EDUCATION BLOG

Berrien RESA is hosting Teacher’s Choice Awards to select the Best Content Providers for the 2008-2009 school year. Results will be shared via the Berrien RESA VC Content Providers Database and the videoconferencing listservs.

Many of you use the BCISD Videoconference Program Database from one of these websites: http://www.VCContentProviders.org | TWICE: http://www.twice.cc/fieldtrips.html | or from search boxes on your local distance learning website.

Polycom has chosen to do a drawing for prizes to random participants of the survey to encourage participation. If you wish to be included in the drawing, add your contact information at the end of the survey. Polycom will selecting the winners randomly.

Click this link to take the short survey (or copy the address into your browser):
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB22952VSCJBR

You must complete the survey by May 18, 2009 to be included in the drawing.

Please share this announcement with your local videoconferencing colleagues. We welcome entries from teachers, even if they vote in only one category/subject area.

Thank you for your time!

Janine Lim
Instructional Technology Consultant
janine.lim@berrienresa.org
(269) 471-7725×1101

Here are two items that might be of interest:

• Burning desire to study in the UK?  Details of the NZ-UK Link Foundation New Zealand Discretionary Awards.

• Mental Health Research Grants from the Vic Davis Memorial Trust. 

The best answer to why videoconference is that it brings in a subject matter expert to classroom fills in curriculum gaps! Classroom teachers cannot be experts in every field.

The final session I attended today at USDLA was presented by Dawn Colavita of CILC. (Between NASA and CILC, I attended the www.thinkfinity.org presentation). Her presentation, Getting Optimum Mileage from Virtual Fieldtrips, explained why K-12 educators choose interactive videoconferencing, and how to find programs that work within curriculum. She highlighted the importance of virtual fieldtrip prepartion- communication between teachers and content providers is a critical element for a successful program (see NASA post below). Dawn discussed that teachers should review the videoconference objectives with students.

Other tips/tricks:

• allow participants an experience on camera prior to a videoconference
• remind students they are representing their classroom and school to others
• have students fill out evaluations on the videoconference, plus continue the lesson from the vc in the classroom (a larger project)
• teachers should also fill out evaluations- did it cover objectives? student learning covered? what did the teacher learn- any new strategies for their instruction?
• share vc successes with administrators- superintendents, principals; other teachers; parents & community
  

More from the United States Distance Learning Association Conference in St. Louis, Missouri: Interactive Curriculum Design for K-12 Classrooms - presented by Scott Anderson and Greg Pitzer of NASA  Digital  Learning  Network (DLN)

•    ten NASA education centers across the country: each one presents 30-40 programs per month | DLN programs consist of pre & post activities
•    most videoconferences are math and science oriented; try to add humanities (ex: Mission Patch Design)
•    try to address misconceptions about space
•    focus on inquiry and constructivism- students have to be involved to retain information
•    want students to view themselves as scientists

Deliver (interactive instruction)
Long-term (retention of knowledge)
NASA (as only NASA can)

Types of Inquiry
structured: students investigate a teacher presented question through a prescribed procedure |  guided: students investigate a teacher presented question using student designed procedure | open: students investigate topic-related questions that are student formulated thought student selected procedure

5E Instructional Model Design
•    Engage – to peak student interest & get them personally involved in the lesson
•    Explore – to get students involved in the topic; providing them with a chance to find the solution for themselves
•    Explain – students are given a chance to take what they have learned so far & figure out what it means
•    Elaborate – to allow students to use their new knowledge & continue to explore its implications
•    Evaluate – both students and teachers determine how much learning & understanding has taken place

→ Note about evaluation: interaction and real time question responses help instructions immediate assess if students are getting concepts under discussion.

Creating Modules | Forming Rubrics
some criteria includes: objectives, standards, vocabulary, assessment, interactivity, degree of student inquiry, videoconference content, pre/post lessons

recently added: Outside Evaluation by Teachers
ensures scientific accuracy, high level of education relevancy, appropriate support materials, pros and cons

* Pre-videoconference lesson completion is really important! NASA presenters come into the videoconference expecting that the class has done the activities. If the class hasn’t done that work, the presenters have to tweak videoconference content, maybe not meeting the expectation of the program (description). *

1. Leave No Stone Unturned - Find out all that you can about your career field. Being an event planner might look like fun on TV, but be sure to learn about things like typical hours worked, average salary, and any educational requirements.

2. Know Your Strengths - You might hate to admit that you’re the math geek among your friends, but if you’re good at it and you like it, why not make a living doing what you enjoy?

3. Have Patience - Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your new career won’t be either. Make your transition as smooth as possible by taking the time to get proper training and understand that you probably won’t start your new career as a vice president.
4. Get Educated - Know the educational requirements of your new career choice. Even if you think you are already qualified, introductory career education/training is always a great way to get started.

5. Be Social - If often helps to talk with people who already work in the career field you are interested in. They can often give you more personal insight. Plus, when you are ready to being work in your new career field, it’s always good to have connections.

Distance learning is an excellent way to learn more about a particular career field without leaving your current job or incurring thousands of dollars in education costs. You can study at home when it is convenient for you.

Whether you’re looking to start a new career or want to enhance your skills, you almost never go wrong with some solid career training/career education!

The second USDLA session I attended was full of information on Network Nebraska. Network Nebraska was actually recently featured in Distance Learning … A Magazine for Leaders and the article is reprinted, with persmission, on the Network Nebraska website.  The website also has very complete list of information on how the project was implemented.

For me, as a K-12 videoconferencing coordinator, listening to the fourth, and final presenter speak was the most interesting. Dr. Dan Hoesing is superintendent of four Nebraska school districts and is a big proponent of distance learning. Hoesing is all about personal communication: he emphasized more than once that students learn as a group, yet interact as individuals. A perfect combination of the two a desirable place for kids to learn. He also feels that education is about developing relationships and that high tech and high touch are important to keeping kids engaged. Hoesing enthusiasm for education- and distance learning- was very exciting. Network Nebraska anticipates have mobile vc carts in every high school in the state by next school year! (They use Polycom and TANDBERG).

Other speakers on Network Nebraska (setting all this up took lots of time, energy and people!) included:

• Tom Rolfes, Education I.T. Manager, Office of the Chief Information Officer and Nebraska Information Technology Commision
• Gordon Roethemeyer, Executive Director, Nebraska Distance Education Council
• Ted Nafzger, Sales Manager, Renovo Software, Inc.
  

If you’re a Massey University student (internal or extramural) living on - or near - the Manawatu (Palmerston North) campus then our imminent career fairs are events you’ll probably not want to miss.  They are -

• General Expo (Manawatu campus) - May 5^th 2009 - 11.00 am until 3.00 pm in the Student Dining Hall and MUSA Coffee Lounge, Turitea.
• Agribusiness/Applied Science/Engineering/Science Expo (Manawatu Campus) - May 6^th 2009 - 11.00 am until 3.00 pm in the Student Dining Hall and MUSA Coffee Lounge, Turitea

For more information see:

• Career Expos

Crucially, if you’re planning to attend take time to look at the resources on how to prepare for the expos.  You’ll  find these under:

• Career expos - information for students and graduates

United State Distance Learning Association Conference kicked off today in St. Louis, Missouri. Precons took place in the morning, with an opening keynote right after lunch, and then the sessions began. Retired Captain Dave Carey, a former Vietnam P.O.W. was the motivational keynote today. His story was amazing! (I supposed most prisoners’ of war to have an interesting history). He shared how he and this fellow P.O.W.s, including John McCain, developed a means of communication through thick walls- which eventually led to language lessons, story telling and poetry sessions. Several lessons could be learned from Captain Carey, but I got that you need to learn and choose to communicate with those around you- even if it’s not in the way you envisioned it- and to handle change with grace (it’s going to happen anyway!).

Earlier this morning, I attended Emerging Technologies in Distance Learning. It was the same session I did last year (the one most applicable for my day to day work), and I hoped to learn a little more about (new) emerging Web 2.0 tools. Most of it was a rehash from last year, and while good, in my opinion, not a lot of new information was presented. Two applications I did learn about, however, are pretty cool- http://www.thebrain.com/ and especially  http://www.learncentral.org. Take a moment to check out both URLs!

I struggled when selecting my afternoon session- none really fit what I do super well. I opted to attend Training Faculty + Adult Learning Principles = Student Success because part of my job is providing professional development on videoconferencing. Concepts reinforced: all adults (usually categorized as 25 years or older) learn differently, often thrive on collaboration and facing “real life” scenarios. They want to know why should I learn this, and how will it benefit me? Tips given: identifying course objectives important, encouragement is important for adults as well as children, and building learning communities. In addition, training and support is very important (online and onsite in the classroom). I’ll add some more notes in the comments field once I get the handouts- lots of info being given!

The National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE) is an information center and clearinghouse funded by the US Dept of Education and run by Utah State University’s Center for Persons with Disabilities. NCDAE focuses on distance education for students with disabilities. From their About page:

The National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE) monitors and promotes electronically-mediated distance education policies and practices that enhance the lives of people with disabilities and their families. The NCDAE is working to further the national agenda necessary to increase opportunities for participation of people with disabilities and addresses: (a) delivery of electronically-mediated content, (b) testing and assessment, and (c) administrative procedures such as registration for educational offerings.

NCDAE conducts policy research, develops tools, providea training and technical assistance, and disseminates information on distance education, technology, and accessibility.

Their website includes indepth articles, webcasts, and newsletters.  The webcasts are produced quarterly and include panelists from industry, education, and policy. They also have an RSS feed for accessibility and education.