SHAMROCK, TEXAS -- Advances in technology help all of us every day. It's even changing what's going on in the classroom. Students across the Panhandle are going on interactive field trips to places like the President's Library to the National Weather Service Center in Norman, Oklahoma. We're taking a closer look in the week's Region 16 Spotlight Education report.
"The students had a live video conference where they could talk with Reed and ask him questions as well as the scientist in Oklahoma," said Laramie Jernigan, Technology Assistant at Shamrock ISD said Laramie Jernigan, Tech
Many of you maybe familiar with the TV show, "Storm Chasers". Reed Timmer, one of the show's starts, walked students from Shamrock elementary through the National Weather Service Center in Norman. Interacting with the kids, and teaching them ways to stay safe during severe weather, even allowing the students to ask questions.
"It's such a joy to see the look on their faces that just light up and they want to participate and they are raising their hands and talking and they are so excited and they want to do more video conferences," said Jernigan.
Video conferences that are bringing not only the National Weather Service Center to students, but the Presidential Library, The Texas Department of Wildlife, anything teachers and Region 16 can think of.
"We can go to either Norman, Oklahoma like we did today or we could go to San Antonio. We could go across the world. We could go to New York City, so that's what is so fantastic about this equipment," said Kim Oldham, Technology Coordinator.
"It's specially important for our school because we are kind of located at the edge of the Panhandle and using this equipment that we have can take our students to different parts of the state, and the country, and the world. They have so many opportunities right here in the classroom," said Jernigan.
Currently, Shamrock ISD has about 2 to 3 video conferences a week with students. But as more opportunities come, that number will increase.
