April 16, 2008 // Murray, KY – 7th grade students at Calloway County Middle School will have the unique opportunity to video conference with Congressman Ed Whitfield. The conference will take place April 17 at 2:15 CST.
Students will discuss Congressman Whitfield’s role in our federal government. Plus, students will enjoy a question-answer session that gives them the chance to talk to Congressman Whitfield about issues important to them.
“Throughout my 13 year tenure in Congress, I have found my many conversations with Kentucky’s youngest residents to be among the most enlightening.” Congressman Whitfield said. “Students from Kentucky’s First Congressional District are some of the brightest, most talented young people in our country. I am looking forward to speaking with students from Calloway County Middle School to see what issues are most important to them and answer any questions they may have on our nation’s government.”
This video conferencing opportunity is made possible through a pilot project with IOCOM, a Chicago based visual collaboration software company. IOCOM’s initiative, entitled “Removing Boundaries”, invited a small group of K-12 schools to submit a one page proposal for a distance learning project. IOCOM’s offer included free software and support for the duration of the project.
"We are delighted to see K-12 schools utilize this opportunity to enhance their curriculum,” IOCOM Vice-President of Sales and Marketing Jim Miller said. “The students are embracing the experience. The ease of use, high quality, and scalability of the IOCOM software makes it a great tool for teachers in the classroom.”
Calloway County Middle School is the only Kentucky school currently involved in the project. This will be the third time 7th graders at Calloway County Middle School have used the video conferencing technology this year to enhance their education. Students in Brad Darnall’s social studies classes collaborated with a Memphis economics professor and an archeologist with the University of Pennsylvania. One more is scheduled with the National Science Center Museum in August, Georgia in May.
“There’s no better way to learn about our government than talking to a primary source who lives it every day,” Darnall said. “I’m so grateful to Congressman Whitfield for taking the time to talk with our students. However, without the technology provided by IOCOM it would be impossible for my students to experience guest speakers of this caliber. I see so many ways to use video conferencing to engage my students and take their learning beyond just the classroom walls and Murray, KY.”
Press Release Provided by Brad Darnell, Calloway County Middle School
About IOCOM
IOCOM is a Chicago-based software provider that helps keep people connected through video, data and audio conferencing. Its solutions work with virtually any Internet-enabled device, including room systems, PCs, laptops and mobile devices. IOCOM’s focus is on delivering the high performance necessary for smooth audio and video without the cost and complexity of bulkier, proprietary systems. Fortune 500 companies, government and education institutions, researchers, skilled workers, and general consumers currently rely on IOCOM’s solutions. For more information, please visit http://www.iocom.com.