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Thanks for stopping by. I'm Carol Skyring & this is where I talk about videoconferencing.
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Aug
14
Using Interactive Whiteboards with Videoconferencing
August 14, 2007 | | 4 Comments
Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated – mostly by me!!! It’s winter downunder & the dreaded flu has struck me down for nigh on a month 
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While in my sickbed (& desk) I’ve been pondering the use of interactive whiteboards in conjunction with videoconferencing. Personally I see the two as separate technologies offering different capabilities. I was forced to ponder when one of the schools I’ve been working with asked the question. So – over to you…. Please let me know how you use the two together – if at all. You can post to comments below or Email Me
John Blaser from the Eastchester (NY) School District has kindly shared his ideas with me to say that the best use of the whiteboard is as an extended & larger monitor. I’m hoping John will add his experience in the comments as he also runs a SMART Board Users Network.
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Hello!
Whiteboards usually come with a program that allows you to create videos of what you do on the whiteboard when using it as an extension of your computer screen or a stand-alone tool. The program also allows you to create “shots” of your whiteboard, which may be used on their own or in PP presentations.
Both the screenshots and the videos may be used in video conferencing embedded or not in a presentation by sharing your computer screen in the conference.
Additionally, when you “watch” a video conference in a whiteboard, you may create your own screenshots and videos of the conference.
Hope I have helped.
Janine
Someone sent this comment to me directly so I’ll post it here for all to share:
The best way to link the Interactive Whiteboards & Videoconferencing is via creating learning portal.
You can use the new portal for live podcasting sessions and video on demand (VOD) sessions as well
Cheers
Carol
SMARTboards are an integral part of our videoconferencing rooms. They provide the same advantages as in traditional classroom: 1) students don’t have to worry about writing down everything written on the board since everything can be saved as a PDF or in an other format, and then downloaded after class; 2) faculty can feel more comfortable in a videoconferencing room because they can “write on the board” as in a traditional room; 3) it’s a great tool for brainstorming; 4) annotations to Powerpoint and any other computer applications can be saved.
It’s just another tool–like a document camera–that goes into a videoconferencing room. I’m currently outfitting six videoconferencing rooms that will each include SMARTboards. The key to effective and creative use, however, is the training faculty receive.
Hi everyone,
Please excuse the delay in getting around to this post. As mentioned, we use our SBs, both those on stands and wall-mounted, for videoconferencing. Basically, we have two VC configurations: wall-mounted cameras in our established VC locations and mobile units that we move into classrooms as needed. Our wall-mounted cameras are located right next to the SB projector and connected directly to it. We just change in projector input (with the remote) to put the VC on the board. Our mobile units can moved into any of instructional spaces with a SB (we have boards in 90% of them districtwide) and connected to the projector in a similar manner.
Carol mentioned the SMART Board Users Network (SBUN) that I run. This year we have more than 130 teachers from 34 schools in 13 states and two Canadian provinces participating. We meet monthly for a one hour videoconference to share resources, lessons, strategies and best practices. Each conference features a “special focus,” the next conference (January 30) focused on the use of the Airliner wireless slate. I would welcome anyone who would like to participate; just contact me by email: jblaser@eastchester.k12.ny.us. Thanks for the opportunity to share.
John