Janine Lim Berrien RESA

Serves Berrien and Cass counties in southwest MI 70 Polycom VSX 7000s and Viewstations 662 projects and content provider programs ‘07-’ PD & meetings ‘07-’08

Two Way Interactive Connections in Education: K12 videoconferencing organization Volunteer board members, mostly from educational service agencies Read Around the Planet ASK Programs & Michigan Week Discounts with providers

“Curriculum Videoconferencing”

If your principal or superintendent walked into your classroom during a videoconference, give five adjectives to describe what they would see happening.

1.Students have an authentic audience, causing them to take greater care with their work. 2.Students learn to create valid questions. 3.Students reflect upon what they learn and sometimes change their thinking or make connections to what they know. 4.Some of our challenging students’ behavior is so much better because they’re interested in what we’re doing. 5.When we connect to another part of the country or a foreign country, we open our students’ world to ideas they may not learn through a text book. Most of our students do not have opportunity to travel or see areas outside of our rural community and county.Peggy Clore

school-to-school collaborations professional development collaborations classroom-to- classroom collaborations

Why Collaborations?

Who’s Asking?

“ We bought VC. How do we get teachers to use it?” FREE Most closely matches curriculum Can be most powerful VCs

“ What’s the value to my students?” Owston 2007 multicultural understanding and greater positive self- concept Cifuentes & Murphy 2000 greater understanding of time, distance, and other children Yost 2001 learn from other viewpoints Martinez & MacMillan, 1998

“How does VC meet state curriculum standards?” tailored to curriculum goals adapted to curriculum goals created from/within curriculum goals

“Did anyone think about the learning theory?” social constructivism - we learn by talking to others Vygotsky constructivism - use of VC has a positive relationship with teachers’ preference for constructivism Sweeney 2007 authentic audience Warschauer 1997

Classroom-to- Classroom Collaborations

Middle School Science International where possible Background science knowledge Analysis of scientific method's use Environmental perspectives Economic perspectives Local perspectives Recommended actions / solutions Carbon Dioxide Emissions Climate Change Warmer Oceans Environmental Clean-Up Fresh Water Water Bottles

My students absolutely LOVED IT. You know they really liked it when they are telling other teachers and students about it!!! Talking to another country is by far the best VC out there!! When you have students like those here in Dowagiac who have maybe been as far away as Detroit or Chicago (many not that far) they are fascinated with the accents, language usage…….very cool, I would talk to another country any time it was available! Eco-Conversations: Carbon Emissions

Halloween and Diwali Exchange with India

Introductions Presentation of Clues Time to Research Clarifying Questions Sharing Guesses Revealing the Answer Sign-Off

School-to- School Collaborations

Mars Elementary, Berrien Springs “While trying to get my teachers interested in having VC Pals, I had to make a point to let them know I only wanted them to share things they already do. Many times when the students do their writings they share as a classroom but that’s it. By sharing during a VC, maybe the work will become more meaningful because they are sharing it with another group of students.”

Developed by ESC 12, Waco, TX Descriptive writing & use of wiki RESA to ESC collaboration (125 classes)

A few of my reluctant writers shocked me with the quality of their writing and enthusiasm for the project. I think having an audience that goes beyond the building’s walls helps too. It makes the project seem more important. “Gobbling Up Descriptive Writing”

School to School Collaboration Provides Author/Tuskegee Airman Interview

Professional Development Collaboration

Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with Videoconferencing “Mini-Jazz” 2008 about 30 collaborations resulted from 1.5 hour training

Snow Days / Rescheduling Blocked s Lack of Follow-Up Lack of School-Level VC Coordinators Project Definition

Janine Lim, TWICE: CAPspace: projects.twice.cc Berrien RESA DL: Blog: bcisdvcs.wordpress.com Wiki: collaborativeVCs.pbwiki.com Online Classes: Planning Interactive Curriculum Connections Kid2Kid Videoconference Connections

Cifuentes, L., & Murphy, K. L. (2000). Promoting multicultural understanding and positive self-concept through a distance learning community: cultural connections. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(1), Martinez, M. D., & MacMillan, G. (1998). A Joint Distance Learning Course in American Government (No. ED428005). Owston, R. (2007). Contextual factors that sustain innovative pedagogical practice using technology: an international study. Journal of Educational Change, 8(1), Sweeney, M. A. (2007). The use of videoconferencing techniques which support constructivism in K-12 education. Dissertation Abstracts International. Warschauer, M. (1997).Computer-mediated collaborative learning: Theory and practice. Modern Language Journal, 81(3), p Also at Yost, N. (2001). Lights, Camera, Action: Videoconferencing in Kindergarten. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference.