Google Alerts for May 30, 2006 and NECC Programs!

Just to repeat myself (something those who know me might say I do a bit too much), if you don't have a set of Google Alerts working for you yet, check out the email alert I got in my inbox this morning. You can set up to receive Web or News or Both alerts so that anytime anything appears on the Internet it gets logged to your alert and then sent to you as often as you wish. I have this one (for the term "videoconferencing") set to deliver to me weekly because it's fairly active, as you'll see.

Going to NECC in San Diego the July 4 week? Check out my offerings:

Searching for Mr. Goodware [Birds-of-a-Feather]
Scott Merrick, University School Nashville/Vanderbilt University with Joan Roehre
Wednesday, 7/5/2006, 5:15pm– 6:15pm; SDCC 28C
Polycom PVX, iVisit, SightSpeed, YahooMessenger!, AIM, IChat, MSMessenger, Skpe, GoogleTalk, yadayadayada, ya'll. What works the best and why aren't we all using it?

Scientists in the Classrooms: Truly Engaging Content from Vanderbilt CSO [K-12 IVC Showcase]
Scott Merrick, University School Nashville/Vanderbilt University with Rocky Alvey
Thursday, 7/6/2006, 11:00am– 11:30am; SDCC 24C
Sharing a live presentation from Vanderbilt Center for Science Outreach, whose FREE science expert presentations have reached thousands of K-12 students over four years.

K2K Connections and Collaborations: Get Your Project and Partner Here! [K-12 IVC Showcase]
Joan Roehre, Kenosha Unified School District #1 with Scott Merrick
Friday, 7/7/2006, 11:00am– 11:30am; SDCC 24C
IVC Classroom collaborations, easy as 1-2-3:
1. Meet teachers that participate in exciting collaborations
2. Brief brainstorm
3. Pick a partner
Leave with a partner(s) AND project!

See you there! On July 3 or so I'll post my Conference Planner Session so's ya'll can stalk me...um...seek me out for lively chat. I'll also be podcasting for Snacks4theBrain! so if you don't want to hear it on the Web, don't say it in earshot of me!!!

Cheers!

Berrien County Honors Top Content Providers

Hey, ya'll,

Pal Janine Lim has posted results for this year's "Teacher's Choice Awards" for top IVC content providers chosen from survey results nationally. They also posted the winners list of survey participants, the first prize winner of which received a new Polycom Polycom VSX7000s. Even though I didn't win anything, here's the announcement!

Two Things...

1) a promising new post about a promising new Mac solution. See Moving at the Speed of Creativity, Wesley Fryer's marvelous blog (thanks, Janine, via JRo!), and

2) a new wiki on our favorite topic. Come play.

NECC Challenge Video

Hey, All,

Representatives from Desktop Interactive Videoconferencing solutions hardware and software check this out:



Share freely--The more the merrier!!!

Cheers,
Scott

Polycom Communicator

My good friend Elaine Shuck, Polycom's Education Market Coordinator, Skyped me a couple days ago and said that I needed to check out Polycom's new Skype-enabling hardware solution, a desktop USB voice unit their calling the "Communicator." Check it out I did, only to find it's not available yet; but I guess that speaks as much to Elaine's frontline status as to anything else! Anyway, there's a nice little "microsite" about the device, and I for one want to try it a.s.a.p.! Expect a review here when I do. You might recall that I tried out a USB microphone quite a while ago and found it lacking. This looks like a great deal more than a microphone, and I 4 1 hope this is all Polycom says it will be! If so, Skype, along with its video-enabling plug-in software Festoon, might just be de bomb we're all lookin' for!

Will it work with other desktop IVC solutions? Stay tooooooooned!

You can visit the site and click "Buy Now" to add your email to the release announcement list. I suggest you do!!!

Cheers, and see ya at NECC!