District Administration - October 2006 - (Page 44)

TECHNOLOGY 5. Videoconferencing School Portals And Management Videoconferenci ng has long Systems been an integral part of dis- A content management sys- t a nce education. But where dis- t a nce learning focuses more on tem holds the most potential providing educational services for revolutionizing the day- to schools in rural and remote to - day collaboration in a areas, videoconferencing has center also uses videoconferenc- school or district. It helps gone much further to provide i ng for professional develop- real-time learning experiences ment , but, says Litman-Block, it schools and districts orga- for students in all parts of the is the field trips and real-time nize scheduling and course country. Better and less expen- experiences that have captured planning; store documents, sive technology, combined with students' attention and have images and video under one the rapidly growing availability motivated them to get involved of videoconferencing sites and in a cause. Seeing it and being umbrella; then deliver this content providers, made video- able to talk to someone about conrent with personalized conferenci ng affordable and it and seeing the person they access rights to everyone accessible to most K-12 class- are talking to makes a big dif- in the district, from parents rooms, says Patsy Partin, direc- ference with the kids, she says. tor of Vanderbilt University's Pa r t i n believes videoconfer- to the school board. The con- Virtual School. In short, video- enci ng is a fast-growing trend tent management system, conferenci ng connects two or that will soon become the norm and the portal that serves more schools in different parts in K-12 classrooms, especially as entry to it, often become of the country or world in real as equipment costs decrease time. You can use a television, and educators see the benefits the heart of the classroom. computer and projector together of being truly connected class- Because they are so effec- with a whiteboard to connect rooms. t ive, content management with your other party, as long as Who's doing it systems are being rapidly it's interactive and in real time, Partin explains. The power of There are a number of content adopted in school districts videoconferencing is connect- providers for videoconferencing. around the country despite i ng in real time so students can Content providers include major the cost and effort. A ask questions and get answers institutions, such as museums, school-board portal gives instantly, she says. libraries, cultural centers and The Virtual Learning Center, universities, as well as indi- members a virtual space for in St. Louis, Missouri, has used v idua l musicians, authors and collaboration and makes the videoconferencing to connect business professionals. They can back-end workings of the dozens of schools in the area create curriculum on a subject, CMS database transparent. to experts in Rwanda, Iraq and set up videoconferencing field Sudan for lessons. There's no trips and extend learning in way we can take these students almost any subject and grade 78 % of online on a plane to have them experi- level. ence what's happening in these http://www.cilc.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - October 2006

Table of Contents
Editor's Letter
Snapshots
Update
Inside the Law
Curriculum Update
Administration Profile
District Profile
Disaster Recovery
Tech Trends
COVER STORY: The Chicago Team
Out Is In
Algebra's At-Risk Solution
Rural Quality
Struggling Readers
The Online Edge
Speaking Out
Principal Opinion
Problem/Solution
Research Corner
Leadership Books
New Products
By the Numbers

District Administration - October 2006