Videoconferencing Equipment Videoconferencing equipment can help with conducting interviews, performing observations, and creating video-based demonstrations of skill mastery. Videoconferencing equipment can be used to connect teachers to their students for distance-based courses, or entire classess can be connected to other classes for collaborative activies. This equipment can also be used to view examples of student work, such as class presentations by students in the same or collaborating classrooms. The Iowa Chemistry Education Alliance connects master teachers in chemistry with their peers in other schools across the state. Working in cooperation with chemistry faculty from Iowa State, chemistry teachers developed prototype lessons that include live instruction, collaboration, and student presentations. These lessons utilize videoconferencing that is distributed across the Iowa Communications Network as well as over the Internet through technologies such as CU-SeeMe. Tuning In While most students are familiar with watching video, few have experience in videoconferencing as active participants. Pacific Bell's Education First Initiative has helped establish high-speed networks for videoconferencing in schools, libraries, and community collegs. Visit Pacific Bell's Videoconferencing for learning to see how to get the most from this tool in the classroom and to get their helpful instructional strategies.