The Video in Class...from conferencing to social networking

Some weeks ago (around spring break time and then the week after) we had two discussions on video conferencing. The first discussion was led by Jeannie on an article about teachers using video conferencing to provide students with access to people and groups they would not otherwise see, such as students getting to see musicians from a Manhattan conservatory. It was an interesting debate in the world of field trips and what kind of connections are available to students. This type of networking led me to focus our next discussion on the social aspects of things like video conferencing and sites like Facebook and MySpace, particularly in terms of cyberbullying. We also looked at a school that took the culture of TV and the Internet to help their kids study for standardized tests. There was criticism that these schools were being innovative with their technology only because they had to be, but they wouldn't care otherwise. On the other hand, there was also debate about whether it gave schools with more resources the upper hand because they would have access to things that could make learning more interactive. After finishing this latest project on authoring using iMovie, I think that of all the uses for this type of technology, the most interesting and fruitful way to use it is to put it in the hands of kids and let them explore. I think with proper guidance not only in the technological aspects, but also social and cognitive aspects, students could surpass their teachers and parents in producing materials to enhance their learning and showcase it.