Video Conferencing Brings Congressman to Classroom

April 26th, 2008 by Video Conferencing Expert

Seventh grade students at Calloway County Middle School in Kentucky had the opportunity Thursday afternoon to video conference with Congressman Ed Whitfield. The Congressman discussed his role in the federal government, and then spent the rest of the session hosting a question-and-answer format, where the students brought up the issues that were important to them including the economy, the war in Iraq, the environment and soaring fuel prices.

Throughout my 13-year tenure in Congress, I have found my many conversations with Kentucky’s youngest residents to be among the most enlightening.” Whitfield, R-Ky., said before the conference. “Students from Kentucky’s First Congressional District are some of the brightest, most talented young people in our country. I am looking forward to speaking with students from Calloway County Middle School to see what issues are most important to them and answer any questions they may have on our nation’s government.

In response to concerns about the environment, the Congressman said that “technology will save us in the long run” as America looks at its energy sources and the effects on the environment. He said lots of taxpayer dollars are being spent on research to develop new sources including ethanol, bio-diesel, solar and wind power.

The unique video conferencing opportunity was made possible through a pilot project with IOCOM, a Chicago-based visual collaboration and web conference company. IOCOM’s initiative, entitled “Removing Boundaries”, invited a group of K-12 schools to submit a one-page proposal for a distance learning project. IOCOM’s offer included free software and support for the duration of the project.