Video Conferencing over a Network

• Electronic Pen Pals: Here's a story on pen pals between and English class at BSHS and a 4th grade class at Breckenridge Elementary who talked to each other via "snail mail," email, and video conferencing!
• Talk to the experts: You want experts? If there's one in the FCPS system, and they can't come to you...
• Talk to other classes: If you want to find a class in Fayette County that shares yours' interests, contact your TRT - they'll help. For outside-of-the-district conferences, there are state LISTSERVs you can try (or have your TRT try for you). For international low-tech video conferencing, http://www.gsh.org/lists/Videoconf.html can help - Videoconf is an email forum dedicated to video conferencing across borders. Join the discussion, or let me know what you're interested in and I'll ask (I belong to it).

• KTLN: Still the best video conference technology going - that is, if you can make the trip to either Dixie Elementary or Winburn Middle School, and the folks you want to talk to can find a KTLN site somewhere near them.
• The Video-Linked Classroom: Currently this technology is being used between four of the five high schools for real-time classes. However, it's portable, so if you're in one of them (sorry, PLD!), and your hoped-for time isn't already scheduled, it's possible!
• dLink's i2Eye: This is an even simpler low-tech solution. It requires one of the cameras (about $280 per as of 11/1/03) hooked to a TV at each site, but does not require a computer. Very portable, and quite powerful!
• iVisit: This low-tech solution uses ordinary QuickCam-style computer cameras for video conferencing. It works surprisingly well for a "low-end solution," and it can go anywhere!
• Yahoo/Microsoft Messenger: Both of these (and other messaging solutions) offer uncompressed video capabilities not dissimilar from iLink. There are some FCPS folks using them, but a lack of compression explain why they don't test quite as well. They also exist primarily for chat and instant messaging...