Karen Perrins UKERNA, UK Back to Homepage	Video conferencing in Welsh Medium Schools Karen Perrins UKERNA, UK
	A group of Welsh Medium Schools is to roll out Welsh Video Network (WVN) style videoconferencing studios in six schools throughout Wales that use the Welsh language for teaching. The group, CYDAG (Cymdeithas Ysgolion Dros Addysg Gymraeg), has been given funding from the Learning Challenge Fund by ELWa – the National Council for Education and Training for Wales. The funding will support the videoconferencing studios for one year of teaching. Studio design and roll-out,along with day-to-day operational support, will be provided by theWelsh Video Network Support Centre (WVN SC). Booking and schedulingof multipoint conferences will be supported by the JANET Videoconferencing Service.The project will run until 31 July 2005. The initial phase is currently underway and the WVN SC is assisting with the roll-out of equipment into the studios. Some schools havealso received technical and user training from the WVN SC, and additional training will be given at the beginning of the new academic year. Initially the schools will use ISDN connectivity and the WVN SC will work with the Local Authorities in Wales to provide them with an IP videoconferencing service. The use of the studios for teaching and learning will commence in September 2004. Training in teaching using videoconferencing is also being provided, along with opportunities for practitioners to share good practice. It is planned that the studios will be used. Videoconferencing in Welsh Medium Schools to deliver learning to students at A/AS level in nine subject areas spread right across the curriculum, ranging from maths, across the social sciences to art. An evaluation report will be produced at the end of the project, focusing on the technology and pedagogy that have been trialled. Ian Jones and Karen Perrins UKERNA, UK This artcile has been duplicated with permission from UKERNA News number 28, November 2004. The full newsletter is available online at http://www.ja.net/documents/UKERNA_News/NEWS28.pdf Back to Homepage
	This document was prepared for the DIVERSE newsletter November 2004 - ref: www.diverse-net.org/diversenl0305kp1.htm