CILC eNote - April 2008

Tips for Site Coordinators
April 2008

FEATURING

Judith Dallinger
Jack Binion Elementary School
Birdville Independent School District
Suburban Forth Worth, Texas

Best Experience
Our 3rd graders are required to understand the difference among urban, suburban, and rural. Since we live in a suburban area, our students "get" that, but do not understand urban and rural lifestyles. To aid in their understanding, we connected, simultaneously, to a school in New York City and to rural schools in Alaska, Colorado, New York, and South Dakota.

The following scenario was created to guide the questions students would ask of each other:
Your family is thinking of moving. To determine whether or not this would be a good place to live, what would you need to know about the community? Students brainstormed and the resulting questions were exchanged between schools. Judith acted as the moderator and each class asked and answered the prepared questions. Each class also shared a powerpoint or similar visual to help in understanding.

Student Learning
The most telling question in the exchanges occurred when the suburban and rural students asked the New York City students if they felt safe in their community. Our students were shocked and concerned that the urban students did not feel safe and they could not play outside without an adult nearby. The suburban and rural students are so accustomed to playing outside, up and down the blocks and in each other's yards that this fact of urban life was difficult to grasp

While many students had pets and lived in houses, they learned there were big differences in the types of pets and houses. Many of the urban students did not grasp the concept of a mobile home.

When they talked about "snow days" (days off from school due to a lot of snow), they discovered that students in Alaska never have snow days. They have "river days." A river runs through this community and students take boats to school. When the river freezes, passage becomes impossible and they get the day off!

All in all, students and teachers alike learned that children are children everywhere. They even listen to the same music and read the same books!

A Lesson Learned
"As a full time librarian at a big school, I was not prepared for the sheer volume of documentation and emails it took to make our one 30 minute connection. I learned that I needed to document everything; all our conversation and expectations. Time must be allotted to this portion of the preparation. It is doable, but there is definitely commitment needed from all parties."

Judy said she would definitely do this type of project again. Now that she has her contacts, it will be easier the next time. She knows how to set up her folders and had created all the documents needed to enable all participating schools and teachers to be on the same page.

Lingering Questions
Our teachers in the high stakes testing grades are excited when we can connect them to content providers, but they are not convinced that the time and effort it takes to put together a classroom to classroom connection to meet those standards/concepts is as important as I think it is. How do I get them to buy in?

We have no budget for content provider programs. How do I find funds for them? What are others doing to support these events?

Use the Videoconferencing Site Coordinator's Community in NING to respond to Judy's questions. It's open and free for anyone to join. If this site is blocked at your school, be sure to try from home.

About Judith
Judith, an Illinois native, has been married for 33 years and has two sons. She has turned her quilting hobby into a part-time business. Visit Quilting Treasures.

In 2007 she was named Librarian of the Year by the Texas Computer Education Association as well as Distance Learning Site Manager of the Year for Birdville Independent School District. In 2008 she was a finalist for the Don Foshee Memorial Grant awarded by the Texas Distance Learning Association.

Final Comments: A Tip from Judith
Make your principal an ally by putting him/her in front of the cameras! It works!

Thank you
CILC thanks Judith for sharing with all us and wishes her the best as she continues to help teachers help students learn through videoconferencing.

Judith Dallinger
817-547-1815

Do you have a Best Experience, a Lesson Learned, and a Lingering Question?

Contact
Dawn Colavita
866-474-5226