The idea of adding video to a telephone call is not new. It has an obvious downside. Most people would not want to be seen dripping wet out of the shower, or still in pajamas, or in the midst of a compromising social situation while talking on the phone. Yet video conferencing is slowly gaining traction. For almost twenty years, businesses have used it to foster collaboration between far-flung divisions and clients. And, as the technology becomes more robust, cheaper and ubiquitous, it is starting to catch on. Skype on mobile devices and home computers is free and people are downloading it and playing with it. If you’ve ever “Skyped” a friend you should know that it is qualitatively different from a phone call. You don’t feel obligated to talk all the time. You can even get up, walk out of the room, and return with a glass of wine. You can show stuff—what you’re currently knitting, photos of your kids, a new blouse. You read body language and facial expressions. It feels like a real visit and it has had an immeasurable impact on family relationships for the military stationed in war zones and their loved ones at home.
The pioneer organization on the use of interactive videoconferencing for education is the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (www.CILC.org). This not-for-profit was founded in 1994 for the purpose of distributing funds to schools in Indiana for project planning, equipment, implementation and the development of programs that involved interactive videoconferencing. Participants used a high-speed digital fiber optic network designed and built by Ameritech. Since that time CILC has been reorganized and has grown into a global hub for interactive videoconferencing programming delivered face-to-face in both real time and recorded for archives. Its website features hundreds of content providers for students, professional development for teachers, and collaborative opportunities between schools servicing all 50 states and 166 countries. Some of the most prestigious institutions in the country, The Museum of Science and Industry, the Bronx Zoo, the Smithsonian, the Manhattan School of Music, to name a few, have outreach programs through CILC.
The most obvious benefit is that students get to interact with experts from these top institutions for a fraction of the cost of importing them in person to your school. The tyranny of distance has lost its grip and personal relationships between learners and knowledgeable people across the globe are now happening. Ruth Blankenbaker, the CEO and visionary behind CILC says, “Written communication through the computer alone has a kind of anonymity that can allow meanness and cruelty to surface. An interactive video conference, where you make eye contact and can read body language fosters civility. People relate to each other’s humanity. In fact, we don’t really know how much added value there is when communication involves contact with the entire person but it seems to me to be quite significant.”
In the interest of full-disclosure, my company, Ink Think Tank, is listed as both a content provider, doing school visits for kids, and as a source of professional development programs for teachers. CILC is turning its “Spotlight” on us in a series of FREE webinars. The first one will be on November 30, 2011 from 4-5 pm, EST. Titled: Science Writing that Makes You Question What You Know , it features Dr. Myra Zarnowski, of Queens College, interviewing Alexandra Siy (Cars on Mars, Sneeze!) and yours truly about how to use our books in the classroom. Here’s the link with more information: http://www.cilc.org/search/calendar-event.aspx?id=350&categoryid=2&startdate=11%2f30%2f2011
These events are quite popular so register early.
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