Don't be Bashful about Asking for Help!

Hi there! I had an interesting phone conversation with a librarian in one of my districts this morning that I'd like to share with you. She emailed me Monday and asked if I had ideas for a video conference that focused on the Salem Witch Trials. The Cleveland Museum of Art has a nifty program about that topic called 'Scary Art,' so I sent her the information about it. It's actually a perfect IVC for this time of year!

When she called me today, she was concerned that she was asking too much of my time by asking me to research and find other video conference connections about several other topics for 6th and 7th grade teachers. Little do you know how happy it makes me that people would ask my opinion about anything! :-)

Her teachers are so excited to use video conferencing and she had genuinely made an effort to research on her own, but still wasn't finding what she was looking for... Hmmm. There's a U2 song in there somewhere... (Now you're singing it, aren't you??)

Immediately, I began to wonder how often teachers around the region think, "I bet Cheryl, Rene, and Mary are too busy to help me. They have a lot to do, so I won't ask them for help." Yikes! What an unpleasant thought!!

I encouraged her to share all of the topics with me and talked to her about some possibilities off the top of my head. Then I said I'd continue to research and check back as soon as I found something worthwhile to report. The teachers in this instance are planning ahead (by a month or 2), which makes it so much easier to research and plan.

If you have a question about video conferencing, its use, strategies for integrating it into the curriculum, collaborative project ideas, etc., I hope you'll feel free to contact us. DL@gstboces.org

Ordinarily there is someone here in the office available to answer questions over the phone, by email, or by video conference. We collaborate with people around NYS and the US to find ideas and provide training about video conferencing to our region. Please don't hesitate to ask us for help. That's why we're here! :-)

When people ask me for help, their ideas often wind up here on our blog so they benefit everyone.

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So, my video conference peeps and tweeps! Do you have ideas for excellent content provider programs or collaborative project ideas on any of the following topics?

Native Americans, Lewis and Clark (Grade 7)

Seneca Falls History, Women's Suffrage, Erie Canal (Grade 7)

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Grade 6) - they are reading the book and would like to tour a museum (the characters visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the book, but I can't find IVC on their website)

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If so, please share your thoughts!! (I'm not bashful. I ask for help all the time!)

Enjoy the rest of your week :-)

GST Virtual Office Hours

I enjoy our Virtual Office Hours because teachers in our region use them for so many reasons. You can request our IP Address and contact us by video conference to talk about curriculum-based video conference projects.

Today we connected with Maria Gimma, a S-VE secondary Spanish teacher, and her students to discuss strategies for an upcoming IVC project where Mrs. Gimma's students will teach Spanish to elementary students. The students were looking for ideas to make the IVC engaging for young students. Kelley Batrowny demonstrated an interactive game to teach Spanish vocabulary and I suggested the use of pictures on a document camera, or a PowerPoint, to help students visualize vocabulary.

We also discussed collaborative project ideas that they could do with other secondary classes. She mentioned that she would like to have students read a book and video conference with another class about it. We suggested using the project template "Videoconference + Web 2.0 Projects" from the booklet "Planning Kid2Kid Video Conference Projects" as a template for that project.

Keep in mind that you can call our video conference equipment for IVC strategies, project ideas, to practice with the remote and equipment, or to talk about life in general. :-)

If you would like our IP Address, please email us: DL@gstboces.org

What are some strategies that you use for keeping a video conference interactive? We'd love to hear from you!

Need an Idea for an Interactive Video Conference? Just ASK!

Welcome Back! How was your first day? Hectic?? I would imagine so! Don't forget about interactive video conferencing as a great way to enhance your curriculum! Registration for the TWICE ASK Program opens September 9. It is a very worthwhile program and affordable, too!

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TWICE ASK Programs
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ASK (Authors, Specialist and Knowledge) 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. The program uses excellent literature, journal writing and interviewing to promote reading for understanding.

TWICE offers a series of ASK programs throughout the year. They are $40 for members and $80 for nonmembers. This year the TWICE ASK registration will be in CAPSpace. Registration opens on September 9 in CAPspace under My Projects.

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If you would like more information about this program, loging to CAPSpace or contact the GST DL Team! DL@gstboces.org