker. You can read more about the videoconference in Janine Lim's blog Videoconferencing Out on a Lim. There were also a couple of MysteryQuests in February. These videoconferences are always a successful experience for the participating classes as they race against time to find the mystery countries and cities from a bunch of clues presented by other classes all over the US. Even with Google the search is a real challenge! There was also a second NASA VC, about Rocket Science.

But what I really want to write about today is the wonderful "Read Around the Planet" VC that took place yesterday. This year "Read Across America" got aptly renamed "Read Around the Planet". Yesterday's Read Around the Planet or RAP as it is affectionately called was with a school in Alberta, Canada. The students in Canada had read the book "Freak the Mighty". In an interesting twist of retelling the story, the students in Canada chose popular music that best reflected the characters and mood of different chapters. Our students who are participating in a Poetry Slam program shared an original poem about New York with a promise to videoconference again to share their poetry from the slam. As always our New York City urban kids and the Canadian rural/suburban counterparts enjoyed sharing what they had in common and observed some of their differences. When asked by the students in Canada if they liked to dance. The New York students revealed that the entire class is taking a ballroom dancing class. They told the Canadian students that they were learning how to salsa, rhumba, swing etc. This prompted a discussion for a future videoconference of a demonstation of some of these dances. It always amazes me how this technology is able to form these wonderful connections between the students. The students really seemed to enjoy each other and are able to form a bond with each other. Now I have to figure out how to transform our media library into a dance floor. I just love my job. I will keep you posted.

Mini Jazz Part 2

2007-02-04T15:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Part 2 of our modified Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with Videoconferencing Workshop. For the second Saturday teachers in NYC New York teamed up with teachers in El Paso Texas to see and experience some of the wonderful possibilities of collaborative videoconferencing. Last week we looked at exchanges. This week our focus was on quests, specifically MysteryQuest. In a format, somewhat like speed dating we consolidated a few weeks collaborative project into a 75 minute whirlwind activity. Our teachers researched a mystery country and city, came up with a 5-7 minute presentation, researched the other sites mystery country and city, asked clarifying questions, made educated guesses and revealed their mystery locations. The Texas group presented a hysterical skit of a plane flight on the way to India experiencing some problems with their GPS system and having to make an emergency landing in some body of water located in the Tropic of Capricorn. The apologetic pilot's presentation of clue as the passengers experienced turbulence and confusion was nothing short of brilliant. The NYC group had their own humorous take as a BBC World News Reporter with a proper British accent and reporters in the field presented clues about their mystery location. The experience though light hearted in nature showed the tremendous learning experience a Mystery Quest provides. If you have never participated in a Berrien County MysteryQuest you are missing something.
After MysteryQuest was over we went back to our small group work where our elementary teachers paired up in groups of two or more to plan classroom collaborations for the days ahead. Using the ideas of exchanges and now quests they began planning for lessons that would build upon their two different school communities. The middle school groups planned for science and social studies exchanges. While the high school group developed a lesson plan which deals with global warming. The students would research specific affected ecosystems, present their finding to each other and even debate the issue of how real is global warming.
When our teaches said their goodbyes, I think they felt that they had formed some new "connections" with each other. I look forward to blogging about the actual videoconferences that do take place in the near future. Once again I thank Ashton Graham my colleague in El Paso for this wonderful collaborative videoconference training.

Mini-Jazz

2007-01-27T13:18:00.001-08:00

Today we did the first day of a two day vc training with a school district in El Paso, Texas. It is a very modified version of a 5-day training we did this summer called Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with Videoconferencing. We started off the day with a Jeopardy Game about the great states of New York and Texas. I think Texas won but who's keeping score? Next we modeled three different kind of classroom exchanges. Our teachers did a community exchange sharing information about NYC and El Paso. Our NY group did pantomines of riding on the subway, hailing a taxi, visiting the Statue of Liberty and of course drinking coffee at Starbucks (although I don't think that's exclusively a NY thing). The El Paso group showed us why El Paso is "hot and spicy". During Monster Exhange our groups drew monsters, described their monsters, exchanged descriptions and then drew each others monsters. They did a great job. During math exhange our two groups picked the same math problem. What is the mathematical probabilty of that? Then it was on to our small group work where hopefully our schools will develop exchanges to do with each other. There was a high school group, a middle school group and an elementary group. We had two endpoints and each group met for a half hour to find common interests and start to develop a format and lesson plan for a videoconference. Next week we will meet again to model some more program ideas and continue to work on their ideas for a connection. It was a lot of fun and I want to thank Ashton Graham from El Paso for all her hard work and preparation in planning this training with me. Look for Part Two next week.

My Day with the Big Guys

2007-01-22T18:10:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday I gave a videoconferencing training at a High School. For me this is somewhat new territory as my work experience with 9th-12th graders and their teachers is not very extensive. This was a new high school that opened three years ago. The high school has a state of the art distance learning room. The room contains a Tandberg 2500 rack mounted system, 4 hanging zenith monitors, 5 cameras (one over each monitor and one in the rear of the room called the “instructors camera”, a drop down projector (it literally comes out of the ceiling) and a switch controlled screen. In addition there is a wall mounted plasma screen. There is also a touch control panel to operate all the previously mentioned equipment and a high resolution document camera. From what I gathered the system has rarely been used. They did a videoconference with the Museum of Television and Radio last spring but the connection experienced some technical difficulties. The school administration feels that they want to make a concerted effort to get the room up and running. I was asked to come in and help in getting the room operative and train the teachers on integrating the videoconferencing into the curriculum. I came in a few afternoons to familiarize myself with the equipment. After all I am use to a polycom or Tandberg that sits atop a monitor and a lone remote provides all the magic. I am use to one microphone placed in a central position not a roomfull of mics planted in the tables in a theatre like setting. The room uses only ISDN lines an indication of how long we have come in the past few years. Now ISDN is becomming a disability as more systems are using IP.

On Saturday I met up with four teachers from the school. Three of them taught Social Studies. A very good curriculum for videoconferencing. I showed them my trusty powerpoint that highlights the myriad of opportunities for videoconferencing with their students. We talked about about the challenges of using the equipment. It may be neccessary to modify the room to make it more user friendly. Five cameras is great but we all agreed that one camera in the front of the room is what is really needed. Then everyone got to use the equipment. We made a test call to the New York Institute of Technology and saw their parking lot and heard the music from their FM "hard rock station". It's difficult to find "a live person" to connect with on a Saturday. Then it was off to the library to search the databases for some good programs. The teachers were very enthusiastic about the Global Nomads website and were anxious to sign up for their programs. One of the teachers found a World War II project that involved interviewing veterans. And then it was time for the piece de resistance, the Paul Hieronymus Jeopardy game. This time put together by Ashton Graham from El Paso, on the great state of New York. I had a wonderful day with the big guys. I'll keep you posted on the fate of their Distance Learning Room.

Awesome Amphibians

2007-01-21T06:20:00.001-08:00

Hey did you know that you can't get warts from touching a frog? Even if the frog is full of warts like the ones from the Lee Richardson Zoo in Kansas. This week a sixth grade class participated in the zoo's "Awesome Amphibians" program. They got to see frogs, salamanders and the more rare caecilians that are snake like in appearance. The programs from the zoo are free but as informative and interesting as some of the pay programs from other zoos and museums that deal with these topics.

The presenter was not too warm and fuzzy but maybe that was in keeping with the fact that amphibians are "cold blooded animals". Another fact that was revealed in this forty-five minute program. Before the videoconferencing a packet of materials was sent by mail to the teacher. Some simple demonstrations were done by the class during the program. To demonstrate how amphibians absorb and release water a sponge was included in the packet. A cute activity of one of the students eating a piece of candy and then dipping it in dish liquid and not wanting to eat it, showed how a salamander detracts its predators.

Due to the fact that our middle school was busy with testing this week our videoconference took place in a computer lab and not in our beautiful media center. That once again shows the importance of an appropriate room environment for videoconferencing. The room was awkward for the type of movement that was necessary for the demonstrations. Also student's faces were blocked by computer monitors. I am a big proponent of where possible having a designated room for distance learning. The room should encourage the kind of activity and environment needed for a quality connection. Libraries work well but are often not available. As was the case for our videoconference. But even with our less than perfect room situation the program was enthusiastically received by the students and their teacher.

Grant Writing 1.01

2007-01-12T17:09:00.000-08:00

For the past eight years I have been working for technology programs funded through grants. This year the grants ended and I found myself writing my own grants. This is a daunting task as the grant writing process requires a great deal of time and giving detailed information. I am working full time in a school as a technology coordinator and I do consultant work in videoconferencing so my time as most educators is a precious commodity. I wrote these grants with the hope of funding two videoconferencing programs I feel passionate about. One is my beloved Poetry Slam and the other a science based and career oriented program with NOAA. The one with NOAA required a pre-proposal. I thought the purpose of writing a pre-proposal was to weed out weak proposals so that people applying for grants don't spend enormous amounts of time on writing grants that are not of the quality or vision that is required. I actually thought that was not a bad idea. Since I am an educator and not a "professional grant writer" I would not spend excessive amounts of time writing a grant that had a poor to none possibility of being approved. I was shocked to receive an e-mail saying that because I sent a two-page resume instead of the required one page resume my grant was declined. It was a copy of my most recent resume. Since I was working with a 5:00 Post Office deadline I just printed it out without much thought. It had very little to do with the merit of grant. The second page could have easily been tossed or not read. I really hope that there were other more important factors in making that decision to reject my grant proposal than that. Remember this was NOT the actual grant just a description of the grant I intended to write. The rejection e-mail stated "Your application did not meet the following criterion: The resume exceeded the one-page maximum. I hope this guidance may help you succeed in future submissions to this program.”

The other grant is based on points. Each section was assigned a point value. The points ranged from 5 points to 20 points. My grant was over 50 pages in length. For example the Project Management part was worth 5 points, while the Budget Narrative was worth 20. I had a friend who reviewed some of these grants. She said it didn’t matter what the actual grant was about. The only thing that mattered is how many points you scored. If you answered all the questions even if the grant itself was sub par you got the money.

If, and it’s a very BIG IF, I ever write another grant for videoconferencing I now know to keep to the page and point requirements. But I just can’t help thinking that the grant process is somewhat “stupid”. Thanks for letting me vent. Your comments are appreciated.

It IS Rocket Science

2006-12-21T17:53:00.000-08:00

I love NASA's distance learning programs. They have a wide variety of topics with more than 40 programs offered. They have amazing lesson plans and resources. Their scientists are not only knowledgeable but great presenters. And it's free. So what's not to love? Today one of our 6th grade classes participated in the Rocket Science videoconference. Tom Benson, an aeronautical engineer, was a lively and humorous host. The students really enjoyed the program. Prior to the vc they had made their own rockets following a rocket building activity from the website . During the vc they got to answer a lot of rocketry questions and of course ask a lot of questions too. They learned what is a rocket and how is it different from an airplane. They learned about the different kinds of rocket fuel and how it thrusts the rocket into space. One thing I always observe, especially in middle school, is how few girls participate in science videoconferences. I was glad that a few girls did ask a few questions at the end. All in all it was a great videoconference. Tomorrow the shuttle Discovery comes home. May they have a safe return. And happy holidays to all my videoconferencing friends.

A New Face on Homelessness

2006-11-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

In honor of November 12-18 being National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, one of our 8th grade classes had the opportunity to participate in an "ASK Program" through the Berrien County ISD. Before the videoconference all the participating students read the book "Monkey Island" by Paula Fox. "Monkey Island" tells the story of an 11 year old boy that finds himself abandoned and homeless in New York City. ASK which stands for Authors Specialist Knowledge provides students with an opportunity to ask either the author or as in this case specialists questions about the issues, characters and events, the book raises in the student's mind. Through this videoconference the students are able to use higher level thinking skills to dig deeper into the subject matter.

Yesterday's program involved three schools, (two in Michigan and one in New York), and four specialists who work with the homeless in Berrien County, Michigan. It is a wonderful format. The students get to ask the experts questions. The four specialists seemed to really enjoy seeing the students and hearing their well thought out questions. It's interesting that asking questions takes on new meaning when used in an ASK videoconference.

The students work hard to prepare for the program. They journal as they read the chapters in the book.
In the case of our 8th grade class in New York, the students also participated in other activities. They did story mapping, character studies, graphic organizers on homelessness, filmstrips, and even one group studied the law as it relates to child abandonment.

After the videoconference the students reflected on what they had learned. One boy said "I always thought the homeless were just bums but now I know that's not true". The students had learned they are mothers and their children, the unemployed and even veterans. The students were encouraged by the 4 specialists to stay in school and get a higher education. This is because one of the main causes of homelessness is lack of skills to get a good paying job. A lot of credit must go to the classroom teacher for preparing their students to ASK the questions and of course to the specialists for giving so many good anwers. Happy Thanksgiving!

Child's Play

2006-11-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

I know videoconferencing in the classroom is reaching new heights. I've blogged about the increased interest and popularity of videoconferencing at NECC (National Educational Computer Conference). I've watched as many new content providers and programs are being offered. I've seen the growing number of videoconferencing bloggers. Just this past Friday I gave a videoconferencing workshop for teachers and administrators. The workshop was filled to capacity and it was practically standing room only. The participants were teachers and administrators interested in getting onboard this exciting technology. But today as I was reading the Sunday paper my son brought my attention to a commercial on TV. "Hey Mom isn't that something like you do?" I looked up to see two kids in different countries having a "staring contest" via videoconference. It was a commercial for Cisco Telepresence. The commercial is called "Child's Play". I'm not sure of the educational value of the vc or what learning standards are being met but I am sure that videoconferencing has reached a new level in our collective conciousness.

On Being A Pilot

2006-11-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

So you thought you were going to read about a videoconference about careers in aviation. Not exactly. For the past few weeks two of our schools have been participating in a pilot program with the New York Hall of Science. The New York Hall of Science has been involved with videoconferencing for several years. However, a few years ago they stopped their virtual visit programming. The museum was undergoing serious renovation and they wanted to develop a more state-of-the-art videoconferencing technology. Fast forward to this September, when I met with Chris Lawrence, director of the museums distance learning program, to discuss piloting two of the museums programs. The purpose for this pilot was to 1. To see how the programs worked and 2. To see if the students who participated in these programs did better on an assessment than other classes that did not. In other words there is a little bit of science going on here. Right now we are in the phase of "How is the program working". Yesterday we did our first virtual visit with the Hall and a science class of 6th graders. The program is "The Search for Life Beyond Earth".

Prior to this videoconference we gave the participating teachers (there are two because this class is team taught) a very extensive lesson plan provided by the Hall. Next I received hands on materials from the Hall to be used by the class both prior to and during the actual program. The materials consisted of Petri dishes, models of live and inanimate objects, and photos. Then we had a planning videoconference with the two teachers and Chris Lawrence and the program evaluator, to discuss both the pre-conference activities and the actual conference. The evaluator also visited the class to see the pre-activity with the Petri dish and teacher lesson.

Yesterday, the actual videoconference took place. It was wonderful and the students were very engaged. The new equipment being used at the Hall was very effective. Great audio and the presenter was easily able to move between exhibits. The presenter was enthusiastic and responsive to the students. The information and the exhibits were very interesting. The teachers were excited and pleased.

After everyone left I sat down with the evaluator. She said let's not just rubberstamp this let's look for ways to improve this. So, I did come up with a few. There were morning announcements on our end that interrupted the program for several minutes. Schools and schedulers need to be aware of these interruptions and avoid it if at all possible. The Hall never asked about the Petri dishes. The student’s short presentations could have been better prepared. Maybe a timetable for how long before the conference these activities need to start would have been helpful here. Did the students "get" the main points being made during the conference? A brief student recap at the end left that questionable. Is there a way to focus in on these main goals? Yes, the program was great but the idea of a pilot is to make it even greater. The evaluator will talk to the teachers for their input. Then it will all be brought back to the Hall for them to review and make any changes.

I am so glad to be a part of this pilot. Our schools are getting 4 wonderful science programs from one of the leading science museums in the country. The teachers are getting to give input on what they want for their students. And videoconferencing is getting some measurable data on its effect on student learning. It is a win win win situation for all.

Broadband of Brothers

2006-11-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

On October 18th there was a videoconferencing reunion of sorts. The reunion took place via videoconferencing of course. The participants were nine distance learning coordinators who during the first week of August facilitated

123VC Jazzing Up your Curriculum with Videoconferencing.

I have blogged about Jazz before. Now over two months later we were asked by one of our colleagues in Texas to reflect, review and share lesson learned with a group of teachers who were participating in a workshop on videoconferencing. It was nice to see everyone again. It was also nice to support our colleague in Texas.

Today, I needed a site to connect to. I am doing a PD session for a group of math teachers and I wanted to connect to a site and talk about a Math Exchange. I e-mailed my Jazz friends and two offered to help out. I feel this kind of camaraderie is special to videoconferencing. We all share a passion for videoconferencing and a genuine desire to see it succeed. We are all vc good will ambassadors. So when I called my friend Janine Lim in Michigan at 9:00 one morning because a group of visiting educators from Norway were in the building. She was ready by 10:00, Dr. Seuss hat and all to talk about "Read Around the Planet". Or when I needed to help a teacher set up a Vtel unit and I was a little shaky on the connecting and using the equipment, Paul Hieronymus from Ohio spent the better part of an afternoon guiding us through our trials and errors. And the time I needed someone to connect to for a workshop I was doing on a Saturday afternoon and Elaine Shuck from Polycom spoke to the group right from her home. Yes, we are a broadband of brothers. The truth is you can't talk about videoconferencing you need to connect to someone. I appreciate all those connections I've been able to make. And hopefully I can help on my end too, when needed.

Life in a Leaf Litter

2006-10-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

I will never feel quite the same when I walk on a pile of leaves. Today an 8th grade class got to meet Dr. Timothy Pearce, Assistant Curator at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh PA and head of their Mollusk section. Our students were able to enjoy the view from a front row seat while Dr. Pearce, whose research focuses on terrestrial land snails, sorted a fresh sample of a Pennsylvania forest floor and identified life forms that many people never notice. The students learned a lot about this second largest group in the animal kingdom (only insects are larger). They got to see up close and personal snails, slugs and clams that are all members of this species called mollusks. They had plenty of questions for Dr. Pearce too. What do they eat? How do they mate? This was all part of a Meet the Scientist videoconference program at the Carnegie Museum. Dr. Pearce who besides being a leading expert on the subject of mollusks (He literally co-wrote the book "Mollusks: A Guide to their Study, Collection and Observation") also sees himself as a good will ambassador for getting others to appreciate these "under-appreciated” animals. The students got to see a snail’s beating heart. They also were able to observe through close up cameras the critters that can be found in a fresh leaf sample. Dr. Pearce by using three increasingly fine filters, which looked to me like the flour sifters used in baking, demonstrated how to find life in a leaf litter. Dr. Pearce invited the students to join him in identifying mollusks in the New York City area. Yes, we have nature preserves too. We a’re not all concrete. He e-mailed the students a classification guidebook. The class plans to go on a trip and collect their own leaf samples. One of the interesting things the students learned is how the mollusk habitat is being threatened. In Pennsylvania they are building a road right through a mollusk habitat. When winter comes and the salt spreaders come down the highway the snails habitat will be threatened. And every kid knows what happens when you put salt on snails or slugs. They shrivel up and eventually dry up."

Suburban, urban and rural

2006-10-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

One day in mid August I replied to a posting from a school in Texas looking for urban and rural partners for some videoconferences on communities and how they are alike and different. I was confident that I could find third grade classes in our region interested in representing the urban experience. What followed one month later were four delightfully informative vc connections that explored the differences and similarities of these three communities. Prior to the connections the three classes exchanged a list of questions that they had for each other. The students then prepared answers to these questions. Each class also prepared a short Powerpoint presentation that described their school and community.This whole videoconference idea and most of the coordination was the brainchild of Judith Dallinger, the librarian at the Watauga Elementary School in suburban Texas. A "ten gallon hats off" to this brave educator who saw this project through its successful conclusion.

I helped facilitate two of these conferences and I truly loved every minute of them. The first was a meeting between Watauga, Texas (suburban), Ft. Pierce, Colorado (rural) and Queens, New York (urban). Do you hunt? asked a child from Colorado. For chores the children in Colorado round up the cattle. The New York students quickly cleared up the myth that they lived in mansions and saw famous people everyday. They described the apartment buildings they lived in. The students in New York also shared their feelings about not always feeling safe. After the videoconference was over the classes e-mailed each other and agreed to keep in touch this school year. Hopefully to have another vc too.
The next videoconference was between Texas and New York and this time a class in Alaska was the rural partner. This conference was nothing short of awesome. The students in Alaska live in a village divided by a river. Some of the students come to school by boat. When the river freezes, they have to close the school "River Days". While the kids in NY and Texas are close to the local mall. The students in Alaska have to travel 400 miles to the Walmart in Anchorage. The comparison of weather temperatures was striking. Afterschool activities of mushing (dogsled racing), sledding and skating were popular in Alaska. I could go on and on about the wonderful things these students shared and learned about each other. These communities have many things that are different but as always it is what they have in common that seems to bring these students together.

Desert RATS

2006-09-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

Our first videoconference this year was with NASA and one of our 8th grade science classes. No it wasn't about those long tailed, not so popular rodents but rather about space research being conducted out in the Arizona desert. RATS is an acronym for Research and Technology Studies. This program provided our students an opportunity to hear and see NASA scientists as they worked in the Arizona desert. They also were given the opportunity to ask questions. Since this was a multipoint connection there were 4 other schools participating. The first part of the vc unfortunately our students missed because we lost connection with the bridge. Since the bridge called us I had no way of dialing them. When I called the bridge it went to a message machine. When I called my contact at NASA it went to a message machine. I even called one of the other schools that were connected and asked them to let them know we were no longer connected. FRUSTRATION. I FELT LIKE I WAS A RAT IN A MAZE. Finally I got through to NASA and someone got through to the bridge. The bridge called us back and the rest of the 50 minutes were wonderful. Our students were able to see how NASA scientists and engineers are using the earth’s terrain to test equipment that will be used by astronauts to work on other planets. They saw a robot vehicle called the All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer or ATHLETE (another acronym). NASA really likes using acronyms. The students also saw spacesuits, boots, and gloves up close and personal. Did you know that the spacesuit weighs about 250 pounds. That's a lot of fabric. And not your most comfortable clothes for the hot Arizona desert. But the heat in Arizona is nothing to the temperatures in space. So, the students saw how this spacesuit cools of the body. The students learned so much about the experiments that are being done in the desert. One student asked "what surprises they found in their experiments?" The NASA scientist answered there are many surprises. In fact he said there is no such thing as a failed experiment. You may not find what you thought you would but you always learn something. Most important of all was the message that all the scientists gave to their audience of middle schoolers. Find your passion and pursue it. Don't give up. As one NASA scientist said, "be like a postage stamp, stick to it until you reach your destination". Good advice.

Hit the Ground Running

2006-09-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's back to school and back to videoconferencing. This year our schools are videoconferencing in September. I think this is a first. It use to be don't even mention the "V" word until October and even then it wasn't until late October that things got going. Now I find schools have dusted off the monitors, hooked up the Polycoms and started making test calls and school just started on Tuesday! What's going on? Is videoconferencing becoming the user friendly technology and not the exotic equipment in the corner it use to be? From the looks of things I would have to say "yes". In late August I received some interesting videoconferencing invites. NASA had a special event in early September and a school in Texas was looking for six urban school and six rural school partners. I sent out e-mails and to my delight I got enthusiastic responses. So, while our students are still learning their classmates names and room numbers, they will be meeting other students as far away as Alaska these first weeks of school. They will be questioning the scientists in the Arizona deserts as a springboard to their studies of space exploration and robotics this year. Tomorrow I and another teacher will be getting a lesson on using a Vtel videoconferencing unit from Paul Hieronymus, Technical Coordinator from Avon, Ohio. September is looking very busy and by the way, yesterday I registered for the last videoconference spot for a program at the end of March.

And All That Jazz

2006-08-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

I just finished facilitating the 5 day videoconferencing training, 123VC Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with Videoconferencing. It was quite a training. Over the course of 5 days, a group of 16 teachers and myself submerged ourselves in videoconferencing activities. Almost the entire workshop was a videoconference either with 4 or 8 different schools collaborating. As luck would have it New York was in the grip of a record breaking heatwave. With the temperatures hovering at 100 degrees and the actual feel good temperature at 115 power saving became a real issue. The air conditioning barely worked. The internet stopped working along with the elevators. So, our working conditions were rough but the workshop was so engaging that my group of "sweet 16" endured.

Most of the mornings were simulation activities of already successful collaborations. We had fun doing math in "Math Marvels". We had a great time doing MysteryQuest Beaches. Based on the MysteryQuest model. The ASK program was a moving morning of listening to a beautiful reading of The Wall and then reflecting on this touching children's picture book. We also had time to interview a Vietnam Veteran, Don Alsbro. After lunch each day we listened to speakers discuss specific videoconferencing programs. I even got a chance to present our wonderful Poetry Slam Program. I enjoyed hearing David Macquart talk about his Global Nomad Group. I know I would love to be involved with one of their programs this year. Videoconferencing provides such a wonderful opportunity for students to have a real dialogue and with the many global issues effecting our world today this type of communication is more important than ever.

Every afternoon our teachers broke into small groups to work with their colleagues in Texas on a project they designed for their classes. These projects were complete with a lesson plan with pre- and post-videoconferencing activities as well as the actual videoconference itself. There was also a timeline, an advertisement for participation and resources included. They did this collaboratively posting their information in a wiki. When they left the workshop Friday afternoon for some much deserved airconditioning, rest and relaxation they had a videoconferencing project in hand and partner(s) for the coming school year. I look forward to the fruition of these projects. The six projects my groups helped to develop touched a variety of content areas and grades. " A Walk Across America" is a 2nd grade Social Studies project about community. "It's up to you to preserve your world!" a 5th grade science project, "Songs of the 80's" a computer technology and language arts project.
"Start Spreading the News" an 8th grade broadcast journalism program. "Caldecott Decades" an elementary grades library project and "Geometry Jeopardy" a Math program for 3rd-5th graders. I'm looking forward to blogging about these programs in the future. Today, I'm happy to be starting my summer vacation. Oh, and the temperature outside mid 80's, low humidity. Go figure.

Day 1 of Jazzing Up the Curriculum

2006-07-31T16:17:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up at 5:30 AM (EST) to get a good start on the first day of our 123VC Videoconferencing Training. Does that mean my colleague Ashton in El Paso had to get up at 3:30 AM (Mt.)? I stopped off to buy coffee and bagels for the group, set up the videoconferencing equipment in the room and greeted the participants as they arrived. There are 15 teachers in our NYC group. The local activity time was way too short and before I knew it we were connected to three other school districts all in Texas. I made the "jumping in to the deep end of the pool" analogy for my NY teachers who for some had never even seen a videoconference. Things pretty much went that way all day. Learning by doing. By the time the day came to an end I had a group of videoconferencing veterans. They were muting the audio, panning and zooming, chatting in chat rooms and making IP connections like pros. I'm exhausted but excited and looking forward to Day 2.

Read Around the Planet

Getting Ready for 123VC Jazz

2006-07-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

During the week of July 31st through August 4th, 18 teachers from my Region and I will be participating in a most unique and exciting videoconferencing professional development. It is called 123-VC! Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with Videoconferencing. The unique part of this PD is that it is conducted almost entirely through live interactive videoconferences with other teachers in Michigan, Texas and Missouri. It is also an opportunity for the participants in this training to simulate the kinds of projects and collaborations that their students will be doing in the coming school year. The planners which include distance learning leaders in 8 different school districts in 4 states have been working on this training for months and are using Moodle an online collaborative management system to develop the entire course. From schedules to handouts, from readings to blogs everything is posted in this online environment. The logistics of this training is daunting. Each day after a brief half hour of local time "taking care of business" and introducing or going over some of the important topics each location will connect to usually three other districts. One of the days all eight groups will connect to each other. Then all the participants will be introduced to a project or projects and then simulate the activity and videoconference that the project requires. Of course the simulations will be light hearted. For example "MysteryQuest" a geography program where students research cities and countries in the World will be turned into "MysteryQuest Beaches". Our teachers will be finding those pleasure spots where sand and surf and fun take center stage. After lunch all eight sites will connect together for an hour to hear speakers on special topics. Then (and here is where logistics and daunting come into play) all 18 of my teachers will break into much smaller groups to connect to similar small groups to work on a vc project to do with their classes in the fall. So, I will need to provide at a minimum 5 other videoconferencing sites.
This week the pressure is on to ready the middle school we will be meeting at so there are at least 5 locations in the building where the teachers can go at the end of the day for their small group projects. I already have a vc unit in the media center. Another room that has an ISDN connection and is air-conditioned I hope to use for the majority of the day. However, I already had problems with the ISDN lines last Friday. So, I need to contact our local phone company Verizon first thing tomorrow. I hope to get another cable modem for the other library in the building and have cable installed in one of the computer labs. Of course I need to borrow additional Polycom units. Since the school right now has only two. So, my to do list for tomorrow looks something like this:
1. Call Verizon for ISDN repair.
2. Confirm TimeWarner for install on Tuesday.
3. Borrow 3 VC Units. Set-up and test.
4. Order breakfasts and lunches for five days.
5. Purchase binders for handouts
6. Copy handouts and fill binders
7. E-mail participants reminding them about the workshop (It is summertime and they do forget).
HELP!!!

Reflecting On NECC

2006-07-11T15:46:00.000-07:00

It is exactly one week since the opening night program of the NECC 2006 conference. One week ago I ate my first corn dog and stood on the terrace of the appropriately named Sails Pavillion and watched the fireworks in the San Diego sky. I am usually on the opposite side of the country watching the Macy's fireworks over the East River. No matter, the feelings are always the same, a surge of patriotism and of course anticipation for the summer vacation that is before me. That night it was excitement for NECC and the experiences that woud unfold in the next few days.. NECC did not disappoint. As usual (this is my third consecutive conference) I felt like a kid in a candy store. Too many delicious choices and not nearly enough time. I like to use the online planner before I go but there are way too many triangles with exclamations points a warning sign of a conflict in my schedule. Anyway I got to do a lot of hands on workshops and sat through some very interesting sessions but most of all I got to network with so many potential videoconferencing partners.

Podcasting amd Moodle were two hands on workshops I really enjoyed. Videoconferencing is a blended technology. There is room for all types of other technologies and programs to enhance and extend the IVC experience. The pre-conference and post-conference activities afford the opportunity for many other technology applications. A collaboration tool like Moodle or a multi-media product like a podcast are great technology tools for students and teachers to incorporate into projects.

I also got to participate in a variety of live videoconferences. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame does three programs. They look at the 50's and the 60's and the historical and political effects of Rock and Roll. I felt like something of a relic having been at Woodstock in 1969. I definitely want to see that videoconference in its entirety and of course I can be an eyewitness resource! I also got to see COSI (Ohio's Center of Science and Industry) and a look at their Open Heart Surgery live videoconference. This one is so popular that it is already entirely booked for the 2006-2007 school year. I saw a portion of the program and although fascinating NOT for the faint of heart. Another one I really enjoyed was a live visit with Jim Stovall, blind author of the book, The Ultimate Gift. He not only was an inspirational speaker but as an author provides an exciting interactive opportunity for students to read his books and then interview him. This is the purpose of ASK (Authors, Specialists, Knowledge) a videoconferencing project which is an organized process that provides students with the opportunity to interview an author or a subject specialist in the topic they are reading about in a novel. One live videoconference I participated in and definitely think I'll pass on is Grossology Live, a videoconference devoted to bodilly functions. I think the students would probably have a good time but there is something to be said for "good taste" in programming.

Probably the most fascinating videoconferencing session I attended was "HyperMirror Videoconferencing! Japan-LA-NJ Collaboration". The project was a water quality study between classes in New Jersey and Japan. The interesting twist was using the HyperMirror technology. This technique developed by a University in Japan uses chroma-key to merge two videoconferences into one so that the 2 sites look as one. I first saw this technology used with Internet2. It was very exciting to see it can also be used with our H.323 connections. The effect is obtained by using a blue screen. In this session two blue plastic tarps were hung and the presenters in San Diego and the students in Japan appeared to be together on the screen. I would love to incorporate this into some of our videoconferences this year. At the end of the session I had an opportunity to shake hands with the students in Japan. Talk about interactivity.

Besides all the wonderful sessions, exhibits, vendors and keynotes, I came away from NECC 2006 with a stack of business cards. Each card represents a project, or person or geographic location that I look forward to working with or connecting to this coming school year. The web is wonderful for finding videoconferencing projects but meeting someone face to face and sharing a good conversation is the best way to make a real connection. I'll keep you posted in subsequent blogs how my NECC encounters pan out.

Three Weathermen and a VC

2006-06-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

June is a hectic month. But it is also a winding down month. As I tie together the loose ends i also want to blog about some of the vc's I didn't get a chance to write about. One of these videoconferences took place on May 26th. The Friday before the Memorial Day weekend. I wrote in a previous blog about a videoconference with two meterorologists from the Eastern Region National Weather Service. I spoke about that being the first vc of hopefully a continuing collaboration. So, when our Region was planning a Math, Science and Technology Fair for 5th graders with an emphasis on careers I contacted my friends at the NWS. To my total delight the program they put together was three sessions each hosted by a different meteorologist. Each talked about what got them initially interested in meteorology as a child. What kind of courses they took and educational route they pursued. They also talked about different job opportunities they had along the way to their present work with the NWS. Richard Watling an Operations Improvement Hydrometeorologist and leader of weather verification gave the first vc. A hydrometeorologist is branch of meteorology that deals with problems involving the hydrologic cycle, the water budget, and the rainfall statistics of storms. In short, a RAIN MAN. Mr. Watling talked about his childhood and his interest in clouds and space. How that early interest led him to a long and fulfilling career in meteorology. Then he fielded questions from a very fascinated audience. He answered everyone except the one about Planet X. That was a stumper The second meteorologist was Jason Franklin a Mesoscale Meteorologist and leader of aviation weather. In short a PLANE MAN. He talked about the important work of keeping our planes safe in bad weather. Our last meteorologist was Joshua Watson a Techniques Development Meteorologist and leader of science training and forecasting techniques. In short a WEATHER MAN. He talked about the different ways weather is forcasted and the satellites that are out in space. Three groups of students met three different meteorologists. Maybe one day some of these students will become a meteorologists themselves. They won't have to worry about one thing. A meteorologist is never fired for a wrong forecast.

NOAA’s National Weather Service

Poetry Slam Slammed

2006-06-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

We had our spring poetry slam at the beginning of June. This is the second poetry slam this year. The first one was in February. This year there are eight schools involved in Poetry Slam. The poetry slam is a culmination of a ten week poetry writing residency that takes place once a week in the classroom. The students poetry really matured and developed between the winter term and the spring term. Their poetry is amazing. The topics are much deeper. The poems this term are more meaningful with real messages. I was totally overwhelmed by their poetry. The slam, which takes place entirely by videoconferencing, went fine on day one. The 5th/6th grade semi-finals were judged by a team of two adults and three students Olympic style.The 5 member poetry slam teams take turns performing their poems. The judges score them from 7.0 to 10. Then the team scores are added and the two top scorers go on the finals. The next day were the 5th/6th grade finals and the 7th grade finals. It started out fine but the connection began to deteriorate. By the end of the first slam we were experiencing significant freezing and muffled audio. A few attempts were made to hang up and redial. I spoke to the technician at the bridge but the problem was not with the bridge or our equipment. The problem was somewhere in between. The problem was in cyberspace. Finally, during our second poetry slam the decision was made to end the slam after the fourth round. The technology (which should be seamless) had brought our Poetry Slam to a halt. A few days later we had our inter-region slam with the Bronx and everything was back to normal. What caused the problem we will never know but on Friday, July 9th we had an Open Mic. Open Mic is a live event. Here all our students who want to perform their poems are invited to come up to the Open Mic. I started things off with a poem I was inspired to write after our videoconferencing fiasco.

Poetry Slam Slammed

Our poets were ready,
Their poems were supreme
But the technology
Had problems
And trampled our teams

Somewhere in the network
A glitch had appeared
It froze all our pictures
Our audio
You could hardly hear

Our poetry slam
Was stopped in its place
Our verses were lost in
Cyberspace

But not to worry
Our poems will be heard
Open Mic
Has arrived
We’ll hear every word
WORD!

In fairness to videoconferencing, this is the exception rather than the rule. But go tell that to the 5th round of poets.

Square of Life

2006-05-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today two sixth grade classes came together to share their findings and observations of the plants and animals that grow and live around their schools. This meeting and exchange was a result of an online project called "Square of Life".
http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/squareproj/
As part of this project students measure a square meter of ground and record what they find. I became interested in the project when I read that there could also be a videoconferencing component. I was put in contact with a school district in Arizona and we began the process of partnering some of our classes. Amy Chayefsky the distance learning coordinator from Maricopa AZ is a transplanted New Yorker and I am the mother of a University of Arizona alumni. So, we each had a real connection to each other's environment. One of the classes I found was a sixth grade science class whose teacher who was very interested in participating in the project. Of course we had to wait until the winter finished and the weather turned warmer for the students to explore their squares of life. In NY that means late April.

When our students went outside they observed the many trees that fill the tree lined streets. They measured inside the wrought iron gate that runs around their school where the dandelions and wood violets grow. Queens, New York is an urban community where plants and pavement vie for space.
Maricopa, AZ has few trees mostly desert soil and bush but also snakes and toads can be easily found. Where NY students live in apartment buildings with six stories the students in Arizona live in communities with six houses. Where our NY middle school has 2000 students, Maricopa's whole population is 10,000. So, you see besides learning about the different kind of plants that grow in these two distinctly different environments the students also learned about two different ways of life. There is much to learn from each other and about each other. Both classes prepared powerpoints that they shared with each other. Videoconferences like this are wonderful opportunities for this type of learning to occur. So, in addition to questions like do all kinds of maple tree give maple syrup there are also questions like what languages do the children in your class speak? Tomorrow is another Square of Life session in another one of our schools. I wish their could be more but Arizona schools start their summer vacations next week. Another difference our NY schools are open until the end of June. But just as our students began to moan when they learned about the early start to summer in AZ, I reminded our students that Arizona schools start in early August while New York schools start the second week of September. Viva le difference!

Hosting MysteryQuestUSA

2006-04-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

I have written in a previous blog about how much I love the MysteryQuest videoconference. So when I learned that MysteryQuest USA for 5th graders was taking place while our schools were closed for our spring break I was very disappointed. When I suggested to Janine Lim, Instructional Technology Consultant for Berrien County Intermediate School District where MysteryQuest is coordinated, that maybe I could organize and host a MQUSA she said "great" and I was off yet again on a new videoconferencing adventure. First came the flurry of interested schools. The spots filled quickly and I even had to turn away some very enthusiastic candidates. Then I had to confirm the lucky classrooms of their participation. Next I had to schedule test calls with the bridge. A class dropped out and another space had to be refilled. Another confirmation letter. 5 classes couldn't make the test on the day assigned so I had to reschedule those classes. In short coordinating MysteryQuest had become a quest of its own.

When MysteryQuestUSA finally arrived I realized I had two of the same states participating on the same day (a no-no). I didn't have a countdown clock but rather a digital clock that showed military time. And two of my own schools that had worked so hard to prepare for the videoconference had their network shutdown (I still had two other classes participating). I would be hosting two MysteryQuestUSA programs. They each had 5 participating classrooms. One of the classes in honor of National Poetry Month delivered their clues in poetic form. The class from Paris, Texas performed their clues with incredible background scenery that made us feel we were at a Broadway Show. St. Thomas School in Wisconsin had beautiful posters that were painted on both sides so they flipped them over to reveal their clues. They were the most environmentally friendly presentation.

As for how the classes did with their guesses, almost every group got the right city and state. Are the students getting smarter? Are the clues getting better? Or is "google" making mystery cities and states an endangered species? Whatever the reason for the student's success it still is a challenging and engaging videoconference.

Meet The Dooples

2006-04-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

Today we had part two of our "Meet the Dooples" author's share. This wonderful duo of books brings to life a group of everyday writing tools. The characters of these stories are Pencils, Pens, Markers...Crayons and Chalk, not to forget Racer the Eraser, who helps out if the others "mess up". The children love these engaging stories of rhyme, rhythm and repititions. But best of all is the fact that the author of these two wonderful books, Dr. Lynn Hunter, hosts the videoconference. So they not only got to meet the Dooples but they also got to meet their creator. Dr. Hunter also works for the NYC Department of Education as a Distance Learning Coordinator. I met her a few years ago and we have collaborated on some very interesting projects together. When I learned she was also a children's literature author I couldn't wait for her to do an author's chat.
The first videoconference took place two weeks ago. Two second grade classes were paired up. One in one of Dr. Hunter's schools in Manhattan and one in one of my schools in Brooklyn. Dr. Hunter read the story to the children as a powerpoint displayed the illustrations.

After an animated chat with the students a surprise animation of the story was presented. This animation was done by a group of middle school students in a school where Dr. Hunter worked. To see the characters come to life in such a creative way was just great.

The videoconference ended with the children being asked to write their own Doople adventure. Today during our second meeting these budding young writers shared their stories with Dr. Hunter and the other second grade class.
Then Dr. Hunter shared her second story "The Dooples and the Shapes". The children really enjoyed participating in this videoconference. I really loved the fact that our "talent" was all so home grown. There is a lot in store for the Dooples in the future. A group of older students are working on a "sequel" and a musical component to the videoconference is being developed. If you're interested in learning more about the books or videoconferencing with the author contact drlynnhunter@aol.com or go to go to http://dooples.com

Ask A Meteorologist

2006-03-29T14:56:00.000-08:00

Today was the first of what I hope to be a successful videoconferencing collaboration with the National Weather Service. It all began several months ago when I e-mailed a meteorologist in Texas that offered videoconferences a few years ago. Many of our third grade classes were studying weather this year and I hoped I would be able to support them with videoconferencing. Then one day several weeks later Marcie Katcher from the Eastern Region National Weather Service, located in our own backyard (Long Island N.Y.) called to say that they had videoconferencing equipment and would be interested in trying to pilot a program with our third grade students. She even had a meteorologist who was interested in hosting the program. A livewire as I like to call anyone who volunteers to be involved in a videoconference. Especially a new venture. So, I became in touch with Rosemary Auld who is a real meteorologist. But it gets even better. She has a colleague named Jason Franklin, who is an aviation meteorologist, and he is interested in getting involved too. I was in videoconferencing planning heaven. One thing I really liked was that they suggested our students send to their offices a school weather mascot. I liked the idea that not only the students got to create something they also had an opportunity to have a personal connection with the National Weather Service. So, when the videoconference started today the first thing they saw was their "Weather Cheetah" right behind the head of the smiling meteorologist.

The videoconference started off with Rosemary Auld talking about the job of a meteorologist. She asked the students about their "Weather Cheetah" and what they were learning about weather. Then Jason Franklin got to tell the class about the job of an aviation meteorologist and how important their work is to keep planes flying safely. Then it was time for the students to ask questions. Another really nice touch here too. The students had e-mailed questions prior to the meteorologists. So, Marcie alternated between reading an e-mail question and having the student ask a live question. When she read an e-mail she asked the child who sent it to stand up. I know the students were very proud to have their questions read. One time she called out the name of about six students. She asked them to all stand up and hold hands. Then Marcie said their questions were all linked and that is why she wanted them to hold hands. They had all asked different questions about how weather moves.

The children also shared data they had been keeping everyday about temperatures. This is part of the globe project where the school has a weather station and they have instruments for recording weather information each day. This is really a 4th grade project but the 3rd graders are helping too. Rosemary Auld told them she would send them a box of materials so the could make their own weather instruments. Then they could compare how their school made instruments measured data compared to the special instruments they had in their school. The children were thrilled and very appreciative to be getting such an interesting package.

At the end the children were shown the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website with a special site for children.

http://www.education.noaa.gov/students.html

I don't know what the weather will be tomorrow but today was sunny both inside and out.

Producing Your Own Content

2006-03-23T15:24:00.000-08:00

Here is another reason to add to the list of why videoconferences get cancelled "the teachers are taking strike action and they are having to shut the school that day, so the videoconference won't be able to take place". (For other reasons go to:
http://bcisdvcs.wordpress.com/2006/03/page/2/
I awoke to read this "urgent news" of the impending strike from our London partners. We had been planning a videoconference for months between our classes in New York and classes in London as part of WebPlay. WebPlay is an internet-based arts education project that links children from around the world to learn about theatre and each other. Our videoconference was going to be a sharing of what the children had written so far and a discussion of how to improve the writing in order to more realistically portray the sister cities. Our NY students wrote plays that take place in London while the London students write plays that take place in NYC.
Developing this videoconference was no easy feat. First we had to resolve the technology issues. The England schools use a web cam software "Click 2 Meet" and we use a Polycom with an H.323 protocol. My "mixed technology trials and tribulations" are clearly documented in previous posts. After successfully crossing that hurdle we had to write a lesson plan that would meet the objectives of what the videoconference hoped to accomplish. Of course you have to schedule the videoconference after consulting with the dozen or so people you are ccing in these cross Atlantic e-mails. The WebPlay people, the school coordinators, the teachers, the tech people and so on. Then with a little luck you hope the vc doesn't get cancelled.
Developing your own content is not an easy route to travel. Next week I am hoping to do a vc that has been in the works for several months with the National Weather Service. Again I worked on this from scratch, No cake mix for me. First I tried to find a meteorologist. Then the technology. Then the objectives, what do the children want to know? What do they know already? Then the schedules (school vacations, meteorologist business trips, school testing etc.) Today is Thursday, the conference is next Wednesday. Will there be a metorologist strike? Fortunately it's not hurricane season. I'll keep you posted.
Producing your own content, a true videoconferencing adventure!

When Irish Eyes are Smiling

2006-03-15T17:47:00.000-08:00

When I was contacted in early February, about one of our 3rd grade NYC classes participating in a videoconference about St. Patrick's Day with a School from Cork, Ireland I immediately sent out an e-mail to all our schools looking for interested classes. I knew there would be "takers" but I had no idea of just how popular this program would be. I got so many responses from classes that were very enthusiastic to participate in the program. Not even the stipulation that a written lesson plan needed to be provided deterred those teachers from responding. It was difficult turning down so many. Why did this offer attract so many when so many other wonderful program opportunities attract so few or sometimes none at all. I think there were two elements that were very appealing. First of all the fact that a class in Ireland would be participating gave the conference an exotic component. Everyone loves an international connection! But the second element is that St. Patrick's Day is probably one of the most beloved holidays that is celebrated in our schools. As it was said more than once during today's videoconference "On St. Patrick's Day everyone is Irish".
Today was the day of the videoconference. The 3rd grade classes that participated in today's program were two of our classes from New York, one from Michigan, one from South Dakota and of course one from Cork, Ireland. Mrs. Healy's class from St. Vincent's School in Cork was using a videophone. All the other classes were using Polycoms. Bridging these technologies are still unchartered waters and although it worked yesterday during a test call, today only their audio made it across the Atlantic Ocean. So we listened to the beautiful brogues of the children in Mrs. Healy's class as they talked about the city of Cork and their celebrating of St. Patrick's Day. We learned that there are no specific foods for St. Patrick's Day and that often pizza is more popular than cornbeef and cabbage. Our students shared facts about their cities and how they celebrate St. Patrick's Day. They shared limericks and activities and got to ask a few questions.
I hope that we will get to see Mrs. Healy's class one day as videoconferencing is such a visual technology that it would be nice to have faces to go with those voices. I'm sure those Irish eyes are smiling but it would have been nice if we could have seen them.

Our Videoconferencing Community

2006-03-09T15:50:00.000-08:00

I just had a most interesting videoconferencing adventure. In December I participated in Megaconference 7 which besides being a great videoconference experience for myself and some of our students also got my name on the Megaconference distribution list. So for the past few months I get lots of e-mails from some of my few hundred plus friends who are also on the list. All the discussion in these e-mails center around videoconferencing and I can honestly say I've learned a lot. I even sent an e-mail once myself. I sent an e-mail with a query about the Click to Meet software and the H.323 protocol. I received about a dozen responses. I actually because of my e-mail wound up in touch with Stewart Duncan from the London Grid. This week we tested our equipment and now it looks like our NYC schools will be videoconferencing with their London schools. I liked this sense of caring and interest that the members of the megaconference mailing list have for each other. The time and thought they take to answering a question or help in solving a problem. So when Megan Troyer from Ohio State University sent out an e-mail looking for a videoconferencing site in NYC for one of their professors on sabbatical, I decided to be a good videoconferencing Samaritan and offer one of our middle schools to host the professor.

Today was the day of the videoconference. The professor was going to videoconference with her graduate design students to see their final projects via videoconference. The students had been working for the past 8-10 weeks on designing multi-media interactive computer programs about "Carnival" in Notting Hill, London. I was actually staying in Bayswater London at "Carnival" and didn't even see it but that's another story. So, I got to learn about it today through the graduate students at Ohio State University and their amazing projects. Each was so different and each was so interesting. Their professor was able to see and hear the student's projects and ask questions. (I told her to give them all A's and she agreed).
When I left the school today I jokingly told two teachers who came in the room as we were leaving if you're ever at Ohio State and need to do a videoconference... But seriously I do feel a tremendous sense of camaraderie from my experience with our videoconferencing community. I hope as it continues to grow, as I know it will, we will keep on helping each other by sharing our experiences, expertise and even our equipment.

Read Across America Meets Click 2 Meet

2006-03-01T14:57:00.000-08:00

Today was our first Read Across America videoconference for this year. It was also our first time videoconferencing with a Click to Meet site and our Polycom room system. In other words Polycom VSX7000 meets Webcam. It wasn't terrible. Let me clarify that. I wasn't sure what to expect. I had pretty low expectations. The biggest problem was the audio. We heard everything we said twice. So, when our students talked we asked the other site to mute their mic. The video definitely was not as sharp as we are use to. There was no camera work at the Click to Meet. No zooming in and out, no panning right to left, and no presets. There was just one wide shot thats focus was soft. But we did hear and see them. We did have a good time learning about each other. Our students presented some Dr. Seuss poems and facts. They read to us The Three Little Pigs. We asked questions and they answered them. They asked questions and we answered them. The children enjoyed the experience and so did I. I think that the quality of the connection detracted from the program but I also think that if I had to choose to videoconference with a Click to Meet site or not to videoconference I would choose the former since the purpose of the videoconference was accomplished.

To Test or Not To Test

2006-02-27T16:33:00.000-08:00

I am forever reminded of the importance of testing. Here are a few cases in point. Today I was at a school where they had 2 unsuccessful test calls. Since the school just started videoconferencing this year I felt maybe my experience would help. So I went to the school to see what I could do. It was not a routine H.323 connection but a Click to Meet site that was trying to connect to our Polycom VSX7000. I never connected before to this "different species". This was for a Read Across America conference on Wednesday and I knew time was running out. The Click to Meet site had to make the call. However, there was only audio, no video was transmitting. I knew I was in over my head and the only thing I could think of was to call Janine Lim who is chairing the Read Across America. I knew she had tested with all the participants and if anyone would know what to do it would be Janine. First I made a test call to Janine's Polycom VSX7000 to check our system was working properly. Then the Click to Meet site made a test call with Janine and she had the idea that instead of a 263 protocol a 261 should be used instead. Lucky for us it worked, The children would not be disappointed on Wednesday. Our test call had hopefully averted a disastrous connection.

Unlike two weeks ago when I attended a vendor presentation on using videoconferencing in the classroom. Here we were in a hotel conference room with state of the art videoconferencing equipment. An audience full of educators all eager to learn more about the technology of videoconferencing. A middle school at another location with a group of students and teachers enthusiastic to present their videoconferencing project. The call is made but the connection fails. The tech people go into high gear but to no avail. The problem is mystifying. They can connect to their home office but not to the middle school. So they went to plan B. You always need a plan B. There was a powerpoint which showed the project. A lively discussion about the project. But no videoconference. As I was leaving the vendor said to me "we tested the equipment with our office we should have tested with the middle school".

We have all had the experience of the technology not working as planned. I myself presented at a conference last year when I was unable to do a live videoconference as planned. I was also guilty of not testing in advance. I planned to test an hour before the event. Bad idea. A test is not a 100% guarantee that your videoconference will happen but it is a pretty high guarantee that things will work. A test can give you time to troubleshoot like today. It will give all participants some peace of mind. So that is why tomorrow, and the next day within my busy schedule I will be taking time to do three test calls.

MysteryQuest

2006-02-15T14:37:00.000-08:00

Today one of my schools participated in MysteryQuest. MysteryQuest to me is a perfect videoconference. It combines collaborating classrooms, active learning and student presentations. This project comes out of the Berrien County Intermediate School District (BCISD). This school district is located in Michigan and provides interactive videoconferencing not only for their schools but for schools all over the United States with collaborations like MysteryQuest. BCISD is also part of TWICE, which stands for Two Way Interactive Connections in Education. They are an organization made up of school districts in Michigan that support videoconferencing in K-12 education. I first became aware of TWICE when I took an online videoconferencing course with Janine Lim. Janine Lim is the Collaborative Projects Committee Chair and Webmaster for TWICE and also a Instructional Technology Consultant for BCISD. She is also the author of "Out on a Lim" her blog which I have a link to on my blog. The TWICE website is one of my favorite resources and I always share it with my teachers during workshops. Here is their website: http://www.twice.cc/
Now back to MysteryQuest. The MysteryQuest was about the western hemisphere. The 6th grade students had chosen the country of Guatemala. One of my colleagues had visited there this summer so I suggested she go in the class and share her stories and photos. She did. Some of the students worked on a powerpoint presentation. They had to pick a city too. So they chose Chichicastenango where many of the photos were from. They had to present clues for the city and country. Today they videoconferenced with six other classes. All had a mystery country and city. All had a presentation. All gave clues. Next the students were given 35 minutes to do research. We divided the class into 6 teams each used maps, an atlas, books and the internet to try and guess the mystery city. The Principal walked in when one of the other classes was presenting. She got so involved she did not leave until the end.

The enthusiasm and interest during the research part is amazing. After that the classes get to ask a clarifying question for each group. For example does your county start with the letter "G". If you get a yes you know you're on the right track. A no means back to the books. The students are given another desperate 10 minutes. Then it is time for the guesses.
Of our six teams, four got the country and city right, one got the country right but the city wrong and one wasn't in the right country. As for our mystery country and city, EVERYONE got Guatemala but NOBODY got Chichicastenango!

Dr. Ben Carson

2006-02-13T17:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday as New York City's blizzard was breaking its own snow accumulation record I was sure the NYC schools would be closed. Now I love snow days as much as anyone else but I knew that today was the Dr. Ben Carson videoconference and my joy for a snow day was tempered by my disappointment of missing this special event. So, when Mayor Bloomberg, in the tradition of the mayors before him, said the NYC schools would be opened I was happy for this one reason. We would be to participate in this videoconference.
Dr. Carson has been healing and educating children for years. He is a brilliant pediatric neurosurgeon. He
has separated conjoined twins and performed countless life saving surgeries on the brain and spinal system. However, in the words of Dr. Carson his greatest pride comes not from those individual lives he saves through operations but from the impact he has made on so many countless lives through his books, talks and philanthropic work. Today was one of those inspirational meetings. Dr. Carson spoke to classes of students spread across the United States. He talked about his childhood in Detroit. His feelings of stupidity. His single parent home. The positive influences he found. His accomplishments in medicine. Six of the participating schools asked him prepared questions. Which he answered with long and thoughtful answers.
I looked at the faces of the students at IS126, the school that was participating in New York. They were listening attentively. I tried to see who he might be having an effect on. But you really never know whose life will be forever changed by such an encounter.
I really liked this videoconference. I enjoyed listening to this man who was so accomplished and caring. I think it was better than a snow day.

Poetry Slam Winter 2006

2006-02-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

Our Winter Poetry Slam is over and it was wonderful. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday saw eight of our 5th through 7th grade classes participating in a friendly competion of original written poetry performances. Our Queen's finalists even had the opportunity to go on to Slam with another school Region in the Bronx. In all their were a total of six slams involving 22 different connections and not one site was unable to connect. That is technology at its best.
Of course this wasn't the case the week before our Poetry Slam. No, the week before saw "Murphy's Law" in full effect. A cable modem at one school inexplicably stopped working, another cable line got chewed up in a door, and the icing on the cake was that six of our 8 Polycom VSX7000's had a software version that would crash the bridge if they were not updated to a later version. On a personal note I had to be in California for a family event and so I was working against a ticking clock. Miraculously, the cable repair was done as scheduled in both schools. So much for the bad rap the "cable repair guy" gets. I was able to remotely, with the cooperation of school techs, upload the new software from 7.5 to 8.0. And I flew to California on Friday and back to New York on Sunday without any airport closings because of a winter snowstorm (fortunately it's not this weekend where over a foot of snow is expected). So, on Tuesday morning we were ready to SLAM!
Our Poetry Slams were great. Our students and their poetry was just wonderful. The poets from UrbanWord, the spoken word residency that had been in the schools for ten weeks working with the students, were there supporting their students. So were their teachers, classmates and school administrators. I hope to post a link soon to some of those performances. In one e-mail I received from a principal he said " I must say it was a tremendously positive experience! Thank you for bringing such a wonderful opportunity to our kids."
I am so proud of our teachers, our poets, our tech support, our administrators, our judges but most of all our students for such a spectacular event. Next month we will host an Open Mic in one of our schools where all the students, not just the team members, will get a chance to perform their poems. Then of course there is our Spring Poetry Slam in May where we get to do it all over again.

Teacher Training

2006-01-24T20:38:00.000-08:00

This week I am in a teacher training mode. With just under two weeks to go to our Poetry Slam I am busy visiting participating schools and training those teachers who will be responsible for using the videoconferencing equipment. Even those teachers who have used the equipment before can always use a refresher course. The first thing is to check that all the cables and wires are connected properly. That the cable modem (we use a TimeWarner cable modem for our IP connections) is showing four green lights, two steady green, two blinking green and most important that we have the remote and the batteries are still good. I carry triple A batteries in my pocketbook like other people carry a comb. We do a test call with NYIT, New York Institute of Technology. They have a camera that is on all the time. It is aimed at the campus parking lot. The audio is a local rock station. It's always good to see the cars and hear music. Signaling our videoconferencing is good to go.

I was out another videoconferencing training yesterday. This one was for a new videoconferencing/videostreaming network we have in eleven of our schools. This new system are Polycom ViewStations that are connected to a server located at a remote site in NYC. This videoconferencing network has the capability of live videostreaming of videoconferences and meetings. The videostreaming can also be archived for later view. This is very powerful stuff. Stan Silverman, from NYIT, talks about videoconferencing in terms of a box of crayons. It use to be a box of 8 crayons, the basic colors. But this is no longer the case. Now videoconferencing is that big box of 64 crayons. The possibilities are endless.

Click 2 Meet and H.323

2006-01-22T17:10:00.000-08:00

It's interesting the way things seem to happen. I went to an EEZ meeting on Thursday. EEZ (Educational Enterprise Zone) is a group of videoconferencing providers and receivers (not that one excludes the other) in the NYS area. This meeting was looking at some newer technologies. Video E-mails, Elluminate and Videostreaming were the soup d'jour. I came away thinking what about H.323 and our sophisticated room systems? Are they now the latest technology dinosaurs in our schools? Just as I was reflecting on this and thinking of writing something in my blog, I got an e-mail from someone I was working with on a school to school collaboration in England. He basically said that their schools use a software called Click 2 Meet. He told me it was not compatible with our Polycoms and suggested I get a web cam and download the software. I was frustrated. I have a Cadillac and he is asking me to leave it in the garage and get my bicycle. I was just about to get out my trusty i-sight when I thought let me put it out there and see what other videoconferencers are doing. So, I sent an e-mail to the Megaconference VII listserv. The e-mails started coming in with a host of suggestions and comments. There does seem to be a way to stay with our more sophisticated technology when we videoconference with schools who do not have an H.323 system. Now I haven't actually tried a connection but the e-mails sound hopeful. The people I are am now in touch with are the real deal. For example I received an e-mail from the person who manages the UK Videoconferencing Project. He was very positive on our classrooms connecting. I liked that he said "that the quality of a Click to Meet videoconference is not the same as an H.323 videoconference, but can be adequate for schools that are "getting started with videoconferencing". Anyway, I'll let you know how our vc goes as I hope to make this UK connection soon.

Poetry Slam

2006-01-18T18:30:00.000-08:00

Right now we are three weeks away from being in the midst of our Region 4 Poetry Slam. This is definitely one of the most fun, innovative way of utilizing videoconferencing with our students. I first learned about this program by attending a Poetry Slam in Region 1 in the Bronx NYC. I went to the Bronx Region 1 Office not knowing what I was in for. What I saw literally blew me away. Or should I say knocked my socks off. Student teams were competing with other schools by performing their original poems over videoconferencing. What struck me first was the quality of the poems. The students wrote on a variety of themes, some funny, some poignant, some chilling but all great poetry. What struck me next was the fact that these kids were excited about poetry. You don't see that often. Especially as the students get older. I was hooked. Lucky for me the Bronx Region were reaching out to another Region that wanted to start a Poetry Slam. They agreed to be our mentor. The art residency, DreamYard, sent two wonderful poets of theirs into our 4 participating school. This poetry residency in itself is enough. Student's writing poetry while learning about all kinds of poetry. Working on their poems by through revision. And then the performance part. Making that poem come alive through expression and movement. Of course I was most drawn to the videoconferencing component. What a novel idea a student poetry competition with other schools and no one having to leave their building. Besides this logistics miracle there is also the media itself enhancing and infusing the performances. In the next few weeks I will write more about preparing for slam as we get closer to the big event.

My First Blog

2006-01-16T17:29:00.000-08:00

This is really exciting. Having a blog of my own. Even better yet, one about videoconferencing. Videoconferencing has become a real passion for me. I have been involved in videoconferencing in the classroom for over seven years now. I guess that makes me a pioneer. I remember when the voice took so long to travel over the system that you were in a constant state of interrupting the other speaker. Not too mention "man walking on moon video". Then those pesty ISDN connections that never seemed to work when you needed them. Those were the days. But now videoconferencing, the technology, has come into its own. IP connections have made it more readily available to all. If you plan a videoconference it is more likely than not to happen. The programs are better. The potential is limitless. In short, if you got videoconferencing you're in for a fun and educational experience.
In Region 4, part of the NYC Public School System, there are over 30 schools with videoconferencing capability. The challenge now is not the technology. The challenge is getting the schools to use it. It's not that the teachers or administration are opposed to using it. In fact videoconferencing still has that magical allure. Everyone likes being on "TV". No, it is just in these days of tests and timelines, educators find little time to experiment with new things. I see much of my job is to make it as easy as possible for a teacher and class to participate in a videoconference. This means I need to find, schedule, test and facilitate the videoconference. My goal is to train someone or some others in a school to make videoconferences happen. Nothing makes me happier when I am no longer needed in a school.
There are a lot of wonderful videoconference programs taking place in the Region 4 classrooms. I'd like to share these with those of you who read this blog. I'd also like to share ideas and issues with regard to videoconferencing in the K-12 classroom. I'd like to hear comments from those who read my blog too. So, welcome to my blog. Got videoconferencing?