GOVERNMENT

Since September, the Technology Research, Education, and Commercialization Center (TRECC), which is administered by NCSA, has given about 60 Webcams to K-12 teachers and administrators throughout Illinois. The giveaway is meant to advance educators' technical capabilities, and the Webcams allow for easy, free videoconferencing. But the equipment and training they receive are just the beginning. "This is a new tool for many of these people, and we are a resource for them as they figure out 'Why do I need this?' and 'How do I use this,'" says Nancy Komlanc, TRECC's director of education and training. "The school Web camera scholarship is also a way to jumpstart the University of Illinois' Educators' Knowledge Center." The Knowledge Center is a free, integrated set of online tools for sharing information and resources. Among other things, educators can swap lesson plans, textbook reviews, and ideas for interactive activities. They can collaborate on proposals and projects via a text chat service. They can also—and here's where those Webcams come in—videoconference with colleagues in other buildings or other districts, using software and services provided by the Knowledge Center. In Iroquois County, for example, the consolidated school district will use the Webcams to connect their five schools. "You can imagine that the third-grade teacher needs to coordinate with the fourth-grade teacher. But they're not even in the same town," says Komlanc. "They don't need a full-blown, expensive videoconferencing system. They just inexpensive Webcams they can use from their desktops and an idea of where to start." Numerous other communication tools are available in the Educators' Knowledge Center at http://www.trecc.org/ed/. To apply for a Webcam, see http://www.trecc.org/education/webcam/. TRECC is funded by the Office of Naval Research.