How to Use Video Conferencing in Education

Video conferencing is a great way to have professional organizations come and visit your classroom without ever having to set foot in it. Most schools have the ability to host video conferences, but many teachers do not take advantage of such an opportunity. Video conferences are ideal when the client you want to visit your classroom is located far away.



Every classroom can benefit from video conferencing: foreign language classrooms can talk with someone in their target language's country, English classrooms can talk live with an author or publisher and science classrooms can visit virtual museums.

1. Research what equipment your school has available by asking your school's IT department. Video conferencing equipment is very costly, and most schools can only afford one or two sets to be shared among the entire district. Therefore, the equipment may not be readily available, and you should sign up in advance to rent the equipment via the IT department.
2. Inquire about the funds your school or department has available for videoconferencing or special communication activities. You may ask your department coordinator or your school's principal to calculate how much money you can spend on a videoconferencing seminar. The school's budget will determine which video conferences you can afford.
3. Contact a client with whom you would like to do business. Make sure the client is within your school's budget and can perform a video conference with your class during your class time.
4. Set up and test your video conferencing equipment. Use your school's IT department as a resource to help you set up the equipment if you are unfamiliar with how to use it. You should test the equipment before using it in your classroom to make sure it works properly. Ideally, you can test the equipment in advance with the client with whom you are holding the video conference seminar.
5. Have students prepare for the video conference. Students should know about the client with whom you are holding the video conference. They may do research on the client in advance. Most educational video conference clients offer time for a question-and-answer section at the end of their seminar. For homework, have students create a list of questions they can use during the video conference seminar.
6. Return your videoconferencing equipment to your school's IT department. Follow up with the IT department and inform them of how your seminar went. Discuss the success of your video conferencing seminar at the next department and faculty meeting  so other educators may benefit from your experience.
7. Distribute a "thank you" card to your students for them to sign. Send your "thank you" card to your client to show the seminar was appreciated.

For more information on VIA3's video conferencing or would like a demo, visit VIA3 or contact us at sales@via3corp.com.