Virtual Visits with the New York Hall of Science

It started with our Sports Challenge Virtual Visit for a class in Michigan and ironically ended with the same program but for a class in New York. This past school year has seen new additions to our list of programs offered, new state connections, a program done all in sign language and, the launch of “Hall Around The World“. It truly has been an amazing journey for me and, I take great pride in sharing what we have accomplished this year for Virtual Visits.

Several new additions to our Virtual Visit menu for this past 2008-2009 school year were Journey Inside The Eye, System Science: Intro to Networks, Playground Science, Illustrious Illusions: Secrets Revealed and finally both the Laser and Chemistry Demonstrations. The launch of these new programs helped contribute to an increase in the amount of bookings we had every month in comparison to that of Virtual Visits’ 2007-2008 school year. We even set a record for ourselves with 35 connections during the month of May. One highlight that meant a lot to me was setting up a Fun With Bubbles Virtual Visit with a class from St. Francis De Sales school for the hearing impaired. This was taught by Karen Romano, who is one of our explainers that is hearing impaired. There was such a level of excitement not only from the students but everyone involved at the school and at our museum. It was an experience I will never forget.

Another remarkable moment for me was our launch of “Hall Around The World“. It always has been a dream of mine to deliver Virtual Visits to countries worldwide. After doing some research, I was able to partner with Mr. Simon Lewis and his school in Ireland to share with them one of our programs. The high level of energy and enthusiasm these students had were something I had never seen before. It was an absolute pleasure meeting Mr. Lewis and all of his 1st grade students. We plan to keep to do several programs with the school again next year.

Looking forward to the 2009-2010 school year, we hope to really expand “Hall Around the World” to at least 3-4 other countries, keep increasing bookings, and develop new contacts with schools in the mid-west. Keep checking our site for updates in not only Virtual Visits but the Digital Learning Department here at the New York Hall of Science!

*Share your success story for videoconferencing!

“I’m really thrilled with how the whole experience went”. These are the words of Mr. Simon Lewis, Principal of the Carlow Educate Together school in Ireland. On Monday June 15th, our Hall Around the World initiative was able to reach his wonderful students. Mr. Lewis had this to add as well: “The children learned more from the experience than they would usually do from a similar experiment done in class”. It was such an amazing experience for myself to be able to share one of our virtual visits with a school group outside the United States. The enthusiasm these students had for participating in this program was simply stunning for me. Keep checking our site to see where Hall Around the World will go next.

*Check out a small portion of this “Fun With Bubbles” program.

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Just because summer is approaching does not mean Virtual Visits are taking a break! There are still available dates from early July to late August to book any of our regular programs. Contact Anthony Negron at anegron@nyscience.org or at (718)699-0005 ext 597 for additional information.

Hands-on Science Series: Fun With Physics Science Core Curriculum enrichment training

Dates: July 11, 2009 10am-12pm, July 13, 2009 webenabled, July 20, 2009 webenabled, July 27, 2009 webenabled, August 3, 2009 webenabled, August 10, 2009 webenabled, August 17, 2009 webenabled, August 22, 2009 Face-to-Face 9am-2pm

Web-based videoconferencing will be used to have remote participants attend the Face-to-Face sessions.
For NYC Elementary and Middle teachers this is P-Credit Course –you must apply online at: www.nycenet.edu/aspdp/www.nycenet.edu/aspdp/

If you are not a NYC teacher you can still take the course. Contact Chris Lawrence (clawrence@nyscience.org) to discuss.

This course will provide specific instruction and training for the physical science activities within the Science Scope & Sequence, providing teachers an opportunity to receive additional science content, extensions and further applications of the Science Core curriculum kits to their classroom. This class utilizes a hybrid course environment of traditional face-to-face instruction and on-line instruction to support science instruction and enhance professional development for the NYC Science Core Curriculum as it relates to the topics in physical science from grades K-8. This hybrid course environment is aligned to the NYC Science Scope and Sequence for all grades. This course strategy can provide the flexible support that teachers need to become confident doing hands-on physical science activities needed to enhance science teaching and learning in the classroom for student achievement within the aligned curriculum. The use of reform-minded and research based pedagogy will be highlighted in this web-enabled environment to stimulate critical conversation and allow for practitioner reflection.
The course will be divided and delivered in both modalities so that the objectives and project activities can be best achieved utilizing the appropriate seat time.
The web-enabled tool set will be a combination of synchronous tools, like chat, and video and asynchronous tools, like email, webinars and threaded discussions, which will lead to more instructional support.

For more information visit Teacher Training and Equipment Training Programs or download the 2008/2009 Educational Programs brochure (pdf)

Take a look at all the different places Virtual Visits have connected with. The white push-pins equal 10 or less times. The yellow equals 11-19 times and the red is over 20 connections!

Does your school have a Tandberg or Polycom unit but you don’t feel tech savy in using it? Starting this summer we will be offering free 30 minute professional development presentations on videoconferencing. We will cover topics dealing with our pedagogy on our “Virtual Visits”, different programs offered, ease in operating, and a Q&A session.

Are you interested in doing videoconferencing with your students but don’t have the expensive equipment. Well, you are in luck as! We will be also doing the same professional development presentations via an internet based application called Safari Montage Live. See how you can have Virtual Visit programs in your classroom with simple inexpensive equipment.

*For more information about booking, email anegron@nyscience.org

Read about our how our recent multiple Virtual Visits with the Woodhull Intermediate School went from the perspective of the school and other participants.

*Click here for full story.

Our Virtual Visit Unit Mathematica: Beyond Numbers is a two connection program. The first connection is where the students are led around the museum floor and engaged in multiple activities dealing with Math outside of numbers and formulas. The post connection allows for students to present their projects dealing with creating a game show where probability is involved. Students can choose whatever style of presentation their group desires. I have seen presentations in the form of video podcasts, skits, and formal powerpoint presentations.

Recently the Woodhull Intermediate School in Huntington New York wrapped up their post connection projects presentations and wow, there were some really good game show ideas. Most of the students took the opportunity to perform a short skit of their game show which they all did a fantastic job. Ideas ranged from a futuristic American Gladiators show to a cross between Wheel of Fortune and Deal or No Deal. Overall, the students had a fun time doing their presentations and hearing what their peers had come up with.

Based on the results from many experiments dealing with fiber analysis and blood sampling to name a few, a team of forensic scientists at PS 279 in the Bronx have finally found their culprit. This team have been working extremely hard for the past couple of weeks in making sure that the case of the jewel heist does not go unsolved.

Despite there not being a real jewel heist or team of forensic scientists, the students at PS 279 have been working with the Digital Learning Department for the past 12 weeks on this scientific roleplay situation. The program being taught at the school was one of our CSIT scenario’s dealing with Living Environment. The participating students worked in teams to perform various experiments and analysis that a real forensic scientist would do. Some of the feedback received by the students on the culminating day was that “there Monday’s are never going to be the same”.

Christmas came very early for our Digital Learning Department. We recently received our order of wireless headsets that we can now use while doing Virtual Visits via Safari Montage Live! For those who have never heard and/or used Safari Montage Live!, it is a internet based application that allows schools who don’t have Tandberg or Polycom systems to convert their desktop to a videoconferencing system.

We were recently able to put them in use for an Illustrious Illusions:Secrets Revealed Virtual Visit for a school in the Bronx. Previously we had to book these programs at a certain time when the museum floor was empty but now we can do them at whatever times works best for the school!

*Post a comment sharing your experience or questions about Safari Montage Live!