Proposal

**Overview** The goals of “Remote ISTE” are:
 * Remote ISTE 2011 Program Proposal**
 * To extend the conference beyond the walls of the convention center
 * To encourage people to attend a future ISTE conference
 * To demonstrate best practices for distance learning technologies (video conference, web conference, streaming, course management systems, etc.)
 * http://remoteiste11.wikispaces.com/Vision

We will use a web site to engage Remote ISTE participants before and after the conference (asynchronously) and we will use interactive technologies (video conferencing, web conferencing, text chat, etc.) to engage participants on the day of the Remote ISTE event.

Pre-conference web activities will be managed in a course management system (Moodle, Blackboard, etc.) and will guide participants around the ISTE 2011 web site. We expect that most participants will not have attended an ISTE Conference in the past. We want to expose them to the organization of the conference (Themes & Strands; Concurrent Sessions/Learning Stations/Research; Keynotes; Workshops; Member Events; Other/social Events; Exhbitis; etc.) and show the tremendous variety of opportunities available when attending the conference.

We will give them an activity to setup their own “Conference Planner” and explore the hotels, housing, tours and transportation.

We will ask them about what they would see and do (forums, treasure hunt, etc.) if they were attending ISTE 2011 in Philadelphia.

We will have them look at registration and costs and have them create a budget for attending the conference.

We will introduce them to the Special Interest Groups and help them explore forums, business meetings, and the SIG web sites (NING, wiki, etc.)

There will even be a (subtle) pitch in there for ISTE membership.

Include the schedule for the Remote ISTE event day. Describe group sites and individual participants, etc.

Pre conference content will be developed and moderated by volunteers from SIGOL. SIGOL has agreed to this and we will meet shortly. The web site will be open to participants on June 1, 2011.

Post conference content will be oriented around answering questions from the participants, facilitating follow up with session or workshop presenters, collecting and presenting survey results, recorded web conference sessions, etc. We will have a volunteer designated to facilitate this. This will last for only two weeks after the conference (ends July 14, 2011.)

**How Program Would Work**

The participants will either be at a group site that has video conferencing (and Internet access) or individuals who have broadband Internet access. Individual Participants will have a (volunteer) leader for the day. This person will welcome them at the beginning of the day, set the tone and theme for the program, answer questions and guide them to their program events. The leader (or alternate) will be available during the day (via chat) to answer questions, help solve problems, etc.

Group participants will come together at a group site and experience Remote ISTE together. The group leader will welcome the participants and lay out the plan for their day. Participants will be encouraged to learn and experience with the group, but should also be allowed to participate as an individual (if they so choose.) The model is like a group from a single school or district who attends the ISTE Conference together.

We will use one Video Conference room and two Web Conference (Acrobat Connect) rooms for Remote ISTE. Group sites will be together in a classroom, meeting room or auditorium. They have local technologists who will operate the video and web conferencing. Individual participants will be required to support their own computers and broadband access. We will have a (volunteer) available to help troubleshoot web conference issues.

See the Remote ISTE Schedule Matrix.

**Resources Required**

Program Committee: Remote ISTE Coordinator only

Technology resources:
 * · Moodle (or Course Management; Blackboard; etc.) (ISTE?)
 * · Acrobat Connect (Web conferencing; etc.) (ISTE)
 * · Laptops (as many as a dozen, need to be able to install software on these computers) (ISTE Conference gear?)
 * · Web cams and USB microphones (2 each, $500 total, reusable)
 * · Video conferencing systems for session room and IVC Ops (workshop) (vendor donation)
 * · Headset(s) to use with IVC Ops video conference unit (reusable, $?)
 * · May want wired network connection for poster, playground, lounge and/or exhibit area(s)

Volunteers and Staff:

The org chart below is a functional organization chart and one person may perform a number of functions. Names included are people who have volunteered to participate, who have participated in the past or are guilty by association. ;-)  · Assistant Producer is the next Coordinator. (on site)   · Stage Manager is responsible for all activities on “event day” (on site)   · Pre/Post Conference Manager coordinates asynch activity on the web site. Most of this work is done before the conference and/or remotely.  o Content developers create the content and activities for the pre/post conference web site (remote)  o Asynch facilitators work with Remote ISTE participants through the web site, preparing them for the event, answering questions, facilitating discussions, etc. (remote)   · Web Conference Manager coordinates synchronous web activity for the day of the event.  o Marketing, Registration and Liaison works with individual participants to register, collect fees, distribute credentials, answer questions, etc.  o Acrobat Facilitator/Talent is the face of the conference to the individual participants. Will be “on stage” (on site) o Acrobat Workshop Presenter (on site) o Acrobat Room Facilitator manages the Acrobat room on the day of the event (remote or on site) o Session Room Tech operates the encoding laptop in the session room on the day of the event (on site) o Acrobat Tech Support helps the room facilitator solve technical problems for/with the individual participants (remote or on site) · Video Conference Manager coordinates synchronous video conference activity for the day of the event. (on site) o Marketing, Registration and Liaison works with group sites to register, collect fees, distribute credentials, answer questions, etc. (remote) o IVC Facilitator/Talent is the face of the conference to the group sites. Will be “on camera” (on site) o IVC Workshop Presenter (on site) o IVC OPS operates the video conferencing core and codec equipment in the session room on the day of the event (on site) · PeoPLE Manager coordinates the playground, poster, lounge, exhibit, or other content for the day of the event. (on site) o PeoPLE Talent is the “on camera” talent showing the remote participants other (on site) o PeoPLE Tech Support operates the encoding laptop in the session room on the day of the event and helps the PeoPLE Talent solve technical problems (on site) · Tech Manager coordinates the technology requirements (hardware, software, network, accessories, scheduling, testing, rehearsal, operations, etc.) for the entire event. Has “dotted line” responsibility to/for the functions below: (on site) o Content developers create the content and activities for the pre/post conference web site (remote) o Asynch facilitators work with Remote ISTE participants through the web site, preparing them for the event, answering questions, facilitating discussions, etc. (remote) o Session Room Tech operates the encoding laptop in the session room on the day of the event (on site) o Acrobat Tech Support helps the room facilitator solve technical problems for/with the individual participants (remote or on site) o IVC OPS operates the video conferencing core and codec equipment in the session room on the day of the event (on site) o PeoPLE Tech Support operates the encoding laptop in the session room on the day of the event and helps the PeoPLE Talent solve technical problems (on site)

[Org Chart]

**Implementation Timeline** March 18 - Finalize plan and program March 21 – Kickoff Asynchronous (Pre/Post Conference) work with SIGOL March 31 – Finalize volunteer managers & Pre/Post Conference team April 1 – Begin marketing, open registration for Group Sites April 30 – Finalize remaining volunteers May 1 – Begin marketing, open registration for Individuals May 1 – Test Pre/Post Conference site May 20 – Pre/Post Conference site ready June 1 – Pre Conference (asynch) site goes live June 6-24 – Test video conference sites and web conference technology June 24 – Rehearsal (all hands) June 28 – (Live/Real Time/Synchronous) Remote ISTE event July 14 – Post Conference (asynch) site goes static