Veterans reach students with video conferencing

Students at Lakeland High School in Yorktown, New York, recently got a chance to speak with six veterans who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and the presentation was shared via video conferencing equipment to other schools throughout the Hudson Valley.

A total of 14 schools video conferenced with veterans in honor of Veterans Day. The veterans answered students' questions, with a main focus on how those who have served adapt to civilian life, LoHud.com reported. Many of the participating schools have been using video conferencing technology to create distance learning opportunities and connect students to distant resources.

The Ithacan, Ithaca College's student-run newspaper, reported that video conferencing is becoming a popular teaching tool in various departments at the school as well. Video conferencing technology was first deployed at Ithaca by the Roy Park School of Communications and the Department of Modern Languages to enhance coursework, which received praise from staff and students.

Foreign language departments are taking advantage of the video conferencing technology by connecting with people all over the world. Students can have discussions with people who speak a different language, and learn about foreign cultures. Later, students can keep in contact with people they have spoken with and send them homework assignments for peer review, the source reported.