Janine Lim Blog: Twitter: outonalim Web: Inspiring Teachers' Use of Curriculum Videoconferencing: What Works

“Curriculum Videoconferencing” Some equipment sits collecting dust. Why??

What do you think??

May 2008 Twenty K-12 teachers Berrien & Cass County 6 to 12 videoconferences ’07-’08

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 through the ASK kit. 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.

School coordinator helped them –find correlations to their standards –find a VC for them and help them sign up –help them see how the programs fit their curriculum –help them with VCs that can replace a lesson they currently teacher

They need to see it: coordinator said: ““It seems a little daunting until you actually go through it and then you realize this was not too bad and in fact it was really awesome!”” Two teachers VCing together Arrange for teachers to peek into another teachers’ VC Make sure your principal & supt see VCs in action

A key experience that motivates me to continue using videoconferencing is the fact that my students are able to communicate with other classrooms, authors, and educators around the world. -Wendy Zahrn, 4th grade, Sylvester Elementary, Berrien Springs Connecting kids to experiences outside of our community without leaving the school! -Tami Miller, 2nd grade, Eagle Lake Elementary, Edwardsburg The comments the students were making and the level of understanding they had was amazing. -Lacy Payne, 6th grade, F.C. Reed Middle School, Bridgman The students enthusiasm! They love to VC. -Karen Ennesser, 7th grade science, Dowagiac Middle School, Dowagiac

These are interactive field trips that we don’t even have to leave the building for. Students walk away with new knowledge and experiences. -Dori Hughes, 2nd grade, Eagle Lake Elementary, Edwardsburg I LOVE videoconferencing! It gives my kids exposure to things we couldn’t otherwise do. It gives them practice in presenting & performing skills and is just so much fun! -Heidi Clark, 1st grade teacher, Three Oaks Elementary, River Valley

Check websites Ask my VC coordinator (librarian, teacher) Look in ASK directory. s from Janine Workshops I use some of the same ones each year because I know the expectations and the results. I use the ones I have experienced. There is a print out at the beginning of the year that I try to find things that go with my theme.

Whatever is free! I look for videoconferences that integrate with our learning. Based on our GLCEs / curriculum. Videoconferences that are at my students’ level.

Making sure they understand the content. We vote on the type of presentation to give. The students work in groups. I use the ASK kits or provider materials. I expose my students to the information necessary for them to become fully engaged when viewing the decided VC. We discuss and then prepare questions. I spend a class period providing background info or reinforcing prior learning. We then develop questions.

Our online registration / scheduling Supporting, training, sustaining VC coordinators Providing resources, both print and web-based, to help teachers see how VCs match their curriculum Offering free programs to our schools (ASK and collaborative projects) that are tightly matched to their curriculum Offering mini-grants to help pay for programs Increasing access to VC in every school Assisting principals and tech coordinators in the districts with supporting VC

What do you want to change/improve in your VC program?

Janine Lim, TWICE: CAPspace: projects.twice.cc Berrien RESA DL: Blog: vcoutonalim.org Wiki: collaborativeVCs.pbwiki.com Online Classes: Planning Interactive Curriculum Connections 21st Century Communication Collaborations Supporting Teachers’ Use of Videoconferencing