Presentation graphics for conference session focus in using audio-video collaboration applications in the high school classroom or library to bring guest speakers and experts to students.
13. Using video provides better and more expressive communication.
Having the ability to facilitate a meeting using video, voice, and
chat simultaneously.
The availability of a multipurpose whiteboard to write, draw and
display a PowerPoint.
The meetings are web browser based and fairly easy to access.
Usually there is a means to distribute documents to all of the
participants.
Even though held as a synchronous meeting the
session can be recorded and viewed later.
The benefit of the ability to communicate and build
a global community is magnificent.
• On the positive side
(Dawley, 2007, p.
147)
14. Participants need to be trained.
Participants need a fairly high quality, a broadband,
internet connection.
Speakers must have quality headphones and microphone.
If using video, there is a need for a webcam.
For a global audience, the meeting time may be inconvenient.
Hearing and visual impairments may prohibit
some folks from participating.
IT difficulties may cause frustration and/or failure
in setting up connections.
• On the negative side
(Dawley, 2007, p. 147)
21. • Pre-session
component
Tell the students what
is going to happen
Show the students what
is going to happen
Set expectations
_______________________
Prepare & Practice
35. Dawley, L. (2007). The Tool for successful online teaching.
Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing.
Joyner, D. B. (2012). Project photographs and screen captures.
Retrieved from various digital materials.
Pond 5 (2012). Royalty free images. Retrieved from
https://www.pond5.com/
• References
Editor's Notes
My story starts when I first met the Elluminate online collaboration client back in the summer of 2007. I quickly became enamored with how it gathered together so many online applications that I had used as separate standalone Internet activities.
Back in 1996 I had used Internet Relay Chat (IRC) to chat with several communities, exchanged files using file Transfer Protocol software also known as FTP, and more recently I verbally talked with library school classmates using Google Talk. However, this Elluminate thing! Wow, it brought all these items together, plus it provided live video and a whiteboard capable of sharing PowerPoint presentations. This was Fantastic!
My introduction to Elluminate was facilitated by the San Jose State’s School of Library and Information Science while I was working towards a master’s degree. I participated in student training and became proficient in using Elluminate. Later, several of my online classes utilized Elluminate to facilitate synchronous meetings for the online classes I was taking. I became quite at ease in attending class from the comfort of my own home. So much so, that when the opportunity arose, I enrolled into an independent study course that trained us to peer-teach classmates, and help professors facilitate sessions as key elements of their instruction.
I became a SLIS Moderator, SLIS -- meaning School of Library and Information Science. Moderator -- meaning an aficionado in using collaborative applications.My presentation today will discuss how a librarian might use this type of online collaborative application.
So, there will be three sections. First, a far too brief, look at audio/video conferencing, and whiteboard applications in general. Hopefully, this will be enough to whet your appetite into learning more.This is followed by a few words about the strengths and the problems involved in using this software.Finally, I want to show you how I have used online applications, such as Elluminate and now Blackboard Collaborate to bring teachers, students, and speakers together in a digital medium.Even though, it may be technically complicated; it is physically economical and educationally exciting.
If you travel in certain tech circles today you may hear the buzzwords, such as webcast and/or Webinar. In simple terms, think of it as an online audio, and sometimes video, phone call that has one speaker and several listeners.Webcasting is a form of online broadcast that streams media over the internet to an individual’s computers. Such as the videos you can find on YouTube and certain proprietary websites.
In contrast, a Webinar, which is short for Web-based Seminar, that are online meetings that allow verbal interaction and document exchange with the participants. They are useful for teaching, training, and collaboration.
There are many choices when looking for software. A brief list would include of applications I have experienced are Adobe Connect, Elluminate Live, and Blackboard Collaborate. If you are interested in increasing this list, Google “Comparison of web conferencing software,” you will find a listing of several applications.However, you first stop absolutely has to be an appointment with your Information Technology Director.
There are many choices when looking for software. A brief list would include of applications I have experienced are Adobe Connect, Elluminate Live, and Blackboard Collaborate. If you are interested in increasing this list, Google “Comparison of web conferencing software,” you will find a listing of several applications.However, you first stop absolutely has to be an appointment with your Information Technology Director.
Your IT department may already have a contract with a company and maaaayyyy, share for academic use.In any case, you will definitely need to work with IT when facilitating any online collaborative software.
So as with any new endeavor, it is sometimes worthwhile to weigh the pros and cons, the strengths and weaknesses. The list of pros is a lengthy, but a few strengths I find the most important are:
1. Seeing a face humanizes the experience.2. Simultaneously using video, voice, and chat is powerful.3. There is a whiteboard for non-verbal communication.4. It is browser based and fairly easy.5. Documents can distributed 6. The meetings are synchronous, but can be recorded.7. There is a benefit in building community
However, there are a few negatives, mostly in terms of time and cost, to using collaborative software, such as:1. Participants need to be trained.2. Participants need a fairly high quality, a broadband, internet connection. 3. Speakers must have quality headphones and microphone.4. If using video, there is a need for a webcam.
To alleviate some if not all of these problems take time to preplan for all contingencies, take time and thoroughly train yourself, train all of the participants, and conduct a few rehearsals. This will be very new to some folks, and there is a large learning curve.
My example today? -- In the spring of 2009, and again in 2010, I dreamed up a way to use Elluminate-Live to connect my father’s World War II experiences as a Combat Glider Pilot with a special-education, history class. Now at the time he was 95 and then 96 years old.
Bringing him to my school from the neighboring town would have been uncomfortable for him. However, I recruited the help of my fairly tech savvy sister, to help facilitate my father’s virtual visit to my library.
With the passing of my father at 97 in September 2010, I have soldiered on to bring a family friend, and Korean War veteran to talk about his experiences aboard the Aircraft carrier Boxer. He spoke to a U. S. History class in 2011 and again last spring.
Currently I am working on two new projects. One is to bring my wife’s nephew, who is studying economics at Texas State University , to an econ class of seniors. The other is to get a former library school professor to talk about his children’s ibook about bugs to an early childhood education class.
From the beginning, these projects consisted of four components. There was a preparation component where you made sure you speaker had connection capacity, equipment, and tech ability or help to participate.Then I collaborated with what might be considered a “buddy Teacher” to test out my process. You go to a teacher who is willing to give up some time to try something new and very different. In this component, you pre-teach to the students what will be happening and involve them with creating questions for the guest.Then you setup, test, and run the session. You should do a few practice meetings to build confidence.Then to conclude the project you have the students write thank you notes to the speaker. This will teach good manners and provide an opportunity for topic reinforcement.
Before the session you need to plan and prepare the students you wish to involve.It is not so much, Telling the students what is going to happen, but you involve the students developing the session.
There are several things that can and will probably go “wrong.”Not to be a negative Nelly, but if you can take the time to nullify the bugs and prepare contingencies as back-ups.
This component is where you can let your collaborating classroom teacher take a lead.They too, will have experienced something new and hopefully rewarding.
So, no matter how you use an online collaborative application, it is bound to step up the instructional intensity, but offer a rich and memorable teaching experience.