The Distance Blog

Developing Online Training about IVC

2011-06-07T09:33:00.002-04:00

I am getting ready to develop some online training about video conferencing for educators. I've noticed that participation in live trainings has been steadily decreasing during this school year. We cancelled several of the classes planned for this year.

I know that I will develop an Intro to Video Conferencing class, but I'm still trying to decide topics for other online classes. My goal is to develop 3 classes and have them ready to roll out at the beginning of the next school year (less than 3 months away!)

Do you have suggestions? Where should I focus my time, so I can concentrate on classes people want most?

VC Etiquette: Multi-site Muting

2011-02-03T09:45:00.002-05:00

Tip: If you are in a multi-site video conference, you should keep your site muted unless you are presenting to the whole group. This will reduce distractions and help the other sites focus on the site that is presenting.

Have you done video conferencing before?

2011-01-15T11:59:00.003-05:00

If you haven't, ask for help! Find someone who will do an introduction to video conferencing for you and your class by video conference. This will give you a chance to play with the equipment before connecting with a content provider or with a collaborative IVC partner.

If you need assistance, let us know! We do a video conference intro session for students and teachers.

DL@gstboces.org

Tellebration Celebration on Saturday, November 20

2010-11-10T07:56:00.002-05:00

Saturday, November 20, is Tellabration Day -- A Day of of Storytelling Celebrated World-wide!

( www.tellabration.org , led by the USA's National Storytelling Network).

Eric Miller is based in Chennai (on India's southeast coast),where he directs the World Storytelling Institute, and they are just beginning the Chennai Storytelling Association there. In Mumbai, they are also starting a Storytelling Association.

The World Storytelling Institute is wondering if there are people (adults and/or children) at a videoconferencing site in the USA who might like to videoconference with people Chennai and Mumbai on Tellabration Day -- just to tell and listen to stories (fairytales and other folktales), in English. This would be for 60-90 minutes, in the early part of the day on that Saturday (USA time).

This 3-way videoconference would be facilitated by Reliance Communications, a large Indian telecom company.

If interested, please reply to , or if you are in the GST Region, please let us know if you're interested and we'll pass the word along.

I wanted to share this with all of you to see if we can get groups of interested people to respond to this request. It sounds like fun, but remember, it does take place on a Saturday and it is only a week and a half away!

Custom CILC Catalog

2010-11-03T13:16:00.003-04:00

Have you ever tried to create a custom catalog in CILC? I'm betting that there are some smarties out there who already know how to do this, but for those who don't, I have created a brief handout to help you.

Why is this helpful? If teachers ask for video conferences on a specific topic, creating a custom catalog in CILC will allow you to gather content providers and collaborative projects on that topic into one place to share with that teacher. A teacher could create their own custom catalog and keep a copy in the folder with that unit of study...

Do you use a feature in the CILC database, or another video conferencing database, that might come in handy for others? Please share by commenting on this post!

Virtual Office Hours & Upcoming GST Trainings

2010-10-01T08:51:00.003-04:00

It's been quite some time since I've been able to blog about distance learning and I've missed it!

I want to take the opportunity to remind everyone that we can schedule virtual office hours, so we can meet and talk about video conferencing strategies, and help you learn how the equipment works. Email us and let's set up a time to talk about ways video conferencing can enhance your curriculum, or get you started with the equipment!

We also have some trainings that are coming up in the near future:

Intro to Video Conferencing for Educators:

Date: 10/18/2010
Time: 8-11am OR 12-3pm
Location: GST Bush Campus #11, Large Conference Room

Effective IVC Meetings for Administrators:

Date: 11/4/2010
Time: 8:30-9:30am OR 3:30-4:30pm
Location: done by video conference
(We will send the IP address for the conference with your reminder email)

This year you can register for our courses by visiting the Classes page on our DL website. Check out the presentation at the top for descriptions of our classes. Then click the links next to the date and time to fill out the registration form.

If you have questions, please let us know!

DL@gstboces.org

Jazz Presentation: Teacher Testimonials

2010-07-30T13:33:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Rene and I facilitated a Teacher Testimonial session as part of a national video conference training called Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with Video Conferencing. "Jazz" is a 5-day training where teachers are immersed in video conferencing techniques, sessions, and strategies. Visit the link to learn more about it!

Three teachers from our region (Watkins, Spencer-Van Etten, Elmira Heights) and one from Lamar CISD in Texas were part of the panel of video conferencing experts who shared their knowledge with the participants in the Jazz training.

During the first 3 days of the training, teachers were encouraged to keep track of questions that they wanted answered during our session on Thursday afternoon. The questions the teachers prepared for our fine panel of experts were very thoughtful and our teacher-experts did an excellent job answering the them.

We hope that hearing how actual classroom teachers use IVC will encourage the participants to value and use this technology in their own areas of expertise. It's well worth the effort!

Thanks to the Jazz Facilitators for giving us the opportunity to facilitate this session in June and July! We're hoping to offer this awesome training in our region again in the future!

End of Year Meetings with Districts

2010-05-23T18:53:00.002-04:00

We are getting ready to do end of the year meetings with our districts. It's been a busy year and we want to make sure we keep busy into the new school year. Mary Hutz and I sat down on Friday afternoon to brainstorm some questions to ask our districts, to help structure our meetings, so we can gather the information we need.

I thought I'd share the questions to see what you think and if any of you have other questions you think we should ask:

1. How does the district encourage the use of video conferencing? How can we help?

2. Who are the advocates for video conferencing in your district? How do they spread the word about trainings, GST support, info from our team, etc.?

3. What goals would you like to set for video conferencing for your district next year?

4. What is your method for scheduling video conferences for your district? Is it working? If not, how can we help you streamline it?

5. What types of IVC training would you like to see us provide for your district? How will you encourage your teachers to attend?

6. Could we be part of curriculum planning in the district?

7. Do you have questions or suggestions to help us improve our service to your district?

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We are looking forward to wrapping up the school year and planning for the coming year. What do you think of these questions? Do you have suggestions for other questions that will help us gain the most useful information from each of our district visits? Please comment and let us know!

Planning Ahead for IVC

2010-05-17T14:57:00.003-04:00

Nothing beats planning ahead when you're thinking about using video conferencing with your students.

If you've never used video conferencing, please schedule time to meet with us so we can help you learn the basics for using the equipment (muting the microphone, zooming the camera in and out, camera presets, etc.).

We are also available to help you locate excellent content providers and fun collaborative projects that integrate with your curriculum.

It is usually best to plan content provider sessions at LEAST 2 weeks in advance, but 3-4 weeks is even better. Some content providers are booked months in advance, such as MOTE Marine Lab. They are a fantastic content provider, but teachers often miss out on the opportunity to work with them because they did not plan far enough in advance.

When planning for collaborative projects, you must be willing to establish a system of frequent communication with teachers who are doing the project with you (email, meetings by video conference...). There is nothing more important than communicating with collaborative partners to make sure everything is planned thoroughly and will be as successful as possible.

If you don't know where to start, please contact us! DL@gstboces.org

Presenting by Video Conference

2010-05-11T13:51:00.006-04:00

Janine Lim made a Twitter post recently that caught my attention:

@outonalim: "red writing on blue slides looks awful on VC #vctips - don't use red fonts!!"

She makes an excellent point, so I thought it would be a good time to talk about IVC best practices...

A. Wardrobe

Pay attention to the clothes you choose to wear during a video conference. Solid, darker colors work well. Avoid stripes and busy patterns because they can cause distractions and affect the quality of video you send to other locations.

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B. Multimedia presentations

If you are showing a multimedia presentation by video conference, please make sure you do the following:

* Use fonts that are as large as possible (at least 36pt font)

* High contrast colors are best (white font on a dark blue or black background works very well)

* Keep it concise

* Try using a tool like Prezi.com to create your presentation instead of PowerPoint, for a little something different

* Use images or a short video, instead of words, to get your point across

* Employ the 5x5 rule: 5 (or fewer) words per line, 5 (or fewer) lines on a slide

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C. Other Visuals

If students make posters, remind them to write large enough so it is easy to read over the connection. Show them how their posters will look over a video conference connection by using Self-view on your VC system. Hold up the posters and see how they look on the screen. Are they easy to read?

A document camera is another way to show visuals. Students can write clues on paper and use the document camera to display them. Sharing objects with the document camera allows you to zoom in to get a better look.

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D. The Numbers

If you're looking for maximum interactivity during your video conferences, work with a regular class size and avoid including multiple classes at one IVC location.

Most content providers request class sizes of around 25-30 or fewer, unless you make other arrangements with them in advance. It's much more fun for the students if everyone has a chance or two to speak during a video conference. More kids = fewer chances to speak.

For collaborative projects, limit the number of classes that participate, so students can share their work more effectively and thoughtfully.

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E. Variety

If you are doing a collaborative video conference project, be sure to plan a nice variety of activities to keep your video conference engaging and interactive.

Check out this awesome booklet called Planning Kid2Kid Video Conference Connections, by Janine Lim, Arnie Comer, and Roxanne Glaser for collaborative IVC ideas.

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Do you have other tips for presenting by video conference? Or do you have questions about curriculum-based video conferencing? Please let us know!

DL@gstboces.org

Careers and Distance Learning

2010-04-27T14:01:00.003-04:00

I know that many schools like to do a Career Day to help students explore a variety of careers. There are several video conferencing opportunities that I wanted to bring to your attention in case you were planning a Career Day for your school:

MOTE Marine Lab : Marine Careers (grades 5-12) - be sure to call them months in advance!

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History: CSI: The Experience (5-12)

NASA Careers (5-8)

Pro Football Hall of Fame: Careers in the NFL (5-12)

San Francisco Giants: The Team Behind the Team (9-12)

Space Center Houston: Aerospace Careers (9-12)

Cleveland Museum of Art: Museum Careers (9-12)

Cleveland Institute of Music: Careers in Music (9-12)

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Make sure to contact the content providers well in advance (particularly MOTE Marine Lab) and let them know exactly what you want them to do. Here are some questions you might ask:

The grade levels that will participate
How many students will participate at a time, or if it will be a kiosk where people will drop by
How long you plan to connect to the content provider
What you would like for them to talk about during the connection

Please let us know if you have questions, or if you have some suggestions for worthwhile Career Day VLE's that you've done in the past.

DL@gstboces.org

Grade 1 Distance Learning Intro Session

2010-04-11T15:52:00.003-04:00

I offered a DL Intro session for some Addison first graders on Friday afternoon and thought I'd share so you can see if you would like to schedule one for your class.

What a fun group! I asked if any of them had done video conferencing before. I thought it was neat that several students had already done some form of IVC. One had done a connection in Kindergarten where the class connected to students in another location. Another girl in the class had used Skype to visit online with a relative.

During these connections, I always talk a little bit about the equipment and how it works with the students. We learn about video conference etiquette and play a game of Simon Says to practice what we learned, and to get the "wiggles" out - it's hard sitting for so long when you're 6 or 7! Then we wrap up with a game of "Picture This" using vocabulary words the teacher sends me, and they get to ask me some questions about video conferencing. It all takes about a half hour.

I'm always impressed by how well the students behave and by the questions they ask. They wanted to know how they were able to see me and how I could see them. We talked about the cameras and microphones and how all of that is connected to the internet. They asked how they could see my computer during the games, so I showed them the wire that connects my computer to the camera.

We talked about how the top of the Tandberg remote control was a little like a TV remote - instead of changing channels, it can change from the main camera to other things like my computer. I also showed them the number pad on the remote and we talked about how it acts like a cell phone - by dialing the right number and pressing the green button, we can call and talk to anyone with similar equipment. On a humorous note, they also asked if they could visit my house (perhaps they meant my office?) and another student asked if I was a principal. That one made me chuckle! :-)

This first grade class is getting ready for a video conference with another class in Hawaii and they are so excited about it. I was glad to have the opportunity to help them prepare for the event.

I am doing several more DL Intro's in April and May. If you would like to schedule a Distance Learning Intro for your class, please let us know! DL@gstboces.org

Prattsburgh Students Interact with TX Teachers

2010-03-22T18:56:00.004-04:00

Today, students from Ms. Ditzell and Mr. Burd's 8th grade English and Social Studies classes interacted with teachers by video conference during a session of the TxDLA 2010 Conference.

According to their website, the "TxDLA is a nonprofit association formed to promote the development and application of all forms of distance learning and to implement effective distance learning strategies for Texans and other distance learning practitioners of the global community." The TxDLA Conference is a national conference held in Houston, TX for educators and distance learning professionals.

Listen to Ken Conn teach the breakout session at the conference in which the Prattsburgh students participated.

Despite the fact that we tested the call shortly before the session, we experienced some technical difficulties. The students waited patiently and finally we were able to connect with the educators in Texas.

In February, the students participated in a session with Cleveland Museum of Art about the Harlem Renaissance. They had a chance to share that and then the students played a game of Win, Lose or Draw with the participants in Texas.

I think the Win, Lose or Draw game would be an excellent game to play in a collaborative video conference with content-related vocabulary words, phrases, historic locations, parts of speech, etc.

Thanks to Ken Conn for inviting me to share educational video conference opportunities happening at GST BOCES and around New York State, and for giving students in our region a chance to interact with educators at a national conference. It was a great experience and it is very much appreciated!

5th Grade Poetry Partners

2010-03-16T09:05:00.003-04:00

If you are an intermediate teacher (grades 4-6) looking for a fun collaborative video conference project, try this one: "Puzzled with Poetry?" This teacher needs a partner class to connect with them on March 25 at 11AM.

The teacher who is doing this project plans to teach 4 styles of poetry using a winter theme. After teaching each style the teacher will have her students type their work, edit and turn in final copies.

Next her students will choose their favorite style of poetry and create a rubric to help identify the unique styles of each poem. Her ultimate goal is to collaborate with another class through video-conferencing.

She wants her students to teach another class the unique features of 4 different poetry styles through video-conferencing. They will end the video conference session with a round of poems to be identified with our viewers.

She is looking for a grade 5 partner class (I'm sure grades 4 or 6 would work, too).

If you are interested, you can find the contact information for this collaborative IVC, check out CAPSpace: http://tinyurl.com/yclrby2

Or contact us! DL@gstboces.org

Physical Education & IVC

2010-03-15T14:22:00.004-04:00

Amy Spath from CNY-RIC just gave us an excellent idea for physical education teachers - students can learn about and do different styles of dance through video conferencing.

Amy shared a content provider with us that she is using with teachers in her region called the Minnesota Shubert Performing Arts and Education Center.

They offer a variety of sessions on different styles of dance, including Capoiera, Tango, Mexican Hat Dance, Hip Hop, African dance, and other forms of dance.

If you are interested in learning more about the Minnesota Shubert Performing Arts and Education Center and the video conference sessions they offer, visit their list of sessions in CILC.

If you have questions, please let us know! DL@gstboces.org

Thanks for the great idea, Amy!

Twitter & Distance Learning

2010-03-04T11:16:00.004-05:00

Have you ever considered developing your own Professional Learning Network (PLN) on Twitter as a place to seek out collaborative IVC project partners and content provider sessions?

Quite often, if I'm stuck for ideas, I will send out a question to the Twitterverse and I'll usually end up with more information than I might have found on my own, in a fraction of the time!

Setting up a Twitter account is easy, though there are several things to think about if you want to become a Twit like me :-)

1. I think it is helpful to enlist the help of someone who has been using Twitter for a while to introduce you to other educators who are worthwhile tweeters.

2. Visit Twitter4Teachers to see about adding educators to your PLN from around the world!

3. There is a lot of spam on Twitter! If you make it a habit to block people who follow you that are not educators or family and friends, it can help.

4. Never open a direct message (DM) or a hyperlink in a direct message unless you are certain who it is from.

5. Remember, it is good Twitter etiquette to retweet something someone else said by typing RT and then copy/paste what they said into your status update box (then click UPDATE).

Some excellent educators and video conference people I follow on Twitter: @outonalim, @whirlidurb, @AmySpath, @cmollerstuen, and @bethstill. For other great educators to follow, you can visit my Twitter page: http://twitter.com/cheryltice

If you would like us to help you set up a Twitter account, we'd be happy to help!

Contact us! DL@gstboces.org

Do you have Twitter tips that might be helpful to those just starting out? Please comment and share your ideas!

Elementary Collaborative IVC Training for GST Teachers

2010-02-24T13:06:00.004-05:00

Are you an elementary teacher (Prek-5) and want to learn how to create collaborative video conference projects? Would you like to know where to find collaborative IVC partners? If so, you are invited to attend our training:

Title: Kid-2-Kid VC Projects for Elementary Teachers
Date: March 26
Time: 8a-3p
Choose a location: GST Bush Campus #11 (Elmira) or Dormann Library (Bath)

Register here: http://collaborativeivc.wikispaces.com/REGISTER
Registration deadline: March 8, 2010

* Learn about a variety of collaborative video conference projects

* Meet and collaborate with participants from the Syracuse area by video conference

* Explore CILC.org, CAPSpace, and Web 2.0 tools that can help you locate and plan collaborative IVC projects

* Create and post a collaborative project to CAPSpace

Please follow your district's policies when signing up for training. Thank you!

Math and Video Conferencing

2010-02-04T16:49:00.004-05:00

I guess it's been a while since I've posted something, but I just finished an email and think it's worthwhile to share some strategies that Shawn Ward and I came up with for a middle school math teacher in one of our districts:

1. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame offer some math related sessions that Stephanie Vandelinder might find helpful for her students.

2. NASA has some math-related sessions:
http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/catalog/details/?cid=521 (moon math)
http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/catalog/details/?cid=292 (rations & proportions)
http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/catalog/details/?cid=600 (line-up with math)
http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/catalog/details/?cid=286 (simple machines)

3. You could find experts in different math-related fields who might present how they use math in their jobs (i.e., software engineer, computer programmer, statistician, restaurant manager, architect…). Here is what Shawn said to me: the teacher… "should evaluate her whole yearly plans, and see where she can fit people in at the end of the chapter and where she can successfully implement a project in there that the kids could work on independently while she covers the critical points needed for the chapter. I think that, in math anyways, project based learning is pretty critical to keeping their interests." (and I think that’s essential in any subject, too!)

4. Collaborative Projects:
a. Quiz Bowls (students develop questions about math to share in a game show format)

b. Monster Match (Students could create a drawing or 3 dimensional shape and write specific directions for how to create their monster. Then they would share their directions with the other class and see how close the come to recreating the monster. This could get pretty picky, they could use formulas, require students to measure specific angles and use specific shapes in the creation of the monster to help the other class recreate it as close to the original as possible.)

c. Shawn had another idea: "… one topic that math teachers in geometry teach is congruent triangles. I used to do a project with my kids in Watkins where I gave them each 20 sticks, they had to create a bridge and include congruent sets of each classification of triangles and keep the weight under 2 lbs (glue was crazy). They had to sketch out their plans on graph paper, then prove to the class that they met the requirements, and then we tested their strengths and the winners of each class I bought lunch for. I introduced this project at the beginning of the unit and gave them the course of the unit to do the work. What I didn't do, but would love to, would be to have a structural engineer and architect videoconference at the end of the unit to show what they did was relevant."

Email us if you'd like us to research IVC ideas for you: DL@gstboces.org

Do you have ideas for ways IVC could integrate into the math classroom? I'd love to hear your comments!

1945 Witnesses to War - Grades 8-11 Social Studies Teachers!

2010-01-19T12:58:00.004-05:00

This looks like a very worthwhile collaborative video conference for Secondary Social Studies from University Circle Interactive in Cleveland. If you study World War II and the Holocaust, please check this one out! The information that follows is directly from UCIC's CILC.org entry:
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The Temple Museum of Religious Art recently acquired a collection of 45 Holocaust Wall Hangings by artist Judith Weinshall Liberman that visually depict historic maps, scenes and philosophic concepts regarding the history of the Holocaust. The first connection in this two-part series is a presentation featuring the Holocaust Wall Hangings. The students explore the creative process, interpretation, and explore how an artist honors historical memory.

The second connection is a conversation with a local Cleveland Holocaust survivor describing their experiences during World War II. Both lessons analyze how history is interpreted by examining historic documents, eyewitness accounts from Holocaust survivors and shared artistic interpretations of the artist’s works. The sessions should be scheduled at least one week apart.

Students will develop an in-depth understanding of the Holocaust and the people who were affected by the events of World War II. In addition, they will also understand how individual artists respond to historical events using their artistic discipline. They will also understand some of the significant events surrounding the Holocaust.
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Dates available: 2/17 and 2/24 from 10-11am or 1-2pm
Registration Deadline: 2/15/2010

University Circle in Cleveland is a wonderful content provider and I highly recommend this program! If the dates they have provided do not work for you, I believe they can do this one "on demand" as well.

If you need more information you can check out their CILC.org entry about this program or email us: DL@gstboces.org.

7th & 8th Grade English and Social Studies Teachers!

2010-01-10T16:09:00.004-05:00

We are doing a video conference training at our Wildwood Campus on February 9 for 7th & 8th grade English and Social Studies teachers.

If you would like to learn about collaborative video conference projects to enhance your curriculum, and meet teachers from the Syracuse area who are looking for collaborative project partners, please join us!

To Register: fill out the form on the training site and email ctice@gstboces.org to complete your registration

Workshop Title: Kid2Kid IVC Projects for 7th & 8th Gr. English and SS Teachers
Date: 2/9/2010
Time: 8am-3pm
Location: GST Wildwood Campus, Building One (Hornell)

Registration Deadline: 1/26/2010

Please email us if you have any questions about this training! DL@gstboces.org

Secondary Social Studies Teachers! Immigration Stories IVC

2009-12-11T11:04:00.001-05:00

HEC-TV Live! Presents
Stories of Immigration

Dates: January 14 and January 21, 2009
Times: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. CDT or 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. CDT
Grade Levels: 6-12
Cost: NO CHARGE

More details about the program including agenda, related curriculum standards, and pre and post-program learning activities may be found at the CILC web exhibit for the program at:
http://www.cilc.org/search/content-provider-program.aspx?id=2970
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Program Description:

The story of America is a story of immigration. From our first colonial settlers through the wave of 19th century immigrants to the 20th century refugees from war and famine to those still coming today, the desire to build a better life has motivated millions to our shores. What does it mean to be an immigrant? What forces compel you to embark on an uncertain journey? What is life like in a new and strange country? To complement your students’ study of historic periods of immigration, cultural diversity, or recent world history, we invite you to hear directly from recent immigrants to St. Louis.

In this program, you and your students will have the opportunity to hear first person histories of what it means to be an immigrant to America. Meet recent immigrants to St. Louis who have come from Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Compare their stories to your study of those of others who arrived in previous periods of immigration. What characteristics are similar and what characteristics are unique? What general conclusions can you then make about the reasons for, and processes of, immigration to America? How do the new immigrants contribute to the cultural, political and economic life of America today? How is that similar to, or different from, previous historic periods of immigration? How does hearing stories from these new immigrants increase our understanding of different cultures? How does learning first-hand about their reasons for coming increase our understanding of recent world troubled areas and crises?

Meet representatives from The International Institute, a St. Louis organization helping immigrants with their transition to their new life here. How is their work today similar to, or different from, how private and government institutions provided assistance in the past? What are the greatest areas of difficulty as immigrants begin to assimilate into their new environment? How do they help immigrants balance traditions of their culture with demands of their new life?

Ask your questions. Hear the stories. Join this compelling discussion of the most recent chapter of America’s story of immigration.

Instructions for Online Viewing:

To view live on hectv.org simply open Windows Media Player, open File and paste this link into the path: http://winmedia.umsl.edu/hec.

Instructions for Viewing on UVerse:

-Press MENU
-Arrow over to HELP, press OK
-Select Help in English or Help in Spanish
-Scroll/Arrow Down to Community Services, press OK
-Public, Education, and Government, press OK
-A PEG video on how to use the AT&T PEG will run, etc.

CAPSpace Projects Registration

2009-11-30T22:10:00.003-05:00

There are many worthwhile projects that you should check out and see if you would like to participate with your class. Registration is now open, so reserve your spot while there's still time! Remember, to get contact and other additional information about each project, you'll need a CAPSpace account:

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Berrien RESA MysteryQuest World Geography
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MysteryQuest World Geography is designed for middle school students studying world geography. Through video conference technology students are able to meet other students while learning about cities and countries in the world. Prior to the video conference each classroom will create a presentation with clues about their ONE mystery country and city. The other classrooms, using maps, the Internet, textbooks, and other resources, will try to discover the mystery location presented by each participating classrooms.

MysteryQuest is a Multipoint Event.

The project is open to everyone and is free.

More information here:
http://mysteryquest.wikispaces.com/

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TWICE Regular Members: We the Kids
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TWICE offers this project for the 4th (or 5th) grade social studies curriculum, focusing on the Constitution, particularly the preamble. Students will study the six phrases of the preamble and present non-linguistic representations (i.e. drawings or skits) to each other to explain the parts of the preamble.

We the Kids is a Matching Event so you will need to select multiple times/dates for when your class can participate.

We the Kids is open to TWICE Regular Members (paid membership) ONLY.
(See if you\'re a member here: http://www.twice.cc/regmembers.html)

More information here:
http://projects.twice.cc/?l=event&eventid=130

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TWICE ASK Programs, Second Semester
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TWICE partners with various ISDs around Michigan to bring ASK Author videoconferences. 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.

ASK programs are Multipoint Events.

TWICE ASK programs are $40 for regular members and $80 for non members.
(See if you\'re a member here: http://www.twice.cc/regmembers.html)

More information here:
http://www.twice.cc/ASK/

Pre-Planning Collaborative Partnerships

2009-11-20T08:28:00.006-05:00

The following blog is a cautionary tale based on personal experience...

We always talk about planning ahead of time for video conferencing. Preparation is key to any successful IVC. When doing collaborative video conference projects, setting the stage before planning is extremely important...

It's great to establish an agenda and materials, but even before that, you need to think about and discuss the expectations of everyone who is taking part in the collaboration.

There are several things that I learned the hard way recently, and I would like to share what I learned with you so your collaborations go smoothly. Ask yourself and your collaborative partners the following questions:

1. Find out the teaching styles of the people with whom you plan to collaborate.

Are they "fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants" people who love to play with the agenda and rearrange it throughout the entire collaborative process? Some people might prefer to plan things out in advance, and change at the last minute might be difficult for them. It is best to find this out before you collaborate because if you fall into one group and your partners are in the other and you haven't discussed it, you could be setting yourself up for a bumpy road.

2. Will there be a lead facilitator, or will planning be a fluid process that can change throughout the collaboration?

This is an important question, and relates to the previous question. If there are 3 or more facilitators in a group, make sure you know if they prefer structure, or if they prefer a looser way of preparing the connection. If you opt for a lead facilitator, what will his or her role be? Be specific so nothing is left ambiguous.

I admit that change up to and including the date of a collaborative effort makes me feel scattered, so I prefer to have the agenda set and to try to stick to it. There is no one right way to plan, but finding out everyone's comfort zone in advance and respecting that can help save headaches in the end.

3. How will you communicate throughout the collaboration?

When people send emails to the group, what is a reasonable amount of time to expect a response? Set goals for responding to emails from your collaborative group in a reasonable amount of time. Never leave your group waiting. If you can't respond thoughtfully right away, at least send a message telling everyone you're busy and when you might be able to attend to the question or concern. When people are left to wait for a response, it sends another kind of message, whether intentional or not, that this collaboration isn't important.

For multi-day collaborative IVC projects or trainings, set aside enough time to meet synchronously about the project. Meet by video conference, Skype or Google Chat, at least 3 times throughout the process to keep the project on track. If you have committed to participating, make sure you attend the synchronous planning meetings, or make arrangements to catch up with one of the other facilitators to find out what you missed.

If you want a structured agenda for your connection, decide on a date when the agenda and materials will be completed so copies can be made and facilitators can prepare for their parts.

During the video conference, if it becomes evident that the agenda needs to be changed, how will you approach this? It is best to discuss this behind the scenes, if possible. You could use a chat tool, such as Google Chat. If you must do this on camera, it would be best to wait for a break, so participants or students aren't left wondering why you didn't figure out the agenda beforehand.

Perhaps you have a good question and someone is talking during the video conference. Do you jump in? Again, if you ask people how they feel about something like this beforehand, it will show how considerate you are! It is best to wait until the person is done talking. Write down your question and ask it when there is a pause.

4. Who will be responsible for creating materials?

How will you share the responsibility for making materials? Be careful here because the communication piece is key. Changes to the agenda can mean that there could be changes to the handouts and other materials. This can create more work for people, so think before you change anything. Getting a consensus on change is a good thing.

Decide as a group if you will use online resources to keep things organized, or will you use paper and pencil because your participants won't have access to a computer?

5. Schedule out time to work on the collaboration.

This one is not a question because this should be done by everyone. Everyone is so busy! Schedule out time to work on projects on your calendar. Better yet, use a Google Doc or Google Calendar for all facilitators to keep track of dates to work synchronously and asynchronously on the collaboration. Then share it so you can see if someone is working on it at the same time you are so you could work through some of it together.

If you plan out specific dates and times to work on the project, you won't give the time away to other projects once your calendar starts filling up.

____________________________________

I want your collaborative projects to be positive experiences for you! Collaborations are a delicate balance of compromise, communication, consideration for others, and commitment.

What else should people think about when planning a collaborative project? I would like to hear your thoughts!

IVC Ideas from Web 2.0

2009-11-18T22:01:00.008-05:00

If you follow any blogs, particularly those by some excellent video conferencing professionals around the country, like Janine Lim and Roxanne Glaser, you can learn so much and find so many interesting video conferencing projects to do.

Sometimes I find a blog entry about a topic that does not seem to relate to video conferencing at first, and a wonderful idea for a collaborative video conference project comes along. I would like you to read Beth Still's recent blog entry about a Social Studies unit she is teaching about topics dealing with racial tension.

Beth had asked her class to make a blog entry about their feelings about racism. One student identified himself as racist and didn't see anything wrong with that because that is how I was raised.

In her blog entry, Beth stated her plan to address this with her class and asked her PLN their thoughts about how to approach this with the students.

One comment stood out to me as an excellent example of the power of collaborative technologies, and how they can be instrumental in helping make connections that wouldn't have happened otherwise:

"Beth,Would you be open to some of my students writing persuasive letters to your student to try to help him understand the importance of walking AWAY from racism? I have a class that would welcome the opportunity as part of their civil rights unit. This is an opportunity for all of us perhaps to have a teachable moment and face a very real problem in the world today by putting our minds to honest, open, positive communication and education... I would love to hear from you."

This, to me, is a wonderful opportunity for collaboration. I'm so glad that I didn't miss this article! It gives me so many ideas for projects to suggest to educators in my own region. I wanted to share this with all of you and see what you think about this.

How has Web 2.o helped you to become more collaborative?

Free Professional Development by IVC: Secondary Science Teachers

2009-11-11T07:39:00.002-05:00

I just received this from CILC and wanted to share it with secondary Science teachers. I was wishing I could attend, but I'm teaching that afternoon. If you decide to participate, let me know what you thought of it by commenting on this post!

Exclusively for Educators

Join Deborah Off as she shares two web-based science curricula developed by Eli Lilly and Company to support middle and high school educators.

The multidisciplinary project, "Epidemic Challenge," integrates:
*writing
*communication/public speaking
*math
*research
*group collaboration

The "Chemistry is a Blast" curriculum, offering supportive guides, experiments, and videos, covers:
*physical and chemical properties
*chemical reactions
*safety practices in chemistry

All participants will learn about valuable materials and how to access them.

Date: 12/02/09
Time: 4:00 - 5:00 pm ET
Registration Deadline: 11/30/09

REGISTER HERE
For more information
Contact
Tonia Carriger : tcarriger@cilc.org
317-231-6587

This training is sponsored by:
* CILC
* elluminate
* Tandberg

Test-Taking Strategies with S-VE

2009-11-06T15:38:00.003-05:00

I worked with 4 fifth grade classes from Spencer-Van Etten today on test-taking strategies to help them prepare for their upcoming Social Studies state test.

The students did a wonderful job of listening to and following directions!

We watched a video about Test-Taking Strategies, talked about the strategies they learned from the video and played a Jeopardy game. The game includes questions taken from old NYS Social Studies tests. We talked about the strategies they used to answer the questions as a way to reinforce the strategies.

All four games were pretty close! Congratulations to the winners!

Enjoy your weekend! It's supposed to be a nice one here in upstate NY...

If you have any questions about video conferencing, please let us know!

DL@gstboces.org

Megaconference Event: Experiences of Women In Afghanistan

2009-11-06T15:33:00.002-05:00

Experiences of Women In Afghanistan: A Conversation with Suraya Pakzad

Target Audience: High School Students (Grades 10-12)

Date: Friday, November 13, 2009

Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. ET

Cost: Free

Requirements for Participation:

* There are spots for 10 MAGPI Members with H.323 videoconferencing capabilities
* There are 5 spots for non-MAGPI Members with H.323 videoconferencing capabilities and who are connected to their national/state research and education network

More information/Registration: http://www.magpi.net/Community/Programs/Experiences-Women-Afghanistan-Conversation-Suraya-Pakzad (Registration for this program closes on Monday, November 9, 2009).

Suraya Pakzad of Afghanistan, entered into an arranged marriage at the age of fourteen years old, and by the time she was sixteen, was the mother of two children. Suraya is now 37 years old and has raised a family of six children. However, with all of these personal challenges and responsibilities she has dedicated her life to helping the women of Afghanistan by starting schools in private homes during the Taliban period, creating vocational training for women in prisons, and establishing safe shelter homes for abused women which offer medical, psychological and legal assistance. Suraya and her organization are dedicated to their cause and every day live with the threats of violence and kidnapping of themselves and family members. Join us to hear her real life stories and be inspired by her dedication and grace!

Named one of Time Magazine's most 100 Influential People of 2009, Suraya will talk about her life experiences and work as the Executive Director and Founder of Voice of Women Organization. Suraya's friend and colleague, Aldo Magazzeni of Traveling Mercies, will moderate this event. There are a select number of interactive videoconference spots available for this event. It will be webstreamed live via real player through Penn Video Network, and an archive of the program will be available through MAGPI's channel on iTunes approximately one week after the event.

Not an Interactive Videoconference Site? Join the live webstream!

The following link will be live beginning at 9:50 a.m. EST on the day of the event, with content beginning promptly at 10:00 a.m. EST:

http://beansidhe.isc-net.upenn.edu:8080/ramgen/encoder/pakzad1113.rm

Technical Requirements for getting the RealPlayer stream:

To view the Internet webcast, your computer must have RealPlayer (version 8 or higher). RealPlayer is available for free from http://www.real.com/. Visit this site and follow the instructions to download and install the "RealPlayer - Free" option.

To test RealPlayer on your computer prior to the event, click on the link below (or copy and paste it into your web browser) to watch an archived video of commencement exercises from the University of Pennsylvania:

http://beansidhe.isc-net.upenn.edu:8080/ramgen/president/commencement08.rm

If you need assistance accessing the webstream, please contact video@isc.upenn.edu.

ESVCC Training

2009-11-04T18:51:00.003-05:00

We spent all day today with participants from 11 of our districts learning about video conferencing during our Empire State VC Collaborative training. Today we focused on collaborative projects such as MysteryQuest and Poetry Slam.

There are 6 participating sites this time: CNY RIC, LH RIC, Monroe #1 BOCES, ONC BOCES, Oswego County BOCES and our GST BOCES.

The day flew by today! Our participants asked many questions and worked hard throughout the day.

Check out our training wiki to see what you're missing: http://esvcc.wikispaces.com

Do you have questions about video conferencing? Please feel free to contact us! DL@gstboces.org

“Rolling on the Tundra: A Polar Bear Adventure”

2009-11-02T13:17:00.002-05:00

Here's a post from Vanderbilt Virtual Schools. For GST Schools, we're able to assist with registration and cost. Please get in touch with us for assistance if needed. :-)
===============================================================
TUESDAY, November 10, 2009 - “Rolling on the Tundra: A Polar Bear Adventure” with Julene Reed
Targeted Audience: students in grades 4 – 12

Only TWO spaces left!!

Join Apple Distinguished Educator, Julene Reed, as she visits the “Polar Bear Capital of the World” near the Hudson Bay in Churchill in Manitoba, Canada. Participate in a live videoconference from the Arctic tundra with Julene and scientists studying polar bears. Engage in a discussion of facts about polar bears, issues affecting them (such as climate change, etc.), and actions that we can take to help the polar bears.

This November videoconference will be held live from the Arctic tundra next to Hudson Bay not far from Churchill, Manitoba. The scientists, zoologists, and educators who will participate in the videoconference will be broadcasting from the Tundra Buggy Lodge. The lodge is comprised of specialized modules that, when linked end to end, stretch almost 100 meters long.

Time: 2:00 PM (CENTRAL time zone)
Format: 45 minutes formatted into 30-minute presentation, and then 15- 20 minute Q & A
Cost: $75 per site
Questions: Chandra Allison, at (615) 322-6511 or email chandra.allison@vanderbilt.edu
REGISTER: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool/registration.htm

Grade 5 Teachers

2009-10-13T14:04:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to take a brief moment and remind 5th grade teachers that we have a video conference for 5th grades that helps students review for the NYS Social Studies test. It also helps those students learn about helpful test taking strategies they can use to help them during the test.

If you would like more information about this video conference, please visit our DL website's CONTENT page for more information and to check out a mini-version of the video we use during the connection. It is the first session listed under the Social Studies heading.

Do you have questions about this session or other information from our DL site? Please email us: DL@gstboces.org

Addison Distance Learning Overview

2009-10-01T17:14:00.004-04:00

Mary Hutz set up the framework for the training we delivered today to Addison K-12 teachers. I met with the K-6 teachers and Mary met with the secondary teachers by video conference.

We met with the groups in 50 minute blocks and talked about the resources available on the GST DL website, such as the collaborative projects calendar, list of video conferencing resources, the content we deliver, and our blog.

We also encouraged teachers to sign up for our 2-day Empire State Video Conference Collaborative training on November 4 and 5.

Part of the session was spent connected to a content provider specifically targeted to the grade levels:

K-2 - Lee Richardson Zoo

3-4 - NYS Historical Association & Farmer's Museum

5-6 - Cleveland Museum of Art

7-8 - Pro Football Hall of Fame

9-10 - National Baseball Hall of Fame

11-12 - Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center

The session concluded with some information about our Virtual Office Hours and questions from participants.

We thoroughly enjoyed working with the teachers in Addison today and look forward to hearing from them, and other educators in our region who need help with video conferencing!!

One of the other sessions that Addison teachers rotated through today was a district offering that was closely related to our presentation. The Addison district recently adapted a protocol teachers will use to set up video conferences. The district has made it available to teachers on the network, and passed out a hard copy of the materials during that part of the training. They also spent time explaining the district's new procedure for signing up for video conferences.

Would you like us to deliver a similar training to teachers in your district? Let us know! DL@gstboces.org

---------------------------------

OK, IVC friends! How do you share information about video conferencing with your districts? Short trainings? Longer trainings? We're always looking for ideas!

Don't be Bashful about Asking for Help!

2009-09-22T14:08:00.005-04:00

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.

-------------------------

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)

--------------------------

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

2009-09-18T19:08:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-09-08T17:05:00.002-04:00

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!

----------------------------------------------------
TWICE ASK Programs
----------------------------------------------------
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.

---------------------------------------------------

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

123vc: Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with Interactive VC 2009

2009-07-31T16:12:00.005-04:00

Wow, what a week! It is hard to believe that this 5-day training is over all ready... Our participants and the projects they completed were FABULOUS!!

What a dedicated group of teachers we worked with this week! I'm proud to know that they are part of our region. We're lucky to have such dedicated educators teaching our students.

So, you might be asking yourself, "What went on during this Jazz training?" And I might reply, "What didn't go on??"

Our participants were immersed in a variety of educational video conference strategies throughout the 5 day training. We learned about and participated in Academic Challenges, Exchange Projects, connected with various content providers, and so much more.

They also worked in small groups throughout the week with participants from other sites around the nation to complete a small group project. One of our participants remarked that even though the small groups might have participants from different sites, the video conference technology allowed for relationship-building.

Participants left with a completed project and are looking forward to video conferencing with Jazz participants from other locations and their classes this school year. Read some of their comments from the last session from today.

Roxanne Glaser, one of the lead facilitators for Jazz from the great state of Texas, summed up the experience today with a quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes, "One's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. " That's very true. This is the second time GST has participated in this training and I enjoy it more and more each time. This training is intense, but once you complete it, you feel as if you can conquer anything video conferencing has to throw at you!

Looking forward to next year already... But I need a nap first!

GST DL Website

2009-07-21T18:33:00.003-04:00

Hey there! Check out the changes I made on our GST Distance Learning Website.

On our Calendar page, I embedded a collaborative Google calendar that I set up to use with video conference colleagues around New York State. We are working together to list collaborative video conference projects offered around our state for the coming school year. You'll also find video conference training dates on the calendar, as well.

Please email us if you would like more information about any projects listed on that calendar, or if you need support getting started: DL@gstboces.org

I've updated some of the resources on our Resources page by adding online articles about video conferencing and links to some different content providers for you to investigate, so make sure to check that out, too!

Do you have suggestions for improving our website to make it more useful to you? Please feel free to leave us a comment using the link at the end of this post.

Helpful Feeds from iTunes

2009-07-14T14:13:00.002-04:00

@russeltarr tweeted about a website called iLearn Technology listing "20 iTunes Feeds for the 2.0 Teacher." Looks like something I should share with all of you!

Check it out. If you would like to form your own professional learning network (PLN), get a Twitter account at http://twitter.com!

ESL Collaborative IVC Project

2009-06-24T09:21:00.002-04:00

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

2009-06-19T20:42:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-06-09T10:26:00.002-04:00

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

2009-06-01T15:43:00.004-04:00

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

Excel Battleship

2009-05-25T16:42:00.003-04:00

My brother said that he has to teach a 20 minute lesson on Excel for his job interview on Friday.

He said that, since he has been asked to cover the basics, he was going to teach them how to play Excel Battleship. This activity teaches Excel newbies about rows, columns, cells, cell names, entering text in cells, formatting colors and borders... Fun!

Here's a link to a website from a teacher in Washington state who has done a similar Excel Battleship lesson with her students. Want to set up your own game board in Excel? Here is a handout (PDF) to help you from the Utah Education Network.

This same activity would be great for teaching math students about slope and points on a graph, according to the UEN handout.

You might be asking yourself, "Why is she mentioning this on a blog about distance learning?" It made me think that this could be a fun way for students to interact by video conference.

You could have students in different locations create 2 or 3 game boards and compete by video conference to see who can sink the most battleships. The teachers could set up the templates and the students in each class could plot their own battleships on the Excel template before the connection.

This might be a fun way for students to get to know each other at the beginning of a collaborative IVC project.

Depending on your experience with Excel and your goal for the IVC connection, you could take this to another level by having students use some advanced features of Excel to create a review activity to share during a connection such as a self-checking quiz. As students from the other class answer, your class can type their responses into the spreadsheet to see if they are correct or incorrect.

If you meet with a class, or multiple classes, periodically throughout the year, you could keep track of the weather for the areas where the participating classes are located in a spreadsheet.

What other ways can you think of to use Excel with video conferencing?

Questions? Contact us! DL@gstboces.org

Internet Safety Session

2009-05-22T17:00:00.003-04:00

I did a Web Safety video conference with a 3rd grade class in Alfred-Almond on Friday, May 22. It was the first time I offered this session to students, and they did such an awesome job!

Their answers to my questions showed that they understood how to analyze a variety of situations that might occur while online, and determine what to do to be responsible and keep safe. I was very impressed with the students' knowledge about web safety and the vocabulary they used to explain their answers!

We played a game that I call "Web Safety Net" during our connection. I used the students' names in the questions, so that it would seem more personal to them. They worked in groups to discuss each scenario and did such a nice job explaining what they would do in each situation that I presented to them.

All of this AND it was their very first video conference! Great job, 3rd Graders!!

If you are interested in this lesson (it is geared toward grades 3-5 or 6), please email us: DL@gstboces.org

Summer Jazz Training Makes Me Feel Fine....

2009-05-21T13:06:00.004-04:00

We are currently preparing for our 5-day summer training called "Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with Interactive Video Conferencing," or "Summer Jazz" for short.

If you are an educator or administrator in one of GST's participating DL districts, and you're looking for an excellent introduction to what is possible with video conferencing, please consider attending this training! It takes place July 27-31 from 9am-3:45pm at the GST Bush Campus, Building 11 Large Conference Room.

We will participate in collaborative projects, content provider sessions, learn about helpful Web 2.0 technologies, and work together to plan collaborative projects to share on the last day of the training.

To register for Summer Jazz Training:
1. Get your district staff development coordinator and supervisor approval to attend

2. Fill in the registration form: http://gstjazz.wikispaces.com/ and click SUBMIT

3. Email ctice@gstboces.org to let me know that you signed up.

Registration Deadline: June 18
Registration Confirmation and Regret Emails: on or before June 19

SPACE IS LIMITED, so please sign up as soon as possible to reserve your spot!

Email us if you have questions: DL@gstboces.org

CAPSpace 3000

2009-05-15T15:22:00.003-04:00

Hey! Who will be the 3000th person to create a CAPSpace account?? Could it be you? As of 3 hours ago, they only needed 6 more accounts to achieve the 3000 mark.

Create an account today and find some awesome teachers with whom to collaborate and some great ideas for ways to use video conferencing!

Go to CAPSpace website | click CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT | follow the wizard and fill in your info.

Questions? Contact us: DL@gstboces.org

Tech in General...

2009-05-11T08:48:00.003-04:00

A colleague of mine sent me this blog post this morning and I thought some of you might find it interesting... http://www.techlearning.com/blogs/20320

It is a response to a teacher who said, "I hate technology."

The response is (very) sarcastic, but if you can get past the sarcasm, there are some excellent points in this article that could be raised with those who shy away from technology. If the reasons were restated in a more positive light, technology-shy teachers might begin to see why the use of technology is so powerful, and a necessary part of teaching...

Instructional support for the use of technology is key. When teachers have someone available to walk them through the use of technology in the classroom, they are more apt to experiment with it. True for video conferencing, Microsoft PowerPoint, Kidspiration, Web 2.0 tools...

Remember, we are available to support you as you investigate the use of video conferencing with your students. Contact us if you want to practice using IVC equipment, or if you need help finding content providers or collaborative partners: DL@gstboces.org

CAPSpace Project - Getting to Know IVC Equipment

2009-05-06T10:06:00.000-04:00

Title: Getting Started with Video Conferencing:
Status: Idea
URL: http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=289
Connections: H.323
Grades: 9
Subjects: Technology/Information Science
Dates: Between May 5 and May 25 from 10:30 to 11:30 EDT
Description: We are just learning how to use the video conferencing equipment and would like to connect with another classroom to gain some proficiency with the system. Once we've become proficient with the system, we'll be eager to explore other joint projects to work on with another group of students.

This project seems like an excellent way to establish a collaborative partner for a secondary classroom to try out the equipment and get familiar with video conferencing before jumping into a big project! For more information, please log in to CAPSpace or contact us at DL@gstboces.org!

Collaborative Projects: Grades 4 - 6

2009-04-25T11:09:00.003-04:00

Title: radio shows:
Status: Open
URL: http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=284
Connections: H.323
Grades: 4, 5, 6
Subjects: Language Arts/English
Dates: between May 11 and May 28?
Description: We have a fifth grade that is writing radio plays. Would anyone be interested in sharing radio plays with us? Would anyone like to connect and just listen to our plays?

Title: jeopardy math game:
Status: Open
URL: http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=285
Connections: H.323
Grades: 6
Subjects: Mathematics
Dates: May
Description: We would like to challenge a sixth grade class in the United States to a math jeopardy game.

You will need to log in to CAPSpace for more information, but these projects look like fun if anyone is interested. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to email us: DL@gstboces.org

Proving Laughter Can Be The Best Form Of Medicine

2009-04-15T12:58:00.008-04:00

The Giggles Children’s Theater, located at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, in Paterson, NJ; is looking to connect with highly motivated teachers and students interested in bringing the healing powers of laughter and entertainment to hospitalized children.

In this experience, teachers and students connect directly to the Giggles Children’s Theater by distance learning or videoconferencing. The focus of the presentation should be fun, creative, entertaining, and approximately 30-40 minutes in length.

Topics such as fear, death, and food products should be avoided.

Teacher and students are requested to provide a title and description of the performance prior to the actual performance date, follow performance guidelines as outlined by Giggles, and sign a required video/performance consent form.

On the day of the performance, hospitalized children watch the performance either from the Giggles Children’s’ Theater or from the comfort of their hospital rooms. It is recommended that with each performance, the teacher or class include some type of hands-on activity for the hospitalized children to complete while viewing the performance. Only a template need to be sent as the hospital provides the supplies.

All performances are recorded by the Giggles Children’s Theater and then shared with over 100 other children’s hospitals from around the world.

The Distance Learning Team at GST BOCES would like to assist you in making this great learning opportunity possible. Contact Mary Hutz for further information and ideas.

Feel free to also explore the following websites for additional information about the Giggles Children’s Theater:

Medical Mission for Children

What Is Giggles Children’s Theatre/Giggles Children’s Theater Sampler Videos

Giggles Buzz

Empire State VC Collaborative

2009-04-07T13:56:00.002-04:00

Whew!! We're finally back to our regular routine after two awesome days of Empire State Video Conference Collaborative training on Thursday & Friday last week. Our group was amazing and I hope they enjoyed the training as much as I did! Every time I do that training I learn something new.

We connected with some excellent content providers and participants were emailing their friends with ideas for using content providers in a variety of different content areas. It was exciting to see how people reacted to each of the sessions over the two days.

If you would like to see some of what we explored during the training, visit the wiki site: http://esvcc.pbwiki.com.

If you would like help integrating interactive video conferencing into your curriculum, please contact us and let us know! DL@gstboces.org

Virtual Learning Experiences On My Mind...

2009-03-20T10:16:00.007-04:00

This morning I did two brief presentations for people in central NY about video conferencing to help my friend, Amy Spath, who had another commitment this morning.

The first group was a small group of teachers and I talked very quickly given the brief time we had together, but hope that they were able to gather at least one or two bits of information about virtual learning experiences that they didn't know before. They were such a great group! I wish I had more time to spend chatting with them...

I did an overview for them about collaborative IVC project ideas and where to find collaborative video conference partners. I also shared information about content providers and basic things to think about when planning a video conference. I was able to share my presentation with them so they can check out the links I discussed with them.

Group 2 was a rather large group of educators from several locations around central New York, which was surprising, but fun! They asked excellent questions and seemed to enjoy the presentation (particularly when my face froze momentarily on the screen in an attractive way, I'm sure, based on the giggles from the audience!).

I enjoy this kind of practice using video conference equipment and think that it is an essential part of improving my presentation style. In fact, that is one of the things that I shared this morning. So, now I plan to share with you all of the stuff that is on my mind where video conferencing is concerned...

If you are going to use video conference equipment successfully, you must practice using it! If you have Tandberg equipment, I have a handout that you might find helpful. Feel free to print it and use it. Contact us for our IP address if you want to connect with us and get help while you practice! DL@gstboces.org

We also discussed the importance of preparing for virtual learning experiences, because that is one very critical aspect of video conferencing. Give plenty of time prior to a connection for planning and scheduling a virtual learning experience. Make sure the equipment is available for all who plan to connect and get it scheduled as soon as possible. All video conferences should include pre- and post-conference activities.

Pre-conference activities could include an intro to interactive video conferencing, equipment basics, and behavioral expectations; along with the vocabulary and prior knowledge necessary for participating in the actual virtual learning experience. This could be done in the classroom, or you could schedule a DL Intro session with us here at GST.

Post-conference activities should include some form of assessment to determine student learning resulting from the virtual learning activity.

If you are responsible for delivering content during a video conference connection, ask someone the best way to present information via video conference. There are some quick strategies you can use that will keep your audience engaged from beginning to end.

Making sure to use a variety of resources, such as a document camera, a (PowerPoint) presentation, or a game can help keep students (and adults) focused. Making sure to switch the back and forth from your peripherals to the main camera periodically so the other end of the connection sees you can help maintain their connection with you as the speaker. Most importantly, keep things moving along. If something isn't working, have plans B, C, and D in place so you can quickly shift gears and continue if the technology is uncooperative for some reason.

Your connection has a better chance to succeed if you practice connecting to the other site(s) and using the peripherals you plan to use during the connection ahead of time! If you need help with this, make sure to ask us!

Feel free to contact us for other presentation ideas if you are planning to receive or deliver content via distance! You can also contact us if you want to talk about ways video conference technology can help you engage your students and enrich your curriculum.

If you and your students are fully prepared prior to a video conference connection, that will make for a much better virtual learning experience!

DL@gstboces.org

Enjoy your weekend!

CAPSpace: High School Collaborative Projects

2009-03-11T08:53:00.002-04:00

We're always looking for ways to integrate video conferencing into the secondary curriculum. Below are some possibilities for Spanish and English teachers. Log in to CAPSpace to find out more information about both of these projects.

Title: Spanish Language Exchange:
Status: Open
URL: http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=251
Connections: H.323
Grades: 10, 11, 12
Subjects: Spanish
Description: This teacher would like to set up a VC between her class and a partner class that would allow the conversation in Spanish (as a second language) and share culture and background.
___________________

Title: Facilitator's Choice - English Class:
Status: Open
URL: http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=252
Connections: H.323
Grades: 11, 12
Description: I have a teacher who wishes to allow their students to lead discussions once a week. The collaboration does not have to happen on a weekly basis, but she would definitely like to have more than one connection with the partner class.

This is a Grade 12 English class and one of the expectations and skills is to communicate ideas with a large group.
The format is student lead - student centered discussion of an issue of the facilitator's choice.
VC 1: introduction of classes, share background and goalsVC 2: Discussion 1 from host; Discussion 1 from partnerVC 3: Discussion 2 from host; Discussion 2 from partnerAnd do as many of these as works out for the two classes.

DL Intro Sessions

2009-03-06T09:46:00.002-05:00

I had tons of fun with 3 second grade classes from Campbell-Savona on Thursday! The teachers have planned a content provider session with a zoo for their students.

They also wanted to help their students better understand how video conferencing works, so they connected to me at GST and we did an introductory lesson and activities to help practice what they learned. Who doesn't like playing Simon Says! by video conference? Second graders are excellent at following directions

The teachers provided me with 15 vocabulary words and definitions that I used in a review activity to help them practice their video conference behavior - raising their hand to answer questions, standing to give an answer, speaking in a strong voice, etc...

After my connections with Campbell-Savona, I returned to my office and visited with a 6th grade class in Alfred-Almond that wanted to see how the equipment worked. We spent some time showing how we could change the layout of a call and basic information about the remote.

If you are getting ready to do a video conference activity with your class and you think a similar lesson might be helpful, please email us! DL@gstboces.org

Read-Around-The-Planet is AWESOME!

2009-03-03T20:25:00.002-05:00

The annual Read-Around-The-Planet project (http://www.twice.cc/read/) wraps up this week and what a whirldwind of testing and connections it has been! Districts across our region have particpated again this year and the students have had a ball. Ms Stackhouse at Spencer-Van Etten Elem always does a phenomenal job of encouraging the classes in her building to participate and this year she's come close to getting every class to partake of the fun! Here's a little snipet from one of the connections she facilitated: "This morning Mrs. Cornell’s Kindergarten Class from S-VE connected to the Guyandotte Elementary School in Huntington, WV. We learned that they can look out their window and see Kentucky and Ohio. They read us a story by an author from West Virginia. Then we read them a story and taught them the song and dance Wiggle Worm by Tom Knight, a local singer/songwriter. Everyone had a great time!"

Earlier today, the event organizers shared data that estimates 53,000 students were impacted by RAP! We extend a HUGE THANK YOU to Janine, Sue and all their support staff for continuing this great tradition! We love it!

Empire State VC Collaborative Registration

2009-02-24T15:41:00.004-05:00

Hey! Registration has begun for Empire State Video Conference Collaborative.

Online Registration: http://esvcc.pbwiki.com/

Hurry! Space is limited!!

Date: April 2 & 3

Time: 8AM-3:30PM

Place: GST BOCES

Registration Deadline: March 18

LUNCH PROVIDED at GST site by SCT/C & Bath Teacher Centers!

If you are interested in learning about interactive video conferencing and strategies for using it in your own area of expertise, please consider attending this 2-day conference.

During the training you will be immersed in a variety of virtual learning experiences and play with video conference equipment. You will also have a chance to discuss the video conferencing strategies you're learning with participants at GST and participants at other BOCES around the state!

For more information, please contact us at DL@gstboces.org and we will be happy to answer your questions!

More CAPSpace Projects

2009-02-18T12:57:00.002-05:00

Please create a user account and log in to CAPSpace to find out more information about the following IVC Class-to-Class projects...

Title: 6th Grade Social Studies
Status: Open
URL: http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=220
Connections: H.323
Grades: 6
Dates: 9-10 A.M. EDT Thursdays and Fridays, or 9 A.M.-12:30 P.M. on Wednesdays
Description: I am a 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher from Newport News, VA. I would like to VC with another school from around the country, to give my students a different perspective on the issues that we are discussing. We could contact one another and compare curriculums and then come up with a plan.

Title: Francophone Week VC Event - Call for Participation:
Status: Open
URL: http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=222
Connections: H.323
Grades: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Dates: Friday, March 20, 2009 from 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. MST
Description:The VC Regional Leads Network in Alberta, Canada, is hosting a VC event on March 20, 2009 to celebrate French language and culture during Francophone Week. Currently we are looking for classes who wish to do a short creative presentation or performance (predominantly in the French language) sometime during the day on March 20 (all times MST). Poems, songs, plays, puppets - any type of creative presentation is welcome! Please email Danny Maas maasd@me.com to receive an information and registration package, or download it from http://files.me.com/maasd/ttyh2p .
-------------------
If you have any questions or would like us to look into any of the projects we share from CAPSpace for you, please let us know! DL@gstboces.org

CAPSpace Flat Stanley Project - Grade 1

2009-02-13T09:36:00.003-05:00

I love Flat Stanley, but I really enjoy the idea of making it an activity you can do with video conferencing! Here is a project that a first grade teacher posted on CAPSpace:

Title: Flat Stanley:
Status: Open
URL: http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=218
Connections: H.323
Grades: 1
Dates: middle of April through middle of May
Description: I am a first grade teacher in Newport News,Virginia and am looking for a classroom that would like to collaborate on a Flat Stanley Project.

Log in to CAPSpace to find out more about this project! Please contact the GST BOCES Distance Learning Team if you have questions or need more information! DL@gstboces.org

More CAPSpace Collaborative Project Possibilities...

2009-02-11T14:19:00.002-05:00

Please click on the links below for more information. You will need a CAPSpace account to access more information about these projects!

Title: Flat Stanley Project:
Status: Open
URL: http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=210
Connections: H.323
Grades: 1
Dates: During the month of March
Description: A first grade class is looking for classrooms to participate in our Flat Stanley project. We hope to exchange a class Flat Stanley and connect with each other to discuss the exciting things that Flat Stanley can do while visiting the school and community.

------------------------

Title: Data Collection and Graphing:
Status: Open
URL: http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=212
Connections: H.323
Grades: 4, 5
Dates: February 10-28
Description: Students will create survey questions to ask their partner class. Data will then be tallied and organized. Students will then create graphs to reflect their data. These graphs will be shared a second video conference. During this second video conference students will analyze, discuss and write about their data.

------------------------

Arkport Grades 2-4 DL Intro

2009-02-10T16:33:00.005-05:00

I had the best time on Wednesday, February 4, working with Arkport teachers and students in grades 2 through 4! The students were so well behaved and worked hard to follow directions and answer all my questions. They were awesome!

The goal was to introduce the students to interactive video conferencing and to do an activity with them to practice their best video conference behavior.

With grade 2, we did Pictionary Vocabulary. The teachers provided me with 15 science vocabulary words that they have been studying. I showed the students pictures representing each word and they competed to see who could answer first. The student who answered correctly picked 2 classmates to try the next one, and so on... They did an impressive job remembering their science vocabulary words!

Grade 3 did an excellent job with the Geometry MysteryQuest with terms and definitions provided by the teacher. I used SMART Notebook to present different mysterious geometry-related questions to the students based on the information provided to me by their teacher. Their geometry knowledge is just super!

The fourth graders had fun practicing their listening skills by following directions I gave and drawing the monster I described. I did this activity with them as an example of a kid-to-kid project they could do with another classroom somewhere in the world. They were a very focused group and did a wonderful job, too!

If you are interested in doing a connection like this for your class, please let us know! DL@gstboces.org

Congratulations to the T-Shirt Winner!

2009-02-06T16:12:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! I guess it pays to read our monthly newsletter, because Jim T. from S-VE High School posted 2 comments on our blog already and won the fabulous t-shirt. We hope he will cherish it forever!

Stay tuned! We're looking around our office for more give-aways!!

What's Happening w/ the GST DL Team?

2009-01-28T14:07:00.003-05:00

It's a snow day for most of our districts today, but we're hard at work on some projects that we need to finish up. We've been very busy and we are enjoying working with teachers in our region and collaborating with people outside of our region, as well!

Rene worked with a teacher in Bradford today who needs to learn to use the DL equipment so she can teach a statistics class by video conference. This morning, I met by video conference with Donna Farren from Monroe2 BOCES and a teacher she worked with today to talk about video conferencing.

This afternoon we are going to have a phone conference to plan for our Summer Jazz training ("Jazz Up Your Curriculum with Interactive Video Conferencing"). Funny to think that it is January and we are starting to plan for July already! I can't wait for the warm weather to get here. I'm kind of tired of the snow! In fact, I can't take it anymore!! We need some warm weather... now.

Monday, February 2, we are doing a video conference with Bradford to talk about how our team can help teachers in that district. Mary Hutz will be visiting Bradford, and Rene and I will be presenting via distance.

Today, I've also been working on some plans for DL Etiquette lessons I'm doing for grades 2-4 for Arkport by video conference that I'm doing on February 4. I plan to do Pictionary Vocabulary with the second graders; a MysteryQuest with the third grades; and a Monster Match with grade 4. We'll also play a game of Simon Says to work on remembering the behaviors we expect during video conferences. I hope the kids enjoy it! My teammate Kelley Batrowny came up with the Simon Says activity idea. She's always coming up with awesome ideas!

There's so much more happening, but I thought I would share this information, particularly for those who might be planning distance learning events in another region. If you would like to help us by connecting to our trainings, visiting with our teachers by video conference when we meet with them to discuss DL, or help in some other capacity, complete the form at the bottom of our blog to become part of our GST DL Network!

Synergy and Communication

2009-01-20T11:00:00.005-05:00

Mary and I connected with Amy Spath at CNYRIC and Betsy Hardy and Jenny Burroughs from Catt-Allegany BOCES yesterday morning by video conference to discuss distance learning and how we can support each other using this technology.

We discussed events happening around the region, ideas for helping people get involved in distance learning in our districts, and so much more - we really had an awesome conversation. I'm so glad to have connected with them and look forward to collaborating with them soon!

This meeting got me thinking about ways I could increase my network of DL friends across the state, or anywhere else for that matter...

If you scroll down to the bottom of this blog, you'll notice a form you can fill out if you have video conference equipment and are willing to collaborate with us when we do training or presentations that might require assistance from others.

I've also added a feature above this blog's archive on the top right side of this page that allows you to type messages to me as long as I am logged on to my blog account. Great for times when you have a quick question. Click "Chat with Cheryl Tice" in the thought bubble, and you can type a message to me and I'll answer back. The best part about it is, each person who communicates with me this way has their own window so you can't see what others are saying. Only I can see all of the conversations at once! Thanks to my teammate Kelley Batrowny for showing me that fun tool! Extremely nifty and fabulous!

If you participate in the GST DL Service and have suggestions for ways we can better help you integrate video conferencing into your curriculum, please feel free to make comments here or send us an email! DL@gstboces.org

Intro to DL Session with Addison Teachers

2009-01-15T16:30:00.004-05:00

I had fun on Wednesday for an hour after school, chatting with Addison teachers by video conference about distance learning and introducing them to interactive video conferencing.

We did a Monster Match where the teachers learned about a collaborative IVC project where each class designs a monster and explains how to draw it using words. Those in attendance drew theirs perfectly, of course! Thanks to Michelle Bartholomew from BT BOCES for sharing in the fun and describing a monster for the participants.

After they finished the monster, we discussed ideas for using that activity with Math, Science, Technology, and English topics.

Then we did a MysteryQuest with Paul Rubeo from a school district somewhere in New York State. (Well, you never know if we're going to do the same quest again, right?) Then we talked about ways MysteryQuest could be adapted for a variety of content areas.

In that same hour, I showed the Addison teachers how to quickly search http://cilc.org for content providers. We discussed CAPSpace and why it is an excellent resource for finding collaborative video conferencing partners. Then I showed them our website and some of the resources that are available all in one place to make finding interactive video conference ideas, upcoming GST DL training, and other information about DL as easy as possible.

I ended our training by talking about our DL service and how teachers in subscribing districts receive both instructional and technical support for video conference projects.

If you would like us to do a similar training for your district, please contact us! DL@gstboces.org

RAP Special Education Class Request

2009-01-14T09:24:00.002-05:00

Here is another collaborative project that a special education teacher has requested on CAPSpace. She would like to do this at some time between February 23 - March 6.

Title: Read Around the Planet Special Request:
Status: Open
URL: http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=177
Connections: H.323
Grades: 5, 6, 7, 8
Subjects:
Dates: 9:30 – 10:00 or 10:30 –11:00 EST During RAP weeks

Description: I would like to participate in Read Around the Planet this year. It has been a few years since doing so. I have a special education, self-contained class of eight middle school students grades five through eight. I would like to play Pictionary with a partner class drawing/guessing the titles of fairy tales. We could do two minute rounds alternating between drawing and guessing. I would like to coordinate with the other teacher to do some pre-video planning.

The best times would be either 9:30 – 10:00 or 10:30 – 11:00.

If you are interested, please contact us at DL@gstboces.org to get this teacher's name and contact information. Thanks!

French IV and V: CAPSpace Collaborative IVC Project

2009-01-13T09:48:00.002-05:00

Title: French IV and V:
Status: Open
URL: http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=176
Connections: H.320/H.323
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Subjects:
Dates: French V 9:10 - 10:15 M-F French IV 11:30 - 1:30 or either can meet at 10:30 - 11:30 CST
Description: This teacher is a high school French teacher who is looking for another class to collaborate and communicate with. Their students are level V and IV. They are on a block schedule where students meet every day for 90 minutes.

If you are interested in this collaborative video conferencing project, please click the link above and log in to CAPSpace to access the contact information for this teacher, or email DL@gstboces.org for more information.

Viewing Inauguration activities

2009-01-12T16:01:00.004-05:00

Several of our school districts have only one or two regular television access points in their district. Using their H.323 codecs, we've been able to connect the cable signal to the codecs, enable streaming and then provide instructions to staff for accessing the stream. This will enable many more people to see live coverage of the activities of Inauguration Day.

Feel free to contact us at dl@gstboces.org if you would like to make similar arrangments

AP English - Collaborative IVC Project Request

2009-01-12T10:45:00.004-05:00

Title: AP English Exchange:
Status: Open
URL: http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=174
Connections: H.320
Grades: 10, 11, 12
Subjects: English
Dates: Feb and March of 2009
Description: This teacher is looking for another AP English Class to meet for about 20-30 minutes once a week to discuss AP level work, college plans, or other important topics for AP students.

The time would be split to allow equal time per school to share information about their AP classes. There would also be time for students to ask each other questions to compare/contrast their AP experience with other classrooms across the country.

To access more information about this collaborative interactive video conference project, click the above link and log in to CAPSpace to view contact information. Please let us know if you have questions or if you would like the email address to contact this teacher!

Anybody out there want to connect with the San Francisco Giants?

2009-01-12T08:10:00.003-05:00

The information below the dotted line was received through one of the many listservs that promote DL/IVC. While other ball clubs may also have DL/IVC program, the San Francisco Giants are the first ball club I've seen advertising for it. If your students like baseball you may also want to consider checking out programs from the Baseball Hall of Fame - http://education.baseballhalloffame.org/experience/videoconferences.html
======================================
We were hoping you could help us to set up a test connection with a middle school, specifically 6th – 8th grade, to run through our pilot distance learning lesson “Giants Geometry”. The lesson is approximately 45 minutes focusing on geometric shapes present in the ballpark and in the game of baseball. Students will also calculate the area of home plate and participate in a hands-on activity. Attached are the presentation worksheets. Teachers will need to supply simple wooden sticks, such as popsicle sticks, and push pins. My contact information is below, or please contact Linda Vessa at lvessa2@yahoo.com.
Alexis Arbizu
Ballpark Tours Manager
AT&T Park
24 Willie Mays Plaza
San Francisco, CA 94107aarbizu@attpark.com
(415) 972-1852 Phone
(415) 947-2925 Fax
www.attpark.com

Collaborative IVC Project Ideas

2009-01-08T14:00:00.001-05:00

I am a member of CAPSpace and periodically I receive emails about teachers who are looking for other classes to participate in collaborative video conference projects. Now and then when something looks fun, I will post it here with the web address.

If you see something you like in the examples below, sign up for a CAPSpace account (or log in to your CAPSpace account) and click the links in this post so you can access contact information for the teachers who made each request.
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Title: Culture Exchange:
Status: Open http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=172
Connections: H.323
Grades: 6
Subjects:
Dates: Between Feb. 23 and March 6 any day but Friday 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time
Description: We would like to connect our 6th graders to a class on another continent like Australia or Africa for a culture exchange. The exchange could be a dance, a song or other custom.
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Title: Video Conference Test:
Status: Open http://projects.twice.cc/?l=collaboration&id=173
Connections: H.323
Grades: PreK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Subjects:
Dates: Friday March 20 from 9:45-10:00 or 10:30-10:45
Description: I am looking for a class or teacher to demonstrate the uses of video conferencing during a Technology Fair that is taking place at my school. I would like to have our school dial into the connection site and have a short discussion about the positive impact video conferencing has on instruction.

DL Database Progress

2009-01-05T15:33:00.002-05:00

I just met with the programmer today and he is doing an excellent job on the DL database! He's already made quite a bit of progress, but it will be a while before it is fully functional.

Remember to check out the videos below and submit your thoughts to us soon, so we can include the functionality you need as part of the database.

:-)

DL Database: Content Provider Login

2008-12-10T08:27:00.002-05:00

Below is a video with the functionality that we are requesting for content providers that will use our Interactive VideoConference Catalog:

If you have suggestions for improving this portion of the database, or if you have questions, please let us know by using the Comments link below.

Thank you for your assistance with this project!

DL Database: District Admin Login

2008-12-10T08:24:00.003-05:00

Below is a simulation of the functionality we are requesting for administrative users of the Interactive VideoConference Catalog:

If you have questions about the database or if you have suggestions for improving this database, please use the Comments link below.

DL Database: Enhanced Search

2008-12-09T09:51:00.002-05:00

The video below is a simulation of the functionality that is currently programmed in to our database that is currently in production:

If you have questions or comments, please let us know by using the comments link below!

DL Database: Teacher Login

2008-12-09T09:47:00.002-05:00

This is a simulation of the tools teachers will have access to when they log in to the GST Interactive VideoConference Catalog:

If you have comments about it and would like to let us know how to improve it, please use the comments link below!

GST Distance Learning Database

2008-12-01T14:39:00.009-05:00

Over the next couple weeks, we will be adding videos that simulate the functionality we are requesting as part of the GST Video Conference database. Our database is currently in the development stages.

If you have comments or suggestions, please let us know at DL@gstboces.org!

Video #1: Database Introduction

Blog Updates by Email

2008-11-25T15:55:00.007-05:00

Would you like to receive emails automatically when our blog is updated? Subscribe to our GoogleGroup!

Scroll down on this blog until you see the GoogleGroup logo on the bottom right of the window. Click the 'Visit this Group' link.
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If you have a Google account, log in and select EMAIL under 'How Do You Want This Group to Contact You?' and enter a nickname so we can recognize you. Then click ACCEPT INVITATION.
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If you don't have a Google account, click 'Visit this Group' and click the CREATE AN ACCOUNT button. You can use your work email address to create a login on the form that appears on the next screen. Then you can click EMAIL under 'How Do You Want This Group to Contact You?' and enter a nickname so we can recognize you. Then click ACCEPT INVITATION.
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Or you can just email us at DL@gstboces.org and we can add you to the group. You will receive an email asking you to click a link to subscribe to the GoogleGroup.

Then, once you belong to the group, anytime there is an update, you'll be among the first to know!

Regional DL/IVC meeting

2008-11-19T15:19:00.002-05:00

For quite some time, our districts have been asking us for a GST based database that allows searching and booking of Virtual Learning Experiences. Cheryl has taken on the lioness' share of bringing the project along. This morning, at our regional DL/IVC meeting, Cheryl led a 90 minute demonstration and conversation about the progress to date. With sample screen shots and explanations, the participants in the in the meeting were able to get a very clear idea of the desired outcome. The group was interested, supportive and provided some excellent suggestions for inclusion in the project. We're certainly looking forward to having this in production!

IVC with an Elder Care Facility!

2008-11-14T08:16:00.003-05:00

Here's a great expansion area for Interactive Video Conferencing! Here at GST, we host a first person character impersonator - Paul Stillman of Historically Speaking. Paul has about 10 historical impersonations that he provides - typically in person, but also from our site via IVC.
Earlier this week, I did a test call with Menorah Park Center for Senior Living in Cleveland, OH. Residents there will be visiting with "Ben Franklin" next week and I'm very excited to see IVC used for this purpose.

Hopefully more elder care facilities will find ways to implement IVC capabilities and the DL/IVC community can continue to explore all the great possibilities for collaborations with the elder population and the K12 population!

American Sign Language via DL/IVC

2008-11-13T13:55:00.003-05:00

This morning I had the pleasure of visiting the Watkins Glen High School to add VCR recording capability to thier Distance Learning setup. Kelly Sterner is the faciliator at WG for the course. Watkins Glen is one of the districts that has students broadcasting morning announcements over their TV network. Kelly' ASL students are hoping to be able to begin signing for a portion of the announcements on a daily basis. What a great way to make purposeful and productive use of their learning. And - it will also help raise awareness of the deaf population with the rest of the student body.

Distance Learning in Arkport

2008-11-12T10:35:00.004-05:00

On November 4th, students from Melissa Houck’s combined ELA classes at Arkport High School had the opportunity to connect with Linda Dentry an educator from the Rape Crisis of the Southern Tier via distance learning. The Distance Learning experience was facilitated by the GST BOCES DL Team. The connection served as a culminating event to the novel entitled Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.

As an educator, Linda specifically created a powerful and informative lesson which focused on common misconceptions and statistical information associated with sexual violence. Students were also provided with educational and contact information about what to do if they or someone they know is raped. Content for this sensitive lesson was tailored and structured based upon Ms. Houck’s request.

“The Rape Crisis of the Southern Tier (RCST) provides services and information to individuals and the community to help prevent sexual violence and to keep individuals from becoming first time offenders of sexual violence. RCST offers educational programs on a wide variety of sexual violence topics to the community free of charge.”

Programs are adapted to meet the needs, interests, and developmental level of the group requesting the program and also align to the NYS Standards. Programs are interactive and informative and age appropriate handouts are provided to participants.

We at GST BOCES DL would like to thank Linda Dentry and staff members of the Rape Crisis of the Southern Tier for their assistance in making this experience possible.

If your district is part of the GST BOCES Distance Learning Service and you would like us to assist you with a similar classroom experience, please email us at DL@gstboces.org.

Middle School Music - Virtual Office Hours

2008-11-10T09:50:00.004-05:00

Just a quick rave about virtual office hours :-)

Earlier this morning, Cheryl, Mary and I were able to quickly gather here at GST while Kelley, our ISC colleague, was in Watkins Glen working with the Middle School Music teacher. We were able to make excellent use of our time and thiers by using IVC for our meeting - I love this!

The music teacher is working on a project that would have his students creating a time line of significant musical and historical events - from around the 1950's on. He especially liked the timeline he found at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's website. And he's interested in using that as something of a model for what his students could create. The RRHF's IVC session titled "Great Moments in Rock and Roll: Popular Music Through Decades" was of particular interest to him. Kicking off the start of the project with that connection would certainly be a great way to get the students focused on a fun and engaging learning opportunity!

Since he is planning this project for spring 2009, he's giving excellent lead time to schedule a session and perhaps even work out an opportunity to have his students present back to staff at the RRHF.

For other info on programs at RRHF you can visit http://www.rockhall.com/distancelearning/

And of course, feel free to stay in touch with us anytime: dl@gstboces.org and www.gstboces.org/iss/dl
René

Distance Learning on the GST Campus

2008-11-10T09:03:00.003-05:00

Mary Hutz and I met with a teacher from GST BOCES, Bush Campus Building 12 today about the possibilities for the use of video conferencing in his classroom. He was concerned about the cost, but once we started to discuss ideas that involved no extra cost, he became very interested in the possibilities video conferencing had to offer his students!

We are planning a connection in March with both of his classes about how video conferencing works and how to plan for a video conference. Students will learn how to connect the equipment and how to use the remote. We plan to show the students where to locate excellent content providers, as well as low- or no-cost ideas for using video conferencing in the classroom. They will also learn how to integrate this technology into the curriculum during the 2.5 hour session.

Remember! If you have questions about ways video conferencing can be used in your own classroom, contact us! We can connect with you most any time of day by video conference, so email us and make an appointment to meet with us when it is convenient for you!

Virtual Office Hours Example

2008-11-07T14:16:00.002-05:00

I know I've discussed the topic of Virtual Office Hours before, but I thought it might be helpful to give an example based on a way some 5th grade teachers from Watkins Glen participated recently.

They met with us on October 22 by video conference and gave us a list of subject areas and specific topics they wanted us to research for them. They were interested in ideas for using distance learning primarily in Math and ELA.

We spent two weeks looking for video conferencing ideas that would complement their areas of focus and presented our ideas to them on November 5 by video conference.

The following is a list of some of the ideas we presented to them (I hope they are helpful to others!):

Geometry MysteryQuest – a collaborative project that could be done with 2 or more classes. Each class chooses a geometric shape and develops a list of clues to help the other class (on the other end of the connection) figure out which shape your class chose. Reveal the clues one at a time to the other class to see how many it takes before they guess correctly. To keep everyone interested and if you have time, you could break classes down into groups and each group presents their clues.

For example:

Clues:
Headquarters of the US Department of Defense in Washington, DC.
Cross-section of okra
Sum of its angles is 540 degrees
It has 5 lines of symmetry

Answer: Pentagon

MysteryQuests could be done with many topics (choose a state in the US, a country of the world, an author, a book, historical time period…)

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Math Content Provider: National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum (Problem Solving)

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Mary Hutz is working on a connection where students compare fractions, decimals, and percents.

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ELA & Math integration: Monster Match – descriptive writing activity done as a class-to-class connection – students work on directions for the other class that include very descriptive language to help the other class draw or build what they describe. Math skills can be incorporated by having students use fractions and mixed numbers along with precise measurements to help the other class as they collaborate to draw or build the monster. [It may be fun to have your class build or draw the monster first so you can compare with the other class and see how they did]

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Poetry SLAM
There is a poetry slam scheduled to start in February 2009. It is being coordinated by ONC BOCES. Fees for participation can be paid through at least Arts-In-Ed and Distance Learning CoSer monies (if approved by the district). If there is enough interest, we might also be able to create our own version of this event. If you are interested, please email us and we will send you the brochure about this opportunity! (DL@gstboces.org)

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Remember!

We have the Empire State Video Conference Collaborative coming up on December 3 & 4. E-mail us (DL@gstboces.org) if you would like the brochure about this training. Space is limited! The registration deadline is November 17th.

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Don't Forget!

CAPSpace is another resource we shared and I thought we should probably mention it here again! It's a great place to sign up to find classes that would like to collaborate with you and your students. Here's our previous post about CAPSpace.

NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control IVC trainings!!

2008-11-06T14:47:00.000-05:00

We’re at it again! Thanks to funding through the EON Project we’re again helping out with Fire Safety training in our communities.

Before his retirement, Dale Gardner was a Distance Learning expert from New York’s North Country. He is also a Fire Safety Instructor for the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control. Last spring, from his Florida home, Dale instructed several classes of fire fighters in the St Lawrence - Lewis BOCES area. This was possible thanks to the Campbell-Savona School District allowing GST to utilize their IVC equipment to act as a bridge between Mr Gardner and the SLL BOCES area.

As a follow up to the success of those classes, the Canisteo-Greenwood School District will be the host site for about a dozen students in another NYS OFPC course taught by Mr Gardner. The “Incident Safety Officer” class will take place over a series of five 3-hour class meetings. Trainees will be at Canisteo-Greenwood Schools, SUNY Canton, Norwood Seaway Tech BOCES, and Edwards-Knox Schools. Since there are not enough certified Fire Safety Instructors, this excellent delivery method could well prove to be the method that allows firefighters throughout NYS to be able to access critical courses for their Fire Fighting careers.

We are especially grateful to staff at NYS OFPC, Canisteo-Greenwood Schools and St Lawrence-Lewis BOCES for their efforts in enabling this to happen – and to Mr Gardner for his persistence in promoting the use of IVC technology for the benefit of our communities!

Virtual Office Hours

2008-10-29T19:12:00.001-04:00

Two weeks ago, we started something called Virtual Office Hours, and I think it's catching on! We normally have our virtual office hours on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30-8:30AM; or we can schedule another time to meet by video conference that is more convenient for you.

We've set up appointments with several districts recently and it was so easy! It eliminates unnecessary travel and because we use the video conference equipment, we can see each other while we discuss the needs of the teachers with whom we meet.

We can meet with districts near and far first thing in the morning, during the day, or late in the afternoon. During our meetings, teachers have asked for suggestions for ways to integrate interactive video conferencing into the curriculum, suggestions for class-to-class connections, and other topics associated with distance learning.

Hopefully, more districts will take a chance and try out our Virtual Office Hours. If you'd like to try, you can email us: DL@gstboces.org.

NYS Grade 5 Social Studies Test

2008-10-15T14:46:00.003-04:00

Today Mary Hutz and I spent the day with a 5th grade Social Studies teacher via distance. She is in Spencer-Van Etten and we remained at the Instructional Support Center in Elmira and visited with each of her Social Studies classes.

They are preparing for the NYS Social Studies Test coming up in November. We spent much of the day showing them a podcast on test-taking strategies and playing a Jeopardy game to help the students practice skills they learned from the video. If your district is part of the GST BOCES Distance Learning Service and you would like to set up an appointment for us to do this session with your class, please email us at DL@gstboces.org.

For parents who are preparing their children for the test, you might consider visiting the NYS Education Website where they have past exams to use for practice.

Google Docs

2008-10-14T12:00:00.002-04:00

Are you planning to do a class-to-class video conference and want an easy way to plan the video conference activities collaboratively with the other teacher or teachers? Use Google Docs! So quick and easy to use! It is a great way to develop plans with one or more people.

You can create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations and share them with others so they can edit them as well.

Here is a great video that explains how to use this technology:

Trip to DC

2008-10-03T16:26:00.004-04:00

Hi again! This week I have been on vacation and I traveled to Washington, DC and Alexandria, VA. My husband and I visited many of the landmarks around DC and we also visited George Washington's Mount Vernon estate. Neither of us had ever been to Mount Vernon before. We spent about 6 hours touring the estate and learning about George Washington. I learned quite a bit about the United States' first President.

As we toured around, I was especially intrigued by the fact that so many school kids from around the vicinity were visiting the different Smithsonian museums, as well as Mount Vernon. It made me think about how lucky those students are; and I wondered if they know just how fortunate they are to live so near to those historic places.

Learning the little things that make historic figures human, so we can relate to them, making them more meaningful to us, makes learning history more fun and interesting.

Now to my point - all of my thoughts as I went through my week made me appreciate distance learning and virtual learning experiences even more than I already did! The Smithsonian offers many distance learning programs for students. Check them out! There are so many ways to integrate the concepts taught in those experiences into a variety of curricular areas.

If you would like suggestions about ways to integrate distance learning into your curriculum, please let us know! DL@gstboces.org

Stop back soon!

Great motivator for students to develop projects!

2008-10-03T11:59:00.002-04:00

Here's a note from the good folks at CILC. There's not much time left so check it out quickly and let us know if you'd like some help!

There are only two weeks left to submit your entry into the KC3 contest! The submission deadline is Friday, October 17th.
From Seattle to Singapore, Beijing to Berlin, if you’re looking for ways to engage middle and high school students in authentic research, presentation skills and use of technology then you’ll want to be involved in the 2008-2009 Kids Creating Community Content (KC3) Contest. This standards based project taps into the creative nature of your students as they look at their community and explore ways to share your unique area with students around the world. For complete details and project requirements visit: http://kc3.cilc.org

Promoting DL/IVC to our districts

2008-10-03T10:57:00.002-04:00

Because of our Educational Opportunities Network Project, we've got temporary access to additional staff resources - through June 2009. The EON Project was supported by the Southern Tier Regional Planning Board and funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The EON Project is allowing us time to present the awesome potential of DL/IVC to all 21 of our districts at staff meetings and professional development days. The response so far has been very enthusiastic and activity in IVC and other forms of Distance Learning continues to blossom throughout our region. More districts are taking advantage of WebBased instructor facilitated courses and a collaborative 3D virtual worlds program has had such a positive impact we're working hard to expand and continue its availability.

If you're from one of the districts in the GST region - feel free to drop us a note at dl@gstboces.org if you'd like any sort of assistance with making great use of Distance Learning resources for your community or school. If you're from outside the region - we'd still love to hear from you - especially if your looking for some form of DL collaboration!

René

From the Content Provider's Perspective

2008-09-25T17:35:00.005-04:00

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!

DL Excitement

2008-09-22T11:25:00.005-04:00

Hi there! We have been meeting via video conference with districts who participate in our service. It has been a great experience and I'm quite happy that we have been able to use our DL equipment which means we haven't had to use tons of gas to travel all over the place. We're doing our small part to help the environment!

I think meeting with everyone using video conferencing equipment is a great way to show how the technology works, while at the same time sharing the information we would like everyone to know about our service.

Today we met with the Arkport district superintendent and some of the teachers in that district. What a fun group to meet first thing in the morning! They were energetic and enthusiastic about the possibilities our service can provide to their district. Their enthusiasm resulted in an additional page on our website listing the content that we provide free of charge to the districts that participate in our service.

Please remember that we are here to help you integrate interactive video conferencing into your curriculum. If you want to locate a content provider, to collaborate with another class via distance, or if you would like to work with us to develop a connection where we provide content for you and your students, contact us at dl@gstboces.org.

DL and Curriclum Integration

2008-09-16T11:44:00.006-04:00

Have you ever used distance learning with your students? Did you enjoy the experience? Did your students enjoy it?

If you answered yes to all of those questions, then you probably know the secret to good distance learning experiences. If you answered no to any of the above, read on to learn ways to directly relate distance learning to your curriculum, making the experience more meaningful for you and your students!

Look at your curriculum and determine how distance learning can be beneficial to your students. Do you want to use distance learning as a way to introduce a concept you are teaching? Would you like to review content with your students using a virtual learning experience? Perhaps your students have been researching a particular topic and would like to ask an expert on the subject some questions... Distance learning can be done in a variety of ways, but to make it most meaningful to your students, there must be a specific, standards-driven purpose for the event.

If money is a concern, there are plenty of ways to use interactive video conferencing that are very cost effective, if not free. Class-to-class collaborations are an excellent way to introduce students to others who are studying the same content so they can share thoughts, ideas, and projects from one place to another. Some content providers offer their services for free. At GST BOCES, Rene Carver, Mary Hutz, and I develop and deliver content to teachers in our participating districts by teacher request. Look to members of your community for possible content providers: veterans, doctors and nurses, business leaders... You could also connect with other classrooms right in your own district!

There are also some excellent content providers who do charge for their time, but at a fraction of the cost compared to having them visit your school, or going by bus to visit them. The Paley Center for Media and Royal Botanical Gardens are two examples of content providers that offer meaningful, standards-driven virtual learning experiences. They also work with teachers to gear the materials toward what students are learning in the classroom.

Check out CILC.org and do a keyword search on your topic to locate content providers and possible collaborations with other classes. If you would like assistance locating quality content to offer your students, along with help integrating it into your curriculum, please contact us!

Talk to you soon!

Discover CAPSpace!

2008-09-08T08:40:00.000-04:00

CAPSpace (http://projects.twice.cc/) is a social networking site for people interested in collaborating on distance learning projects with other classes around the country and potentially around the world! If you are interested in signing up to be on the CAPSpace listserv, please watch the video below to learn more about this excellent resource:

K12 DL - Doable and Practical!

2008-09-05T11:15:00.001-04:00

I just read a TechLearning article called "Videoconferencing in K12 Classrooms: Doable and Practical, FINALLY!" It's a great article for anyone who is interested in exploring ways that interactive video conferencing can benefit students at a fraction of the cost and time of ordinary field trips.

If you are hesitant about trying distance learning, lay your fears aside because to me, distance learning is one of the friendlier technologies to use because someone else has done most of the work for you! Your district's distance learning contact person hooks up the equipment for you. If you participate in the GST BOCES Distance Learning Service, you can have support throughout the process. After that, it's all about planning and being prepared, just like you would for any other lesson. When using distance learning, as with any other technology, you always want to prepare a plan B in the event that the connection doesn't work.

Stop back and visit this blog often to learn more information about distance learning and interactive video conferencing!

About Our Service

2008-08-27T14:35:00.000-04:00

At GST BOCES, we have recently expanded our Distance Learning Service to include instructional support. If you are part of the GST BOCES region and would like to learn more about distance learning opportunities, please contact us! Our email address is dl@gstboces.org.

This video explains some of the interactive video conferencing opportunities we offer throughout the school year:

Visit our blog frequently to learn ways to integrate interactive videoconferencing into your curriculum, discover helpful online resources and articles to learn more about distance learning, and other information that might come in handy as you venture into the world of DL!

Let us know how we can help!

Cheryl