Special Events
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Local Contact: Björn Hennings, 919-843-2874, hennings@unc.edu
5th Megaconference Jr. joins K-12 students worldwide
via advanced multi-point video conferencing
Local students will communicate, collaborate, contribute to each other’s learning
For twelve hours on Feb. 21, thousands of K-12 students from at least four continents and 22 U.S. states will join together in a virtual classroom using advanced videoconferencing technology to deliver presentations and activities focusing on a wide array of academic and cultural ideas.
Students and educators from Smith Middle School in Chapel Hill will participate in the fifth annual Megaconference Jr. global event. Megaconference Jr. is a project designed to give students in elementary and secondary schools around the world the opportunity to communicate, collaborate and contribute to each other's learning in real time, using advanced multi-point video conferencing technology.
Presenters design and conduct videoconference-based presentations and activities focused on both academic and cultural issues. Participants are able to address questions to presenters and to collaborate with geographically diverse peers in collaborative learning activities, thus building international cultural awareness.
Detailed information about the event, including the day’s schedule of presentation, is available at www.megaconferencejr.org.
The Carolina Center for Educational Excellence, an outpost of the School of Education of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will serve as videoconferencing host site for the event. Area students, educators, parents, and interested community members are invited to attend.
Smith Middle School French and Global Connection students will be observing students from around the world present on topics ranging from “Packing a Virtual Suitcase –Travelling the Globe” to Hip-hop poetry from a French immersion school.
This very special five-year anniversary Megaconference Jr. event will include participants from more than 215 schools from 13 countries around the world including Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Australia, Malta, Northern Ireland, Japan, England, Portugal, Canada, Spain, Australia, and the United States.
Sites anywhere in the world are also encouraged to watch the live webstream on February 21 at http://commonsvcg.oar.net/megaconference. The event runs from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. (EST). The 12-hour duration makes it possible for schools from many time zones to participate during their regular school hours.
Technical services and facilitation of the Megaconference Jr. event in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, are provided through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Education, Carolina Center for Educational Excellence.
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About Megaconference Jr.
Megaconference Jr. is the world’s first all virtual K-12 videoconference event over Internet2 and high-speed networks around the world. This event is made possible by a volunteer team of technologists, students, teachers and staff. The Internet2 Commons Videoconferencing Service provides the high capacity multi-point videoconferencing technology that makes this event possible.