Video+Conferencing

How can video cameras and Virtual Classrooms extend your student's learning? How can these tools be used in your classroom or school?

One way that Skype was used in our school was during Career Day. A parent who was stationed in Afghanistan was able to Skype with the class about her occupational experiences abroad. This interaction gave the students a unique understanding of her profession by allowing them to interact with her while she was in a different country, time zone, etc. The learning was more real to the class because she was actually //there.//


 * //Jason Project - Tsunami expert spoke to teacher group (could be used with students as well). {current events- expert in field}//
 * //Question-answer//
 * Experts in field- from anywhere
 * //Virtual field trip//
 * //Classroom exchange//
 * //Maternity leave- teacher talking to class//
 * Socratic seminar- with small groups- with peers from other locations. Examine perspective
 * Mentoring- (even tutoring) in native language (for ELL students).
 * Student summaries posted to blackboard to watch or have students work through a problem or strategy- then posting to Blackboard for students to watch. (for example: Mathcast)
 * //[|Elluminate-] conversation and typing at the same time (especially for questions that might be more appropriate for one on one- instead of the whole group). Can take over desktop- and show them.//
 * Adding Yugma (skype Add on)-- would enable and increase productivity. Allows for more people (up to 20).


 * Link students that are geographically far apart. Purpose is to provide something that the physical classroom cannot provide.
 * //Conversation adds another element to the interaction. Pen Pal Class.//
 * //Students with fine motor needs,younger students that do not have developed writing (or typing)//
 * //offers practice in turn taking, making sure everyone contributes. Might be hard for teacher to monitor (could you use audacity to record audio)//
 * //Could be used for student that are homebound- would help with feeling as if they were part of the group.//

Within FCPS- can use with teacher direction- facilitation.