Collaboration with MAGPI

Posted by Gabe on August 19, 2010 under Kids are Heroes | 10 Comments to Read

Have you seen that Cisco commercial where Ellen Page visits a classroom (assumed to be in the US) and she asks where the kids are going on their field trip today?  The kids’ answer in unison: “China!!” then point to their video screen where another classroom of Asian children yell back to them.  I’ve always thought that was kind of a neat commercial but also assumed it was actually implemented for a select few or even still a pipe dream.  I stand corrected. This technology is widely available and being used in the US.  How do I know this?  Because one company that uses it extensively has invited Kids Are Heroes® to build a presentation for 15-20 schools across the country.  This event is already scheduled and we are calling it the first “Virtual Kids Are Heroes Day”.  On Wednesday, December 8, we will be taking a train to Philadelphia so MaryMargaret and I can host this presentation.  There will be several other heroes involved, only they will not have to travel much as the technology already exists where they live.  That was part of the reason they were chosen as the first group to participate in this wonderful event.  Gail Poulin, kindergarten teacher from the Norris School in Southampton, Massachusetts, will also participate as she can explain to all the students and teachers how she embeds the Kids Are Heroes experience in her curriculum from the beginning to the end of the year.  Each location has two 50″ plasma TV’s , one displaying the current featured presenter and the other showing the participating schools.  It’s even interactive so that during the Q&A part a school in Kentucky can ask a question of one of our heroes in New Hampshire.  Is that awesome or what??

This is the kind of thing we have been working towards for quite some time now.  And this one was funny how it happened.  It sprouted from an email from Heather Weisse, the Manager of Educational Services for MAGPI. From MAGPI’s web site: “MAGPI (the Mid-Atlantic Gigapop in Philadelphia for Internet2) is a regional high-speed network and aggregation point providing access to robust advanced network infrastructure and Next Generation networking services for institutions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.”

Another exciting thing about this is that once it is complete it will have been recorded and will be available for everyone to stream it over the Internet.  Activities like these will take us to the next level.  And if it goes well we may be able to do it on a regular basis. Isn’t technology great?

Update 11/02/10: Due to a conflict in scheduling (MaryMargaret is being flown to San Francisco in early December due to the role model contest she won) the MAGPI session has been rescheduled to February 2, 2011.