Alan Cameron's Edublog Learning in the 3rd Millennium 

ITVC Project (Final Report) April07 ITVC Project – Executive Summary May07

In 2004, I submitted 3 ideas to the Education Directorate in Dumfries & Galloway Council in relation to potential bids to the Innovation Unit at the Scottish Executive (as it was called then, now Scottish Government!). Can’t remember what 2 of these ideas were, but one that got off the ground was the introduction of video conference instrumental music lessons. Long story short, met up with a government official in a service station bedroom that was booked for our meeting (by the Scottish Executive, strange ahem, but true….) Received an award of £83,500 to deliver a two year pilot reporting on milestones every 3 months. We shortlisted 4 candidates from 7 applicants to be the UK’s first ever virtual teacher employed by a council. Appointed an excellent candidate to teach brass instruments remotely from Dumfries to 4 primary schools in Drummore, Port William, Whithorn and Glentrool. The attached evaluation reports of this work may be of interest to teachers engaging now in online learning. Almost unbelievably, this report on our work dates back to 2007. In those days, we had no broadband only ISDN telephone lines. We used ISDN6 to give good acceptable working bandwidth. Broadband arrived for us in 2009. Our work in video conference teaching expanded over the years to the point where we had 60 Polycom VC ‘endpoints’ which became used for so many different learning purposes. We had amazing links with London Symphony Orchestra, The Glasgow Science Centre (Heather the Weather) and Manhattan School of Music. Enough for now, hoping you’ll be interested to read the attached evaluation documents (from the archives!).

Last week students in Northern Valley Schools, New Jersey welcomed 24 students and 4 staff from Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland. Families of students in Demarest and Old Tappan schools kindly hosted young people from Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie for the week of 5-12 April. This was our reciprocal visit to the USA following the American students’ visit to Dumfries & Galloway in April 2013.

SATURDAY

We had a good flight on United Airlines from Glasgow to Newark Liberty International Airport on Saturday 5th April. It was a very pleasant surprise to be met by Northern Valley friends greeting us warmly at the airport. From there we headed for Demarest High School to meet all host families. In the evening we went to the Ice Skating Rink at the Palisades Centre.

SUNDAY

Sunday was a day for host families to spend some quality time with the new arrivals. Our students were involved in a wide range of activities with their hosts. The weather was superb today and I was delighted to take part in a game of golf at River Vale Country Club.

A beautiful day for a game of golf!

Later that afternoon our chaperone group enjoy a traditional thanksgiving-style meal at Steve and Elaine O’Neill’s house.

Fiona and Chris enjoying the sunshine!

Elaine & Steve hosted us for a delicious thanksgiving style meal.

Kay, Evan and April on Sunday afternoon.

Claudia, Susan and Nancy

MONDAY

Today we all meet up at Demarest at 7.45am and take a private coach to New York City. Highlight of the day is a boat trip to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island. In the afternoon we visit the Reflecting Pools commemorating those lost in the World Trade Center tragedy.

Standing at 1776 feet, the Freedom Tower

Fiona on Liberty Island at the Statue of Liberty

Reflecting Pool at the World Trade Center site

TUESDAY

Today we have a very full and exciting day, starting in Central Park at the ‘Imagine’ commemoration for John Lennon.

Strawberry Fields in Central Park, New York remembering John Lennon

We then head for the Museum of Natural History and then an opportunity for shopping at Times Square.

At the Museum of Natural History

Our dinner at Ellen’s Stardust Diner features our waiters and waitresses also starring as Broadway singers in their own right!

Waiters and waitresses take their chance to sing on Broadway!

After our meal we head to the Broadway show, ”Wicked”, which is for many of our group a highlight of the week. A truly excellent show.

Everyone enjoyed the show!

Wednesday

Today, we all go to school, either at Old Tappan or Demarest. It’s very interesting to visit a range of classes in a New Jersey school. The schools are very well equipped with technology and other resources. In the evening, all the chaperones enjoyed a lovely meal at Claudia and Evan Cooper’s house. Claudia’s cooking is wonderful. I even took a picture of breakfast!

Strawberrys, pancakes and bacon….mmm….

Thursday

Today our group takes on the challenge of the Project Adventure ropes course. Everyone has their own challenges and successes on this, with beautiful weather today helping all to enjoy the outdoor activities. In the evening we have a formal reception at Old Tappan with a few speeches and exchanges of gifts.

All smiles at the evening reception

Superintendent Dr Chris Nagy, a great advocate for the Northern Valley / Dumfries & Galloway partnership

Some cool dudes

Our Northern Valley hosts

Friday

Another very full day starting at the Empire State Building with wonderful 360 views of New York and New Jersey from the top.

From the top of the Empire State Building looking towards the Freedom Tower and the Statue of Liberty.

We then go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This massive museum houses a huge range of amazing artefacts.

Famous painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware in December 1776 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

In the evening we all board ‘The Spirit of New Jersey’ for an evening cruise and dinner. We enjoyed fantastic views of New York from the boat and also of the illuminated Statue of Liberty.

Everyone looking forward to the evening cruise and dinner

Chaperone team USA/Scotland prepare to board ‘The Spirit of New Jersey’

This has been a week we’ll never forget! Many thanks to all our friends and families in Northern Valley, New Jersey.

Great views of New York City by night from the boat

On Friday I attended the very successful Digital Commonwealth Launch at Platform in Easterhouse, Glasgow.  The project is funded by the Big Lottery, the Media Trust and the University of the West of Scotland.

In the schools strand of the project, the aim is to involve young people in each of Scotland’s local authority areas in digital reporting of Commonwealth themes (place, people, culture, exchange) in leading up to the Queen’s Baton Relay in June 2014. Learners from 32 school clusters from targeted areas of the most socio-economic need will be offered an opportunity to participate.

The schools programme will promote digital literacy skills through a series of in-school training workshops, using readily available technology to help pupils tell their own stories through blogs, video, audio and social media. Participating schools will receive learning materials which can help support existing and/or new school projects.  These materials will support topics such as e-safety, copyright, active citizenship and media ethics to assist pupils in developing skills and knowledge to produce creative, appropriate and engaging content.

Digital Commonwealth launch

All seems a bit unreal, but my case is nearly packed and I think I’ve got all the paperwork I need (train/plane tickets, accommodation arrangements) to get me to Sydney and Melbourne this coming week. I’m heading for the Rural Education Conference at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne 18/19 July and really looking forward to taking part and meeting teachers from across Victoria. Hopefully I’ll be posting some interesting blog reports (if I have time!) over the next 3 weeks.

I had a great time last Wednesday at Southerness Golf Club with Dumfries & County Golf Club former Captain Ian McEwan, and American friends Dr Chris Nagy and Steve O’Neill. The weather was beautiful, perfect for a round of golf as we took some time out in the midst of a hectic education exchange visit. The Southerness course provided a challenge for us all as we took part in our own fun Ryder Cup event. This picture, taken last month at the Scottish Golf Show in Glasgow is the closest I’m ever likely to get to the Ryder Cup!

Whether you’re from Scotland, the USA or anywhere else in the world, everyone (of all ages) likes to get together and just have fun! The 48 kids and 9 chaperones that made up our New Jersey / Dumfries & Galloway exchange group had a great time at Cream O’ Galloway, Xscape and on the water at Loch Ken. The pictures say it all!

Young people from Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland and Northern Valley, New Jersey shared a week-long exchange with visits to a variety of cultural places of interest. They also had great fun at Xscape in Glasgow on the snow and kayaking at Loch Ken. The weather was great, although a tumble into the loch felt more than a little refreshing!

We’ve had the most fantastic time this past week with young people and staff from New Jersey, USA on an exchange visit with students from Dalbeattie and Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway. The weather all week has been great, allowing us to enjoy visits to Hadrian’s Wall, Edinburgh, Glasgow and today at Ellisland Farm (where Robert Burns famously wrote Auld Lang Syne and Tam O’Shanter). This afternoon we enjoyed fun (and ice-cream!) at Cream O’ Galloway, near Gatehouse. Chaperones of the group also visited Drumlanrig Castle on Tuesday when the students were kayaking at Loch Ken. Tonight the farewell meal and disco takes place at the Douglas Arms Hotel, Castle Douglas with everyone this evening already anticipating and looking forward to the reciprocal visit to Northern Valley, New Jersey in April 2014. The young people of Demarest, Old Tappan, Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie have been a credit to their families and schools. For many, this week will have seen the start of lifelong friendships.

Over 3000 delegates signed up for the UK’s largest ever music education conference. Sponsored by Rhinegold publishing, and with the endorsement of Boris Johnson (Mayor of London) the event took place in the Barbican Centre, London on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st March. I was pleased to be invited by the editor of Music Teacher magazine, Chris Walters to present at the Music Technology session on our video conference teaching programmes. Polycom UK gave great support to my presentation, enabling me with ease to have a live link with John Wallace (Principal at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire) in Glasgow; with Grant Golding (brass tutor) demonstrating a live lesson to a pupil in a Dumfries & Galloway school; and with Christianne Orto (Dean of Distance Learning) in the Manhattan School of Music, New York. Many thanks to all participants who assisted in demonstrating the amazing potential of video conferencing for learning and teaching.

Almost a 1000 kids in Dumfries & Galloway schools were totally captivated, thrilled and amazed to hear Chris Lubbe share stories from his life in South Africa. I had the pleasure of hosting Chris from Sunday 3rd through to Thursday 7th March when we visited 13 schools across the region (10 in person, 3 by video-link). To hear Chris tell stories about how he became a member of the illegal ANC party in a struggle with Nelson Mandela to free the country of the shocking apartheid system of inequality and brutality was truly amazing and inspiring for all, young and old, who listened to him.

Chris received a very warm welcome in schools and also spoke one evening in a hotel at an open meeting, and on another occasion with some friends at my house. Through all his stories of the harsh laws and unfairness of apartheid, Chris’s message to young people in schools was uplifting, encouraging all to forgive each other, to be kind to each other and to show love and concern for everyone we meet in life. Chris was so well received everywhere he went that there is now a great demand for him to return to Dumfries & Galloway soon!