Videoconferencing in the Classroom Developing interactive videoconferencing
across the curriculum in the UK and around the world
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Videoconferencing in the Classroom Developing interactive videoconferencing across the curriculum in the UK and around the world |
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Contact Global Leap with news of your video conferencing events and projects |
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This week we had a very special visitor at Global-Leap. It was a great pleasure and a privilege to meet Alan Bryett at our office. Alan is an extremely interesting person, with some very interesting personal experiences to share. As a young man, he was shot down over Berlin in 1943, and after a miraculous survival (all the other crew were killed), eventually found himself in Stalag Luft 111. This was the prison camp that subsequently became renowned for “The Great Escape” which took place in March 1944. Alan visited us in order to link via VC to a school in Torquay, where students were able to listen to him speak about some of these war time experiences and ask questions. The students learned an amazing amount of information from this valuable opportunity, which we hope they will remember for many years. This was a “first VC experience” for both the students, in Torquay, (who borrowed a Viewstation from the project for the lessons), and also for Alan. Alan was supported with his first VC link, by Grant Rogers from the Imperial War Museum. Grant also delivers regular VC lessons from the Imperial War Museum , through our museum and gallery programme. We would like to thank Alan, and Grant and the students. We would love to offer this activity again to schools. |
Last week, Breakfast Television contacted me to ask if we knew of any schools that were involved in International Videoconferencing. (What a silly question! We do this every day!) Within hours we had contacted a couple of enthusiastic teachers, who of course were happy to oblige, and arrange for students to arrive at the crack of dawn, and persuade school keepers and head teachers to accommodate a film crew……. After a fair number of hurried telephone calls, email exchanges, and of course VC links, all was in place at The Ridings School, where Rob Ford, and his very articulate students presented themselves for BBC TV viewers over breakfast. Parveen Kassim , and her students at Karachi High School , also very kindly pulled out all the stops to meet the rather short notice demanded by the BBC's request. It turned out that the item was disappointingly brief, and sadly barely gave Parveen or her students a moment to respond. The item was to promote a BBC website………… ( presumably , well funded). Still, hopefully an interesting experience for the students at The Ridings School, but perhaps a little disappointing for our friends in Karachi. |
Rwanda Alive, GNG was recently featured on CNN's Inside Africa (May 29)! The story revolved around GNG's recently completed Rwanda Alive project, which was, incidentally, also GNG's largest and most successful project to date. Please visit our website at http://www.gng.org to view the CNN piece and to read more about the incredible Rwanda Alive program.
News
form Arbour Vale School, a special school in Slough, UK.
Pupils in year 5 at this special school have been talking to their
friends at a special school in Finland for nearly 2 years now, using
videoconferencing.
Four pupils from Finland visited us in September, 2003. We took
them to see the musical, The Lion King, up in London, as we had
been studying African music together.
All the pupils were enthralled by the animals that appeared on stage.
Both Finnish and English pupils voted the elephant as their favourite
animal.
Arbour Vale pupils wanted to see more animals. Especially reindeer,
and were delighted to be invited back to Finland to see the most
famous reindeer of all-Rudolph!!!
Three pupils visited Finland in December. There was, unusually,
no snow, so the nearest they got to reindeer was in their dinner!!(They
were reassured it was not Rudolph, and yes, they all liked it!)
The English pupils shared in lessons at the Finnish school for a
week, and quickly became part of the school.
This valuable contact between the two schools has continued since
that visit. Both sets of pupils are studying their local communities.
A British policeman was interviewed by the Finnish pupils, using
the video conference. They were fascinated by his truncheon and
"funny" hat.
Equally, when a Finnish policeman came on our screen, the English
pupils were agog to find out that all policemen in Finland carry
firearms. A lively discussion followed!
We hope to interview nurses, school caretakers and nurses in the
future.
Our aim is to bring the outside world into the classroom.
Video conferencing is a marvellous tool which helps our aim.
February
10th 2004 launch
of globalgateway.org.uk
"The
Global Gateway is a new international website, enabling those involved
in education across the world to engage in creative partnerships.
It is a one-stop-shop, providing quick access to comprehensive information
on how to develop an international dimension to education."
(British Council) The
launch of Globalgateway took place at Godwin
School, Forest Gate, London. It was the culmination of several weeks
of preparation. The school was chosen because it had an active and
successful international programme. The DfES "Videoconferencing
in the Classroom Project/www.global-leap.com" has supported
Godwin School with the loan of videoconferencing equipment, training
and practical support and additional financial assistance over the
last 18 months/two years. Mike facilitated the development of videoconferencing
in the school as a communication resource to add value to the development
of an international link with Mona Heights Primary School in Jamaica.
Initially Mike established videoconference links with the University
of Technology in Kingston, Jamaica, but working closely with Nikki
Johnson and her colleagues at the British Council in Kingston and
with money raised by Godwin School a suitable connection was installed
in Mona Heights Primary School. In October 2003 Mike revisited Mona
Heights Primary and using a broadband videophone created a reliable
link from Kingston, Jamaica to London. The DfES "Videoconferencing
in the Classroom Project/www.global-leap.com" project also
supported Godwin School with additional funding to install a compatible
connection at Godwin which means that videoconferencing activities
can now become a regular feature of school life in Jamaica and Newham.
There are two education locations capable of a videoconference link
in Jamaica; the University and Mona Heights Primary School. On February
10th Global Leap faciltated a videoconference link between Godwin
school and Nigeria, and Godwin School and Jamaica. The launch of
the new website globalgateway.org.uk
was attended by Charles Clarke MP, the Secretary
of State for Education and members of the British Council. Later
that day at the House of Commons The
DfES "Videoconferencing in the Classroom Project/www.global-leap.com"
also supported the launch of the new website by presenting a video
of the mornings events to Ambassadors, High Commisioners, Members
from the House of Commons and colleagues from various education
departments.
Many Thanks to all the pupils, teachers
and colleagues in Nigeria and Jamaica who supported this exciting
event.
January
7th - 10th 2004 The
BETT Education Show at Olympia in London was "The
Videoconferencing in the Classroom/www.global-leap.com" projectsmost
successful. With nothing to sell but success. The project used the
time at the show to demonstrate regular videoconferences to teachers
over the 4 day conference/exhibition.
December 2003 videoconferencing at the Great Barrier Reef thanks to Fred Nucifora and the team in Townsville, Queensland, Australia.......East Wittering Primsary School, Sussex - Imagine being under the water on the Great Barrier Reef, on the other side of the world and in yet in your own classroom in a small Primary school on the South Coast of England. Year 5 and 6 from East Wittering School and their parents, woke early to be part of a video conference with the Great Barrier Reef Education Officer. "It was well worth the 6 O'clock start" said Charlie, "we saw the real Nemo", a small anemone fish with distinctive orange and white strips. After a 10 minute introduction from Fred we all held our breath and dived into the amazing crystal clear waters of the reef with Caroline, our diver and camera person for the hour long session.A riot of colour and texture filled our classroom and questions rattled from the children and were instantly answered via a microphone in Caroline's mask. Pupils were amazed to see Black Tipped Reef Sharks swimming in the background and witnessed star fishes stomachs enveloping their prey. A Massive Maori Reef fish swam into view causing the audience to gasp. The HMI inspector who sat in on the subsequent literacy lesson, where pupils wrote up their experience in the form of a recount, agreed that it would be difficult to find a better activity to motivate pupils to put pen to paper.
Other
Stories, Lessons from:
- Museums and Galleries
- The International
Dimension
- Cartoons from St Peter's Primary
School Portishead
More case studies
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More News......... |
iEARN
2004 was an amazing experience. 100's of teachers and students from
60 different countries meeting to develep international projects
using ICT.
Videoconferencing in the Classroom/www.global-leap.com is a registered
iEARN project. Find out more by visiting www.iearn.org
Geography
Teachers please look at this exciting project on regional variations
on climate.
News form Arbour Vale School,
a special school in Slough, UK.
February
10th 2004 launch
of globalgateway.org.uk
January
7th - 10th 2004
December
2003 videoconferencing at the Great
Barrier Reef and East Wittering Primary School
Students
from Meadowhead School & Language College, in Sheffield,
England link to Labrador
This page was last modified Sunday, March 5, 2006
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