Web Cameras & Video Conferencing...?

I have been asked to teach martial arts though a distant learning type program and I have very little experience with the web cameras and video conferencing and was trying to get some help.

I will need for the camera to be able to pick up motion, with clarity in the moves. The one built into my laptop is great for still images and slow movement, but that is all. It is also not the greatest for distant video sharpness. What brand and model would you recommend?

Second, do you know of a good video conferencing software that is good. Yahoo Messenger is nice, but the window is often small, and unable to resize the window. I need it to be free, due to the distance between both locatons and because the facility is a private school.

Is the setup easy to do?

I have windows Vista & 7 on my two laptops. My interent connetion is high speed road runner.

I am not sure what the school has access to as far as the computer specificiatons and or internet connections. The details will be coming soon.

Thank you!