Need Your Feedback!

[Nikki]

Hello! My name is Nikki and I am part of a new team from NBC News that is creating a unique digital offering for education. Below is a description of what we are doing and I would love to get your feedback!

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Today’s generation of students lives in a media-rich world, demanding content that is engaging, up-to-date, and relevant to the real world. To help teachers bring classroom instruction to life, NBC News has created a special collection of archival video content called the NBC News Archives on Demand. In addition to archival content and current events, NBC News has produced original mini-documentaries exclusively for the platform. Whether it’s a historian explaining the events leading to the Civil War, Tom Brokaw showing the breakdown of communism on a historic night at the Berlin Wall, or Tim Russert answering students’ questions about the 2008 election, NBC News brings the real world into education.

Distributed through a partnership with the HotChalk Learning Environment, the NBC News Archives on Demand gives teachers access to thousands of video resources, along with primary sources, text resources, charts and graphs, and images aligned to classroom instruction. NBC launched in August of 2007 with collections geared to courses in U.S. History, U.S. Government and Politics, and English Language and Composition. In 2008, NBC News collections will include African American Studies, Women’s Studies, Global Studies, Sciences, Heath and Medicine, and Economics and Business.

Each collection with the NBC News Archives on Demand has been aligned to educational standards and organized to make it easy for teachers to incorporate video and news resources. Teachers are using the resources in a variety of ways to improve classroom instruction:
· Students now have access to historical broadcast material, providing a window on how events were perceived at the time they happened, whether it is Robert Kennedy’s announcement of the assassination of Martin Luther King or Neil Armstrong landing on the moon.
· The archives provide a complete “story arc” on historic events that students can use to see how history has unfolded and perception has changed over time. For example, students can watch the original news coverage of the integration of Little Rock’s Central High School, watch coverage of the anniversary dates over the last 50 years, and research additional video and print resources on school segregation issues over the years.
· For events taking place before the days of broadcast news, more than 300 original mini-documentaries have been created on subjects ranging from Mercantilism to the Civil War Draft. They were produced by NBC specifically with the Archives on Demand audience in mind, in collaboration with renowned historians and textbook authors like Allan Brinkley and Eric Foner.
· Teachers in all content areas will be able to find current events that support instruction, whether it is news about the 2008 election, new discoveries in science, or updates on economic issues or court cases. By bringing current events linked to curriculum standards into the classroom, teachers can demonstrate to students how the things they are learning in class are relevant to their lives today.

The NBC News Archives on Demand harnesses the power of video and authentic news resources to make content engaging, accessible, and relevant for today’s generation of learners.

To access this free offering, register at www.hotchalk.com/nbc.html

[thornybee]

So Gudlag,

Who won the war? I bet it wasn't the fish! I am British (although I haven't lived there for a while). I remember the cod wars when I was growing up as a boy. I didn't know there was still a problem between countries - just a problem of over fishing by the Spanish. From what I remember, the line we are given is that the EU makes rules heavily supported by the French and Spanish etc and then only followed by the dumb Brits. The others don't necessarily follow the rules. Anyhow, why are we talking about this? :)

[Pamela Donehew]

Nikki, This is a fabulous resource but priced out of the market for most schools.

[Steve Hargadon]

Nikki:

So sorry I'm just seeing this thread.

First, I think it's more relevant to www.classroom20.com, than here--since this network is really devoted to talking about the use of the Ning platform in education. :)

Second, the resource is clearly amazing, but in this world of free content, I'm not surprised at the comments on cost. It seems to me you're more likely to have success if the content were made available for free to leverage some other value relationship with educators or schools.

Good luck!

[Jen]

I agree that this should be free for educaiton. After all we are the promoters!

[Kelly Christopherson]

Nikki, there are many great resources but the prices for schools are much too expensive. In today's open source and open content environment, paying that much for a year is beyond what most schools can afford. In fact, for schools that are in poorer areas, this is completely out of reach. The pricing will just create more of a divide between those who can and those who can't. Those who can already have access to better technology, better texts, better..... and those who can't continue to lose in a time when the divide should be shrinking not growing.

[G. Andrew Page]

It would be nice and good PR for NBC & Hotchalk to make this available under a Creative Commons license. There is enough in this world that attempts to divide us and access to information and knowledge should not be behind a username, password, or fee.

Just my 2 cents.

[Nikki]

All,
Thank you for your feedback regarding pricing; however, the pricing is approximately $2 per student, per year based on the average enrollments of high, middle, and elementary school buildings. Also, this archive is updated daily so the value proposition for schools is very cost effective compared to the price of a textbook at $70 per student and are outdated as soon as they are printed. In order to make this offering available there is a development investment in terms of intellectual property rights, technical costs, etc.

[Michal]

The $2 average per student may be true in most cases, but in small districts - in rural states such as Kansas this makes up 1/2 the districts in the state - this equation just doesn't work. In my own district, with an average high school enrollment of 100 students, the cost becomes much higher. And this cost doesn't cover middle school, which again, we have 60 students in a good year. If I were to make my recommendation I would definately go with United Streaming where we can purchase a district license and all of my K-12 students would benefit. I think if you were to base the cost on a per student ratio instead of a flat fee you will find many more schools will be interested.

[Pamela Donehew]

Nikki, I understand your point regarding pricing, however, the resource you are offering could only be used as a supplemental piece to enhance textbooks and could not replace textbooks. There are curriculums to be followed that reguire textbooks and although they are not as timely as current events, they contain necessary information. Even though $2 per student sounds nominal, with today's budget cuts schools find it necessary to count pennies and there are many free resources that can be accessed.

[Mark Cruthers]

Hi Nikki,

I recommen d you take a look at WiZiQ

WiZiQ is an online teaching platform, which provides a free virtual classroom environment for teachers to interact online and teach students in real time. Teachers can also build a profile, keep an availability schedule, and maintain a content library, which is associated with their profiles, by uploading PowerPoint presentations and PDF Files.

WiZiQ offers the following features:

Works in Flash format and needs no downloads
2-way live audio/video delivery
Whiteboard with Math tools
Synchronous Content sharing such as PowerPoint (retains animations and transitions), PDF, Flash, MS Word, MS Excel files and videos
Records all sessions to be played back in Flash format (needs no downloads)
Share PowerPoint presentations asynchronously even with narrated audio in slides

WiZiQ's Blog http://wiziq.typepad.com/

Feedback from Nellie, English Teacher
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7sJ-RsWMI4

http://www.wiziq.com/Replay_Session.aspx?key=t&id=44782

http://wiziq.typepad.com/wiziqcom/2007/12/collaborating-o.html

Wiziq YouTube Presentations:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yty0cPzlcU

Free Online Virtual Classroom

WiZiQ's free Virtual Classroom is an online internet mediated classroom where the teacher and the students are connected to share a common workspace. In this online session, they make use of audio-video conferencing, text chat, whiteboard, and content sharing capabilities. There are no costs for using the virtual classroom. The sessions are recorded and are available online on WiZiQ, which can be accessed for later review or reference.

Attendees can join a session with privileges to converse verbally with others; draw and write on whiteboard; and share Presentations, PDFs, Flash and Images. The teacher may withdraw or re-assign these privileges to the attendees. A Teacher can withdraw privileges from the attendee in terms that the attendee can not converse, or upload anything to share on whiteboard; in this case, the attendee is a spectator. An attendee can also request for rights, in which case, the teacher can click on the attendee’s name to transfer control.



Features for Teachers


Offers a complete online teaching management system to its registered teachers without installing any software.
Teachers get their own virtual classroom at no costs.
Provides the ability to schedule a session online through a calendar at teachers’ convenience.
Teachers can interact with students through an online whiteboard to share text or documents, and through a two-way audio and text chat.
Teachers can build their profile.
Provides the ability to conduct one-on-one or group sessions online.
Payments from learners can be accepted.
Teachers can maintain a learners’ corner.



Features for Students


Students can find teachers
Learn from home, live through the Internet through an easy-to-use and interactive browser based interface, without installing anything.
Access tutorials shared by subject matter experts

[Jim Walker]

This is the exact discussion we need to have if the education system is to transform from 18th century to 21th century. Why are we even talking about the cost of NBC's archive vs textbooks. The world is a textbook, all we have to do is use it. Trash the textbooks and negotiate with NBC, United Streaming and any one else for per student cost, $2/student is a great deal. Laptop for $400 over 4 years = $100/year. With teaches using wikis, Ning, blogs, Google docs, etc, we can create a curriculum that is custom made for our schools and students. Get the students involved in helping develop a curriculum they find engaging. Stop complaining about how we can't do this, Yes We Can.

[Michal]

I agree - in my Digital Communications class we use multiple web 2.0 sites. I have various reference books, but I am pretty much the only one who uses them. Probably because I still love the feel of a book in my hands, although the only reading I do for pleasure is via audio books.
As for negotiating with NBC and United Streaming - they base their cost on larger districts. $2 per student may be accurate for NBC's average, but in my district it is closer to $20 per student, and that doesn't add in the $23 per student if the middle school wants it as well. I think we are a few years from eliminating text books, at least until the "holdout" teachers learn to integrate technology instead of teaching it as a seperate subject.