When Good Technology Goes Bad, review by Billie in El Paso.

Videoconferencing does not always go well. especially in the educational setting. What do you do when it doesn’t? Have a back up plan ready is the most sensible answer. This article discusses some of the “snafu’s” that can (and usually do) happen. Scott Merrik (author) describes his enthusiasm when he set up a videoconferencing with a Spanish speaking country as part of a relatively new U.S.-based content provider’s program offerings. Needless to say the conference ended up being a disaster, with problems like poor or nonexistent audio and video, the unavailability of a conference room, loss of connecting cables, and poor interactive participation. He was very proud of the teachers and students for their patience and understanding of this event’s failures, but he is aware that there will be additional fallout in the future. He knows precious instructional time was sacrificed for an attractively packaged experience that turned into an (admittedly valid) Plan B. More careful scheduling and more thorough back-up planning may help the next attempt be more successful, but that remains to be seen.

What Research Says About VC…….Kathy in El Paso

This article mentiones the various types of video conferencing as well as the types of connections. As with so many other types of technology, students are more readily accepting of the challenges of conferencing via the video cart. This mode of technology places the kids ahead of students that are unable to benefit from this experience. The video cart affords the kids a truly global learning experience and the benefits far outweigh possible difficulties. Video conferencing addresses the needs of the multi-modal learner and allows the teacher the opportunity to present material in a manner that reaches all learners. It also teaches important social interaction skills as children learn the “do’s” and “don’ts” of using social skills to communicate. Schools are enhancing curriculum through the use of video conferencing. It is also being used for research into the impact on teaching and learning as it pertains to the understanding of its potential. Kathy/El Paso ISD

Rural Washington Students Connect With The World, Review by Billie in El Paso.

The article describes what happens when two children in classes half a world apart solved an art challenge in exactly the same way, they were delighted — and curious. One of the benefits of doing these types of videoconferencing activities is the joy of seeing children learn from their expectations that there will be only differences or only similarities with people and places new to them. The teacher involved describes his struggle with having limited technology when beginning this project and the continued improvements of the school technology since then.tudents have the potential for defining it themselves by direct interaction with others anywhere in the world. Global understanding was one of the major benefits of this project. Global understanding, however, isn’t the only benefit of the projects. With collaborations that involve an outside audience, students have a real-life purpose and accelerated motivation to develop their learning skills.

Reading 2

Martin Lawrence

Field trips are the biggest headaches that teachers have due to the work it takes to organize and run it.  VR field trips take care of a lot of the trouble and accomplish most of the objectives of a field trip with increasing reliability without: writing notes home, soliciting parent permission slips, collecting admission fees from home, scheduling the bus or the parent drivers, dealing with behavior issues on the ride to and from a site, and (arguably the most important benefit) do it in a quarter of the time needed for a “road field trip.”

Learning from a Distance Brings it Home

Leslie Roberts

EPISD

Hello on a rare, rather damp morning in El Paso! I read the article “Learning from a Distance Brings it Home” by Barbara Bray

http://www.techlearning.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160911808

and found that it echoes the way I look at distance learning. Bray gave several examples of the way distance learning has changed and enhanced education worldwide. She gave the example of how credited coursework has enabled many people to complete schooling that may have begun in a more traditional, on-campus venue or allowed people to further their education. I am currently enrolled at the University of North Texas in their School and Library Information Science program seeking a Master’s degree in Library Science. As a single mom of two near-perfect college coeds and full-time librarian who works several part-time jobs to help support my family, I have little daylight left to attend school. Distance learning has permitted me to return to school on my time schedule and the advanced degree I am seeking will someday enable me to perhaps retire from pulling weeds for extra money, and to better support my children.