The conference did not go well at all. We ran into problems with people being unable to be heard or seen with the first attempt. We moved the conference to the Vyew website which was much more useful. However we quickly ran into problems with feedback. I posted my tip to MACUL about how to deal with this problem. One member of our group was able to share her screen which was on the Angel sight so we could all be looking at the description of the assignment we were working on. We ran into another problem when we found that we could not record our conversation using the tools offered. I made an attempt to record it using Jing, but what I ended up with is a view of my screen, my creepy breathing through the microphone and no one else’s voice. Of course this was compounded by the fact that I was trying to feed my daughter at the same time. It is hard to troubleshoot a tech problem when you have limited use of one hand. :)
Having used Vyew and worked out some of the bugs I am sure that it would be much easier to use for subsequent meetings. I also spent some time just plying n an empty room. It has an equation editor built in which was of interest to me as it is often difficult to communicate math symbols and equations with a linear display.
With regard to class use implications, I can see how it would be useful if there was no other method for seeing or hearing students, such as it is used in this class. I could also see using it with homebound students, especially since my class relies so heavily on discourse to make sense of the material. However, I also sense that it requires a huge time commitment outside of the classroom and as awful as it sounds to say this, I am at the limit of what I can do right now outside of “working hours”.
I am much more comfortable communicating via text or email as I have easy access to a record of what was said and when it was communicated. I know that part of this course is stretching us beyond our comfort zone and I appreciate the exposure to something new.
I agree - most teachers are stretched as far as they can go, outside classroom hours. On the plus side, web conferencing can take place during classroom time. Last year, my students and I Skyped with classrooms in Canada and New York on a global project we were working on together. The teachers agreed upon a time and date, the video call was placed by one teacher, then the students shared information about where we were on the project and plans for the next step. For my students, these calls were one of the highlights of their school day.
ReplyDelete