ICCAN

 

Contents:

• 'Virtual' open house opens minds
• Learning new things… at Lunch & Learn
• Join us for Coffee Hour
• Fort McMurray gets connected
• Q & A with Janet Lane, Literacy Alberta
• Glossary of VC terms

iCCAN is made possible with funding from the Government of Alberta's Access to the Future Fund.

iCCAN Connected is published by the iCCAN Partnership: Community Learning Network, Literacy Alberta, and Volunteer Alberta.

 

A Rocky Mountain House resident in her eighties was among 35 community members and special guests participating in a videoconferencing demonstration event at the Rocky Community Learning Council (RCLC) Adult Learners' Week Celebration and Open House on March 19.

Multipoint VC enables connecting & networking

Literacy Alberta Executive Director Janet Lane connected via videoconference from Calgary to congratulate local resident George Adrian on the 2009 Adult Learners' Award from the RCLC.

Community Learning Network Executive Director Linda Thorne and iCCAN Project Coordinator Barb Jackson, both from Edmonton, attended in person.

Just like she was in the room

"It was great to have Janet Lane there via videoconference, and many people commented that it was just like she was in the room with us," says Donna Reid, Council Coordinator, Rocky Community Learning Centre (RCLC).

"The quality of the transmission was good, George had a conversation with Janet, and it was a good demonstration for people."

Excitement, opportunity

In the afternoon, several people from the Rocky Mountain site joined the iCCAN-hosted, multi-site "Coffee Hour" session at 2:30 pm.

"It was tremendously positive, and so many people in the community were asking 'what can this do for us?' after they attended the session," says RCLC Adult Literacy Coordinator Pat Warkentin.

"So many people just saw so much potential and were excited about possibilities that would never cross our minds. We just have so much more access now."

Sign language

RCLC's sign language instructor demonstrated signing during the Coffee Hour.

"We thought sign language would be the ultimate challenge," says Donna, "especially as movement can cause pixellation to happen on the screen."

The participants noted the need to see the instructor — from the top of her head to her knees — and to see her hands at the correct angle.

"We were focusing the camera a little more specifically on her so people could see what she was doing," explains Donna.

Resources to share

"With videoconferencing capability it's looking at what programs you'd like to have in your community as well as what resources and instructors you might be able to share, because it is a two-way street," she adds. "It's kind of like a tiger by the tail."

Virtual meeting place

The multi-site connection for Coffee Hour was facilitated through the iCCAN "bridge," a virtual meeting place for all the connections, into which multiple sites dial in.

"Right now we have a problem with our firewall, so people can't dial us point-to-point," explains Donna. "We either call them or we go through the bridge."

No SuperNet access

"We're not on SuperNet yet, so we are using our Shaw Cable connection," says Donna.

"There are some technical issues that we have to get assistance with, so considering that, our quality is pretty good."

What's next?

"We are going to be one of the sites for the Board Development Program for board members, four Wednesday nights, starting April 22," says Pat.

"We are also having some discussion with Money Mentors about delivering financial management classes."

Rural communities

Rocky Community Learning Council would like to look into using videoconferencing programming within our district as well.

"We have two rural high schools with videoconferencing in our district and we'd like to see if we can connect in with those communities down the road," Donna says.

Networking

As more sites come on, videoconferencing will provide an excellent way to network with other councils and peers, " especially with all of the proposed changes under the Roles and Mandates with Alberta Advanced Education and Technology," says Donna.

 

FORT McMURRAY

 

Wood Buffalo Volunteer Center Executive Director Cassandra Flett is looking forward to less driving and more professional development, thanks to a new installation of videoconference equipment in February.

"Every time we use it, we'll save 900 kilometres," says Cassandra, referring to the return trip from Fort McMurray to Edmonton.

"We're so far north, that everything is overly expensive here, and until January there were no hotel vacancies any day of the week. Bringing instructors in is next to impossible."

Learning the basics

Cassandra is just getting started with the new equipment, and found iCCAN's Videoconferencing 101 with project coordinator Barb Jackson "hugely helpful."

Cassandra says the equipment is pretty straightforward – "not much different than using a telephone or computer" but she appreciated having someone to walk her through the basics.

Professional development

"Professional development for non-profits is sometimes hard to come by here," she says, and hopes to participate in learning around grant writing and grant proposals, human resources and the non-profit sector, and leadership.

Possibilities

"From day one I could see the possibilities, and I'm looking forward to seeing what videoconferencing will do for us up here," says Cassandra.

Check out the newly redesigned WBVC website at: www.volunteerwoodbuffalo.ca

 

Learning new things… at Lunch & Learn

Following the success of the Money Mentors presentation in February, iCCAN hosted the Legal Resource Centre for a multi-site presentation on March 18. Five different communities dialed in for the presentation.

Donna Reid, Coordinator for the Rocky Community Council and member of the Women's Advisory Committee were in a new computer lab, where the Council's videoconferencing equipment is housed.

The presentation was excellent. "They sent some good resource material ahead of time," says Donna.

"We still have to learn about using the medium, as during the presentation different people were looking at different screens. So some of the information wasn't very clear to some of us."

For example, the screen shots of some web sites were a little small for some people.

"We could have logged onto those web sites with our laptops and followed the presentation if we had known beforehand," she says.

"It's a learning thing for everybody, both the presenters and the learners."

 

UPCOMING LUNCH & LEARN SESSIONS

April 20 - Screening Volunteers and more

Presented by Volunteer Alberta Time TBA

To sign up for April's Lunch N Learn, contact Lisa Michetti at 780-482-3300 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

May 27, 2009 - Yoga at Work

Presented by Judy Murphy
2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

June 03, 2009 - Learning Clicks

Presented by Dolores Patterson
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

To sign up for May and June's Lunch N Learn, contact Barb Jackson at 1-877-485-4926 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Q&Awith Janet Lane

Executive Director, Literacy Alberta

 

Why do you say iCCAN is more than a SuperNet connectivity project?

iCCAN is about building relationships and building community. It's about building networks and building capacity to do training, communications, professional development and learning.

How is the project going?

Overall, it's going well. We've probably got 25-30 per cent of the equipment in place, although not all of it is connected. The equipment is easy to put into place. It's getting connected to the SuperNet that is causing some frustration.

What is videoconferencing's potential for literacy?

To have a tutor on one end, a learner on the other, videoconferencing between them … they won't have to actually drive to get together. That's going to be a huge saving. The time that would normally have been spent in driving can actually be spent in learning.

The idea that people can learn wherever they are, whoever they are, at whatever level they need to learn, and close to home, which is so important for learners, is life changing. Just as learning to be literate is life changing.

What is the ultimate potential of iCCAN?

When I first got involved in this project I thought about the efficiencies, but then I realized there's more to it than that.

Rather than just having this playing field of our own connections - between the learning and the literacy and the volunteer centres – I see us being able to go onto other people's playing fields, so that eventually it will be a three-dimensional spider web of networking and connectivity.