Ideas+for+Next+Year


 * Things that worked well**
 * The costumes!
 * Strategic advertising with the bookmarks (Open House, Roxanne's Workshop, poster sessions and Showcases)
 * The letter of marque and the scavenger hunt feel to the playground.
 * Several commented that they really appreciated the VC Continuum of Equipment. That seemed to help understanding.
 * Treasure!
 * Post playground communication to content providers, pirates, and participants. These emails thank them and give them statistics about the playground and a reminder of how to learn more.


 * Materials**
 * On the sheet where we collect their data: "content providers" is jargon. Not everyone understood that.
 * we should ask them if they want to hear from SIG IVC (and/or is there a place we can help them sign up?) (see computers note below)
 * The question "do you use VC in your classroom" isn't good. Should be, do you have access to VC?
 * We may also want to list Polycom, Tandberg, LifeSize, Skype, web conferencing tools such as....


 * Room VC System Islands**
 * let people choose if they want to try dialing or not
 * put any Polycom IP##dialing on the HDX unit (or on the Polycom CMA)


 * Desktop VC System Islands**
 * Use science fair tri-fold poster boards to make 2-4 stations per table instead of just one
 * leave the desktop VC systems connected
 * Elluminate, Vidyo, and Movi need to dial IP addresses only - no funky dialing or far end camera control etc.


 * Pirate Guides**
 * write here


 * Content Providers / Places to Dial**
 * Virtual Pirates: need to include collaborations next year: Angela Conrad, Linda McDonald, Linda McDermon; SIGIVC members who can't come or their proposals were rejected, etc.
 * content providers need to give up their location within 1 minute
 * a conversational style is much better than a sales pitch - people feel "stuck"... no slides!! should be very short!!


 * Vendors**
 * need to explicitly invite them and explain/define their role


 * Treasure Island**
 * heard a complaint/comment from a person on lack of a place to actually fill in the form - i.e. room to write/sit/with pen/pencils
 * Need three people at the treasure table - more treasure guardians! sometimes it got crazy!
 * This needed to be a double table. Very congested and crowded at times.
 * Need to use a Google form and let people enter their own information. It takes quite a while to manually enter these and many of them are really difficult to read. This year we had 150 to enter.
 * Entering the information from the written forms is very time-consuming and also inaccurate. The handwriting was difficult to read.
 * The mailing is majorly a pain too - do we have to do it that way?


 * Prizes**
 * Budget for envelopes, postage, and time to assemble the thank you/you won letter and send out the prizes.


 * Computers**
 * People tried to use the ISTE computers with the wiki on them to do the tasks for that island.
 * What if we had a computer station for CILC and one for CAPspace - and people could get their account right then & there if they wanted to? (with someone there to assist)
 * Take the ISTE computers off the islands and make another island for signing up on CILC and Capspace with 4 computers.
 * Have two more desktops for our Virtual Pirates


 * Timing**
 * 5 hours seems way too long (and/or if it has to be that way due to ISTE playground times - need to actually do shifts and send people away for a break!)
 * 5 hours would work with more pirates to rotate. I think this will improve next year.


 * Signage**


 * Virtual Pirates**


 * Other Ideas**
 * Have a display showing different types of cart/classroom setups with a pirate to explain. We could get pictures from our different vc peeps and create a scrolling slide show.
 * Have an Ask the VC Geek station for those who want to talk techie.
 * Need two queens greeting
 * Add the wiki address to all printed materials
 * Three people at Treasure Island
 * Have a Good-bye Pirate thanking them for coming
 * Create a SIG IVC bookmark with both databases and SIG info on it
 * One thing to think about: I think some people were still confused about the equipment. Because we were displaying the HD systems on the IWB, I think some teachers think that video conferencing is a part of the Promethean set up. Same thing with the computers, I think some of them think they can video conference on their computers with magic. This is why I suggested a station on carts and such.

ASK ME, I'm a pirate. Invite all membership to provide brochures collecting information for prizes.