project. We used it as an extension to our existing unit, and they were able to creatively work together to present the material in a unique, fun way. It motivated them. I also believe that the material will be more memorable because they were so engaged.
• They are more in tune with another presentation tool and now have some experience on camera.
Read Around the Planet continues to introduce new users to videoconferencing and provide them with a simple model for using their videoconferencing system. In addition, participating teachers and videoconference coordinators often comment on how much they learned about videoconferencing from their partner class(es). The evaluation data supports this increased learning and use of videoconferencing. 97% of the participants plan to participate again in 2011. Participants learned from each other new ideas for presentations (79%), new ways to interact via videoconferencing (52%), new ideas for using videoconferencing in their curriculum (34%), and new ways to use their videoconferencing system with camera presets and visuals (25%).
Teachers also commented on the learning about other communities from the question and answer time with the partner class. • Now we know where Texas is and they play and learn like us!!
• My students took greater interest in facts about our own community. They were coming to school with new information to share.
• Just getting to meet others in different communities is most valuable to the students and will give them lasting memories forever!
• My students learned about customs, landmarks of other lands, weather, food, different points of view, schedules, types of schools and more...
• We learned about Texas and they learned about Wisconsin snow!
Lately, we have been encouraging Read Around the Planet participants to move beyond the simple presentation with Q&A format to increase the interaction. 94% of the survey respondents included questions and answers as a method to interact with their partners. But many others were creative: they involved the other students in their presentation with questions (67%), movement or singing (24%), interactive quizzes (23%), playing a game (23%) or writing or drawing (4%). 7% of the respondents mailed a package to their partner class; and 23% involved their partner class in team writing a poem or story before the videoconference to share during the videoconference.
Some of the partners continue on with their collaborations after Read Around the Planet. 68% of the participants said they planned to continue their collaboration with their partner in the future. Several classes plan to continue as pen pals. Some teachers cited collaboration problems as the reason not to continue the conversation, including tight curriculum demands and school firewalls blocking emails. Others shared their plans as follows:
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• My students are presently writing thank-you letters and will be sharing pictures of items we discussed in our open questions section.
• My partner is planning on sending us their school mascot (a stuffed moose). Our class is planning on taking pictures of the moose at various places in our school and town and then sending both the moose and the pictures back to our partners.
• We have field trip discussions planned and also shared pictures of our playground and us in the snow the next day!
• We have already met 3 times with students and 2 other times as colleagues. We have plans for 2 more times to get together as part of our Read Around the planet. Then we are planning to get together one week in video conference literature circles.
• We plan on reading the other two Wimpy Kid books and then videoconferencing again.
• We are going to become classroom pen pals and will have a video conference at the end of the year to see who our “pal” was!
• One school we connected with was running a similar reading program and we have asked them to share some ideas with us.
Many classes and schools participate in Read Around the Planet every year. 96% of the participants indicated that they would participate again in 2011. Some of the reasons cited for possibly not participating next year included: • I am going to retire!!! Otherwise I definitely would... • If funding is there. • Not sure - too close to the state tests!!! • I would like to depending on whether my school will let us participate in it.
One teacher indicated a change of heart about participating again: “I wasn’t sure I would but after the experience I have already thought of a book that will give more info about our state.”
Participation in Read Around the Planet has increased every year since its inception in 2002 and shows no signs of slowing anytime soon. Clearly, teachers and technology staff see the value in connecting students to each other to celebrate reading and to learn about each other’s communities. If you would like to participate, you’ll need H.323 videoconferencing equipment made by companies such as Avermedia, Polycom, Cisco- TANDBERG, Lifesize, and Sony. Start entering your equipment profile in the fall so you can meet the annual mid January registration deadline. More details can be found at
www.twice.cc/ read. We hope that you can Read Around the Planet next year!
Janine Lim, PhD, is Associate Dean, Higher Education, in the School of Distance Education at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, MI. Follow her on twitter at outonalim.
Fall 2011
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