GOING GLOBAL: Banning High Proud of New Global Communication Lab

Students and teachers at Banning High School are about to go global.

Thanks to a brand-new Global Communications Lab, they will now have the ability to connect, interact and learn with their peers around the world, Banning Unified School District officials said Wednesday.

The global video-conference technology, billed by district officials as the first of its kind in the San Gorgonio Pass, will be on display Thursday night at Banning High during Back to School Night.

At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, instructors and students plan to video-conference with a submerged diver on the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, said district Instructional Technology Coach Brittney Goodwin.

At 7 p.m., a video conference with educators in Hong Kong, China, is planned.

"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 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.

Banning High Back to School Night is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Thursday. Sept. 29 in the Broncos gym. Students, parents and invited guests are welcome to attend.

Printable pdf fliers about Back to School Night and programs offered at the Global Communication Lab are attached to this report.

For more information about Back to School Night, call (951) 922-0285.

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