Video conferencing (VC)
Video conferencing (VC) enables classes or
smaller groups in different locations to talk to and see each
other.
Why should we use video
conferencing?
A well-organised VC can bring a school partnership
alive.
- Teacher swaps – meet your partner school's
teacher and follow a lesson in your partner school
- Meet your email partner, bring an object that
has been mentioned in emails (a favourite toy, a family member, a
pet)
- Meet your project team, putting names to
faces and hearing a short, prepared greeting
- MFL teaching – entire classrooms could
'attend' a French class in Paris
- Just one VC per term or half-year can make
a difference and it works well to back up other
communications.
JANET videoconferencing service (JVCS)
If you're feeling a bit confused by the acronyms,
different standards and video conferencing products
available then the JANET Videoconferencing Service (JVCS) can
help. JVCS has been providing support to UK universities and
colleges using video conferencing since the early 1990's. This
service is now available free of charge to schools.
Find out more about the JANET service.
www.ja.net/services/video/vtas/index.html
Next Generation Learning has published an excellent introduction
to VC's.
More>>>
Case studies
North East Lincolnshire Council has published an excellent
guide to using VC's in schools, and the site includes feedback
and reports from teachers who have actually done
it.
More>>>
Holy Cross Convent School in Surrey, working with Ikeda
Junior High School, Osaka, Japan, has been engaged in a series
of video-conferencing links. The PDF download below looks in-depth
at three of these, and explores how you could use
video-conferencing to do similar projects with partner
schools.
Check out who offers videoconferencing platforms using
the Comparison table.