Introduction to videoconferencing using PowerPlay Distance Learning Carts
This lesson is designed to introduce and familiarize students with the district's new PowerPlay Distance Learning Carts used for videoconferencing; it will also reinforce the joy of reading by using a responsive choral reading and chunking the text. It was designed to be taught collaboratively between the library media specialists and teachers located in two different buildings.
Students will complete a choral reading and enhance oral presentation skills as they interact with other classes at other schools. Furthermore, students will broaden their technological avenues of communication.
Once exposure to the Distance Learning Carts and videoconferencing has occurred, students will be able to partake in more challenging projects such as interacting with Shakespeare's Globe Theatre videoconferencing program while completing Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in English class or videoconferencing with the Baseball Hall of Fame while working on a unit on Jackie Robinson. Allow 50 minutes for this lesson.
Introduction:
1. Ask students what they know about presentation skills and what makes a good presentation. Then ask students what they want to know about presentation skills, especially when it comes to effective videoconferencing. Record all answers on a bubble map on an overhead transparency and display on overhead.
2. Introduce PowerPlay Distance Learning Carts to be utilized for videoconferencing today with a fifth grade at an elementary school.
3. LMS and ELA teacher introduce videoconferencing by modeling the responsive reading pattern used for a choral reading by alternating every other sentence while describing the activity.
Body:
4. Refer back to the bubble map displayed on the overhead and discuss the purpose of good eye contact and have students demonstrate looking into the camera. Compare to those who do not.
5. Discuss distractions, listening skills and the range of the camera lens in the same manner.
6. Explain the agenda: a choral reading of "The Three Little Pigs" and "Cinderella" followed by a Q&A session on what middle school is like.
7. Dial-up the participating school and complete two choral readings on both stories. Cue students when to begin reading and what side of the handout they will be completing.
8. Applaud each of the school's performances.
9. Allow Q & A between students at both schools. If completing this lesson with one class from a middle school and the other from an elementary school allow students to access and aquire information on how to prepare for middle school. Each student will begin by raising his/her hand, waiting to be called on, and then introducing him/herself before asking or answering the question.
10. Wave good-bye, say thank you and then hang-up.
Conclusion:
11. Upon completion of the videoconferencing, debrief on what went well and what did not during each part of the lesson. Discuss what improvements are necessary for subsequent lesson.
12. Students complete a self-reflection activity on video conferencing.
13. Ticket-out-the-door: students explain
a. one thing that they learned
b. one thing they thought was cool about videoconferencing
c. one way they would like to use videoconferencing to gain information on a particular subject.
1. Observation of student skills throughout the videoconferencing or in subsequent classes will determine if further instruction by the librarian is needed.
2. Debriefing with students immediately following the activity
3. Evaluating responses from the students self-reflection activity
4. Assessing responses from the ticket out the door
