• Make sure that students are aware of who the speaker is and why you are meeting with him/her.

• Have questions ready to ask. Generally the speaker will make a brief presentation to begin the program. After that, the students should be prepared to ask questions.

• When it is your turn to ask a question, the student should identify himself/herself by giving his/her name.

• If more than one school is conferencing, students should also identify his/her school. (There are two reasons for this. First, the speaker can respond to a student by name. Second, there is a five-second delay on the sound if you are using a sound activated system. By giving the information first, none of the question will be missed. This also gives the system operator a chance to get the speaker's picture onto the screen.

• If no one is speaking at your site, MUTE your microphone. Remember, most videoconferences are voice activated and you don’t want your picture fed to another site if your site has background noises.

• Speak loudly and clearly when presenting information or answering questions.

• Look at the camera when you speak — pretend the camera is your audience.

• Move and gesture as you normally would.

• You should wear solid colored clothing, in dark or neutral colors.

 

Video Conferencing Checklist

Date of Conference ____________________________________________________________ Time ____________________________________________________________ Purpose ____________________________________________________________ Confirmation Number ____________________________________________________________ Technical Support Number ____________________________________________________________ Local Phone Number ____________________________________________________________ Remote Site Number ____________________________________________________________ ISDN Number ____________________________________________________________

To do well in advance: ______ Practice using equipment ______ Prepare lesson plan and materials ______ Schedule a date and a time for the telelesson ______ Arrange for remote facilitators, guest speakers, technical support, etc. ______ Reserve room and equipment ______ Consider room set up (background, cameras, clock, etc.) ______ Develop a back-up plan in case of technical difficulties ______ Schedule a practice session (if unfamiliar with the system) ______ If using an ISDN circuit, determine who you will make the connection. One week prior to the conference: ______ Make sure your students are aware of your expectations ______ Make sure the remote site has necessary materials ______ Share telephone numbers ______ Find out whom to contact if there are problems ______ Decide what to wear  (avoid loud patterns, red, and white) ______ If you are using an ISDN circuit, confirm who will place the call. Day of the conference: _____ Check the arrangement of the room. ______ Connect with the remote site 30-45 minutes prior to the meeting time ______ Check audio, video, lighting, and auxiliary equipment (Elmo, VCR, etc.) ______ Preview local camera angle and preset angles if possible ______ Keep ISDN and telephone numbers handy during the conference ______ View yourself occasionally (make sure the other end can see whoever is speaking.) This form is adapted from KCET Videoconference Checklist.

 

 

In case of technical difficulties...

Adapted from KCET Videoconferencing rules to live by.

 

 

Connected University  Started by Classroom Connect. Offers post graduate professional development http://cu.classroom.com/logon.asp 

Distance Education at a Glance, University of Idaho — full information, including copyright issues, on distance learning http://www.uidaho.edu/evo/distglan.html

Distance Learning on the Net Is designed to aid Internet users (not just teachers) to find quality distance learning opportunities. http://www.hoyle.com/distance.htm 

Distance Learning Projects by Macomb Intermediate School District — information for students and teachers http://www.misd.net/il/dl/

Guidelines for VideoConferencing Presenters (NASA information)
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/CoE/Guidelines.html

Heritage Institute Online — offers more than five dozen self-paced for K-12 teachers http://www.hol.edu/ 

Innovative Teaching — is a HOTLIST of online classes http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Innovative-Teaching/message/349 

ITSME  (Instructional Technology Science and Math Education)  Lots of information about videoconferencing.  http://www.cleveland.k12.oh.us/ITO/videoconferencing/videoconfer.htm

The Power of the Internet for Learning:  Moving from Promise to Practice — report of the Web-based Education Commission http://interact.hpcnet.org/webcommission/index.htm 

Video Conferencing Cookbook, by the Video Development Initiative — an extensive printable version available from http://www.vide.gatech.edu/cookbook2.0/

Videoconferencing for Learning, Pacific Bell — information, directories and links http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/vidconf/home.html

Virtual Architecture, Chapter 2: In the Kitchen: Telecolaboration, by Judi Harris — "telecollaboration and telepresence in curriculum-based K-12 learning activities" http://virtual-architecture.wm.edu/

 

For video conferencing sites and assistance, see:

NASA Glenn Learning Technologies Project (LTP) http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/CoE/Coemain.html

Cleveland Museum of Art Distance Learning   http://www.clevelandart.org/educef/distance/html/index.html

Cleveland Museum of Natural History http://www.cmnh.org/site/ClassesandPrograms_SchoolPrograms_AtYourSchool_DistanceLearning.aspx

Columbus Zoo http://www.colszoo.org/education/distance.html

COSI Interactive Distance Learning http://www.cositoledo.org/e_idl.htm

Ohio Historical Society http://ohiohistory.org

Indianapolis Zoo distance Learning  http://www.indyzoo.com/education/distance_learning.asp

Philadelphia Museum of Art Distance Learning  http://www.philamuseum.org/education/distance.shtml

Ohio Distance Learning  http://www.ohiodl.org

New Millennium Kids Distance Learning Project
http://nmk.stark.k12.oh.us/

For NMK Content Providers see
http://cgi.stark.k12.oh.us:591/nmkcontent/FMPro

School Voice (Videoconferencing Opportunities in Classroom Education)  A database collection of K-12 videoconferencing programs.  http://www.schoolvoice.org/default.htm

SOITA, Distance Learning resources
http://www.soita.org/ivdl.html

Pacific Bell Knowledge Network Videoconferencing Directories
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/vidconf/directory.html

The Learning Space, Content Providers Resource Page
http://www.learningspace.org/videoconf/vcconf.html

Pennsylvania Distance Learning Exchange
http://www.learningspace.org/videoconf/vcconf.html

The American Center for the Study of Distance Education
http://www.ed.psu.edu/ACSDE/

TWICE  (Two-way Interactive Connections in Education) Field Trips  Database about content providers and the programs they offer.  http://www.twice.cc