A BALLARAT teacher will showcase, at a global event, how she leads drama classes through the use of video conferencing technology.
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Phoenix P-12 Community College head of eLearning Deanne Joosten uses video conferencing technology to teach drama to students from rural Victorian towns, including Mansfield, Lake Bolac and Goroke.
But it was her recent endeavour, a Trans-Tasman Skype production, that drew the attention of technology company Microsoft, which has selected her to represent Australia at a global educator event in Budapest, Hungary.
The Trans-Tasman Skype production involved rural Australian and New Zealand students performing online to a live audience of nearly 100 people. In the innovative production, students turned Australian songs into a monologue.
“It was fantastic for the students who were able to work in different ways and collaborate with other students from a different part of the world,” Ms Joosten said.
“It was fantastic to step back and watch them exchange ideas about culture and create a bond.”
Ms Joosten said her long-term project was to provide rural students with the opportunity to study drama, as some rural schools did not have a drama teacher.
She said there was 700 kilometres between each school she taught at from a class room at Phoenix P-12 Community College.
Ms Joosten was one of four Microsoft Innovator Educator Experts selected to represent Australia at the Microsoft Global Educator Exchange (E2).
“Having the opportunity to go to E2 in Budapest will allow me to really build on my expertise and passion about teaching with technology. This year I’m presenting at various conferences in Australia, empowering teachers to confidently and efficiently embrace technology in the classroom,” she said.
“Budapest will provide me with the chance to meet educators from around the globe – and that’s a very exciting prospect, because who knows what doors that could open for me and my students.”
Ms Joosten will join more than 300 of the world’s most innovative educators and students, where she will showcase how she has taken drama classes virtually through the use of video conferencing technology.
E2 will be held from March 8 to 10.
