1. Collaborations Around the Planet Janine Lim Berrien RESA janine.lim@berrienresa.org

2. “Curriculum Videoconferencing”

3. If your principal or superintendent walked into your classroom during a videoconference, give five adjectives to describe what they would see happening.

5. Collaborations! classroom-to-classroom collaborations school-to-school collaborations professional development collaborations

6. Why Collaborations?

7. Who’s Asking?

8. Tech Coordinator “We bought VC. How do we get teachers to use it?” FREE Most closely matches curriculum Can be most powerful VCs

9. Teacher “What’s the value to my students?”Owston 2007 multicultural understanding and greater positive self-conceptCifuentes & Murphy 2000 greater understanding of time, distance, and other childrenYost 2001 learn from other viewpointsMartinez & MacMillan, 1998

10. Curriculum Director “How does VC meet state curriculum standards?” tailored to curriculum goals adapted to curriculum goals created from/within curriculum goals

11. Professor “Did anyone think about the learning theory?” social constructivism - we learn by talking to othersVygotsky constructivism - use of VC has a positive relationship with teachers’ preference for constructivismSweeney 2007 authentic audienceWarschauer 1997

12. Eco-Conversations Carbon Dioxide Emissions Climate Change Warmer Oceans Environmental Clean-Up Fresh Water Water Bottles Background science knowledge Analysis of scientific method's use Environmental perspectives Economic perspectives Local perspectives Recommended actions / solutions Middle School Science International where possible www.remc11.k12.mi.us/dl/EcoConversations/

13. My students absolutely LOVED IT. You know they really liked it when they are telling other teachers and students about it!!! Talking to another country is by far the best VC out there!! When you have students like those here in Dowagiac who have maybe been as far away as Detroit or Chicago (many not that far) they are fascinated with the accents, language usage…….very cool, I would talk to another country any time it was available! Eco-Conversations: Carbon Emissions

14. Halloween and Diwali Exchange with India

15. MysteryQuest Agenda Introductions Presentation of Clues Time to Research Clarifying Questions Sharing Guesses Revealing the Answer Sign-Off

16. School-to-School Mars Elementary, Berrien Springs “While trying to get my teachers interested in having VC Pals, I had to make a point to let them know I only wanted them to share things they already do. Many times when the students do their writings they share as a classroom but that’s it. By sharing during a VC, maybe the work will become more meaningful because they are sharing it with another group of students.”

17. Monster Match Developed by ESC 12, Waco, TX Descriptive writing & use of wiki RESA to ESC collaboration (125 classes)

18. A few of my reluctant writers shocked me with the quality of their writing and enthusiasm for the project. I think having an audience that goes beyond the building’s walls helps too. It makes the project seem more important. “Gobbling Up Descriptive Writing”

19. What is TWICE? www.twice.cc K12 videoconferencing organization Volunteer board members, mostly from educational service agencies Read Around the Planet ASK Programs and Michigan Week Discounts with providers

20. Read Around the Planet

22. Read Around the Planet Verification Registration Opens Nov. 1 Teacher Registration Opens Dec. 1 Teacher Registration Closes (mid Jan) Matches Announced (end of Jan) English & World Languages February 23 - March 6, 2009

23. A directory based on Read Around the Planet A way to add VC friends & find new VC friends A way to create collaborations More tools to come… projects.twice.cc or polycom.com/education/PCATP

24. Designing Projects What is my required curriculum? What can my students learn from connecting to another class? How does it add value to the lesson? What benefit is gained in greater curriculum understanding because the students collaborated with another class?

25. Designing Projects ISTE NETS Standards Technology communications tools Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences. Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

26. Other Collaboration Tools CILC Collaboration Centerwww.cilc.org/c/community/collaboration_center.aspx Global Leap, UKwww.global-leap.com Internet2 K20 Musek20.internet2.edu Janet Collaborate, UKwww.global-leap.com K12 Videoconferencing in Ontariovideoconference.commun-it.org VC Albertavcalberta.ca/socialnetwork

27. Planning Interactive Curriculum Connections www.remc11.k12.mi.us/dl/picc/ Cost: $150 (bulk discounts available) 1 graduate semester credit 1 week intro to VC; 1 week on content providers; 1 week on preparation; 1 week on projects "As a media specialist, I think this course would be extremely useful for my teachers and staff."

28. Kid2Kid Videoconference Connections www.remc11.k12.mi.us/dl/k2k/ Cost: $200 (bulk discounts available) 2 graduate semester credits Collaborative community online Week 1: Developing a project idea Week 2: Planning and advertising Week 3&4: Preparing for a project Week 5: Participating in a project Week 6: Evaluating projects

29. Challenges to Collaboration Snow Days / Rescheduling Blocked Emails Lack of Follow-Up Lack of School-Level VC Coordinators Project Definition http://bcisdvcs.wordpress.com/2007/04/24/why-projects-failed-this-year/

31. Questions? Janine Lim, janine.lim@berrienresa.org TWICE: www.twice.cc CAPspace: projects.twice.cc Berrien RESA DL: www.remc11.k12.mi.us/dl Blog: bcisdvcs.wordpress.com Wiki: collaborativeVCs.pbwiki.com Online Classes:Planning Interactive Curriculum Connections www.remc11.k12.mi.us/dl/picc Kid2Kid Videoconference Connections www.remc11.k12.mi.us/dl/k2k

32. Bibliography Cifuentes, L., & Murphy, K. L. (2000). Promoting multicultural understanding and positive self-concept through a distance learning community: cultural connections. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(1), 69-83. Martinez, M. D., & MacMillan, G. (1998). A Joint Distance Learning Course in American Government (No. ED428005). Owston, R. (2007). Contextual factors that sustain innovative pedagogical practice using technology: an international study. Journal of Educational Change, 8(1), 61-77. Sweeney, M. A. (2007). The use of videoconferencing techniques which support constructivism in K-12 education. Dissertation Abstracts International. Warschauer, M. (1997).Computer-mediated collaborative learning: Theory and practice. Modern Language Journal, 81(3), p. 470-481. Also at http://www.gse.uci.edu/person/markw/cmcl.html Yost, N. (2001). Lights, Camera, Action: Videoconferencing in Kindergarten. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference.