Note: This post was written for the MACUL conference blog 2008 with attendees in mind. However I’m reposting it here because it seems it would be useful for readers here too.
In Sue Porter’s session, we connected to four new content providers.
The Oilers Ice School We talked to the main character in the book A Loonie for Luck. Students learn about simple machines in making a vehicle related to zamboni machines. Students learn about the world of work and different careers too. They are just getting started.
Next we connected to author Janie Panagopoulos. She can come directly to your school and talk to your students about writing. She connects from her home office. She can tailor the programs to your learning needs – podcasts, writing feedback, asking and answering questions, walking students through the writing process, etc. Janie is really enthusiastic and interactive with the students and “jumps out the screen” to interact and motivate your students.
Then we headed over to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The presenter dug out some Lions paraphernalia for our viewing pleasure. They are new to videoconferencing and taking their existing educational activities and adapting them to videoconferencing. All of their programs include pre and post visit activities. One interesting program is the Careers in the NFL to learn about other careers in the NFL besides just professional athletics. They have 5 new programs in preparation for next school year: Brian’s Song, African American Pioneers, Team Nicknames, and NFL Media / economics. By the way, they have a grant that subsidizes actual transportation. They are really cheap programs – $50 a program!! That’s a seriously good deal.
Finally we headed over to the Calvert Marine Museum. They are starting their programs in the fall of 2008. They have wonderful pictures and graphics to show in their presentations. Their educational content includes sharks, estuary, maritime heritage, climate change, etc. For being a newbie content provider, they have a great handle on the use of the camera, visuals, backgrounds, and bringing in other resources. I look forward to connecting to this provider when they get up and running.
My favorite thing about the TWICE sessions, is when the teachers say, “how do I do this?” and after asking them where they are, we can tell them how they already have access to videoconferencing. And then they say, “You’re kidding. Really?!” It’s so unfortunate tho’ that they don’t realize the power of the technology they already have!
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