VIDEO+CONFERENCING

A video conference is a set of interactive telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously. Videoconferencing differs from regular videophone calls in that it's designed to serve a conference rather than individuals. Video conferencing can become very useful within the classroom for both the teacher and the student. Classroom video conferencing is an evolving teaching method that is enhancing learning from kindergarten to graduate school. As mentioned before, it enables people at separate locations to communicate using video and audio transmissions. In the past, it only used to be available for corporate meetings and television broadcasters, but can now be used by anyone with video conferencing technology capabilities. Recently, more educators are pulli­ng video conferencing into their classrooms, including colleges and approximately 25 percent of public, primary, and secondary schools in the United States. Video conferencing allows teachers to interact with others from around the world. For example, students can be learning about the rainforest but do not live anywhere near such an environment. With video conferencing, teachers can set up an interaction with another class, or anyone with the same capabilities, located close to a rainforest. Both classes can interact with one another, offering different experiences with each other from across the world.

Classroom video conferencing brings the rainforest to the students in this lesson: 