'Good Morning Banning' From Australia

Students and parents at 'Back to School Night' Thursday at Banning High got to videoconference live with a diver and instructor in Townsville, Queensland, on the northeast coast of Australia.

The demo took place in the school's new Global Communications Lab, where classes now have the ability to connect, interact and learn with their peers around the world.

The global video-conference technology is billed by district officials as the first of its kind in the San Gorgonio Pass.

"It's a two-way live feed, audio and video, so the students can ask them questions live and they can get response right back," said Mac Patel, technology director for Banning Unified.

"We want to reach out for the best of the best around the world, leaders in the industry who can connect with our students and show them the learning opportunities that they have," Patel said.

As the district's new instructional technology coach, Goodwin says she is working with teachers on integrating technology into their curriculum, including how to incorporate the global communications lab video-conferencing into their lessons.

"We've just started this process and part of my job is to train them on how to use this," Goodwin said Wednesday at Banning High.

The Global Communications Lab, equipped for videoconferencing by Cisco Systems, Inc., is new this school year, Goodwin said.

Programs coordinating with the new lab include:

- SWAT: Students Working to Advance Technology - meets 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Thursdays. First meeting is Sept. 29.

- Tech Tuesdays: For community members and parents learning how to use computers. Sessions at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

- Teacher Tech Tuesdays: For instructors seeking to integrate more technology into their lessons. Seesions at 2:45 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.

For more information about the , contact Goodwin at bgoodwin@banning.k12.ca.us or (951) 922-0285 ext. 295110.