It,s Elementary #18, Video Conferencing

We had a great discussion with James Sigler

1. James Sigler shared his background and how he started video-conferencing, including some pertinent points

• It involved serendipity and a willingness to try something new, rather than a technology plan...

2. Why do it?

• Our guest and host shared about the learning connections they've made, and students make using this
• We discussed the standards, like NETS Communication and Collaboration and looking on how our students are communicating with authentic audiences.

4. The It's Elementary team share their experiences

5. And shared barriers to effective implementation or sustainability, blocking and coordinating schedule/time zones came up as the big issues.

We then threw it open and had the audience join in.

Our Next show will be on Monday June 9th, Year in Review. What were your sucesses and challanges? What are your plans for 2008-09? Visit our Blog at http://itselementary.edublogs.org

Chat Below

MariaK: how is the stream
James.Sigler: Hi Cathy
Cathy E: sounds good
sheila: I hear the buzz
sheila: Hi all
sheila: It's a low humm ; not enough!
sheila: bzzzzzzzzz
sheila: hummmmmmmm
Cathy E: Don't know how long I will be here - we are about to blow away here in NC
Durff: hi rob
rjacklin: HI!
Durff: sound on ustream
rjacklin: can't wait to find out who the guest is tonight!
rjacklin: address for ustream?
Durff: talking
Durff: it's to your right
rjacklin: OOOOOHHHHHH
Durff: open thine eyes
alicemercer: How is USTREAM folks?
sheila: good alice
Durff: then tell us how it sounds
Durff: the central time zone hitch
sheila: and daylight saving time!
Cathy E: I can't keep the audio connected :( - wind is gusting to 75 mph
rjacklin: I don' t know anything about timzone issues :)
Durff: I know
MariaK: @cathy - that sounds like a strong wind
Durff: welcome adina
adinasullivan: Hi!
Durff: sound on Ustream
rjacklin: good sound
Durff: thanks
Durff: put that on my tab
sheila: The importance of storytelling!
Durff: yes we all have a story to tell
James.Sigler: Picture of my class conferencing http://siglersite.com/blog/2008/04/22/episode-4-earth-day-skype-podcast/
Durff: welcome back rob
rjacklin: when I get booted, is there a way to see previous chat?
alicemercer: Jacklin, nope, sorry
alicemercer: So how is sound guys?
adinasullivan: sound is good
adinasullivan: This is a great idea for connecting to even just the kids from "across town" who are so different from my kids.
rjacklin: a bit choppy
Durff: do it adina!
adinasullivan: Our kids are so isolated - and don't even realize it most of the time
Durff: i agree
adinasullivan: I need to get on it Durff!
alicemercer: Adina, you're in North SD, right?
adinasullivan: Yes, San Marcos
Durff: perpetuating the industrial model of education
Durff: so call us adina
alicemercer: My grandmother lived in Vista back in the day (1970s)
Durff: hi joao
adinasullivan: Cool
sheila: Hi joao!
joao: hi sheila
joao: what's the subject here?
Durff: video conference
sheila: video conferencing
Durff: hi josteen
joao: Ok, thanks.
shaun fletcher: skype will pick up a digital camera for video? cool
Durff: flip camera
shaun fletcher: i think i'll try that right now
alicemercer: Lisa, you can use Flip for live?
shaun fletcher: so only a flip camera not a camcorder
MariaK: No - i use a camcorder - digital - not flip
josteen: hi Durff - thanks for the welcome
rjacklin: still here!
sine: hi..is the audio stream available other than from ustream?
adinasullivan: sound is choppy again
alicemercer: nope, sorry
rjacklin: timezones....it's not just for figuring out when your favorite TV show is on anymore!
sine: verizon won't connect at home ;-(
josteen: skype not allowed on school network - due to peer to peer features
Durff: welcome nhill
nhill: thanks
rjacklin: what role does bandwidth play with not allowing some video conferencing stuff!
shaun fletcher: We have Polycom, have used it once, Skype is less troublesome in my experience, unless it is blocked :(
rjacklin: Do you have to schedule it with your tech folks?
josteen: how do you convince network people that skype is ok?
Durff: never heard of polycom
alicemercer: Elk Grove (not my district) will turn off block for SKpe with a teacher request on a tem pbasis.
alicemercer: Lisa, they do conference phones, I used to use them in Banking...
Durff: ah
josteen: @alicemercer on an appt. basis?
shaun fletcher: I have gotten spam/inappropriate invites from skype
alicemercer: @josteen Yep
alicemercer: Who has skpe blocked?
MariaK: is skype blocked at your schools?
sheila: not me (yet)
adinasullivan: Not yet
rjacklin: It would be if we wouldn't ask
josteen: blocked here
nhill: not blocked in my district
shaun fletcher: not blocked (yet)
nhill: very few of us use it though
adinasullivan: Bandwidth is issue for video though
rjacklin: still much the "wild west" yet???
adinasullivan: Not on the radar yet
joao: not blocked at our school
shaun fletcher: we cannot download skype, that is blocked during the day, but the software will run throughout the day
josteen: are there features you can turn off that make it less of a security risk?
rjacklin: policies!!! Any policy recommendations!
James.Sigler: Since one person can talk at a time. What does the rest of the class do while one person is talking
alicemercer: who would like to call in?
shaun fletcher: Call Graph can be used to record the audio if you wanted a record of the conversation
Durff: rob?
rjacklin: yep
Durff: call graph
Durff: ?
rjacklin: nope
alicemercer: message agearings on skype (Maria)
shaun fletcher: http://www.callgraph.in/
rjacklin: I can call in?
MariaK: agearrings on skype
MariaK: agearrings on skype
Durff: yes
Durff: she has such a voice
nhill: you can get anything you want
nhill: at Alice's restaraunt.
nhill: :D
Durff: :?
adinasullivan: night all
Durff: hi derrall
derrallg: you guys are getting tricky, not streaming on shoutcast
Durff: yup
derrallg: hi durff
alicemercer: Yep, derrallg
Durff: call in
derrallg: so i missed it and i might be going to k/1 next year
Durff: rob jacklin
alicemercer: Derrallg, ow, not nice...
derrallg: time for a change
Durff: what do you teach now?
derrallg: sixth
Durff: oh boy
Durff: that's a jump
Durff: want that?
derrallg: yep
Durff: ok then congrats
derrallg: it will get me back to a great school
Durff: well that is good
derrallg: will find out later whether i got it
Durff: let us know
derrallg: will do and begin looking for resources
MariaK: @derrallg - if you end up in kindergarten - we'll have to talk!
nhill: how do you begin to connect with other classrooms
MariaK: @derrallg - keep me posted
derrallg: @mariak I definitely will contact you thanks
shaun fletcher: do you have the link for call recorder?
sheila: @nhill - where are you?
nhill: PA
shaun fletcher: new brunswick , Canada
nhill: you sheila?
sheila: I"m in NH
sheila: Guess this is how we can start to connect classrooms.
nhill: what grade do you have sheila?
sheila: 7th grade
shaun fletcher: does it record the video too? or just the audio?
nhill: me to
nhill: too
sheila: @nhill - I teach science, and you?
nhill: communications
nhill: technology/television/podcasting etc
sheila: sounds like fun!!!
nhill: digital photography too...it is great fun.
shaun fletcher: @shelia what grade level?me.. MS science math
sheila: 7th science
sheila: I have one class that is called "Focus" and I can do almost anything with it.
sheila: Willing to try something with another school . . .
nhill: I would love to try something and experiment
shaun fletcher: Bridgit is neat if you have a smartboard and the software license, you can share applications on remote smartboards
shaun fletcher: i'd like to know about a good backchannel app to use ?
derrallg: @mariak are all the links you have on your blogmeister page for K
MariaK: yes
sheila: yes maria
sheila: yes to chat
rjacklin: Thanks for letting me in, it was a pleasure! Gotta Go! Have a great evening!
James.Sigler: Glad you came
derrallg: great, i have used blogmeister for 4/5/6
sheila: skype is slow
MariaK: t
sheila: try again?
Durff: you're in sheila
sheila: should work now?
kirish43: The speaker is better
shaun fletcher: bye
kirish43: bye
kirish43: Darn-missed most of it
Durff: thanks for coming krish
Durff: nite all