Journal #3 Bring The World Into Your Classroom NETS-T 1 & 2

Bring The World Into Your Classroom

McDermon, L. (2010, September). Bring The World Into Your Classroom. Learning and Leading. Retrieved October 16, 2010, from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and- leading/digital-edition-september-october.aspx

Summary:

This article provides a look into video-conferencing in schools. By using video-conferencing classrooms could participate in interactive projects using websites, email and wikis with other classrooms all over the world. Video-conferencing is easy to set up by downloading free software and buying a video camera and a data projector. Teachers could also use a desktop camera connected to a data projector making video-conferencing available for most schools. By collaborating with other classrooms students have opportunity to learn in a different way and can also communicate with anyone around the world.

Question #1 What could video conferencing do for me as a History teacher?

I think that video-conferencing could be helpful to me in the classroom because it could allow my students to conference with real historians. Instead of having it be difficult to get guest speakers to come into a classroom, it could become easy using video-conferencing. We could also participate in duel classroom projects where students could show-case their work with other students in other schools. It could help create a sense of understanding among students who would not have known each other if it weren’t for the video-conferencing.

Question #2 What if I get a job at a school with little funding for things like video cameras and good internet connections?

I always think about different ways I could make up for what the school would lack in when it comes to financial assistance. Luckily if I became a teacher today I would be set because I currently have a lap top with a video connection and if I needed to I could purchase an internet connector that I could just plug in and carry around. One thing I read about in the article that stuck out to me was that once all the classrooms were set up to use the video-conferencing the school had to get a better internet connection. Perhaps the schools could work something out with an internet company that would provide discounts to teachers using the video-conferencing.