MysteryGuest Showcase
October 22, 2007
Last Wednesday, Paula Yezak and I presented a MysteryGuest Showcase at the ESC XI Distance Learning Conference. It is a spin-off of the MysteryQuest format. Participants were immersed in the quest to discover the identities of five leaders in K-12 videoconferencing. Total time was 1 hour 45 minutes and the feedback from participants was excellent.
Can you guess our Mystery Guests? They represent the “Best of the Best” in K-12 Videoconferencing.
Guest #1: Last year, my schools connected for over 650 hours of videoconferences, including connections with 23 other states as well as Canada, England, Spain, and Germany. I facilitated three in-district collaborative projects last year (Monster Exchange, Holiday Traditions and 100th Day of School). We also coordinated one statewide project, “_____ History Mystery” connecting 54 sites from 24 districts across the state. I am also the originator of the Cheers videoconference for 1st graders. I hold a masters degree in Educational Technology from Arizona State University.
Guest #2: Located near a lake where big ships pass by. The lake was formed by a dam on the Chagres River. Latitude 9 degrees N, Longitude 80 degrees W. It often rains on us. Virtual field trips guided by researchers and teachers. Access is provided through a telecommunications network in Newark, New Jersey.
Guest #3: During a videoconference, I suddenly saw the snow encrusted forest upside down. I was actually flung through the air and landed upside down in a snow bank! Programs include a month-long access to our online classroom. One popular program is “Feed Me Mister Musher!”
Guest #4: One of our popular programs is “The Pulse”. Our mission is to foster dialogue and understanding among the world’s youth. We have connected with former child soldiers from Sierra Leone.
Guest #5: I am located at the site of one of the top 10 deadliest weather events in Texas. Our newest partner is a local “Weather Authority” who has scheduled over 40 video conference connections with our students. I hope my bridge skills don’t get “Rusty”. In the summer, I manage the bridge for a week-long training modeling collaborative projects. It is as easy as 123! I have sung to over 1,000 PreK and K students via video conference.
Posted in Conferences, Shane
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[...] MysteryGuest Showcase presented at the ESC11 conference last month was the recipient of the professional development award. Again, my first thank you goes to Shane who was not only technical support, but also MysteryGuest #5. Another HUGE set of thank yous go to the amazing trio (Carla, Lori, and Pat) who run the bridges for Connect2Texas and ESC XI in Ft. Worth. Thank you to all of our MysteryGuests: Angela Conrad, Humble ISD, Lisa Inks from Global Nomad Group, Rich Hum with Kigluait Adventures in Alaska, and Jackie Willis with the Rainforest Connection. They all entered into this with a spirit of adventure and willingness to try something different. Finally, thank you to Janine Lim for the MysteryQuest format. I took her online class in fall of 2005 and it completely changed how I viewed videoconferencing and its potential in the classroom. We use the MQ format with MysteryQuest Beaches during the week-long 123VC professional development. [...]