Join Together: An Existing K-20 H323 Video Conferencing Network

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"Join Together An Existing K-20 H323 Video
Conferencing Network An Emerging Internet2
Opportunity for Deaf Education"

• Presented by
• Harold Johnson Tom McNeal

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Presentation Outline

• Essential Problems of Deafness Deaf Education
• Proposed Solution
• An Existing K-20 H323 Deaf Education Network
• With Virtual Presentations from
• Ms. Vivan Smith/Teacher Mississippi School for
  the Deaf, Jackson, MS
• Ms. Cheryl Smith/Teacher Todd Elementary School
  Ms. Katharine Stephens-Slemenda/Professor
  Converse College, Spartanburg, SC
• Dr. Sharon Baker/Professor University of Tulsa,
  Tulsa, OK
• A Proposed Internet2 H323 Deaf Education Network
• A Request An Invitation
• QA

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Essential Problems of Deafness Deaf Education

• The primary problem of deafness
• is not too little hearing, but too much
  interpersonal and informational isolation.
• The primary problem of Deaf Education
• is not a lack of information, innovation or
  effort, but rather a persistent and growing
  difficulty in achieving critical mass of
  individuals, knowledge and resources.
• This problem is due to the fact that during the
  course of the last decade, a dramatic shift has
  occurred in the settings in which
  deaf/hard-of-hearing (d/hh) children and adults
  are educated.

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Proposed Solution

• Establish a seamless on-line community of
  learners that collaboratively
• share information
• resources and
• opportunities
• for the common purpose of recognizing excellence
  and enhancing performance within Deaf Education.

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An Existing K-20 H323 Deaf Ed. Network

• In June of 2000, a three year, 2.1 million PT3
  (www.pt3.org) Catalyst grant (Crossing the
  Realities Divide Preservice Teachers as 'Change
  Agents' for the Field of Deaf Education")
  (www.deafed.net) was awarded to the Association
  of College Educators Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing
  (ACE-D/HH) (www.acedhh.org/).
• Note Gallaudet Professor Dr. Donna Mertens
  serves as the Evaluator for this grant.
• your conference packet includes a poster and
  brochure from the ACE-D/HH grant.

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Existing Network (cont.)

• The essential purpose of the Deaf Education
  Catalyst grant (www.deafed.net) was to enhance
  the use of computer based, Internet linked
  technologies within the nations 70 Deaf
  Education teacher preparation programs.
• This enhancement was designed to accomplish three
  essential goals
• To establish local, regional and national on-line
  collaborative networks of Deaf Education college
  professors, their preservice teaches, existing
  teaches and parents of d/hh students.
• To use the resulting networks to support and
  recognize the preparation of technologically
  proficient teaches of d/hh students.
• To sustain the impact of the grant through the
  incorporation of ISTE technology standards for
  new teachers into the national standards for the
  preparation of teachers of the deaf via their
  acceptance by the Council on the Education of the
  Deaf (CED

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Existing Network (cont.)

• To date, following 28 months of work, the Deaf
  Education Catalyst grant has accomplished the
  following
• ISTE technology standards for new teachers have
  been informally accepted by the CED member
  organizations.
• 158 full time, part-time and clinical Deaf
  Education teacher preparation program
  faculty/colleagues
• from 60 different colleges/universities
• in 34 of 35 possible states
• have made 596 documented choices to enhance
  teaching and learning within their programs
  through the use of a specific range of technology
  based activities.
• 2,390 Deaf Education preservice teachers have
  participated in grant related activities and
  1,570 of those individuals have been judged by
  the faculty to have become technologically
  proficient.
• 7,900 registrations have been made on the Deaf
  Education Web site (www.deafed.net) since its
  onset on 2/1/01.

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Existing Network (cont.)

• Particularly noteworthy elements of the Deaf
  Education Web site (www.deafed.net) are
• 4,300 of the registrants are parents of d/hh
  children
• 680 deafness related jobs and 140 resumes have
  been posted to the Web site
• The Best of the Web national competition for
  preservice teachers of d/hh students has been
  established
• A system of Cyber Mentors has been established
• A series of Topical Teams of Experts have been
  established
• Note Gallaudet Professors Dr. Tom Jones Dr.
  Marilyn Sass-Leher lead two of these topical
  teams
• A DeafWebNet search engine has been established
• A Virtual Professional Development Network is
  now being developed in FL, SC, OK and KY with
  more than 75 existing teachers of d/hh students
  who were specifically selected for their
  instructional and technological effectiveness
• Note this network is investigating the use of
  NetTrecker (www.nettrecker.com) for curricular
  enhancement and Lectora (www.trivantis.com) for
  on-line course development.

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Existing Network (cont.)

• particularly noteworthy elements (cont.)
• In collaboration with Dr. David Martin, a pilot
  investigation has been carried out concerning the
  use of H323 based video conferencing technologies
  to enhance collaborative activities within Deaf
  Education.
• Within that pilot investigation, the Deaf
  Education PT3 Catalyst grant (www.deafed.net) has
  purchased, distributed and provided technical
  assistance for the use of
• 54 Polycom ViaVideo systems,
• 4 Polycom ViewStations 128 systems
• 1 Polycom FX ViewStation.
• Note ReviewVideo, Polycoms largest distributor,
  has established a special price list for Deaf
  Education.
• The systems are now being used by both deaf and
  hearing individuals in 21 states and the District
  of Columbia.
• Note the Deaf Ed. PT3 Catalyst grant has
  sufficient funds to provide a Polycom ViaVideo
  system to each full/part-time faculty member
  within the nations Deaf Education teacher
  preparation programs. Tom..

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Existing Network (cont.)
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Existing Network (cont.)

• We will now use the existing H323 network to
  allow Deaf Education colleagues from around the
  nation to share with you how they are using this
  technology
• Ms. Vivan Smith/Teacher Mississippi School for
  the Deaf, Jackson, MS
• Ms. Cheryl Smith/Teacher Todd Elementary School
  Ms. Katharine Stephens-Slemenda/Professor
  Converse College, Spartanburg, SC
• Dr. Sharon Baker/Professor University of Tulsa,
  Tulsa, OK

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Existing Network (cont.)

• Lessons Learned from existing H323 Network
• Support of the Administration
• Support of the Network Director
• Firewalls, NAT Ridgeway Systems
• Switch vs. Hubs
• T1,DSL,Cable
• Internet Congestion
• Internet 2

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Existing Network (cont.)

• Videoconferencing Cookbook
• www.videnet.gatech.edu/cookbook
• Internet 2
• www.internet2.edu/
• Polycom
• www.polycom.com
• Ridgeway System
• www.ridgewaysystems.com/
• KSU DVC Project
• www.dvcproject.org/
• Deaf Education Web Site
• www.deafed.net

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A Proposed Internet2, H323 Deaf Education Network

• To date, the PT3 Deaf Education Catalyst grant
  (www.deafed.net) has established an extensive
  on-line community of learners for the nations 70
  Deaf Education teacher preparation programs,
  faculty and preservice teachers.
• The grant has also piloted the use of H323
  technologies to enhance collaborative activities
  and the preparation of preservice teachers of
  d/hh students.
• The intent is now to expand the grants current
  on-line community of learners and H323 network to
  include the use of Internet2 with the entire Deaf
  Education community.

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Proposed Network

• The projected, initial list of partners for the
  planned Internet2 Deaf Education community are as
  follows
• the nations 70 Deaf Education teacher
  preparation programs
• the nations state schools for the deaf
• the five to ten largest K-12 public school
  programs serving d/hh students in each state
• the major deafness related national organizations
  (i.e., AGBell, ASC-D/HH, ASDC, CAID, CEASD, CED,
  NAD, RID)
• the major state, regional and national deafness
  related funded projects and
• selected non-profit and for profit corporations.

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Proposed Network

• The basis purpose of the proposed Internet2
  network would be to recognize excellence and
  enhance performance throughout Deaf Education.
• More specifically, the proposed Internet2 Deaf
  Education network would be used to establish the
  following nation wide collaborative activities
• Recruitment of ethnically diverse, male and
  female, deaf and hearing individuals to become
  teachers and support personnel for d/hh students.
  
• Regionally based initial and emergency
  certification, plus, ongoing professional
  development opportunities for teachers and
  support personnel for d/hh students.
• A Virtual Professional Development Network for
  the field of Deaf Education.
• A Virtual Learning Environment for d/hh
  students and adults.
• A topically driven, Virtual Learning Community
  for Deaf Education.

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Proposed Network

• Summary
• The primary problem of deafness is not too little
  hearing, but too much interpersonal and
  informational isolation.
• The Deaf Education PT3 Catalyst grant
  (www.deafed.net) has developed an Internet based
  model, a Web based infrastructure and an initial
  on-line community of learners to address this
  isolation.
• The proposed Deaf Education Internet2 initiative
  can demonstrate to the nation
• how the innovative and efficient use of computer
  based, Internet linked technologies can be used
  to not only enhance teaching and learning, but to
  also
• enable the historically underserved population
  of d/hh individuals to achieve their academic and
  vocational potential.

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A Request An Invitation

• A Request
• Please share with us how you are now using the
  H323 technology.
• Please share with us the problems that you have
  encountered and the solutions that have
  developed.
• We will develop a bulletin board on the Deaf
  Education Web Site (www.deafed.net) so that the
  shared information can read by all.
• We will also work with you to find common
  solutions to common problems.
• An Invitation
• Let us "Join Together to achieve the common goal
  of enhancing teaching and learning within Deaf
  Education.
• Let us Join Together to lead the nation in a
  demonstration of how the effective and innovative
  use of computer based, Internet linked
  technologies can be used to establish a virtual
  community of learners.
• Let us Join Together to reduce isolation and
  increase resources for us all.

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QA

• What questions or comments would you like to
  share?
• Contact Information
• Harold Johnson 330 672-0735 voice 330
  672-2396 tty
• Tom McNeal 330 672-9801

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Thank you for this opportunity to learn and share
with you.We hope that this is only the first
of many such opportunities we will have in the
future.