Blog Archives
Interactive Strategies in Video Conferencing
Last week, we hosted several guests in our Whirlidub studios who interacted with our students. Our guests are carefully selected for their content knowledge and then we thoughtfully structure the interactions to take advantage of the synchronous elements of the technology.
The reason that the design of a video conference is so important is that many people, when they are in the teaching or expert role, tend to try to spew out as much information, as quickly as they can.
When this occurs, it is the person spewing information that is doing the most work.
Their brains are busy
- thinking,
- evaluating,
- talking,
- constructing, and
- synthesizing their knowledge.
That is fine, well, and good for them, but does not do much to engage students or challenge them to think critically or listen attentively.
Two strategies that easily engage students are
- opening focusing question
- think-pair-share before response time.
These two strategies help you to evaluate where you learners are and then to activate all brains before selecting the two or three responses to be shared whole group.
Video conferencing can be an effective technology, but you do need to be thoughtful in your delivery and design.
What are some ways that you have found to engage students or participants through distance?
Day 17: Top 5 Basic Network Troubleshooting Tips
This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing.
No Internet, No Videoconference. A phrase we often say to the teachers and educators we support. So in today’s post, let’s look at some basic things to check when you can’t connect anywhere.
1. Is the Internet working in the school/district?
2. Is the Ethernet cable connected and in good condition?
- Follow the Ethernet (Internet) cable from the videoconference system to the wall Ethernet jack. Is it plugged in? Is it mangled looking? If the cart rolls over the cable too many times, the cable might not be functioning properly.
3. Is there activity on the link or status lights?
- Check the link and status lights next to the spot where the Ethernet cable plugs in on the videoconference system. Are they on? Are the blinking? If not, you’re not plugged into a live jack.
- It’s a good idea to label the correct jack in the wall. Double check with your district technical support personnel to make sure that it is the correct one.
4. Can you call outside your school/district/network?
- Have a list of test sites handy.
- Call to one or more test sites and see if you get audio and video.
- Make sure both sites trying to connect are able to connect to a test site.
5. Did you give the correct IP address?
- Note to network/VC people: set up the endpoint so that it shows it’s public IP on the front page. It’s not the end user’s fault if they take the IP off the screen to give out their number and it’s a 10. internal address!
- Make sure you know your own IP address. It is usually listed on the front screen of your videoconference system.
References
- List of Test Sites
- Talk Like a Techie: 20 Day Challenge: Look for additional posts on specific dialing issues or setup.
Your Turn
- What tips do you have to share for troubleshooting your videoconference?
- Any other common problems you’ve run into? Please share!
Team-written by Janine Lim, Shane Howard, and Roxanne Glaser. The opinions expressed in these posts are based on our collective video conference experience connecting classes across multiple networks to connect them to zoos, museums, experts and other classes during the past 10 years. This series of posts reflects our usage and understanding, not that of any vendor or manufacturer. No one is paying us to write these. We are just sharing what we have learned.
Day 12: How to Dial with a Cisco-TANDBERG Remote
This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing.
Most parts of dialing are straight forward. Enter the numbers and connect. However there are some unique features or issues with each remote that we want to share.
Special thank you to Lori Colwill for her assistance with this post.
How to Dial
- Press each number and be sure to enter the “*.” button after each octet. This may add a * instead of a . in between each set until after you get the third set of numbers entered. Then it will automatically switch the *’s to the dots. Remember the language of an IP address, though. The address is still correctly referred to with “dots” in between the numbers, not “star” or “asterisk”.
- Access the directory, if it is set up, and dial directly from there without entering any numbers.
- If you dial an IP address and arrive at a screen and if there is audio, listen to what it is saying to you. Codian bridges are “talky” bridges and will present you with an entry queue or auto-attendant. You can navigate this screen by using the far end camera control on your remote and the the up and down arrow keys. When you arrive at the conference where you should be, press enter.
How to Dial an Alias
First of all, you may be given the number as either of these formats: alias@IP (1234@123.123.123.123) or IP##alias (123.123.123.123##1234).
Polycom users may give you an IP## alias number to dial. The TANDBERG remote cannot dial IP##alias. You may be able to turn it around and dial with the alias@IP format, depending on how the other site is set up.
- Newer TANDBERG remotes (TRC5) have an @ sign on the 1 button, so it’s easy to enter by pressing again.
- Older TANDBERG remotes (TRC3 and TRC4) don’t have an @ sign. But there are two ways to get around this.
- Web interface: If you have access to the web interface for the TANDBERG system, enter it there. Even better, put it in the address book so you can get to it again.
- Via the remote: To get the @ sign, follow these steps: Hold down the # sign (note that in the entry box it switches from 123 to abc). Then press the 1 twice (that enters the @ sign). Then hold down the # sign again to go back to numbers. However using this procedure negates the use of the *. button. You will have to use this same method to switch back to alphanumeric mode to get the dots entered in between each octect.
Pay Attention to the Location of the Infrared Receiver
- If you have a newer TANDBERG where the camera and the codec/box are separate, make sure you point the remote at the infrared receiver on the box.
- If the remote doesn’t seem to be working well, check the batteries and the direction you’re pointing. Make sure you are pointing towards the infrared receiver.
Remote Control for the iPhone / iTouch / iPad
Vyopta makes a vControl remote that mimics the TANDBERG remote and can be used to control your TANDBERG videoconference system as well as the Codian bridge.
- It costs $99; which seems a little steep for K12-education. But compare that to $400 for replacing a remote. At least it’s an option to consider.
- Read reviews and comments of this tool from VTC-Talk.com.
Resources
- TANDBERG TRC 3 Remote Training Sheet
- How to Use the TANDBERG Remote
- TANDBERG Official Remote Guide for (TRC 4)
- TANDBERG Codec C90 Users Guide (has the TRC5 Remote info)
Team-written by Lori Colwill, Janine Lim, Shane Howard, and Roxanne Glaser. The opinions expressed in these posts are based on our collective video conference experience connecting classes across multiple networks to connect them to zoos, museums, experts and other classes during the past 10 years. This series of posts reflects our usage and understanding, not that of any vendor or manufacturer. No one is paying us to write these. We are just sharing what we have learned.
Day 11: How To Dial with a Polycom Remote
This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing.
We have covered the larger issues of setting up and optimizing the network, using gatekeepers, and how to tell people to connect with you via a firewall traversal unit. This week, we are shifting our focus on when you pick up the remote to your endpoint and dial to another site.
Most parts of dialing are straight forward. Enter the numbers and connect. Sometimes, there is a hidden button or a function that changes and it isn’t explained on the official equipment documentation. We are going to share some things that we have learned over the years.
How to Dial
- Press each number and be sure to enter the “.” after each octet. Dialing a video conference unit is different than dialing a phone, in that you don’t add any “punctuation” in a phone number, but you must on a video conference system.
- Access the directory, if it is set up, and dial directly from there without entering any numbers.
- To Dial an Alias: Dial the main IP address, add ## and then the number of the extension, alias, or room number.
- If you dial an IP address and arrive at a screen and if there is audio, listen to what it is saying to you. Codian bridges are “talky” bridges and will present you with an entry queue or auto-attendant. You can navigate this screen by using the far end camera control on your remote and the the up and down arrow keys. When you arrive at the conference where you should be, press enter.
Polycom ViewStation: Quirk
Remember, when you enter the IP address into the dialing menu, you must enter the “.” between each octet.
- Older ViewStation remotes had no dot button. You press the red, right arrow key while in the address box. That makes the dot.
- The call/hangup button is green and does both functions.
Polycom VSX 7000: True Love
This could possibly be our favorite video conference remote of all time.
- Separate call/end call buttons.
- Dot button.
- Separate near and far camera control buttons.
- Color-coded buttons separating the camera and call functions. (This went away in the HDX remotes.)
Polycom HDX Systems: Tip
Polycom HDX systems came with an entirely new remote design. This design was not made with classroom functionality in mind. It was created to appear attractive in a conference room environment. It takes a bit of getting used to the different shaped buttons and some of the design takes precedence over functionality, in our experience. And it takes more batteries!
If you are accustomed to the Viewstation or the VSX line, those remotes will also work with the HDX line. The color coded buttons on the old remote design were user-friendly and easy to train users on.
Resources
Your Turn
Anything we missed? Can you remember when you first began dialing? What was hard to remember?
Team-written by Janine Lim, Shane Howard, and Roxanne Glaser. The opinions expressed in these posts are based on our collective video conference experience connecting classes across multiple networks to connect them to zoos, museums, experts and other classes during the past 10 years. This series of posts reflects our usage and understanding, not that of any vendor or manufacturer. No one is paying us to write these. We are just sharing what we have learned.
