March 2001 — Features
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Desktop Videoconferencing
Case 3: School Counselors from feeder schools are working together on SEOPs and academic advisement. Document sharing is a powerful feature of the system. Both counselors, through the use of the system, can edit the SEOP documents synchronously. When issues surface about student scheduling needs, a counselor can set up a meeting with a student at the current school site and include the counselor from the student's previous school. This allows for continuity in planning the SEOP.
One-to-Group
(classroom, school-to-school, small group meetings)
Case 4: A project has been established between Pat Stoddart, Utah State University, Louise Leatham, Sky View High School English Department, and preservice teachers. The USU professor is able to observe preservice teachers in the classroom, using the desktop two-way videoconferencing system. Further, the professor debriefs her colleague at Sky View and the preservice teachers with the observations, via the system.
Case 5: Professional development activities are conducted between national consultants and educators. For example, Douglas Reeves, a national consultant on standards and accountability, is working with a group of school administrators over the desktop two-way videoconferencing system. The Cache County School District is undergoing a process of aligning curriculum to the teaching process and to testing and assessment. Dr. Reeves speaks to administrators over the system and discusses issues that are faced in the implementation of a system driven by standards and accountability.
Case 6: Resource sharing has unlimited potential. Two classroom teachers from different high schools, J'e Campbell and Kaylene Johnson, teach a multimedia applications class and are dividing software applications to double their teaching power. Each teacher specializes and then teaches to both classes, while the other teacher serves as an assistant. The degree of sophistication of HTML authoring software and design software, such as Photoshop, requires the teacher to spend many hours in training and to find the time to develop the application materials. By dividing up the responsibility, each teacher can thoroughly learn the software applications, and thus do a better job of teaching students.
Case 7: Special courses offer many possibilities. A Russian class will be taught between two high schools. Finding the expertise to teach specialized course material is very difficult. Allowing students multiple accesses to a master teacher is a win-win situation. A special weather class was offered during the fall 2000 at the Cache Alternative High School. Students worked with Dr. James Hack from the National Center for Atmospheric Research and Dr. Steve Zsiray on a canyon weather study. Dr. Hack taught and advised the group through the use of a desktop two-way videoconferencing system.
Group-to-Group
(training and workshops, course delivery)
Case 8: Students at the Edith Bowen Lab School, Utah State University, are working on a collaborative art study project with elementary school students in Clark County, Nevada. Students from both schools, separated by 500 miles, share the expertise of an art specialist who is able to work with the students.
