Have you heard
about CU-SEEME?
CU-SeeMee allows people to communicate through the internet, not in the
traditional way, which is to read what's written and respond by writing,
but allowing people to see each other's faces and talk to each other.
Isn't this cool?!!!!
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Potential educational use: How might it change teaching
and learning?
As people talk about it these days how students will not have to go to
school and teachers will not have to go to work since all the education
will be done through the internet using a software like this. The
idea is that students and teachers will communicate through the computer
and school will not have to exist anymore. I am not particularly
for that idea, but CU-SeeMee might be a potential software that can be
used if that happens in the future. I am not in favor of that idea
because eduaction through the internet will reduce the chances that students
can see each other and interact with one another. That will reduce
the chances that students can learn how to socialize with different people,
etc. Another problem would be discipline. If parents are busy
and are not able to stay with students during the day, nobody will be able
to enforce them to participate in the class through the internet.
I am sure there are more problems than those that I mentioned, but these
are some of the reasons why I don't like the education through the internet
using this kind of software.
However, even if entire education would not have to be through the
internet, CU-SeeMee might be used to help out students who have trouble
with homework. Students and teachers can set up a time to go into
the internet and if anybody has some questions, then he/she can get help
through those times. That might be cool if that can happen, but it
might take a while for that to happen since it will be hard for teachers
to make sure every student has his/her own computer with internet system
at home.
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When and how it could be obtained
I can get this right now through the online by downloading it to my computer.
Another way is to order through the online or fax and receive as a package
and install it myself. Lastly, the third way is to go to a store
and buy one and install it myself. If anybody outside of the country
wants to buy this then there is an International Distributor that he/she
can purchase from.
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Cost today, and in the future
I don't know much about how much it will cost in the future, but right
now it seems like it will cost you $69.00 if you order it through online
and download it. It will be more expensive to order through mail
probably because of the shipping and handling cost. The listed price
for that is $89.00. wow... To upgrade the program
you already have, it will cost you about $49.00. So, I guess it's
not that cheap, but it's not as expensive as I thought it would be.
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URLs for more information
http://www.wpine.com/Products/CU-SeeMe/
Hardware Requirements and Recommendations
Hardware Component
Requirement
Recommendation
Processor
66 MHz 486
90 MHz Pentium®
RAM
32 MB
64 MB
Free hard disk space 50 MB
(minimum install) 200 MB
Monitor
VGA
Super VGA
CD-ROM drive (optional)
3X
6X
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Whether needed resources are available in typical schools
I think most of high schools have computers with the minimum requirements.
It will all depend on which school district that we are talking about,
but as of now, I see that it will be hard for poorer community schools
to install CU-SeeMe. However, all the resources are not limited to
particular people or anything. They are available if schools are
willing to pay.