CGS: Using Technology to Connect to the World and Websites

Technology abounds these days, and it can be a unique form of communication for individuals and classes.

Lisa Perez delivered a presentation of how she facilitates videoconferences for schools and a second presentation about on-line technologies at the Center for Global Studies International Summer Institute , June 26-July 1, 2005. I will be sharing her knowledge in the hope that myself or other teachers use these technologies to connect to the world.

Videoconferencing is well beyond my ability level, but I got to see it in action for the institute. Our class in Champaign communicated with a friend of Lisa Perez across the state in Indianapolis, and everyone got to talk across the digital divide. The concept is nice, but it's hard to shake the reality that you are speaking to a web camera or TV screen.

The most interesting exchange I heard about was between a local school and two other schools, Italy and Mexico. The time was after the outbreak of the U.S. war in Afghanistan and the topic was the portrayal of the war in the media. Each school represented the media in their country, and all students got to compare and contrast what was displayed. Lisa Perez has also done many other videoconferences.

For more information on videoconferencing, visit the Center for Interactive Learning and Collabration or download a toolkit at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Some other resources for finding partners with which to communicate are Pacbell's Videoconferencing for Learning and Global Leap, or contact universities, colleagues, or acquaintances directly.

There are plenty of other technologies available (but if all else fails use snail mail). Email projects, chat, instant messaging (isn't this the same as chat?), discussion boards, webconferencing, joint websites, blogging (yeah!), RSS, and podcasting. The amount of choices is almost daunting. I choose this blog as a means of communication which is the on-line journal of events you are reading now. My other choice communications are ICQ instant messaging, Skype computer-to-computer calls, and of course email. However, I am a relative new born to most of these fresh technologies. [We've come a long way since the first dial-up bulletin board systems (BBS) of my youth.]

How can I communicate from Pakistan? I may have a DSL line at home, but I hear the school (ISOI) has a satellite internet connection. Besides videoconferencing, I think each type of technology is a distinct possibility. [I could set up an asynchronous video conference with my digital camera's video clips, but it would be low quality.] Given time and access, there is so much to do together these days.

Check out these resources and think of how you could use them to reach out into the world. Post your ideas under the Comments link.

Videoconferencing

Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration
Collaboration Collage Listserv
TWICE
Internet2 K-20
Global Leap
K12IVC
Time and Date
Keystone Conference
Videoconferencing Toolkit

Equipment for Videoconferencing

Polycom
Tandberg
Sony

Online Technologies

iEARN
ePALS
Gagglenet
Nicenet
eBoard.com
About.com Weblogs
RSS Readers
About.com Podcasting