Open Forum

Hello fellow museum professionals!

A lot of museums are creating Distance Learing content, especially in the last few years. There are a lot of options out there to connect to distant schools, everything from Skype to Blackboard to Polycom. I was wondering what experiences you all have had implementing Distance Learning Programing, and what provider has given you the best results!

Thanks!
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Steven Prokopchak
Associate Producer
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Williamsburg VA
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We dabbled in distance learning through a regional education center a number of years ago with a hands-on fossil lab. The elementary school was about 100 miles away. It was an interesting experience, but too cumbersome to be practical on a daily basis. I am sure it can be done in a more streamlined manner today. As a state government entity, we have imposed limits on computer-based media we can access, so at the moment I am working on a project that will be more outreach and web-based than traditional distance learning. With local partners - university and public school educators / staff - we are developing a project that will be very focused to help students with science literacy. It is still in the planning stages, so the best I can do is document the steps we take. Our plan is to start with local schools, expand in the region, perhaps with one or two distant schools and see how it works. ------------------------------------------- Alan Goldstein Interpretive Naturalist Falls of The Ohio State Park Interpretive Center Clarksville IN -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 10-06-2014 01:27 PM From: Steven Prokopchak Subject: Distance Learning Hello fellow museum professionals! A lot of museums are creating Distance Learing content, especially in the last few years. There are a lot of options out there to connect to distant schools, everything from Skype to Blackboard to Polycom. I was wondering what experiences you all have had implementing Distance Learning Programing, and what provider has given you the best results! Thanks! ------------------------------------------- Steven Prokopchak Associate Producer Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Williamsburg VA -------------------------------------------

The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum's education has very successful Distance Learning events -- tens of thousands of people watching at once in classrooms across the world.  Perhaps they'd be a good source for tech information. 
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Jillian Becquet
Collections Manager
Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History
Corpus Christi TX
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-06-2014 01:27 PM
From: Steven Prokopchak
Subject: Distance Learning

Hello fellow museum professionals!

A lot of museums are creating Distance Learing content, especially in the last few years. There are a lot of options out there to connect to distant schools, everything from Skype to Blackboard to Polycom. I was wondering what experiences you all have had implementing Distance Learning Programing, and what provider has given you the best results!

Thanks!
-------------------------------------------
Steven Prokopchak
Associate Producer
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Williamsburg VA
-------------------------------------------

I've used Blackboard and Skype before for education purposes.  Skype is good when you're trying to have a meeting with someone, but if you want to perform a lecture I would recommend recording it and then distributing it.  You won't have to worry about people disconnecting, or interrupting to ask questions.  They can pause the lecture at any point and just submit questions afterwards.

What age group are you aiming for?
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Kristin Segura
Volunteer at New Bedford Whaling Museum
Dartmouth, MA
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Hi Steven, I teach online in the Museum Studies Certificate program at Northwestern University using Blackboard, which is excellent for narrated power-point lectures, intro videos, Discussion Boards and links to readings, Ted talks etc. We are about to update to Canvas for reasons that I do not know, but I assume will be better. My classes will transition in the Spring likely, so I will know more then. Caroline ------------------------------------------- Caroline Goldthorpe Adjunct Professor Burr Ridge IL -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 10-06-2014 01:27 PM From: Steven Prokopchak Subject: Distance Learning Hello fellow museum professionals! A lot of museums are creating Distance Learing content, especially in the last few years. There are a lot of options out there to connect to distant schools, everything from Skype to Blackboard to Polycom. I was wondering what experiences you all have had implementing Distance Learning Programing, and what provider has given you the best results! Thanks! ------------------------------------------- Steven Prokopchak Associate Producer Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Williamsburg VA -------------------------------------------

Wow! Thanks everyone for the great information. You have given me a lot to think about, and some great leads for further research!

-Steven

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Steven Prokopchak
Associate Producer
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Williamsburg VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-23-2014 11:41 PM
From: Caroline Goldthorpe
Subject: Distance Learning

Hi Steven,
I teach online in the Museum Studies Certificate program at Northwestern University using Blackboard, which is excellent for narrated power-point lectures, intro videos, Discussion Boards and links to readings, Ted talks etc. We are about to update to Canvas for reasons that I do not know, but I assume will be better. My classes will transition in the Spring likely, so I will know more then.

Caroline

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Caroline Goldthorpe
Adjunct Professor
Burr Ridge IL
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-06-2014 01:27 PM
From: Steven Prokopchak
Subject: Distance Learning

Hello fellow museum professionals!

A lot of museums are creating Distance Learing content, especially in the last few years. There are a lot of options out there to connect to distant schools, everything from Skype to Blackboard to Polycom. I was wondering what experiences you all have had implementing Distance Learning Programing, and what provider has given you the best results!

Thanks!
-------------------------------------------
Steven Prokopchak
Associate Producer
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Williamsburg VA
-------------------------------------------

Adobe connect is a very good platform that is used by many universities to conduct online courses. It has good options for controlling audio so one person can speak or particular ones can. Has options for raising hands, has great easy function to share screen so others can post powerpoints or other files. Google Hangout works well as a platform as well.

Mark

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Mark Osterman
Guiding Programs Manager
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
Miami FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-06-2014 08:45 AM
From: Steven Prokopchak
Subject: Distance Learning

Wow! Thanks everyone for the great information. You have given me a lot to think about, and some great leads for further research!

-Steven

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Steven Prokopchak
Associate Producer
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Williamsburg VA
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-23-2014 11:41 PM
From: Caroline Goldthorpe
Subject: Distance Learning

Hi Steven,
I teach online in the Museum Studies Certificate program at Northwestern University using Blackboard, which is excellent for narrated power-point lectures, intro videos, Discussion Boards and links to readings, Ted talks etc. We are about to update to Canvas for reasons that I do not know, but I assume will be better. My classes will transition in the Spring likely, so I will know more then.

Caroline

-------------------------------------------
Caroline Goldthorpe
Adjunct Professor
Burr Ridge IL
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-06-2014 01:27 PM
From: Steven Prokopchak
Subject: Distance Learning

Hello fellow museum professionals!

A lot of museums are creating Distance Learing content, especially in the last few years. There are a lot of options out there to connect to distant schools, everything from Skype to Blackboard to Polycom. I was wondering what experiences you all have had implementing Distance Learning Programing, and what provider has given you the best results!

Thanks!
-------------------------------------------
Steven Prokopchak
Associate Producer
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Williamsburg VA
-------------------------------------------