HSD Videoconferencing

Videoconferencing is growing in the Hempfield School District. Joanne Jones, HHS Distance and Language Lab Technical Specialist, and Sue Allen, Tech Coach, are the contact people if you are interested in using high end videoconferencing in your classroom.

Some resources that we use to find collaborations and content providers for videoconferences include the following:

Polycom Collaborations Around the Planet

Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration

MAGPI Programs

AT&T Videoconferencing Directory

NASA Digital Learning Catalog

e-Missions

If you need more information contact:
Joanne or Sue via email.

On September 15, Pam Feligi and her gifted students viewed a Mini Medical webinar offered through the Penn State Hershey Mini-Medical School Program. The topic was “Atypical Pain: Hurting Self and Others”. Penn State College of Medicine offers a lecture series on a range of topics for students and adults. The medical faculty provides an in-dept lecture on important medical issues and advances in medicine and research. Many of the webinars are archived for viewing at a later date. A medical doctor was present at the webinar to help field questions for the students. Pam is planning to offer a series of webinars throughout the school year to her students.

On September 19 and 22, two Sports Management classes taught by Andy Wise participated in a videoconference with Jerry Csaki, Education Coordinator for the NFL Football Hall of Fame. The program focused on careers available in the NFL, a behind the scenes video from the Pittsburgh Steelers explaining various careers and a review of the NFL website where career opportunities are listed. Mr. Csaki also discussed with the Hempfield students avenues to explore to gain experience and educational pathways to employment in the NFL.
Student comments from the videoconference are listed below.

* I was able to talk to someone from a different state It helped us learn about career opportunities in sports.

* I liked how it seemed as if I was there.

* I paid more attention because it was someone who was out in the world and knew everything there was to know about his job.

* I liked that we could ask him questions and he would answer as if we were sitting in the same room.

* I liked the fact that we could talk to someone who was hundreds of miles away. It benefited us because we could talk to someone who we otherwise wouldn’t have talked to.

* It was an excellent opportunity to learn about the Football Hall of Fame. It was a huge benefit to be able to use this technology, because normally you would have to get on a bus and travel to the Football Hall of Fame to talk to someone about it.

* We got to learn more about the NFL and know more about the jobs and not just the players

* I was hoping to learn about career opportunities in the field of sports and I did learn about this topic.

National Distance Learning Week will be held Nov 10-14. The following is more information on NDLW from the USDLA’s website.

“Sponsored by the United States Distance Learning Association, National Distance Learning Week (NDLW) held on November 10-14, 2008, seeks to promote and celebrate the tremendous growth and accomplishments occurring today in distance learning programs offered by schools, businesses, and governmental departments.

Currently, over 3.5 million college students are taking online course and/or earning online college degrees. At the secondary school level, over 700,000 high school students are taking one or more courses online, and nearly 40 states have established state-wide or state-lead virtual schools. Michigan became the first state in 2007 to require high school students take at least one online course for graduation.

During the week of November 10-14, schools, colleges, and other organizations will be showcasing their programs for current and prospective students. Additionally, the USDLA will be conducting a series of free webinars during NDLW, showcasing various types of distance learning providers”

Hempfield will be participating in this event by showcasing our Chinese instructional program.

The Chinese Program for the first semester of the 2008 - 2009 school year includes distance learning with Conestoga Valley, Ephrata and Manheim Central High Schools. There are nine students who are participating from the far end schools. These students are all learning Chinese I along with Hempfield High Schools students. Our Chinese teacher, Mr. Fan, combines the classes using videoconferencing technology to not only teach but for the students to practice dialogue and learn about Chinese culture. The students will all be participating in celebrating Chinese New Year at Hempfield High School on January 9, 2009. This event will be uStreamed on the Hempfield channel.

Videoconferencing technology has come to Hempfield through low-end technology solutions including Skype and iChat to our high-end technology solutions. A 8000series Polycom room was installed at HHS in the summer of 2007. Through a joint grant with IU13 the district received a mobile 7000series PolyCom unit that can be used in any district building. During the 2007-2008 school year a distance Chinese was delivered daily to neighboring school districts. German classes practiced their dialogues and two third grade classes debated issues for the upcoming Presidential election using Skype and iChat. Sixth grade students at LIC participated in a videoconference about Rome through grant funding from the Hempfield Education Foundation. High school classes interacted with the Football Hall of Fame, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Learning Center for videoconferences on a variety of curricular topics. Videoconferencing was also used for staff development workshops on differentiated instruction with Catherine Brighton and Carol Ann Tomlinson from the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education. We look forward to expanding the opportunities for students and staff through videoconferencing in the 2008-2009 school year.