| Videoconferencing is one of the greatest | | | | experience itself, helping them to realize that their |
| technologies to come out of the last twenty years. | | | | careers are not a thing of the future, they are |
| While the earliest videoconferencing systems were | | | | something they can be working toward today. |
| cumbersome and impossible to use in some cases, | | | | One final way these virtual field trips can help is that |
| the newer videoconferencing systems are quite easy | | | | they can increase retention levels of students |
| to use and they transmit pictures and audio in the | | | | studying the subject. After all, it is much more fun |
| best possible quality. | | | | and exciting to learn about a subject like rocketry |
| In fact, in many cases, it has truly become like sitting | | | | from someone who has actually built a rocket and |
| in the same room with another person, making it the | | | | sent it into space than from a dusty old textbook |
| perfect substitute for extensive travel between | | | | that has never left a classroom shelf. |
| states, countries, and even time zones in some | | | | Another creative use of videoconferencing |
| situations. Videoconferencing, though, is not just | | | | technology is applying it multi-school projects, or |
| limited to business applications. | | | | learning projects that involve more than one school. |
| There are a number of different creative uses for | | | | In this application, schools from districts, schools from |
| videoconferencing that you should consider when you | | | | different locations around the country, even schools |
| are thinking about this great new technology. | | | | from various places around the world can exchange |
| One of the most creative videoconferencing | | | | all sorts of valuable information. |
| applications occurs in the world of education. With the | | | | In addition, students can work on projects about |
| right equipment, groups of school children can now | | | | other countries by meeting children from other |
| take field trips without ever leaving the classroom. | | | | countries in a virtual setting. Students can hold |
| Students can go places and talk with people that | | | | contests to help improve learning skills like spelling |
| were considered off limits before videoconferencing | | | | bees, history competitions, or geography bees to |
| technology came to light. | | | | work with students at their level around the world. |
| For example, classes can talk to experts in a variety | | | | Moreover, student can hold miniature research |
| of different areas to help them understand a | | | | conferences to discuss their findings on school |
| particular subject they are working with. If students | | | | projects, much the way that scientists in the real |
| are studying rocketry, a quick virtual field trip to | | | | world hold research conferences. |
| NASA to chat with our countrys leading scientists is | | | | One final creative application of videoconferencing is |
| not off limits even if you happen to have a | | | | the way it could allow people to network professional |
| classroom full of fourth graders living in the state of | | | | activities, even if they are worlds away. For example, |
| Washington. This can be a wonderful tool for | | | | a teacher candidate, that is teachers who have not |
| students and teachers for a number of different | | | | yet gotten their degrees, can videoconference with |
| reasons. | | | | actual teachers and view actual classroom situations |
| Studies have shown that contact with experts from | | | | to decide how to deal with things in their own |
| the real world truly helps students. It can help to | | | | classrooms at a future date. This could open the way |
| improve their interest in the particular field. If you go | | | | to mentoring relationships in the future. In truth, |
| back to the NASA example for a moment, talking | | | | though, this could be applied to any future |
| with the scientist who engineered the Mars ROVER | | | | professionals in any field or industry. All of the tasks |
| may help to spark a childs imagination where a simple | | | | can be completed via a video screen, cutting down |
| science video could not. | | | | on travel time and expenses and giving people |
| This type of virtual field trip may also help to get a | | | | access to each other where access was never |
| child more motivated in the subject area. For many | | | | before possible. |
| kids, the careers they dream of seem so far away. | | | | There are many creative uses for videoconferencing. |
| With virtual field trips and visits with scientists and | | | | Having the equipment to start a good video |
| other career professionals who may have previously | | | | conferencing session is a good way to start making |
| been off-limits, children can get closer to the | | | | your own creative uses for videoconferencing. |