This week I am in Cooperstown, NY meeting with Distance Learning Colleagues from all over New York State. We were fortunate to have the National Baseball Hall of Fame allow us to use their facilities for our meeting. And - James was kind enough to give us all a guided tour of the facility.
BUT, the best piece of the experience was the opportunity to be at the Hall while they presented "Mathematics - Batter Up" to 6th graders from Turner Valley School in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. The kids were - no surprise - great! They did a fantastic job with their math facts and it was obvious that they were completely comfortable with Interactive Video Conferencing.
The Hall of Fame actually takes their roll around IVC system out in to the display area a while before the conference. This unit consists of a podium and laptop used by the main presenter, plus a laptop and video editing equiment on the cart with the codec and monitor. Using the editing software, they are able to splice together images of the presenter with graphics from the computers. A very nice setup that certainly helps them stay connected and deliver excellent learning opportunities for our students.
I also learned that the Hall of Fame was honored with the Pinnacle Award from CILC for the 2007-2008 school year for being an excellent content provider! I encourage you to check out their programming at http://education.baseballhalloffame.org/experience/videoconferences.html
Having seen this gives me an added appreciation for all the effort required by the content providers! Be sure to thank them!
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