Year 3/4 Classes connect with Video Conferencing with Polycom

Capturing the engagement

It is always fun to experiment and link two classes of a similar age group through videoconferencing.  Most of my connections have been global so it is great to be able to  connect with local or Victorian classrooms especially when they are of a similar age group. The best results and learning outcomes arise when the quality of sound and video is good!

Such was the recent connection with Ben Gallagher (well known for his Online Student Led Conferences) of Meredith PS and his year 3/4 class. As we both have Polycom  equipment in our schools, it was decided to use this for videoconferencing as the highest possible video quality is almost guaranteed through our Education Department e-pipeline!

It was a fairly unplanned, spontaneous linkup where we had decided to simply share our learning and classrooms. The year 4 students had a cricket workshop so I only had the year 3 portion.Student from my class found something that they could share, including:-

• their sports equipment and container in the classroom
• dioramas that they were creating as part of their study of animals
• some worksheets

Colourful furniture in the Meredith classroom

To our delight, Ben used the webcam to great effect and showed their colourful classroom and some of the great equipment they had including a revolving cube.  Students in my classroom were rather envious. His students demonstrated their white, write on tables. To our delight, another  his student had created and shared a wonderful diorarma that inspired my students and motivated them to add more detail to theirs. Finally, Ben shared some of the digital movies that students had made. This was also opportune as my students were finishing off their digital  movies using photographs and videos taken on their recent camp. The transmission quality was good and we could see the movies clearly as Ben used the ‘shared content’ option on the remote.

Sharing a student
diorama

Only at the end of the session when Fairlie, an innovative educator at the same school, came in to say ‘hello’ did the bandwidth falter.

What worked well:

• although little formal planning had gone into the connection, it became a powerful one when students were given the opportunity to share.
• effective use of the webcam and its zooming features to share how the other classroom looked and its special spaces and features.
• demonstrating objects to share learning (rather than just talking)
• sharing content via polycom meant images and movies could be seen in real time
• comparing learning and learning outcomes beyond classrooms inspires and motivates peers to achieve at higher levels.
• the  evidence of improved communication skills and confidence engendered in the participating students.

Skype was used as the backchannel so that we could communicate if things did not work with polycom.

Tech Talk Tuesdays Webinar: Student Led Online Conferences

When: Tuesday March 12th from 4-5pm, Melbourne Australia time (gmt+11) See timeanddate for your day and timezone

About this session:

Ben Gallagher will be our guest presenter and shares the content of his session as follows:-

 Do you want to empower students? Is your classroom based around inquiry and curiosity? Then join us in this session as Ben explains the Student Conference Series. The Student Conference Series gives students opportunities to be presenters on subject areas of their choice and give them a global audience using Blackboard Collaborate. Learn about the humble beginnings of a Grade 6 student sharing his knowledge on woodworking to weekly student presentations taking place globally.

Experience the online platform that is used for the presentations and see for yourself how you can be immersed online.

Here is the link to the recording of this session.