Meet in school

“How do I get children in America to listen to magpies?”

That was the thought that ran through teacher Colette Cotton’s mind on a chilly British morning this February. Her class of seven year olds in Kent were in the middle of a presentation to 11 year olds in Mississippi, USA:

"Our computer was busy sustaining the video link, so we got another and played the sounds on the speakers".
Collette’s pupils have taken part in the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' (RSPB) 'Big Schools' Birdwatch' for the last two years. When they found that their twin school did their own ‘great bird watch’ they decided to swap findings.

A webcam and a broadband connection means children on either side of the Atlantic can see and talk to each other. Colette’s pupils presented examples of their work:

“Showing is much better than just talking about something’ says Collette. "We had been making bird food as part of our project so we held up some bird cakes to the camera”.
Both classes have participated in bird counts and shared graphs and information about them. They’ve learned that there are different kinds of birds with different habitats in the different countries. They work together on a joint sustainability project via the School Net Global website.

To read the full article, click this link

Don't miss this exciting opportunity on February 22, 2007 from 7am EST to 7pm EST (UTC -5) to interact with schools from around the world.

The schedule of presentations is now posted. Join over hundreds of sites from countries all around the world including Portugal, Australia, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, England, Spain, Slovenia, Pakistan, and the US in the upcoming Megaconference Jr. 2007!

You'll also have a chance to win exciting prizes from the event vendor sponsors so far - Polycom, Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC), VuPorts, and Tandberg. Keep checking the prizes page for the most up to date list of new prizes and new sponsors.

Join us from sun up to sun down all around the world for this 4th Annual Megaconference Jr. global event Register now at: http://www.megaconferencejr.org/

And, please help forward this to anyone, anywhere in the world that you think might want to participate.

Alison Gaunt, Secondary Hands on Support Advisor for the Advisory Service Kent (ASK) organised a videoconferencing event for the Cranbrook cluster last week.

The 3 schools, Angley, Cranbrook and Mascalls have all had high quality Promethean videoconferencing equipment installed in their schools as part of the Promethean Teaching & Learning observatory solution (TLO). The schools asked Alison for some advice as to how best to use it in the classroom for teaching & learning and to also provide ideas for other uses e.g. meetings between schools.

Alison organised for Ian Yates from Promethean to come to the event and show the teachers from the 3 schools how to use the equipment. Steve James from EIS came along to provide technical support and information on the Kent central videoconferenicng infrastructure.

Beccy Chapman, Meet-In-School project manager and Alison Gaunt talked to the group about possible VC projects for collaboration, enhancing and broadening the curriculum .

The group also linked via videoconference to talk to Chris Higgins and some of his students at Invicta Grammar School about their experiences of using videoconferencing in their school.

The event was a great succes and all teachers commented on how useful they had found the day. All teachers left with plans for videoconferences between schools, one has even been planned for this week.

To see the pictures from the day, click this link

May I take this opportunity to wish you a happy and prosperous 2007. Last year a number of exciting videoconferencing events took place and I am looking forward to seeing how VC will be used in the classroom this year. The BETT show in London next week promises to provide a great platform to investigate the use of videoconferencing in the classroom and to hear and see what Schools around the country have been doing.

I look forward to hearing about any exciting VC projects that you have underway. Please post any project ideas to the Blog and hopefully we can start to collaborate and share experiences.

Many Thanks

Rebecca Chapman

Birmingham City Council have created an excellent Videoconferencing site that is full of diffferent ways to use VC, tips for videoconferencing and videoconferencing with the National Education Network

To visit the website, click this link

The following site provides some useful information about setting up a videoconference, useful resources and guidance on preparing for a videoconference.

Video Technology Advisory Service (VTAS) 

Are there any other useful sites that you use to help when setting up a videoconfernce, or preparing for a videoconferencing project? Post them in the comments section.

The Meet-In School project has been mentioned on the TES website by an MFL teacher who has written a post about the uses of videoconferencing in the classroom.

The post mentions that this is a primary project but if fact the Meet-In School project is open to both primary and secondary schools.

Joe Dale, the author also mentions other school projects and how they have used VC in school.

To read the post click here

I came across an interesting blog article today regarding American medics using videoconferencing to overcome language barriers.

Cisco Systems is touting teleconferencing as a way of making US hospital visits faster, safer and less stressful for non-English speaking patients and the doctors who care for them.

The Health Care Interpreter Network (HCIN) uses video and audio conferencing to link doctors and patients in three California hospitals with a network of interpreters covering Spanish, Cambodian, Hindi, Tongan and Hmong.

To read the full article, click here

Pluckley Primary School organised a videoconference with a Harvard University Lecturer last week in an attempt to test the capabilities of their VC equipment. They watched videos, conversed with the lecturer, viewed powerpoint slides and recorded the whole session.

Alan Day, Digital Curriculum Manager was preset at the event. Click here to read his thoughts and to hear about the videoconference event.

Headteacher of Pluckley Primary School, Richard Rule, has also created a case study about the VC event. Open the attachment with this post to read about the event.

What do you think about this use of videoconferencing in the classroom. Please post your comments......

Last thursday Astor College for the Arts (Dover) used the Meet-In school videoconferencing equipment to link to California State University in the USA.

Astor College sent some of their students to California last year to take part in a conference and intend to do the same this year.  The students who will be going this year were at the videoconference on thursday and had the opportunity to talk to some of the American students who they will be meeting when they travel to California in the summer holidays.

This event shows the potential of videoconferencing and it is great to see that Schools are using the VC equipment as a tool for communication and collaboration.

To see the pictures from the videoconference, visit the Meet-In School Gallery

One key aim of the Meet-In School project is to encourage Kent Schools to trial Videoconferencing equipment and discover its potential as a tool to aid teaching and learning.

I am contacted regularly by schools who are interested in videoconferencing but are not sure how to start, what places to link to and in what lessons they would see the most benefit.

Many schools already involved with this project have taken part in some fantastic VC events and use VC regularly in their classes.

I would like to harvest this information so that Schools looking at how to start using videoconferencing can read how other Schools have used VC, what was and was not successful and possibly make contact for some advice.

I have attached a survey sheet to this post and would really appreciate it if schools already using VC would fill this out for me. Can you then e-mail the form back to rebecca.chapman@kent.gov.uk

I will use this information to create a database for schools which will hopefully become an invaluable resource.

Thank you in advance

The Meet-In School project has been up and running for 2 full terms now and many schools have been involved in some really exciting VC events.

Astor college for the arts are linking up with California State University today to talk to the students and are also planning another videoconference during the summer holidays.

I would be really interested to hear how all of the schools are doing and would really like to hear about the different videoconferences you have been involved in.

If you have any pictures, videos or news paper clippings from any events you have organised please email them to me at rebecca.chapman@kent.gov.uk

Happy vidoconferencing

This sheet provides really useful information about how to start up a videoconference.

There is advice about how to make a call, what to do during a call and how to make multiconference calls.

To download this information sheet, open the attachment to this post.

This sheet provides information about the Codec (camera) used for the 'Meet in School' Project and explains the connections, i.e. where everything needs to be plugged in.

To download this information sheet, open the attachment to this post.

CDEC have created some useful information sheets to help when using the 'Meet in School' videoconferencing equipment.

There is a information sheet about the remote control, explaining what each button is used for. A sheet explaining the connections on the codec (camera unit) and an information sheet explaining how to start a videoconference (including making a call and advice for during the call)

To download these documents, view the attachments in the posts above.

Happy Videoconferencing!

National Space Centre Training Day at St. Edmunds

The National Space centre training day took place at St. Edmunds today. Teachers from a number of Kent Schools attended the day and were involved in an E-mission: Operation Monserat. http://www.spacecentre.co.uk/education/outreach/e-missions.htm

In the morning the Teachers were shown the Teacher and students resources and completed the exercises that accompany the e-Mission.

After a short break for some lunch (which was very nice!), the Teachers got into teams:

• The Volcano Team
• The Evacuation team
• The Hurricane Team

They then took part in a live e-Mission. The teams were responsibile for evacuating residents of Monserrat Island and for tracking the path of the Hurricane. The volcano team were also responsible for monitoring any volcanic activity.

This was a briliant day and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Look in the photo gallery for a selection of photos from the day to see what the Teachers got up to.

The Meet in School project is continuing to be a success.  A number of Kent schools have now loaned the equipment and have been involved in some exciting videoconferencing projects.

The next loan period is already half way through and the deadline for applications for next half term is looming.

If you are interested in loaning the high quality videoconferencing equipment please fill out the application form attached to this link: http://www.clusterweb.org.uk/advisory/ict_lead_meetinschool.cfm and return it to digital.curriculum@hotmail.co.uk by Friday 12th May.

If you would like any advice on how to get started with videoconferencing please email digital.curriculum@kent.gov.uk or alternatively have a look at the videoconferencing pages on clusterweb: http://www.clusterweb.org.uk/advisory/ict_video_conferencing.cfm

St. Edmunds RC School in Dover is hosting a Videoconferencing training day on 16th May.

Tim Bundy from the National Space centre will provide training in the use of videoconferencing to theTeachers who attend, and will also explain the National Space Centre E-mission.

Any schools who are interested in attending the FREE training day, please email Digital.Curriculum@kent.gov.uk and we will forward your information on to St. Edmunds RC School.

At the end of the training day, Schools will have the option to purchase an 'E-Mission' at a cost of £250.00

‘E-Mission is an exciting simulated mission delivered through live video conferencing and dedicated web pages. Students in a classroom anywhere in the world and the Flight Directors at the National Space Centre’s e-Mission Control can link up using the latest video conferencing and Internet technology.

e-Missions provide the excitement of the mission scenario to inspire students and encourage the use of new technology in education. The event is aimed at KS3/4 and focuses on using Science, Maths, ICT and Geography in a fun, interactive way.’

For more details on the e-Mission visit:

http://www.spacecentre.co.uk/education/outreach/e-missions.htm

We look forward to your responses

‘Meet-in School’ - Connecting Learning Communities – FREE Videoconferencing training for teachers and the chance to loan videoconferencing equipment for FREE for 6 weeks, plus win a National Space centre 'E-Mission'

Four Schools who joined the 'Meet in School' project this term, took part in our first Videoconference training Session.  Each of the 4 schools had their kit installed last week and today they all dialled into a Multipoint conference.  This enabled all four schools to receive the videoconference training from Neil Sampson (CDEC representative) who was in one of the schools.

This highlights the benefits of videoconferencing right away. No one had to travel miles for their training, they simply had to walk to the classroom, dial into the call and listen to Neil.  It was also a great way for the Teachers to practice making a call and to play around with the remote and camera. 

All 4 schools made a contribution in the question time section and 2 Teachers even linked up to arrange a History Lesson.

Watch this space for these and other School's case studies to see what exciting videoconferencing projects they get involved in over the next few weeks.

Digital Curriculum have received a number of case studies from the schools involved in the first 2 loan periods of the Meet in School project. They are attached to posts identified by the school's name. Please read them and forward any comments.

Thanks

Last week, Students from 4 Ashford Rural Primary Schools took part in a videoconference french lesson.

3 of the 4 Schools are loaning equipment from the Digital Curriculum Team at Kent County Council as part of the 'Meet in School' project.

Pluckely, High Halden, Furley Park and Hamstreet were all linked by the videoconferencing equipmenmt and the French Teacher at Pluckley School delivered the French lesson to all four classes using the Videoconferencing link.

The BBC came down to film the event and it was shown on that evening's news report.

This event shows a fantastic use of the Videoconferencing equipment and also highlights the potential of Videoconferencing in Schools.

Well done to everyone involved, it was a great success.

To see pictures of the event go to the Gallery and look for the 'Videoconferencing in ARC' pictures.

Anne Locke from St. Edmunds School in Dover has been using Videoconferencing for 2 years.  She has a lot of knowledge and experience when it comes to Videoconferencing and she has offered her help and support for the project.

Anne has some great suggestions on places to videoconference to and some practical advice about the best way to Videoconference.

If you would like to contact Anne and ask her a question , then email digital.curriculum@kent.gov.uk and we will forward you her contact details.

The first loan period for the Meet in School Project is drawing to a close. 

The Digital Curriculum Team have heard lots of stories about projects that have been taking place over the last 6 weeks and we can't wait to start telling you about them.

Rebecca Chapman (the project Manager) will be contacing each of the Loan Schools to find out what exciting projects they were involved in and then she will report back.

Hopefully we should be able to show some photos of these Schools videoconferencing as well.

The set of Schools who will be loaning the equipment next have been selected so watch this space to see what projects they get involved in!