Before my current teaching position in La Grange ISD, I worked in International Programs for Texas A&M University. My first position with International Programs was with the Institute for Pacific Asia. We would web conference with professors and researchers in our regions such as China, Korea, Japan, and India.
I then transferred to a position in the Qatar Support Office. We assisted the College of Engineering in recruiting, hiring, preparing, and then moving the new employee and their family to our branch campus in the Middle East (Doha, Qatar). Web conferencing was an essential tool in all steps of this process and the face to face communication was truly invaluable. In addition, with my director, we created the first Arabic language class at Texas A&M using a professor in California and students at Texas A&M and Montana State University all communicating via web conferencing.
My current position at LGISD would greatly benefit from the use of web conferencing. My class of 2nd grade bilingual students would have the opportunity to interact with students in a variety of cultures around the world. In addition, the teachers could use this tool to collaborate with other teaching professionals and increase our opportunities for professional development. With current budget restrictions, one of the first cuts is for professional development travel. Web conferencing could provide this resource with virtually no cost to LGISD. We have the infrastructure already in place to facilitate these conferences.
I know from my past experiences at Texas A&M that face to face web conferencing is such a fantastic tool and really bridges the distance between parties and is much more effective than a phone call or an impersonal email.
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