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School & Location: Beaumont Composite High School Beaumont AB VC Contact: Rod Lis rlis@blackgold.ab.ca

VC Experience: Never from the school always connected through U of Alberta Camera: Do have have one currently, will acquire one soon Software: Not yet Technical Knowledge: yes Internet Speed: cable modem VC Experiences Have Been: hit and miss

VC Challenges: lack of hardware and software, lack of knowledge/technical expertise, board/school tech isssues; firewalls.

School VC Success Stories: None as yet.

Future VC Plans: French Immersion, Social Studies 10-20, Design Studies , Computer Studies.

Other Comments:

Any advice others might have would be appreciated

 

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School & Location: Bishop's College St. John's NFVC Contact: John Walsh jwalsh@bishops.ntc.nf.ca

VC Experience: A few times -hit and miss in terms of success Camera: Fuji, Sony Software: NetMeeting Technical Knowledge: yes Internet Speed: cable modem VC Experiences Have Been: hit and miss

VC Challenges: lack of purpose, educational content.

School VC Success Stories: When larger organizations have brought huge amounts of technology and expertise into the building for very special events

Future VC Plans: distributed learning, so our students can take advantage of offerings not available in school.

Other Comments:

AFunding (obviously) -encourage interesting video conference offerings

 

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School & Location: Earl Grey School, Winnipeg, Manitoba VC Contact: Merle Desrosiers mdesrosiers@wsd1.org

VC Experience: Our school has done them afew times (Personally, however, I have done them many times) Camera: A Logitech Quick Cam. We also have a digital
camcorder on a firewire Software: NetMeeting, iVisit and CuSeeMe 5.0 Software Technical Knowledge: Yes Internet Speed: cable modem VC Experiences Have Been: consistently successful

VC Challenges: We put in a single, high speed line when our board put up a new firewall. As a result, we now have only one machine capable of videoconferencing....however, we get around this problem to some degree by using our projection gun and large screen so that more students can be involved during a vid conference. To this point our videoconferencing partners have all been U.S based. A lack of other schools in Canada that are interested in and able to videoconference has been our biggest hurdle to date.

School VC Success Stories: A project with Parkside School in Camden, New Jersey.

Future VC Plans: Collaborative Projects with other schools in Canada and abroad Professional Development/Mentoring - i.e hosting workshops via videoconferencing, research activities.

Other Comments:

I don't think there is anything we need help with at the moment. The conference calls have really helped to get the ball rolling and now there is so much interest I think things will happen!

 

 

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School & Location: École Glanford Elementary School, Victoria, B.C. VC Contact: Doug Durrance ddurrance@glanford.sd61.bc.ca

VC Experience: Not yet Camera: Do have have one currently, will acquire one soon Software: Not yet, will acquire soon Technical Knowledge: no Internet Speed: cable modem VC Experiences Have Been: not done VC yet.

VC Challenges: lack of hardware and software, lack of knowledge/technical expertise.

School VC Success Stories: None as yet. We have the desire to actually do this and the existence of others wanting to connect with us.

Future VC Plans: In the future, our school would like to use video conferencing for: Networking with some of the many schools we are involved with on-line. We are also hoping to initiate an on-line video storytelling project with a well known BC storyteller and other schools in BC.

Other Comments:

Bill, you and the NIS already have done a lot to support our inertests in VC! The NIS Sharing Session was most informative and the hints on hardware, software, firewall problems etc were a good heads up on potential problems and suggestions for possible solutions. The database of suggestions etc is a good idea. Also, how about teaming up those who know with those who don't in a mentoring relationship?

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School & Location: Laval High, Placentia, Newfoundland VC Contact: Mary Moore - mmoore@awsb.k12.nf.ca

VC Experience: Never Camera: Yes-Intel Home PC Camera Software: Intel Create and Share Software that came with the Web Cam Technical Knowledge: No -We're learning Internet Speed: fairly decent and relatively consistent: modem/telephone line for dial-ups, and satellite dish for fairly fast downloading. Sometimes Sympatico lines get blocked, we get bumped off - this has been a recent problem. It has been much better this lately (March 2002).

VC Experiences Have been: hit and miss (because we're learning).

VC Challenges: lack of knowledge/technical expertise ( but we're becoming more knowledgeable)

School VC Success Stories: (Working on it - and signed up to be a part of the Student Leadership Conference via video conferencing) Met with a feeder school regarding our planned day to video conference with them (their grade 9's).Now we have to learn how to get it working smoothly. That's exciting and fun part!

Future VC Plans: We have discussed the following: (1) as a beginning learning experience to becoming familiar with the know-how, have an orientation day for feeder students via video conferencing (2) becoming a part of the Student Leadership Conference in St. John's in April (at Hayward Blake's invitation) via videoconferencing. Set it up so that our students here at Laval can listen to the speeches of the guest speakers, plus others.... (3) using video conferencing to share lessons with other teachers and have others share with us. (similar to distance ed, except it would be live) eg. chemistry & math lessons involving demonstrations, graphing calculators, .....etc.

Other Comments:

Continue to provide experts, give advice, etc. Having a network where there are others we can reach out to is very helpful. The Web Board is very helpful. Knowing there is a backing of support all around Canada is an awesome feeling and it helps people chart new courses.

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School & Location: North Grenville DHS Kemptville Ontario VC Contact: Doug Helmer douglas@magi.com

VC Experience: A few times Camera: Yes-Intel USB Web Cam for PC, Stealth Fire Fire Wire for Mac Software: NetMeeting for PC, TeraGlobal for Mac Technical Knowledge: Yes-on Staff plus Board ITS and Apple Technicians Internet Speed: lightning quick and quite reliable -"warp speed!": Wireless 2mg per second VC Experiences Have been: consistently successful in 1997 and recently, basically abandoned in the years between because of low bandwidth.

VC Challenges: all have been surmounted

School VC Success Stories: Our school's most successful experience with video conferencing so far has been: 1997 participated with schools in Vancouver, Mary
Buttersworth High in Edmonton, Sir Wilfred Laurier in Ottawa and North Sydney High in Nova Scotia in a series of video conferences sponsored by Justice Canada on bullying and racism in high schools. We used CUSEEME and a seperate phone line for a Bell conference call. Each school videotaped the event and I edited all tapes for redistribution to all Cable companies across Canada.

We are presently working closely with Apple Canada to host a videoconference celebration of community between two neibouring NIS schools, North and South Grenville to be held March 26. We held a successful within firewall test of NetMeeting this week. Next week we test the Mac setup. Sheri Brink has asked us to host a web cast to NIS schools on videoconferencing in April. Department of Vetran's Affairs has asked us to take part in a virtual fieldtrip with 11 other schools using PolyCom high end videoconferencing equipment.

Future VC Plans: In the future, our school would like to use video conferencing in our Community Access Room for the community, and to take down the brick/mortar between learning communities.

Other Comments:

A letter from NIS to our Director thanking him for his interest in our project would be useful to encourage further support and contributions of our mentoring role.

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School & Location: Sacred Heart Secondary School -Stittsville, Ontario VC Contact: Helen Pat Hansen@occdsb.on.ca, Matt Dawber Matt_dawber@occdsb.on.ca or Tom Brooks Tom_Brooks@occdsb.on.ca

VC Experience: have done some net meeting with video, a few times in school Camera: LogiTech Videocam Software: LogTech / Ulead Video Studio for Streaming Technical Knowledge: yes Internet Speed: -Stiil trying to solve - likely Rogers High Speed -cable modem VC Experiences Have been: consistently successful.only in-school because the proxy server creates problems with conferencing beyond the school and between administration "proxy" and "staff" proxy availability. VC Challenges: lack of hardware andsoftware, board/school tech isssues; firewalls -BIG TIME!.

School VC Success Stories: This has been a "learning" tool used to demonstrate the potential and use for video conferencing. It facilitates student understanding of the use(s) and provides simulated experiences which can be transferred to "realistic" applications beyond the limitations of the school "firewall" frustrations. If students and staff understand and can see the application (even within a school setting) then,they can adapt with knowledge to settings and situational uses beyond the school setting. In other words, PREPARE them so that they can access the use(s) of video conferencing and streaming when the opportunities are provided.

Future VC Plans: Professional development; liasons between curriculum areas; development of student communication skills; links to other schools / business / experts who wish to share their knowledge and skills; promotional awareness of what we are doing at the school to demonstrate our commitment to education; realistic and applicable use of technology; and the community. Advantages are also present for distance learning; communication between teachers and students (i.e., if video conferencing is an option and backed up with viable, accessible on-line information then, students need never be at a disadvantage when having to be away from school ..........this has tremendous potential and is worthy of research).

Other Comments: Continue to provide information and accessibility to other schools. Provide links not only with Mac supporters but with those who use IBM /PC platforms; seek Industry support for the "installation" and provision of equipment and networks that will allow us to utilize technology and through their support, promote the "partnership" between schools and industry. Schools are tremendously underfunded and the needs, along with the rapid advancement of technology; ........we need to have persons/business/ industry support and sponsorship if we are to succeed in adequately preparing our students for the demands of tomorrow.

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School & Location: South Grenville District High School Prescott Ontario Canada VC Contact: Kevin Gray grayk@ucdsb.on.ca / kagray@recorder.ca

VC Experience: a few times Camera: a LogiTech Quick cam but plan upgrading Software: currently using Net Meeting but plan on starting to use TeraMedia or other upgrades Technical Knowledge: No, not really only the above person Internet Speed: -fairly decent (T1 line using Board's existing LAN)VC Experiences Have been: hit and miss

VC Challenges: board/school tech issues - firewalls, speed/strength of backbone, etc,.lack of purpose/content

School VC Success Stories: Our school's most successful experience with video conferencing so far has been because of this NIS contact and work. After years of
asking and bringing in our own Internet drops and hardware, our school board (ITS staff) finally agreed to experiment with certain locations and schools video conferencing using the existing LAN. It's still early but everything looks promising.

Future VC Plans: In future, our school would like to use video conferencing for classroom projects, collaboration between students and teachers on similar projects, hooking up with Experts. Our school board would like to use it for meetings, staffing, training sessions, etc. , our Board is geographically HUGE so this could be a great cost savings.

Other Comments:

Develop a project database/ideas for classes using this technology. Establish/Create a group a Experts(scientists, business, etc.) who would video conference with students and teachers.

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