February 8, 2017(X) Action Required
Due date: March 10, 2017
( )Informational
BULLETIN NO. 010-17 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
TO:Educational Service District Superintendents
School District Superintendents
School District Business Managers
School District Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Administrators
School District Technology Coordinators
FROM: Chris Reykdal, Superintendent of Public Instruction
RE:Free Zoom Videoconferencing Service for Schools on K-20 Network
CONTACT:Dennis Small, Director, Education Technology
360-725-6384,
Recently, an agreement between the K-20 Education Network and Zoom Video Communications was signed to provide a cloud-based videoconferencing service to K-20 customers. The goal of this agreement is to provide Zoom as an alternate and/or supplemental videoconferencing tool that allows users to engage in interactive video and audio conferencing and collaboration on a variety of desktops and mobile platforms, at no additional cost to your district. The current K-20 videoconferencing and K-20 Online Resource Reservation System (KORRS) scheduling system will be continued for the foreseeable future, as well. The use of the Zoom cloud-based videoconferencing service by districts is entirely optional, but we highly recommend it for curricular activities and administrative purposes.
What is Zoom?
Zoom is a desktop and mobile device-based videoconferencing solution that includes interactive video, audio, screen sharing, chat and local recording features. Zoom works on multiple platforms including Windows, Mac, Chrome OS, iOS and Android devices. While Zoom is intended to be used on a single device, it can be transformed into a group/classroom system with the additional use of a projector, group microphone, speakers and camera.
What can you do with Zoom?
- Engage in an interactive high-definition (HD) video/audio conference with up to 50 other sites.
- Pre-schedule sessions (including a calendar invitation) or launch them on the fly.
- Share desktops, videos, documents and websites during the videoconference.
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- Create breakout sessions that allow attendees to work, learn and collaborate in small groups during the meeting.
- Draw directly on the shared screen so notations are visible to all attendees.
- Record your meetings/class sessions for others to watch at a later time.
- Send text and voice messages, files or images with groups or individuals.
Sample Educational Uses of Zoom
- Instructional and Curricular:
Virtual field trips, debates, foreign language activities, real-time interactions with and authentic learning from experts in various fields. - Distance Learning:
Collaboration among districts to offer courses that are difficult to find teachers for. - Special Needs:
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), speech and language, occupational therapy, tutoring. - Professional Development (PD):
Expanded PD opportunities for educators, particularly in remote areas. - Administrative:
Meetings, presentations, interviews, individual or group conferences.
Benefits of This New Agreement
- Supports 21st century classrooms where students can interact live with other students and experts at remote locations.
- Reduces travel expenditures by allowing administrators to connect to meetings remotely.
- Opens new possibilities for educators to participate in (and deliver!) professional development.
- Utilizes current technology (desktops and mobile devices); no special or proprietary hardware is required.
- Works on all platforms (Windows, Mac, Chrome, Linux) with mobile apps for iOS, Android and Blackberry.
- Allows interactive sessions to be recorded for viewing at a later time.
- Operates in parallel with the existing K-20 Multipoint Control Units (MCUs).
- Only the meeting initiator needs a Zoom license, who can then invite other attendees with an auto-generated email message that contains an embedded link to the meeting/session (or schedule via a calendar invitation).
- Provided to K-20 member institutions at no additional cost.
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What OSPI needs from districts
OSPI is ready to distribute licenses at this very moment. However, there are some steps you will need to take in order to implement this solution for users in your district, and it will take two or three weeks to get your account set up and ready to use. Follow these steps to activate Zoom in your district:
- Identify one person in your district to be the Zoom administrator. Suggestions include your IT Director (or their designee), your director of instructional technology, or a technology coach. This person should be comfortable with technology, and experienced with basic account administration and support.
- Talk to the person you have in mind and let them know Zoom and OSPI will be contacting them with information about next steps.
- Send the name and email address of your district’s designated Zoom account administrator to Dennis Small at .
Additional information for your designated Zoom account administrator is provided in Attachment A.
We hope you will find this new service to be a truly valuable part of your K-20 Network experience, and look forward to the ways in which Zoom videoconferencing will be used to support learning and teaching in Washington K-12 schools!
INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE
For questions regarding this bulletin, please contact Dennis Small, Director of Education Technology at 360-725-6384or . The OSPI TTY number is 360-664-3631.
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This bulletin is also available on OSPI’s website at
Jamila Thomas
Chief of Staff
Peter D. Tamayo
Chief Information Officer
Information Technology Services
Dennis Small
Director
Education Technology
CR:ss
Attachment:
Additional Information for the Designated Zoom Account Administrator in Your District
OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director at 360-725-6162/TTY: 360-664-3631; or P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200; or.