According to the Miami Herald, third graders from The Cushman School recently had the opportunity o communicate with another class of elementary students on the other side of the world. Using web conferencing software, the American students and educators were able to have a class together with Chinese students from an elementary school associated with Hunan University in Changsha.
One student told the Miami Herald’s reporter that “it’s cool talking to someone from a different country and hearing them speak in a different language.”
Behind this experience was a project called Idea at the Bass, which was designed by the Bass Museum of Art and aimed at having students working together to solve common problems. In question was a Japanese print called the “Mannen Bridge”, showing a bridge and a captured turtle, which led the students to discuss the artwork and the turtle.
Though there are 12 hours of difference between the two countries, students were able to meet by getting up a bit earlier, in case of the Americans, and by staying in school until a little later, in case of the Chinese. The language differences were set aside by having each class speaking in its native language and having the Chinese teacher to translate.
The took 45 minutes and was all done through web conferencing and desktop sharing. The experience highlights how web conferencing and desktop sharing software and appliances can be used in education and overcome spatial barriers by allowing students in two distant countries to share experiences and learn from each other.
RHUB 4-in-1 Web Conferencing appliances covers everything one may need to hold online meetings. It allows Web Conferencing, Web Seminars, Remote Support and Remote Access to the office computer from home or any other place. Using RHUB’s appliance students can communicate, share experiences and learn from other students on the other side of the world, but it also allows them to attend and participate in special classes delivered by teachers in far away schools and universities.
Imagine a student somewhere in a university in Europe taking a class delivered by a teacher in the Columbia University and vice versa. Such experiences will become more common and relevant as web conferencing appliances enter mainstream education practices and revolutionizes them.