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Frequently Asked Questions

There are some common questions we have received about the conference. We will continue to place those questions here for you as they come in.

Here are the questions we have received:

  1. I would like to print Larry Cuban's Keynote Address out. How can I do this so it fits on my page correctly?

  2. I am having trouble seeing the posters in Flash.

  3. When I enter the poster hall I see strange html script over the posters.

  4. When I print from the site not all the text fits on my page. What can I do about this?

  5. Can I post a message to a poster if the presenter is not in?

  6. Do I have to wait for all the posters to load before clicking on one?

  7. I am presenting a poster at the conference. Do I need to write to you when I will be at the poster?

  8. I am a poster presenter. I understand that the poster sessions are asynchronous, but I hope to be at my poster a lot to interact with people as they visit. Is there a way that visitors will know that I am on-line and that they will therefore get a quick reply?

  9. Many of you have asked, "What is a Virtual Conference?" Most of you have never attended one before, and this is the first such conference which TERC has hosted.

  10. I have never attended a virtual conference before. How much time should I allocate in my schedule to get on-line?

  11. Flash Player Questions:

  1. I would like to print Larry Cuban's Keynote Address out. How can I do this so it fits on my page correctly?

    We have created a new link on the Keynote main page and on the Keynote Address page which links to a printable version of the Keynote Address.

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  3. I am having trouble seeing the posters in Flash.

    We have provided an alternative way of viewing all the posters without Flash. While the non-Flash version lacks the animation, you may find it quicker and easier to use. To use the non-Flash version, log out of the site and log back in with the "view Flash-enhanced site" box deselected.

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  5. When I enter the poster hall I see strange html script over the posters.

    The problem is that you are using Flash 4 and not Flash 5. You can do one of two things. You can install Flash Five (see the download info on the site under the Info Center in the left navigation scroll bar).

    Or, you can view the site without using Flash at all, and you will not experience any of these problems. You will see a less animated version, so it will be less snappy but it will be quicker and easier. To do this you will need to log out of the site. When you log in deselect the box where it says "view flash enhanced site". This box appears right under the Screen Name box. If you have any further questions please write.

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  7. When I print from the site not all the text fits on my page. What can I do about this?

    We are working on more printable friendly version but we have found that this problem is sometimes browser dependent. You can print the page to fit within the margins of your page by adjusting the page setup on your browser. When in Netscape or Explore try going to File and then Page Setup/Scale and changing your scale to, say, 65%. You may need to try a few different percentages to get it just right for you.

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  9. Can I post a message to a poster if the presenter is not in?

    Absolutely, and please do. Posting will enrich the dialogue not only for the presenter but for all visitors to the conference. The presenter will see your query or comment when they nexxt sign on and other visitors to the poster may want to answer your comment or query as well.

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  11. Do I have to wait for all the posters to load before clicking on one?

    No certainly not. We are working on optimizing loading time, but you can click before they are all loaded.

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  13. I am presenting a poster at the conference. Do I need to write to you when I will be at the poster?

    You do not need to write to us as to when exactly you will be on. Most of the conference will be asynchronous. That means that people can leave a message, question, or comment for you when you are not on-line, and you will be able to see it and respond to it whenever you get on. That allows you to communicate at 3:00 AM if that is your preference. BUT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET ON-LINE FREQUENTLY DURING THE CONFERENCE, so that visitors will feel that you are interacting. It is best if you can get on-line every day even if it is only for a half hour. If you are traveling or can not get on-line for several days, then you will have no choice but to read the messages and queries, when you get home.

    Besides the posters you will want to get on frequently to be engaged with the keynote discussion being moderated by Prof. Larry Cuban, and to engage with the discussants and panelists. We suggest allocating between five and eight hours in total over the one week period.

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  15. I am a poster presenter. I understand that the poster sessions are asynchronous, but I hope to be at my poster a lot to interact with people as they visit. Is there a way that visitors will know that I am on-line and that they will therefor get a quick reply?

    Yes. If you are a poster presenter a light at your poster will indicate when you are on-line. This will hint to visitors that they can interact with you and get a quick reply.

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  17. Many of you have asked "What is a Virtual Conference?" Most of you have never attended one before, and this is the first such conference which TERC has hosted.

    A virtual conference is similar in many respects to a traditional one. It is a time for interchange of ideas, talking and networking with colleagues, and sharing and learning from other projects engaged in similar work. There are also a few critical differences. You don't have to fly anywhere or keep to a pre-set agenda. There is no jet lag, and no hotel bills. You can get on-line, anytime of day or night and read what your colleagues have said and communicate with them. If you are on-line at the same time as other colleagues, you can send them an instant message and have an immediate conversation. Most of the conference, however, is asynchronous which means that you can leave comments, queries and replies and they will be answered when your colleagues come on-line.

    Like a traditional conference, we have a keynote speaker. Larry Cuban, Professor of Education, from Stanford University will be presenting a paper written especially for this conference entitled "Answering Tough Questions on Sustainability." Unlike a traditional conference you will not be able to hear him deliver his whole speech, but rather you can print it or read it from the screen at your convenience. Larry Cuban has provided a two minute audio introduction so that you can hear him a little as well.

    After reading the Keynote, please come to the Discussion area of the conference. Here, Larry Cuban will be moderating a discussion that will follow on from his Keynote remarks. This is also similar in many ways to a discussion that might take place in a traditional conference. One advantage that a virtual discussion offers is that you can read and post at any time of day. Some people find that they prefer writing a comment or query to asking it in front of an audience. We have invited our discussants Jeanne Century from EDC, Chris Dede from Harvard and Dean Fink from OISE to join in the dialogue and to share their perspectives. Most important, we encourage you to join in, and let your voice be heard. As this discussion will continue over a one week period it will be important to log in regularly so that you can follow the discussion as it unfolds.

    One of the most important parts of any conference is learning from and with our colleagues. We have created an interactive Poster Hall in order to facilitate this type of interaction. Twenty veteran LSC projects that are near the end of their NSF funding cycle share the lessons they have learned about sustainability. They have each created a poster where they discuss what they thought sustainability should look like, what the reality is, suggestions for projects starting out, or what they would have done differently, and questions for the community. You can communicate with the presenters and with other participants who visit each poster.

    We have two panels as well. Our panelist are from the LSC community: Mark St. John, Mike Klentschy, Linda Gregg, and Ramesh Gangolli. Ramesh and Linda are addressing issues pertaining to teacher leadership. Mark St. John and Mike Klentschy share reflections of sustainability and issue of funding. You can leave questions of comments for the panelists and you can sign up for a follow-on discussion on these topics that will take place in the Fall.

    Our Discussants, Jeanne Century, Chris Dede, Larry Cuban and Dean Fink will share their reflections with us as the week progresses. You can read these in the Discussant's Reflect area of the site.

    The resources section provides some additional resources suggested by our panelists and discussants.

    Feel free to visit the Instant Message Center at the conference. You can send and receive messages from other participants who are on-line at the same time as you.

    Don't forget to send us Feedback by visiting the Info Center. We want to hear and learn about your experience participating in this virtual conference! Let us know how it feels similar, better or worse than a traditional one. This is our first time hosting such an event and we will be learning with you.

    This Conference is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (ESI0088027).
    All comments, papers, and remarks represent opinions of the participants and are not necessarily shared by the Foundation.

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  19. I have never attended a virtual conference before. How much time should I allocate in my schedule to get on-line?

    The conference will run from the 14th the 23rd. The 14th and 15th are intended for projects that are presenting posters.

    The 16th the 23rd are geared for all LSC PIs, PDs, lead staff, and evaluators of all LSC projects. The most important thing is to SIGN ON FREQUENTLY. Try to arrange to get on every day during the conference even if it is only for a half an hour. This will let you follow and participate in discussions, and to engage interactively with poster presenters, keynote presenter, discussants and panelists and with each other. We suggest allocating between five and eight hours in total over the one week period to participate.

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  21. Flash Player Questions:
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