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session on technology and librarians, a synchro-
nous online application (Elluminate) that enables
participants to present and share documents, and a
Ning to communicate with peers and to post mul-
timedia documents. To provide a more personal,
relational online learning environment, the latest
CUE LME SIG venture is a teacher librarian video
conferencing network (TVLN) that involves not
only its members but school districts around the
United States and other professional organization
affiliates.
The project leveraged California's new K-12
high-speed network (K-12HSN), which offered
free hardware and connectivity to offer a stable
virtual environment. Interested partners were
identified: Orange County Department of Educa-
tion and the Los Angeles Unified School District
(both which had video conferencing equipment
and broadband lines, California State University
Long Beach's librarianship program, theAmerican
Association of School Librarians (AASL), the
Media Specialists SIG within the International
Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and
the InternationalAssociation for School Librarian-
ship. An email invitation to existing educational
and librarianship organizations to participate in
the video network drew responses from five state
educational entities. Interest has been instigated
through human social networking: individuals
talking with individuals, be it face-to-face, tele-
phone, or digitally. The video experience makes
TLVN “real.”
The following structure for the TL Video
Network captures the spirit of CoPs:
•
The TLVN Ning (http://teacherlibrarians.
ning.com/) serves as a communications
gateway for TLVN.
Elluminate (a web conferencing applica-
•
tion) facilitates presentations.
TappedIn (an online synchronous/asyn-
•
chronous virtual community for K-16 edu-
cators, including TLS, that supports online
chat, shared URL viewing, archived chats,
uploaded files, and telecommunications) is
used for TLV cohort work. TLVN has a vir-
tual office at http://www.tappedin.org/.
What are the lessons learned from these TL
CoPs who use video conferencing?
•
Find partners who want to develop a
CoP,
and have a shared understanding of goals.
Focus on individuals with passion and
•
influence.
Follow up quickly after first contacts.
•
•
Plan each video conference carefully, par-
ticularly at the beginning, but allow for
changes as needs emerge.
Start by educating participants in the uses
•
and benefits of video conferencing, with
a focus on collaborative product develop-
ment and program improvement.
Give people something meaningful to do.
•
Give them responsibility. Give them credit.
Foster interdependence.
Keep the structure simple and transparent.
•
•
Be willing to change direction.
•
Say “yes!” to opportunities.
•
Provide technical support as needed.
•
TLVN cohorts are small groups (e.g., inter-
•
Build in administrative capacity to follow
est groups such as CyberSafety) who use
video conferencing and other interactive
technologies for open discussion and col-
laborative work.
TLV Network focuses on information shar-
up registration requests, schedule video
conference venues, train newcomers, and
support TLV cohorts.
Keep the faith, and keep preaching. And
•
•
turn words into action.
ing and identification of TL needs for geo-
graphically diverse groups.
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