CU-SeeMe runs on Macintosh and Windows PCs and allows users to send and receive live video over phone lines. CU-SeeMe not only enables you to see multiple live videos of people on your monitor at the same time, but it also allows you to hear them, talk to them, and send typed messages.

Potential Educational Use
CU-SeeMe has a variety of educational uses. It could bring a whole new meaning to pen pals. Imagine a student seeing and hearing his/her pen pal from across town, in another state, or even in another country. While doing a research project, students could interview people live over the internet from all over the world sitting at classroom computer. Instead of attending a meeting in person, educators could hookup to CU-SeeMe and see and hear the speaker and interact with all the participants. If Net Meeting is used, you also have the capability to draw on a shared whiteboard, send text messages, transfer files, and collaborate in real time with various people on information within any Windows application.

How It May Be Obtained/Cost
CU-SeeMe may be obtained in a variety of ways. A demo version from White Pine may be downloaded free from ftp://ftp.wpine.com/pub/CU-SeeMe/cu312.exe. The Cornell freeware version 1.0 may be downloaded free from ftp://gated.cornell.edu/pub/video. Enhanced CU-SeeMe by White Pines is $70 for a registered version from their website, www.wpines.com. The same version is available in retail stores for $90.

Hardware and Software Requirements/Cost
Along with the above required software, you also need a sound card if it is not already on the computer. These are the only basic requirements to use CU-SeeMe. You can watch and hear other people, and type text. You would be known as a “lurker”. To transmit audio, you will need a microphone available for about $10-$20 if it is not already on your computer. To transmit video, you will need a camera that ranges in price from $75 to $150. The camera may have parallel port input, USB port input, or PCI Capture Card input. Best frame rates are on a camera with a PC Capture Card, followed by USB, with Parallel port having the slowest frame rate. Kodak, Logitech, Connectix, Winnov, and Intel are some of the manufacturers of these cameras. You could also use a camcorder but will need an ATI All-in-1 or a PCI Capture Card such as a Winnov. These are quite expensive.

My school has all the needed resources to use CU-SeeMe. I have a Power Mac and an iMac in my classroom that both have built-in microphones and sound cards. I also share a color QuickCam with another teacher, so I could easily download CU-SeeMe and begin using it immediately.

My biggest concern with using CU-SeeMe in the classroom is finding a safe reflector (video conference bridge where multiple Cu-SeeMe users can connect to and see each other).  My first experience with CU-SeeMe was shocking! I used a reflector from a website where I downloaded the program. It was very interesting and exciting to see the videos until an exhibitionist came on and exposed himself. According to some of the CU-SeeMe community, this is not uncommon on many reflectors. Will school districts eventually have their own private reflectors that are password protected?

Fortunately, my second experience with CU-SeeMe was much better. I found a server where the people seem dedicated to technology and education. Many of them have used CU-SeeMe for several years and were extremely eager to share with me their experiences and helpful tips. I talked with people from Germany and Australia, as well as the United States. The experience was very interesting and enjoyable.  This kind of experience is what I would like to give my students.

You may find additional information on CU-SeeMe from the following URLs:
CU-SeeMe's Home Page
White Pine's Home Page
CU-SeeMe's Help Website
CU-SeeMe - Communications in an Emergent Technology by Adam Arrowood
Getting Started with CU-SeeMe
Net Meeting
CU-SeeMe for Elementary Education