Videoconferencing

Bookings for all sessions should be made via www.global-leap.org. Please note, bookings are not taken directly by the Gallery.

Primary schools Secondary schools

Please read these guidelines in order to plan a successful videoconference for you and your students.

National Portrait Gallery videoconferencing information:

• ISDN number: 020 7839 7323
• Telephone number in videoconference area (during videoconferences only): 020 7312 2437
• Website: www.npg.org.uk/education

Booking procedure:

Please note that all our videoconferencing sessions can only be booked through Global Leap, not directly by the National Portrait Gallery. See www.global-leap.org for the timetable of what we are currently offering. Once you have made a booking via the Global Leap website, we will then send you a confirmation letter. You will need to read, complete and sign the group confirmation form and return it to the National Portrait Gallery.

Session content:

Our videoconferences are always discussions between your pupils and our Gallery educators, not straight presentations.

Resources:

In advance of your session we will send you reproductions of the images we are going to discuss. If you have been sent a CD Rom of images we ask you to return the CD Rom to us when you have finished your work connected with your videoconferencing session. Please refer to the CD sleeve for details of contents and information on copyright. You do not need to do any specific preparation about the pictures before your session with us but you should have them available on the day in case there is any difficulty in seeing details on the screen.

Costs:

While there is no charge to your school or college for a videoconferencing session with the National Portrait Gallery we reserve the right to charge a cancellation fee if you choose to cancel a session once it has been booked with us, as there is a cost to the Gallery for providing staff to teach your group. Therefore you should only book a session if you have suitable equipment in good working order with a functioning ISDN line.

How to videoconference with us

In advance

• Read, complete, and sign group confirmation form and return it to the Gallery as soon possible.
• Divide your class into three roughly equal groups and send the first names of the students each group. Please do this at a week before your session.
• Plan the set up of your room: For optimum viewing and hearing conditions, set up your room that there are 'hotseats' (seats which are at the front of the and are close to the camera very close to the microphone, remember that we lose the bottom right corner of our screen behind the small screen viewer). We will usually look at three pictures during the session, groups should be swapped between pictures in order for everyone to have a turn in the 'hotseats' for at least one picture, answering and asking questions. The students who are not in 'hotseats' will need to be able see the screen and to hear. Please explain to your students what procedure will be and that they will all get a turn.

On the day of your session:

• Remember that you are responsible for making the video call. Please be punctual and ready to start at your booked time.
• Make a test call. Please do this, without your students in the room, 15 minutes before the session start time; if you have problems making the connection then telephone at once on the following number: 020 7312 2437. Please note that if you do not make the test call we will not automatically assume that you still are having a session.
• Have your images to hand. You do not need to have done any specific preparation about the pictures you have been sent but you should have them available in case there is any difficulty in seeing details on the screen.
• Set-up your room as detailed above. Remind your students about how the session will work, ask them to speak clearly and remind them that they will all have a turn in the 'hotseats'. When the 'hotseated' children put up their hands to answer a question, you should be ready to choose which child will answer.

There are further preparations/instructions if you have booked one of the following sessions:

• Key Stage 1 : Growing up in the past. Your class should be divided in half with each group getting 20 to 30 minutes videoconferencing. In advance of your session please ask your students to bring in photographs of themselves when younger and discuss these as a class. During the videoconferencing session we would not have time to look at photographs of all the children in the class, so please select one student in each group to show us an A4 photocopy of their photograph.
• Key Stage 1: Famous People. Your class should be divided in half with each group getting 20 to 30 minutes videoconferencing. Please note that there is a choice of several different famous people. When booking the session you are asked to specify which famous person you would like to hear about - e.g. Beatrix Potter. The CD-Rom of images for this session contains images for all the possible famous people offered, but you will only need to print out the images for the person you have chosen.