Videoconferencing
Most familiar with Skype…fewer at conferences…fewer still have it in schools…
Tandberg systems are very expensive…
Regular video camera can be used for a webcam if already available
OrangeWare software…$20
Document Cameras
Logitech Pro 9000 roughly $100…webcam…fantastic picture for the price
$129 for H.323 software license…tack it in w/ a laptop and you’re set to go…Polycom PVX software running on laptop
16 ft. USB extenstion cable
Using 4 year old laptops…1G memory…1Ghz processor…
LOSING SOME OF THIS DUE TO TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IP ADDRESSES AND FIREWALLS AND VLAN…WOAH…
EVERY ONE OF THEIR CLASSROOMS HAS 52” FLAT SCREEN HDTV…WHAAAA?…HOLY COW…PTSA FUNDED…
Showing a video of a VC session done between two classes…
Students using # cards to identify themselves…Student teacher on other end calls on #22, #12, etc
Bandwidth intensive…NC has a state network…real cost is how much bandwidth can be separated off for a VLAN…386mb minimum…State network may begin charging due to decreased budget…
Videoconferences available from NC Museum of Natural Science…NC Museum of History…and NC School of Science and Math…
NC Museum of Nat. Science only cost is to send artifacts back to Museum
Finding Other Partners
NCSSM has a catalog of programs…
Some have set schedule…some have custom schedules…
http://projects.twice.cc
http://cilc.org
Global Nomads
http://gng.org
Jeff Nichols – jnichols AT wsfcs.k12.nc.us
Don Fought – dfought AT wsfcs.k12.nc.us
Carole Stern – stern AT ncssm.edu
Jerry.Taylor AT ncdcr.gov (Museum of History)
Mary.Tyler.fore AT ncdemr.gov (Museum of Natural Science)
GREAT SESSION…GOOD CONTACTS TO HAVE…THIS JUST MIGHT BE WHAT I NEED TO KICK START MY TAIL INTO DOING MORE OF THIS…
Filed under: conferences, ncmsa10 Tagged: | ncmsa10, videoconferencing
We purchased the Polycom unit, including the software (optional), for $1,700 ($1,500 without the software). It allows us to hold videoconferences with providers such as NASA, Cleveland Museum of Art, San Diego Zoo, etc. Today, our first graders verbally guided four sled dogs while they were mushing in Alaska. The opportunities available through videoconferencing are endless and very exciting!
You can read more about our endeavors in this Washington Post article http://tinyurl.com/2kyq6g or see a story published on Channel 9 News about videoconferencing and global collaborations at my newest school: http://tinyurl.com/yjhhyfd