HSD Videoconferencing

We will begin 2009 with several videoconferences. On January 9th sixth grade students at Mountville Elementary students will participate in a MAGPI videoconference exploring careers in science. Mrs. Elizabeth Hershey’s class at HHS will interact with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 12th to explore history through music. Three HS world language classes will be participating in the Read Across the Planet event at the end of February and more events are being planned including AP Art, ceramics, American History collaborations and an e-Mission videoconference with the NASA Challenger Learning Center.

On December 9th, Mrs. Kautter’s dance class participated in a video conference on Hip Hop run by ArcheDream for Humankind, a dance company from the Philadelphia area. Hempfield High School joined two other schools for an hour and a half program. Students learned some of the history of Hip Hop and were given instruction on some basic dance moves by instructors at ArcheDream. At the end of the conference, students at each school were given the chance to freestyle and show off their own moves for the other participants.

The conference presented some unique challenges. Audio is a key part of dance, and can be one of the most difficult parts of a video conference to get right. While there were some problems with both the sending and receiving of audio, the students adapted and were able to successfully participate. The lessons learned with this conference will be useful as Hempfield attempts more performance oriented student video conferences.

On December 4 six HHS students participated in the MAGPI PEW Fellows in Music Composition videoconference. Students from eight schools from Ontario to North Carolina to Pennsylvania were introduced to Gerald Levinson and Peter Paulsen through a documentary of their life followed by a panel discussion. Our students took advantage of this opportunity to ask these musicians questions about their professional interests.

We have two upcoming videoconferences planned for December. On Dec 4 students will be participating in a panel discussion with PEWS Fellows for Music Composition sponsored by MAGPI. Then on December 9 Mrs. Pat Kautter’s theater students will participate in a hip hop videoconference with ArceDream. A brief description of this IVC is below. We are very excited to offer this opportunity to our students through MAGPI.

” How can hip hop movement and break dancing contribute to conflict resolution? Join us for this engaging demonstration and virtual student workshop aimed at exploring the use of dance toward conflict resolution. The videoconference agenda will include a brief history of hip hop and ADHK artists will demonstrate locking, popping, up-rock & b-boy styles of break dancing. Participants will practice step-by-step breakdowns of the movements. “