Thanks to Tom Stevens for leaving this as a comment to our original 20 Day Challenge post. I thought I would share it in case others were looking for the instructions.

Here are the updated instructions, also posted at http://www.cilc.org/c/misc/k12ivc.aspx

• To subscribe to K12IVC, please send a blank message to k12ivc@cilc.net with the word subscribe in the subject.
• To unsubscribe, please send a blank message to k12ivc@cilc.net with the word unsubscribe in the subject.
• To post a message to the K12IVC mailing list, please address it to k12ivc@cilc.net . You must be a subscriber to post.
• For general list help, please contact Tom Stevens at tstevens@cilc.org.

This week I have been thinking about all of the ways that we connect with our members (video conference coordinators and teachers).

In The Beginning

When I began as a coordinator 6 years ago, I used email from my laptop computer when it was docked at my desk and the phone that was also at my desk. I was busy from 8:00-4:30-ish everyday and then I went home.

Sometimes, it would take several days of missed phone calls and the lag time between emails to resolve a date/time conflict.

And Then There Came Mobile

When we went mobile, I got a Blackberry with that full QWERTY keyboard and zoom zoom…I was on all the time.

Teachers would email me questions in the evening and I would instantly respond. Teachers would begin emailing me in the morning and I would instantly respond. I was trained by that little red blinking light and the buzz. Eventually, I developed the “phantom Blackberry buzz”. Time began to speed up.

Now at Warp Speed

Now, it is the iPhone, complete with unlimited texting, and it has completely transformed how we connect with our teachers and coordinators. We know that there are so many different communication formats, that we need to use them all to meet each person in their comfort zone. Time sped up exponentially.

Whirlidurb Communication

We share our programs through many communication channels. Here is the cheat sheet to where you will find us.

• Main website http://www.whirlidurb.com/ with login area for coordinators to access information that only they need.
• Twitter: @whirlidurb (This account is me and configured to selective post to our Facebook fanpage.)
• Facebook: Whirlidurb Fanpage (Shows auto-posts from VC Rox blog, mailing list, and selective tweets.) Teachers are becoming fans, liking and commenting on programs.
• Mailing list: Is completely customizable for teachers and coordinators to select only the information they they wish. It is also double-opt in, so we are not spammers. View archives now. (Configured to push button publish to either FB or Twitter.
• Text message: I never thought I would say this. It is probably the easiest way to contact someone when you need them right then.
• Email: I use this when we need an archive of planning or conversation.
• Wiki: Used when it takes more than 3 emails to figure something out.
• Phone: Communication of last resort. It just takes too long to navigate menus or to get a message to someone.

In the span of almost 7 years, how we connect and communicate with teachers and coordinators has changed dramatically. Today, time is exponentially faster and it seems everyone has shifted into Crazy Busy.

You have to meet people where they are. Facebook. Twitter. Text. Skype.

The way to promote your video conference program is to connect with others and be helpful. Share what you do. Network and help others.

How do you communicate with your coordinators and teachers?

Last week, we hosted several guests in our Whirlidub studios who interacted with our students. Our guests are carefully selected for their content knowledge and then we thoughtfully structure the interactions to take advantage of the synchronous elements of the technology.

The reason that the design of a video conference is so important is that many people, when they are in the teaching or expert role, tend to try to spew out as much information, as quickly as they can.

When this occurs, it is the person spewing information that is doing the most work.
Their brains are busy

• thinking,
• evaluating,
• talking,
• constructing, and
• synthesizing their knowledge.

That is fine, well, and good for them, but does not do much to engage students or challenge them to think critically or listen attentively.

Two strategies that easily engage students are

1. opening focusing question
   
2. think-pair-share before response time.

These two strategies help you to evaluate where you learners are and then to activate all brains before selecting the two or three responses to be shared whole group.

Video conferencing can be an effective technology, but you do need to be thoughtful in your delivery and design.

What are some ways that you have found to engage students or participants through distance?

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing.

Each January, we write these 20 Day Video Conference Challenges to share our experiences with others. In the early days of video conferencing, it was cumbersome and expensive. Today, we can have excellent H.323 quality connecting a variety of endpoints to different MCUs and other endpoints to create a smaller world for our students.

We have seen the power of effective curriculum video conferencing can have on student motivation and success. If the technology is not properly set up or does not work properly, that creates a barrier to implementation and educators who already have so many things that they are responsible for are going to be less likely to attempt to reach outside their classrooms.

Using advanced video conferencing technologies, we can create exceptional learning opportunities for students in rural schools, suburban schools and inner city schools. Each has a unique need that can be bridged with a quality curriculum video conferencing solution.

Here are links to assist you in continuing to Talk Like a Techie. It has been a learning experience for us as we researched and wrote this challenge and we hope that it has helped you in learning more about video conferencing.

LifeSize
Day 13: How to Dial with a LifeSize Remote

Polycom
Day 11: How to Dial with a Polycom Remote

TANDBERG
Day 12: How to Dial with a Cisco-TANDBERG Remote

Firewall Traversal Units
Day 7: Working With Your Firewall Traversal Unit

We also encourage you to review the past 20 Day Challenges:

• 2010: 20 Days to Better VC Projects
• 2009: 20 Days to a Better VC Coordinator

If you have ideas or suggestions for future 20 Day Challenges, please comment! Or if you think we missed something from this technical challenge, we’d love to hear from you as well!

Team-written by Janine Lim, Shane Howard, and Roxanne Glaser. The opinions expressed in these posts are based on our collective video conference experience connecting classes across multiple networks to connect them to zoos, museums, experts and other classes during the past 10 years. This series of posts reflects our usage and understanding, not that of any vendor or manufacturer. No one is paying us to write these. We are just sharing what we have learned.

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing.

Being organized and having quick access to critical information is essential to successful connections for teachers and students. Some of the following information can be easier to understand if you take a picture of it.

Key Information

• IP Address of video unit
• Tech Contact Info
  • of your network
  • of your vendor
  • of your regional support agency
  • of the place that you are trying to connect with

On Fridays, print a schedule of video conferences for that coming week with how they are connected and contact information.

Equipment

• Quick Setup Sheet for Video Conference Unit
• A picture of how everything is connected
• A note that explains to to get the tv to the correct channel or the projector on the correct input.
• Remotes–>video conference unit, television, projector, etc.
• Where to get extra batteries for the remote
• Remote Control Quick Reference Guide

Your Turn

What do you keep near your video conferencing unit? Where do you keep your remotes?

Team-written by Janine Lim, Shane Howard, and Roxanne Glaser. The opinions expressed in these posts are based on our collective video conference experience connecting classes across multiple networks to connect them to zoos, museums, experts and other classes during the past 10 years. This series of posts reflects our usage and understanding, not that of any vendor or manufacturer. No one is paying us to write these. We are just sharing what we have learned.

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing.

First: Reseller Definition

First, realize that Tandberg, Polycom and LifeSize generally do not sell directly to customers. They sell through resellers, also called integrators, because theses resellers also sell the peripherals, add-ons and even design the room installations. This could include document cameras, projectors, monitors, furniture, lighting, tier one tech support, and more.

Second: Know Your Needs

Next, think about how you plan to use videoconferencing and what needs you might have.

• Meetings. Will meetings be only with people within your network/district? or will you need to place and receive calls to video conference systems outside your area?
• Professional Development. Will you use this only within your network/district? Will you bring in outside professional development providers?
• Full Length Courses. Will you connect only within your network? Will you need to share content or show your computer to the other side at the same time as showing video (H.239)? Courses are a great application of H.239 content sharing.
• Content Providers. Will you be connecting to zoos, museums and other organizations? If so you will need to be able to place a call to an IP address, and in a few rare cases, receive a call to an IP address.
• Connect to Classrooms for Collaborations. Here you don’t want H.239 because the other site will be able to receive it less than half the time. You also will have the best success if you can both place and receive a calls to an IP address. (See previous posts on dialing.)

Also, think about where you are going to install videoconferencing.

• Mobile cart
• Dedicated room
• Connected to your interactive whiteboard

Now you’re ready to ask questions of a reseller.

Do you primarily sell video conferencing equipment?

• What is the focus of the reseller? Video conferencing? Interactive whiteboards? Projectors? AV integration? Streaming devices? Network infrastructure?
• Is the reseller very familiar with videoconferencing?
• Do they sell to K12 education?
• Does the reseller do a network assessement and make recommendations for best videoconference practice?
• Does the reseller know about best implementation of videoconferencing on the network?
• Do they sell all manufacturers equipment or are they solely partnered with one particular manufacturer?

Can you give the the names of three different customers who have needs similar to mine that I can contact?

• Try to talk to at least three other people across the country who are in a similar situation.
• Find out what went well.
• Ask what challenges they had. Listen for any red flags.

Given your recommended purchase, how will I connect off my network?

• Can I dial out of my network to a TANDBERG, Polycom, or LifeSize endpoint?
• How do I receive a call from a TANDBERG, Polycom, LifeSize, Sony or Vtel unit that is NOT on my network?
• Can you demonstrate to me that these different types of units from off my network can dial in?

How do you test the video conference equipment that you sell?

• Do you test it with a variety of endpoints, bridges, manufacturers, and different versions of software?
• Do you test it in a closed lab or in real life situations? You really want the reseller on your side as they can advocate on your behalf with the manufacturer.

Are they certified resellers of the particular vendor?

• Some resellers have higher status with the videoconferencing manufacturer. Generally you’ll get better service from those resellers.
• Do they provide their own maintenance? Do they have a tiered level of support – some that they do and some that the manufacturer. Or do they resell service from another organization? We prefer the model of tiered support because the first level of support not provided by the manufacturer gives a better perspective on issues. You have less finger pointing.

Full disclosure: Shane and Roxanne work for Whirlidurb, a service of I-2-I Technologies, which is a video conference reseller and integrator.

Team-written by Janine Lim, Shane Howard, and Roxanne Glaser. The opinions expressed in these posts are based on our collective video conference experience connecting classes across multiple networks to connect them to zoos, museums, experts and other classes during the past 10 years. This series of posts reflects our usage and understanding, not that of any vendor or manufacturer. No one is paying us to write these. We are just sharing what we have learned.

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing.

No Internet, No Videoconference. A phrase we often say to the teachers and educators we support. So in today’s post, let’s look at some basic things to check when you can’t connect anywhere.

1. Is the Internet working in the school/district?

2. Is the Ethernet cable connected and in good condition?

• Follow the Ethernet (Internet) cable from the videoconference system to the wall Ethernet jack. Is it plugged in? Is it mangled looking? If the cart rolls over the cable too many times, the cable might not be functioning properly.

3. Is there activity on the link or status lights?

• Check the link and status lights next to the spot where the Ethernet cable plugs in on the videoconference system. Are they on? Are the blinking? If not, you’re not plugged into a live jack.
• It’s a good idea to label the correct jack in the wall. Double check with your district technical support personnel to make sure that it is the correct one.

4. Can you call outside your school/district/network?

• Have a list of test sites handy.
• Call to one or more test sites and see if you get audio and video.
• Make sure both sites trying to connect are able to connect to a test site.

5. Did you give the correct IP address?

• Note to network/VC people: set up the endpoint so that it shows it’s public IP on the front page. It’s not the end user’s fault if they take the IP off the screen to give out their number and it’s a 10. internal address!
• Make sure you know your own IP address. It is usually listed on the front screen of your videoconference system.

References

• List of Test Sites
• Talk Like a Techie: 20 Day Challenge: Look for additional posts on specific dialing issues or setup.

Your Turn

• What tips do you have to share for troubleshooting your videoconference?
  
• Any other common problems you’ve run into? Please share!

Team-written by Janine Lim, Shane Howard, and Roxanne Glaser. The opinions expressed in these posts are based on our collective video conference experience connecting classes across multiple networks to connect them to zoos, museums, experts and other classes during the past 10 years. This series of posts reflects our usage and understanding, not that of any vendor or manufacturer. No one is paying us to write these. We are just sharing what we have learned.

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing.

Remember that there are four parts to a technically successful video conference: sending video, receiving video, sending audio, and receiving audio. Most of the common problems related to one of these four parts.

1. I See Black / I See Blue/ I Can’t See You

• Check the TV/monitor/projector. Is it on and is it connected correctly?
• Check the monitor. Is it on the right channel? Make a note on which channel it should be used.
• Seeing blue? Check to see if your document camera is selected. If it is not turned on, you will see blue.
  
• If you were able to see the dialing screen/menu before you connect, then it’s not your TV/monitor/projector. A blue or black screen is often a firewall problem on either end of the call. Try one of these test numbers to make sure you can connect outside your district on your own. Have the other site try connecting somewhere else too. If you can both connect to other places but not to each other, it’s probably a firewall problem. If you have access to someone with a bridge/MCU, ask them for help (usually at your educational service agency).
• Once in a while flat screen TVs won’t cooperate. If so, unplug the power, wait for the electrons to drain, plug it in and try again.

2. Audio: I Can’t Hear

• Check your TV/monitor volume. Check your videoconference system’s volume too. Both should be about in the middle (if your system uses both).
• Have the other side check their microphone. If you see a Far End Mute icon, you know their microphone is muted. (This only shows up in point-to-point calls). Ask them to unmute. Tell them you can’t hear. Have them nod their head or wave if they can hear you. Use paper notes if necessary. Pick up the phone & call them even!

3. Audio: They Can’t Hear Me

• Check your microphone. Are you muted? Check your screen – usually you’ll see an icon if it is muted. olycom microphones are muted when the light on the mic is red. Unmute so the far site can hear you.
• Their TV volume might be turned down. You may have to write them notes on a sign to hold up in front of the camera or write on paper under the document camera. (Or call them on the phone.)

4. They Can’t See Me

• Have them check their monitor/projector/TV. Is it on & on the right channel?
• It may be a firewall problem on their end. See “I Can’t See” above. Have them try connecting to the one of these test numbers. They should determine if they get a picture and then call you back again and report. If they can’t see a picture on your system or the test site, they should talk to their tech person. If you can both connect to other places but not to each other, it’s probably a firewall problem. If you have access to someone with a bridge/MCU, ask them for help (usually at your educational service agency).

5. Call Rejected or Busy Signal or Call Rings & Rings

• If you call and get a “call rejected” error, usually the other person is already in a call.
• If the call rings & rings, usually something in the network between you & the other site is not allowing the call to negotiate. Both sides should try a test site. If your test call just rings & rings, then it’s not connecting through firewalls. If you have access to someone with a bridge/MCU, ask them for help (usually at your educational service agency).

6. Far Site Isn’t Registered to the Gatekeeper

• You might get this error if your gatekeeper is set up only to dial out to other units that are registered to the gatekeeper. (Hopefully this isn’t the case, because you want to be able to call content providers and other schools!)
• You might also get this error if your endpoint can’t interpret the dial string. You may have to have the other site call you.

7. Far Site is Unreachable

• The other site may have their system off.
• Your endpoint may not be able to interpret the dial string you entered. Try having the other site call you.
• You or the other site may not have actual Internet connectivity. Try dialing out to a test site to see if either of you have a connectivity issue.

8. Alerts: What Do They Mean?

• IP Network: If this is down, then you don’t have a live Internet connection. Try another Ethernet jack in the room. Using a spot where a computer was connected and working usually guarantees a good connection.

9. When All Else Fails, Reboot or Redial

• If you have a lot of connection problems, sometimes redialing will help clear it up.
• If nothing is working, reboot the camera. Turn the camera off (reach up!!), wait, turn it back on.

10. Polycom Specific: “Flippy-Do-Button”

• Many of our schools have Polycom endpoints, and another common problem is when you accidentally get yourself in the big screen and the far site in the picture-in-picture. How do you switch it back?
• This happens with the button that I call the “flippy-do-button”. I’m sure there’s a more technical term! On a VSX7000, if you press the Camera button while you are in a call, you’ll see an icon with two arrows pointing around. If you select it, you’ll swap the far and near pictures. It’s easy to change it accidentally by pressing the camera button and then 1 or the enter key. To get it back, just press Camera, 1. Whew!

Bonus: Cause Codes on your MCU

• Do you see a number reported on your MCU when a call doesn’t connect? Look up what it means here. These were used for ISDN, but many of them are still used for IP calls as well.

References

• List of Test Sites
• Talk Like a Techie: 20 Day Challenge: Look for additional posts on specific dialing issues.

Your Turn

• What tips do you have to share for troubleshooting your videoconference?
  
• Any other common problems you’ve run into? Please share!

Team-written by Janine Lim, Shane Howard, and Roxanne Glaser. The opinions expressed in these posts are based on our collective video conference experience connecting classes across multiple networks to connect them to zoos, museums, experts and other classes during the past 10 years. This series of posts reflects our usage and understanding, not that of any vendor or manufacturer. No one is paying us to write these. We are just sharing what we have learned.

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing.

If you have a Polycom RMX, or need to dial into a Polycom RMX, you may find these tips helpful.

To dial out from the RMX

First, you need to create the participant to set how the dialing will occur.

If you have a participant who uses just the IP address to dial (no alias), use these steps:

• Select Create new participant
• Name the particiant
• Select the dialing direction (Dial out or Dial in)
• Set the Type to H.323
• You will fill in the appropriate IP Address
• Save the participant, at this point it is ready to be added to a conference.

Polycom RMX 2000

If you have a participant that has an alias or extension as part of their number, use these steps:

• Select Create new participant
• Name the participant
• Select the dialing direction (Dial out or Dial in)
• Set the Type to H.323
• You will fill in the appropriate IP Address
• Then you will input the alias number in the Alias Name/Type field and from the drop down select E.164
• Save the participant, at this point it is ready to be added to a conference.

To dial into the RMX

There are a few methods to dial into the RMX:

If your RMX is installed without any gatekeepers or VBPs:

• From a Polycom or LifeSize endpoint, you can dial RMX IP x.x.x.x##alias.
• Meeting rooms can be setup on RMX so that you can have the same alias all the time. You would follow same dialing as previous step.
• If you can’t get a site to dial in (i.e. a Tandberg endpoint), you can either dial out to them, or have them dial the IP address and rescue them from the entry queue.

If your RMX is installed with a gatekeeper or VBP:

• Polycom and LifeSize endpoints can still dial IP##alias format.
• Tandberg units can dial alias@IP.

References

• RMX 1500/2000/4000 Administrator’s Guide Version 7.0.2

Your Turn

• What tips do you have to share for dialing with the RMX?
• Any other issues or quirks you’ve run into? Please share!
  

Team-written by Janine Lim, Shane Howard, and Roxanne Glaser. The opinions expressed in these posts are based on our collective video conference experience connecting classes across multiple networks to connect them to zoos, museums, experts and other classes during the past 10 years. This series of posts reflects our usage and understanding, not that of any vendor or manufacturer. No one is paying us to write these. We are just sharing what we have learned.

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing.

If you have a Codian bridge, or need to dial into a Codian bridge, you may find these tips helpful.

To dial into the Codian MCU

Cisco-TANDBERG-Codian bridges usually pose no problem for participants dialing in.

• LifeSize and Polycom endpoints can dial in with IP##alias.
• Tandberg endpoints can dial in with alias@IP.
• Or any endpoints can dial the IP of the Codian, and use the far end camera control to enter their meeting room.
• Or if the endpoint or MCU can’t dial in one of these ways, you can dial in to the IP address and the bridge operator can move you to the conference where you belong.

To dial an Extension from a Codian MCU

Codian MCU

Many have questions on how to dial an extension (E.164 alias) from a Codian bridge, and some even think it can’t be done! But it can. Here’s how:

• Login to the Codian web interface
• Find the Gateway option in the menu
• Add a Gateway. This will be the IP address of the device that you will be connecting to. Be sure to name this Gateway.
• Once this step is done, you will then create a endpoint.
• Find the endpoint menu option.
• Create a endpoint. Under this option you will name the endpoint. For the address you will input the E.164 alias or extension.
• From the H.323 Gateway drop down menu, you will select the Gateway that you created and select it.

Normally you would dial an extension/alias in this form: x.x.x.x##alias
However, the Codian is using the Gateway as the IP address and the endpoint as the alias settings.
So the Codian sees the dial string like this: Gateway##Endpoint

References

• TANDBERG Codian MCU Tutorial

Your Turn

• What tips do you have to share for dialing with the Codian?
• Any other issues or quirks you’ve run into? Please share!

Team-written by Janine Lim, Shane Howard, and Roxanne Glaser. The opinions expressed in these posts are based on our collective video conference experience connecting classes across multiple networks to connect them to zoos, museums, experts and other classes during the past 10 years. This series of posts reflects our usage and understanding, not that of any vendor or manufacturer. No one is paying us to write these. We are just sharing what we have learned.