Chosen in advance to handle communication between presenter/ collaborator and school(s) Tests connection with site Handles materials preparation Facilitate Interaction- The greater the interaction during the videoconference, the more likely it is that participants will acknowledge that learning occurred. If minimal interaction consistently occurs because of the content covered or the manner in which the content is presented, teachers should consider discontinuing the event or replacing it with another. Helps choose students to ask questions so students can be seen/heard Handles movement of camera Assessment- The value of the videoconference should be separately assessed by everyone involved: the teacher, the near-site students, and the students or content provider at the far-site. Brief surveys or checklists can be used to determine these values. After each IVC event, the facilitator should send a debriefing e-mail to all locations. The e-mail should ask at least three questions related to the overall lesson objectives and how well they were met. All participants should assess their own contribution and the contribution of others. This type of self-assessment will increase interactivity during the next event. Students are more likely to improve their interaction skills if they recognize that there is a need for improvement and that better interaction ultimately benefits them. Teachers will modify and improve their preparation and planning if they know where to focus their efforts. Experts and/or content providers will do the same. The greater the interaction during the videoconference, the more likely it is that participants will acknowledge that learning occurred. If minimal interaction consistently occurs because of the content covered or the manner in which the content is presented, teachers should consider discontinuing the event or replacing it with another.
Identify instructional objectives Students prepare themselves to be able to discuss the content during the presentation Students create/share projects/information online with collaborating class Students prepare short presentation to facilitate sharing during collaboration Students prepare 3–4 questions that they plan on asking during the question/answer period of the videoconference
But as a quick reference, here are some of my initial thoughts on facilitating good multi-site discussion via videoconference: Everything in moderation . Get more than two sites on a videoconference (especially with multiple participants at each site!) with open microphones, and you're asking for trouble. It's important that sites keep their microphones muted unless speaking in order for everyone to hear what is being said. Having a site moderator (someone at individual sites) to direct folks and facilitate participation is a good idea. Often times in an educational videoconference, this can be a teacher. This person is responsible for making sure the person speaking is in front of the microphone and that when a particular site does not have the floor, the microphone is muted. Be careful not to let this person dominate the conversation from their site - - nothing will inhibit student participation more than a teacher or site facilitator that does all the talking for them. Ask open ended questions. Nothing shuts a conversation down faster than asking a yes/no question. In order to elicit thoughtful response, ask questions without having a preconceived answer in mind. For example, asking a student or participant about what they think, their past experiences, their processes, to make predictions or to summarize their understanding will take you a lot further than a question like "did you have fun creating the project?" Use strategies of open dialogue. Your job as the facilitator is not necessarily to evaluate the comments of the participants; it's to engage them in discussion so that they collectively come to an understanding. Therefore, don't place value judgment on responses (try to avoid words like "good" or responses like "you're close but not quite there yet"). Instead, uptake responses (i.e. "So, Sherri thinks that the cow is blue") and invite others into the conversation (i.e. "What do you think about what's been said?"). A particular favorite book of mine on this topic (related to classroom discourse, not necessarily videoconference-based discourse - - although there are definite parallels) is Nystrand's Opening Dialogue: Understanding the Dynamics of Language and Learning in the English Classroom. Promote cross-site dialogue. Getting participants at different sites to talk can be challenging. Explicitly inviting sites to talk to one another will help, even though it might take some time for sites to warm-up to one another. When planning instructional videoconference events, it might be helpful to designate a 'first response school,' especially if students will be sharing work with one another. For example, if School A is presenting, let School C know they are responsible for providing feedback on School A's presentation ahead of time. It's also helpful to provide a framework for feedback (i.e. share something that confused you about the presentation, something you were intrigued by, and a question for the group). Think critically (and plan) for the visual layout of the videoconference. It will be difficult for sites to interact with one another if they can't see one another. Therefore, it's often helpful to use a continuous presence mode on you endpoint or MCU when trying to facilitate discussion. This mode will allow all sites to see one another simultaneously, usually with the speaking site in a large box on the screen and the non-speaking sites in smaller boxes on the screen. As different sites have the 'floor,' the other boxes on the screen will shift. This isn't an ideal mode for presentation (it can be distracting looking at all of the connecting sites when you're supposed to be focusing on a single presenter/presentation) but is great for discussion. As the facilitator, you can instruct sites to raise their hand if they have a comment and call on them -- which will avoid sites doing the mad dash for the unmute button in order to be heard. Plan, Plan, Plan... Although you want to be spontaneous in dialogue facilitation, having a plan is very helpful. When facilitating a multisite event, your participants will be more at ease if they know what to expect. Provide discussion topics, an agenda and preparation materials (even a few website links so folks can familiarize themselves with a topic) at least 48 hours in advance. As facilitator, it's your job to stick to the agenda - - and not to let one site monopolize conversation. Be polite and judicious in your planning and your moderating; make sure that every site has an equal voice.
Agenda Introduction of students (10 mins) Intentionally reach out to other facility by… Activity and/or Presentation (35 mins) Your presentation might take the form of a lecture, a demonstration, a discussion, a staging of materials, or an interactive activity such as a science experiment. The staging should engage students and hold their attention. The entire videoconference should last at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 45 minutes. Separate your presentation into 10-minute segments by incorporating multiple preset camera angles, scheduling activities or adding video clips to break up the lecture. You can switch to discussion mode, have students answer questions, or turn to a hands-on activity. Provide students with written directions and materials prior to the videoconference. The presentation strategies section later in this chapter will provide you with a sample lesson plan that demonstrates how you might integrate interactive presentation strategies with use of the IVC functions. Each class presents prepared content Students take notes, Designed elements to support student note taking Notes break for 45 seconds, Toggle between speaker screen and note taking screen that has image of guided notes on it Question/Answer or Discussion (15 mins) Q & A can be at end or intermittently as pre-determined Expert Presentations Similar Agenda Presentation (35 mins) Content Provider speaks to issues discussed “ provide the expert with a list of key concepts, or talking points, before the videoconference.” Students take notes, Designed elements to support student note taking Must be negotiated with presenter prior to presentation
Use on-site document camera to share writing to a prompt Your presentation might take the form of a lecture, a demonstration, a discussion, a staging of materials, or an interactive activity such as a science experiment. The staging should engage students and hold their attention. The entire videoconference should last at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 45 minutes. Separate your presentation into 10-minute segments by incorporating multiple preset camera angles, scheduling activities or adding video clips to break up the lecture. You can switch to discussion mode, have students answer questions, or turn to a hands-on activity. Provide students with written directions and materials prior to the videoconference. The presentation strategies section later in this chapter will provide you with a sample lesson plan that demonstrates how you might integrate interactive presentation strategies with use of the IVC functions. For large IVC classes or groups, activities or assignments should be identical for each far-site. Design IVC activities that lend themselves to the medium and to distance delivery. IVC may not be suitable for all lesson types. For example, a chemistry class might benefit greatly from speaking with an expert on the chemistry of plastics or viewing a new method for synthesizing them. However, to conduct a lab where students at both sites are working with burners and beakers and are focused on what is in front of them rather than on what is happening at the other site would not very well utilize the interactivity IVC offers Sharing work from one site to another can be facilitated by use of the document camera or the electronic whiteboard, allowing each student at each site to see a clear example of each other’s work.
Option 1- Respond on Wallwisher Option 2- Post a Blog Entry on the Content Literacy Ning