Small Town Kids Explore Austin through Videoconferencing - December 11th, 2006

Damon students watch the Virtual Learning Journeys.

The Learning Technology Center’s IDEA Studio continued its exploration of videoconferencing this year, using the technology in a variety of ways to improve support of apprentice and induction teachers, and virtually bridging great distances to bring collaborative groups of learners together. Dr. Karen French, the IDEA Studio’s Training Coordinator, has led these efforts, which typically employ laptops, digital video cameras, and iChat software.

A highlight of this semester’s projects culminated in a videoconference conducted on November 16. Dr. Anne Bustard’s students in her Social Studies Methods class used iMovie to produce Virtual Learning Journeys, in which they visited and described a place of interest in the Austin area. Four of the students volunteered to show their videos to 7th and 8th grade National Honor Society students in Damon, Texas, a very small town near Houston. The Damon students were chosen because Damon ISD Superintendent Jim Haley has continued his collaboration with the IDEA Studio on videoconferencing efforts that began when he was coordinator of the College’s Teacher Induction Education and Support (TIES) Program.

iChat allowed each group to see and hear the other and the iMovies during the ninety-minute session. After the children watched each Virtual Learning Journey, they asked Dr. Bustard’s students questions, and the UT students prompted further discussion. The children also told the future teachers about life in Damon, and they, in turn, described life in Austin and at UT. An unexpected interaction was that the UT class began observing the children’s behavior and discussing ways to redirect their attention.

View of Dr. Bustard's Social Studies class as seen by Damon students on the laptop.

Says Dr. French, “these types of activities are inexpensive, fairly simple technologically, and have great educational impact on all participants.” She is currently working to expand the project next semester. The goal is for the youngsters to create their own iMovies about life in Damon and share them with the UT students, as well as with a group of Austin area students who produce videos about life in Austin. Other explorations of videoconferencing in education are also in the planning stages, including a virtual field trip to the UT campus.

Related Links:

• IDEA Studio

—Laurie Caldwell, LTC Communications Coordinator