If you were to walk into any school these days—whether an elementary, middle, or high school—you would see students using some degree of technology. Whether it’s a computer in a lab, a tablet, or an interactive whiteboard, technology has no doubt made its way into students’ schooldays.

The trend towards technology in education stands to proliferate: according to Education Week, the Obama administration and the U.S. Department of Education rank facilitating technology access as their top goal during tough economic times. With this goal in mind, telepresence should rank highly on the list of technologies designated for schools—after all, telepresence offers several solutions to maintaining education quality under ever-tightening budgets.

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Tags: edchat, edtech, education, Education Week, edweek, fieldtrips, TelePresence, video conferencing, videoconferencing

As we’ve talked about before, Hillcrest High School in Riverside, California has state-of-the art facilities. But, it has no students. Financed with $105 million of bond money allocated in 2007, the school now lacks the $3 million it needs from the state to operate for one year. California state budget cuts of $18 billion, one-third of the state’s education funding, keep Hillcrest’s halls and classrooms empty.

In similar dire straits as California, Minnesota’s state government this summer borrowed $2.2 billion from its public schools to end a government shutdown. The state has not set a date by which to pay the schools back.

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Tags: education reform, fieldtrip, fieldtrips, IVC, school finance, TelePresence, video conferencing, videoconferencing, virtual

The job description for the conferencing service owner could be a bit of a mystery in many enterprises, so I am going to try to demystify the role based on my experience as a Video and UC Conference Service owner at Cisco IT.
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Tags: coc-collaboration, videoconferencing, videoconferencing management, videoconferencing service

www.edutopia.org

In school, you’re learning all about fish. Would you rather look at, hold, and examine an actual fish to determine its species or would you prefer to read a textbook about a bunch of different fish?

Sliminess factor aside, I’d vote for seeing the actual fish.

The students in science teacher Michelle Underwood’s class feel the same way:  They love the hands-on projects — fish study included — that Underwood has worked into her classroom, they said in a video. A self-described convert from “death-by-Powerpoint” lecture style teaching, Underwood now embraces collaborative project-based learning to increase the depth of her students’ understanding and ensure their sustained interest. She brings everything from animals, to computers, to video equipment into her classroom to facilitate engaging lessons.

According to the educators at Edutopia, George Lucas’s educational foundation, Underwood has the right idea. Project-based learning, as opposed to textbook-based work, helps students retain more material and better develop the ability to self-direct, said an article by the Edutopia staff. Hands-on activities provide students opportunities to experiment with technology and witness real-world connections to the information they encounter in the classroom, the article said. Read More »

Tags: Cisco, edtech, education, edutopia, George Lucas, IVC, TelePresence, videoconferencing

According to a recent article in ARN, economic resurgence following the recent global financial crisis has opened wide the Australian telepresence market. Already a telepresence pioneer in terms of education, the Australian telepresence market is now also taking off in government, banking and financial services, utilities and mining, health care, and professional services, the article said.

The story focused on a study by Frost & Sullivan analysts who looked at trends in the videoconferencing market, which includes telepresence. They found revenues increased by 33 percent in 2010 and predicted the Aussie videoconferencing market would more than triple by 2017.

While we are excited about the increasing economic confidence and concurrent eagerness to adopt telepresence, it’s worth noting that telepresence technology can also act as an austerity measure. Take the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), which recently began installing telepresence in 15 sites around the country. GSA wants to increase telepresence use as a cost-cutting measure, in response to budget cuts, according to Fierce Government IT. The telepresence centers will enable more teleworking and lessen the need for expensive business travel.

The fact that governments, businesses, manufacturers, schools, and health care networks all seek to adopt telepresence technology—some as an upgrade, others as a money-saver—demonstrates the versatility of the technology. Telepresence crosses economic lines, meets multiple needs, and makes communication more efficient and convenient. It’s exciting to be part of the revolution! Do you agree?

Tags: ARN, Australia, Fierce Government, Frost & Sullivan, GSA, TelePresence, videoconferencing