Collaboration through Video Conferencing

I proposed procuring a video conferencing unit to the administration last year. After thorough research on which unit to purchase, we got our Polycom HDX7001XL installed. Hurdles were encountered when I tried to do an equipment test during the first week of school with Sue J. Calvin of Berks County Intermediate Unit. Equipment testing is a pre-requisite for TWICE so we could start participating in various collaborating projects available. After tweaking here and there, the re-test was a success.

With memberships to these organizations and resource people listed below, our options for video conferencing and collaborating are innumerable:

• TWICE's CAPspace
• GlobalSchool.net
• Oracle sponsored ThinkQuest
• Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC)
  
• Judy Bornstein of CMSCE (The Center for Mathematics, Science and Computer Education) listed us on the Peer-T0-Peer Video Conferencing Directory.
• We are in the process of getting a bridge for AccessNJ so we could connect to content providers who use ISDN connection.

NEWSFLASH:

• Our first middle-school VC project: Janine Lim has been instrumental in getting us on board on the first middle-school video conferencing project called HistoryQuest.
• Our first elementary school VC project: Weather-Buddies

We are excited! We can't wait for more VC projects and hopefully get some lessons from content providers around the globe.