Cisco Provides Video Communications to Support Distance Learning for Yuri Gagarin's Secondary School

Cisco Video Technologies Enable Cooperation Between Legendary School and Leading Russian University

MOSCOW – April 29, 2011 – Cisco today announced that it has delivered a video communication solution to Secondary School No. 1 to enable distance learning for schoolchildren and connect the school with leading professors from Russia's best technical universities. Secondary School No. 1 is located in the city of Gagarin within the Smolensk Region of Russia. Yuri Gagarin, whose first flight to space 50 years ago is being commemorated across the globe, was a pupil of the school.

Key Facts / Highlights

• Today, the school participates in lessons delivered via video by professors of the Moscow Aviation Institute and the Russian State Technological University (Tsiolkovsky University) directly from the university premises.
• The lessons are supported by a multimedia classroom with PCs, an interactive whiteboard, and a video conferencing system featuring Cisco TelePresence^TM 990 МХР video codecs with multipoint conferencing and presentation functions.
• Video conferencing at Gagarin Secondary School not only supports interactive classes but will also help attract schoolchildren to participate in various creative competitions. In addition, it enables remote consultations and support for students involved in research projects.
• To help teachers update their professional skills, the school plans to use video sessions and distance learning webinars, in cooperation with the Academy of Skills Upgrade and Professional Retraining, as well as to use video conferencing for remote tours, conferences, seminars, master classes and forms of knowledge transfer.

Supporting Quotes

• Tatiana Ivanova, deputy chairperson, Gagarin District Education Committee

"It is not a mere coincidence that we decided to develop cooperation between our school and leading Russian aviation institutions. One of our students was the pilot and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who became the first man in outer space. Today our school proudly bears his name. Video lessons are quite convenient and effective. Regular communications between the students and the university professors, as well as the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the Moscow Aviation Institute's life and to take part in university competitions, workshops and lectures, help us to attract the students to science and, in particular, to aviation and space research. Remote presentations and demonstrations of charts and diagrams make it possible to bring information to students in a fast and easy-to-understand way. Distance learning helps to involve engineering practitioners who motivate children to choose a profession to excel in."

• Anatoly Kachalin, CEO, NPO RS-Telecom

"The decision to install a high-end video conferencing solution in School No. 1 was taken after the administration of the Gagarin District assessed and appreciated the quality of Cisco video collaboration solutions at a secondary school in Moscow. After the demonstration, the administrative personnel noted the high quality of data transfer as well as the convenience and usability of the video conferencing solution, which are some of the main merits of Cisco TelePresence. Users do not require serious technical knowledge and training effort. A few consultations are more than enough."

• Stein Ramsli, head of Cisco TelePresence Technology Group in Russia and CIS

"TelePresence is an efficient solution to involve teachers from other cities because it reduces travel costs. There is growing demand for high-definition solutions in the education sector, which has started to actively implement video technologies. Headmasters get more evidence that video conferencing can become a very efficient education tool and create a collaborative learning environment."

Tags, Keywords:
Russia, Cisco, Cisco TelePresence, Cisco TelePresence Technology group, video, video conferencing, education

Supporting Resources:

• http://www.cisco.com/go/telepresence
• RSS Feed for Cisco: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/rss.html

Polycom and Manhattan School of Music, Distance Learning and High Definition Telepresence

Harmonizing on innovative Distance Learning applications, Polycom and Manhattan School of Music are expanding opportunities and outreach for students and faculty.

Manhattan School of Music connects students and teachers
across the world with Polycom solutions.
Distance learning in music education, how is this possible? Skeptics wonder if video conferencing technology can capture superior sound quality or has the necessary clarity for tracking minute movements during performance.
The surprising answer: Yes.

The Manhattan School of Music, a preeminent international conservatory of music offers bachelor, master anddoctorate degrees in music performance. The school hails as the first conservatory in the country to incorporatevideo conferencing into its music performance education curriculum. Founded in 1918, the Manhattan School of Music is dedicated to the personal, artistic and intellectual developmentof each of its students who range from pre-college through postgraduate levels. In addition to approximately 850 students from over 40 countries in the College Division, the school serves about 450 New Yorkarea
students ages 5 to 18 in the Preparatory Division; almost 2,000 New York City school children through its arts-in-education program; and approximately 1,700 college and K-12 students worldwide through its distance learning program.

The school trains students in performance and composition, while providing a broad-based education in music theory, history and humanities. Under the leadership of Marta Istomin, president since 1992, the school employs a superb artist-teacher faculty of 250 professional musicians and presents over 400 public performances annually. Manhattan School of Music's more than 10,000 alumni remain active in every aspect of American musical life. Many are among the most distinguished artists performing in opera houses and concert halls, and on jazz stages throughout the world today.

“We initially explored video conferencing technology to accommodate the touring schedule of world renown violinist, conductor and MSM faculty member, Pinchas Zukerman, so that he could teach his students while concertizing around the globe,” said Christianne Orto, director of recording and distance learning for the school. “The program proved so successful that Istomin decided video conferencing presented great opportunities for the conservatory environment. We have since expanded our program to include master classes, workshops, clinics, one-on-one teaching, education and community outreach, professional development, coaching and the creation of a new elective class, 'Arts-in-Education & The Virtual Classroom,' designed to expose students to the virtual learning environment.”