ESL Collaborative IVC Project

Think about planning ahead for next year. If you are an ESL teacher and would like to use video conferencing, this project looks like fun! Log in to CAPSpace to learn more about it!

Title: Getting To Know you:
Status: Open
URL: http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=300
Connections: H.323
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, Undergrad
Subjects: Language Arts/English
Dates: Between September 9-October 29 anytime between 1-4pm EDT

Description: I teach adult ESL/Basic Skills. My students are at an Intermediate level of language development. I would like to meet with another class and spend some time learning about each other
1) Write a background paragraph about the community, class school
2) When students meet during the VC, ask for clarification questions and get some detailed information about the students in the class.
3) Students would complete a chart (designed by partner classes) as a followup activity

End of the School Year

It's been a while since I've posted anything, so I thought I would check in .

I've been working on many projects recently - preparing for our July Summer Jazz training and our October ESVCC training; updating websites, our DL website video intro , and prepping materials for Model Schools trainings; and working with teammates to interview people who will join our team. We met some excellent candidates and we're looking forward to welcoming 2 new members to our team!

I learned recently that I will be 2.5 days per week in distance learning and 2 days per week in a district during the coming school year. The other half day belongs to Model Schools training. Rene, Mary, and I are looking forward to finding creative ways to continue to meet our districts' needs!

I'm also excited to work face-to-face with teachers and students on a regular basis again! I've missed that type of interaction this past year. Though I found that I really enjoy developing my own content and teaching students via video conference. I will definitely continue to do that as long as teachers invite me to do so! I love it when the kids gasp when they think something I've shown them is cool or when they laugh because they're having fun during a lesson.

I've learned so much over the last year. The way I approach Instructional Technology is completely different than my approach from just a year ago, partly due to the fact that I've learned so much about video conference technology.

The GST DL Team has been meeting with districts to plan ahead for next school year and to plan more effective ways to encourage teachers to use video conference technology. I LOVE to plan ahead... It appeals to my detail-oriented nature. If you are one who enjoys planning ahead as much as I do, then consider contacting us to help you with your video conferencing needs.

Do you need help scheduling content provider sessions? Or maybe you're thinking about video conference projects you might like to try and where to locate partners for those projects. Have you never used video conference equipment before and want to find out how user-friendly it is to use? Perhaps you'd like some ideas to help you get started. We can meet with you by video conference for Virtual Office Hours. Contact us! DL@gstboces.org

I will be posting now and then over the summer, but we'll be back to weekly posts starting in September. Enjoy your summer vacation if you're lucky enough to have the summer off! Maybe we'll see you at Summer Jazz or maybe some of our Model Schools trainings.

Start Planning for IVC Now!

Hey! The end of the year is drawing nigh and I thought I'd mention that if you would like to schedule video conference sessions for next year, now might be a good time to think about it.

Content provider schedules can get very busy, so the sooner you know you want to work with a content provider and schedule time to work with them, the better the chance you'll get the sessions you want for your students.

If you plan to do a collaborative project with another class, start to plan now so it won't be so much work during the school year. Schedule the equipment as far in advance as possible so you know it will be available when you need it.

When you are planning any type of video conference, it is best to plan ahead! If you're not sure what kind of project to do, we are happy to meet with you and discuss ideas that would work with your curriculum. Contact us: DL@gstboces.org

Do you have other ideas that could help teacher plan ahead for video conferencing? We'd be interested to know what you think!

Google Earth & Video Conferencing

When I offer virtual learning experiences to students, I like using Google Earth to help the students visualize where I am in the world compared to where they are.

I mark the location for my building and where the students are located on Google Earth with a "push pin." When I zoom in on our locations during the video conference, the kids usually gasp in amazement. I think they enjoy watching me zip around Google Earth while I go through my introductions.

This would be a fun addition to collaborative video conference projects that you do with other classes!

Google Earth not only shows you the earth, it also shows you what's in the sky, too! If you are a science teacher and plan to do a collaborative IVC project about the planets or constellations, then think about using Google Earth as part of your presentation during your connection. Click the button at the top of the Google Earth window that looks like Saturn and select SKY from the list. Your students could create a trip through the galaxy to share with another classroom with information about stars and planets along the way.

If you haven't already downloaded Google Earth, here is the download page. The trick is to play with it first to get comfortable with the program. Watch some video tutorials about Google Earth to get to know more about it. Then practice connecting to another location where you can practice using it over a video conference connection.

If you need help downloading and using Google Earth as part of a video conference project, or if you have general questions about video conferencing, please contact us: DL@gstboces.org