Why Videoconferencing?

Videoconferencing is a technology which offers purposeful use of access to broadband infrastructure. It impacts education, medicine and health, business, law, and media relations by saving time, money, and travel and by providing personal, immediate and meaningful interactions.

In addition, videoconferencing is a unifying tool which can bring all of these "users" together, thus strengthening communities.

Impact on Education
This technology brings equity to students and their teachers, regardless of their geographic location, and provides them with a greater understanding of the world and its inhabitants.

In addition to K-20 educational institutions, these educational benefits are now being accessed by residents in retirement centers, thus contributing to their life long learning and enlarging our definition of "students."

Below are just a few examples of this impact:

• Expert teachers, lecturers, and authors are invited into the classroom from all around the globe providing students with real world knowledge.
• Students are learning about each other (their ideologies, culture, religions, etc.) creating understanding and acceptance of those who are "different" from themselves.
• Students are collaborating with other students by exploring, analyzing, and communicating ideas, and thus developing new concepts and projects which benefit many.
• Museums, cultural institutions, etc. from all around the world are sharing first hand knowledge, primary documents and artifacts with learners of all ages.
• Courses are being shared from one institution to another which narrows the educational gap.
• Interviews for positions and scholarships are being conducted saving time and money.
• Collaborations for research are now happening globally.
• In-service for educators aimed at helping them increase student learning is reaching their place of employment, allowing more frequent, just-in-time, and on-going learning.
• Collaborations for teacher learning are taking place among teachers from around the globe expanding thoughts and strategies.
• Students are working with community partners to solve real-life problems, thus creating a greater respect for their communities and interest in making them a better place to live.

The list goes on and on. Currently, only too small of a percentage of classrooms have the broadband and equipment needed for videoconferencing. By increasing the access to all schools, the current impact can be greatly enhanced.