Upcoming Events!

Persuade Santa!

Back by popular demand, RETN will host that jolly ol' elf, Santa Claus! On December 6th, 7th, and 13th, K - 3rd grade students from around the region will practice their persuasive writing skills and try to convince Santa that they did many good deeds this past year. The programs begin with an interactive reading of "Twas the Night Before Christmas," followed by Santa commenting on selected persuasive letters, and end with some very important student-generated questions that ONLY Santa himself can answer. Please plan a "virtual" visit with Santa and his elves at the North Pole. Ho, Ho, Ho!

Go to www.esc11.net/edtech/gerri/persuade_santa for more information and to find out how to sign up!

Texas Connects: Sun, Moon, Earth
On December 9th, Education Service Centers around the state, in collaboration with TETN, will host their third Texas Connects videoconferencing event entitled "Sun, Moon, Earth." Students in 3rd - 5th grade from across the state will participate in this day long event by delivering presentations that focus on the connections between the sun, moon, and earth. Special presentations will also be conducted by the NASA Johnson Space Center through conversations with astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao and his work on the International Space Station.
See http://texasconnects.esc2.net for more information.

Scheduling Caution!

Please make a note of the dates that ESC Region XI will be closed. RETN will not be able to make any content enhancement (virtual field trip) program connections on these dates. If you have dual enrollment or graduate classes on any of these dates, the RETN helpdesk will monitor these classes remotely.

November 23-25
December 19-30
January 16
February 20
April 14 & 17
May 5 & 29
July 4

Check the monthly calendar for information regarding scheduled programs and upcoming events.

Did you miss the Distance Learning Conference?

The first annual Distance Learning Conference was held at ESC Region XI on October 19. Click here to see the highlights, and see what's planned for next year!

What are "district-initiated events?" Click here to see an example and learn how one district is "connecting" in new ways!

Can you Starbak that? This is short for "Would you please stream (web cast) and digitally archive a videoconferencing session from RETN or TETN?" Starbak is the name of the RETN videoconferencing streaming solution that can automatically stream, archive, catalog, and publish videoconferencing connections. Click here to see how Starbak is used.

Videoconferencing Etiquette 101
Cell phones are becoming an increasingly irritating problem. Changes in cell phone technology have resulted in interference with the microphones used in videoconferencing. The issue is you don't hear the interference at your site, but other remote sites hear a distracting buzzing. Please make sure that ALL cell phones are turned OFF, not just on vibrate, and kept away from the microphones (ladies, that means in your purse on the table as well!)
Q & A - It is helpful if participants respond with "This is John Doe from Wherever ISD and our question is ...." This allows the audio to cause the video to switch, and helps ensure the entire question is heard. Plus many of our presenters and new providers can't recognize every room and this helps them to respond in a more personal manner to the participants.
Video - Even if you don't like to be on camera, don't be rude and leave your video muted or have the camera showing an empty chair. No one wants to stare at the ceiling or a camera with a big red slash through it, and we want to make the events effective and successful for everyone. Please make sure your camera shows the room with participants, especially when speaking. We all have bad hair days!

Maintenance Agreements
The maintenance agreement contracts are overdue for VTEL systems, but can still be submitted! Districts with Tandberg or Polycom systems, please contact Carla Crocker ASAP to make arrangements to have this agreement in place BEFORE something goes wrong! Carla Crocker, ccrocker@esc11.net, (817) 740-7605.