Girard Schools

IDL Facts - Goals - Policy - Student Contract - Network Map
Southeast Kansas-Girard Interactive Television



Overview:
The Interactive Distance Learning Network is comprised of 52 school districts connected via fiber optic technology that allows for 2-way audio and video.

About IDL:
What is Interactive Distance Learning?

Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) is an educational video network that connects students and teachers who are located at different sites. Shared video classes are fully interactive with everyone seeing and hearing each other, but instead of face to face instruction, students and teachers see each other on television monitors.
The video classrooms are equipped with teaching tools such as computers, document cameras, VCRs, and other equipment supporting different instructional models.

How does it benefit our school and students?

By broadcasting high school and college classes, as well as middle school and elementary programs, the IDL Network plays an important role in the curriculum of school districts. By receiving classes over the network, our students are able to expand their instructional programs, offering a richer and more comprehensive curriculum. By offering classes, they are able to share master teachers and encourage excellence in teaching and in learning.
Students are able to take unique and creative classes that, many times, are not offered within our own school district. By sharing low-incidence or unique class offerings such as upper level math or foreign languages, unique student needs are met, as well as sharing quality instruction and innovative educational thinking. Students benefit from expanded curriculum offerings. Teachers explore more creative instructional strategies and help students develop critical thinking skills to increase learning acquisition.
Electronic fieldtrips provide students with unequaled opportunities including collaborative exchanges with high school students in Russia, Japan, or other countries. Students learn how astronauts live in space by touring a mock-up of the international space station at Johnson
Space Center, NASA. They can view craters on the moon or the rings of Saturn from a 24 inch telescope housed at the PSU-Greenbush Astrophysical Observatory. Students can electronically visit a living rain forest, or learn about the process of archaeology at a simulated dig. Elementary students can learn about foreign languages and cultures in after-school or summer programs.
Adult programs are vast and varied, allowing learning to continue beyond high school and college years. The network links Kansas to the global world of information and communication, while the hidden curriculum provides training in using and learning with interactive technologies.

Statistics:

The original system began operation in fall, 1990 and contains over 100 miles of fiber optic cable (fiber installed and owned in part by Craw-Kan Telephone, Columbus Telephone Company, and several independent school districts). Since its' conception, the system has expanded greatly and now contains several hundred miles of cable.

Funding:

Original funding for the founding schools was by the participating school district itself and a $151,000 Title Vl B grant awarded by the Kansas State Department of Education. The original analog classroom equipment cost was $23,000 per site. All classrooms also have FAX machines to facilitate the transfer of homework and tests between sites. Terminal equipment (puts the audio/video signal onto the fiber optic cable) is manufactured by Phillips Broadband (New York) and costs approximately $24,000 per site. All participating schools are installed with identical equipment for compatability reasons. A recent grant has allowed the system to upgrade from analog to digital as well as adding new classroom equipment.


IDL Facts

What is IDL?

Interactive Distance Learning is using telecommunications technology to provide classes and instruction from one school district to another. The Southeast Kansas Interactive Distance Learning Network is an interactive fiber optic network utilizing the most up-to-date interactive technology. IDL allows schools to share their teachers and their resources by creating interdistrict classes taught by specialized teachers from the participating schools. Using IDL, schools are able to offer an enhanced curriculum, and students are able to take classes that their own district might not be able to offer.

Using the Classroom--what to expect...

Students are instructed on how to use the equipment in the classroom. This is necessary because there may be a need to adjust the equipment or switch the outgoing video to the graphics table, etc. Each room contains cameras, monitors, microphones, a VCR, and other control equipment. Students are expected to take extra care when using the equipment or when in the room because the equipment is costly to purchase and expensive to repair. The room equipment alone costs in excess of $50,000.

Monitors---Each room has four monitors arranged so students can see themselves and three remote sites. No more than four sites are connected for a single class.

Cameras---Each room has a graphics camera which takes the place of a blackboard. The teacher at a home site or at a remote site can write on a graphics board and display the material on a monitor for all students on the system to see. In addition to the graphics camera, there is a classroom camera which displays the students in the IDL room and a teacher camera which displays the teacher station.

Microphones--- Severa1 student microphones located on the desks pick up the audio in the room and send it to remote sites. Since only the outgoing sound is amplified, even whispers are picked up very well. Students mustremember that nothing said in the IDL room is private. The teacher's station is also equipped with a microphone.

Facsimile machine---Students may turn in homework to a remote teacher using the FAX machine. Clear instructions for using the machine are posted near it.

IDL Facilitator

Each district has an IDL facilitator. The facilitator is the first person to call when problems with the system arise. Students should notify the facilitator if the equipment is not working or if there is any other problem on the system. The facilitator will contact Greenbush and a technician will be sent out to repair the problem. It is essential that problems be reported immediately so students do not miss classes.

Videotaping and Monitoring of the IDL Classes

Many of the principals' offices in the IDL school districts have monitors which allow a person to view what is occurring in the school's IDL room. These monitors are equipped with VCRs which give the principal the ability to videotape students at any time. All IDL rooms also have VCRs and any site can tape any other site without the taped site's knowledge.

These precautions are taken because there are no aides in the remote classrooms. The teacher is responsible for all students in the class including those at the remote sites. The ability to videotape at any time aids the teacher in effectively managing an IDL class from miles away. Students taking an IDL class must be aware that their behavior can be taped at any time.

How does Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) work?

Two-way interactive system allows students and teachers at remote school sites to see and hear one another simultaneously.
Two-way interactive systems may be networked with a number of different technologies, including:

* Coaxial Cable - similar to cable used to connect private residences with cable television in the community; often the schools can share facilities with existing cable TV systems.

* Microwave transmission - signals are sent " point-to-point", through the air, via a system of microwave transmission and receive equipment, mounted atop the schools or on nearby towers.

* Fiber optics - the newest technology used to create television systems, fiber optics consists of hair-thin glass fibers carrying light signals (rather than electrical impulses). Fiber optics are capable of transmitting many interactive video channels simultaneously.

* Hybrid System - uses any combination of the above technologies to create an interactive network.

What can an IDL system do for a school?

The advantages of two-way interactive television are as unique and individual as the schools using the systems. However, some common benefits surface among existing projects:

* Expanded curriculum: interactive television enables small, isolated schools to offer low-enrollment, low-incidence classes that were not feasible before the system was implemented. By connecting students from several schools (thus creating one larger class) rural schools can offer courses like calculus, advanced algebra and trigonometry, sciences, and foreign languages. These courses are typically available in larger schools.

* Student and teacher benefits: Students are able to stay enrolled in their smaller home schools because they can access the courses they want and need over the IDL system. Teachers are able to grow professionally and often are able to retain or expand their jobs with the schools, teaching the subjects that interest and excite them. Contrary to the usual belief that technologies can cost teachers their jobs --- two-way interactive television often enables teachers to keep their jobs, while learning a new skill to add to their professional "toolbox". Both teachers and students are able to access programming (ranging from college prerequisite courses to mandated in-service information) in their own schools, lessening the time loss, safety concerns, and costs of traveling to distant sites to obtain the same information.

Why is interactive television unique?

Two reasons: One, the courses offered by schools in an interactive television network are created and taught by local teachers from existing school staff, using locally established curriculum. The quality of the course work is assured by the teachers. School districts no longer have to purchase canned lessons in order to meet the needs of students. Two, the availability of school/business partnerships to finance and construct two-way interactive television projects increases daily. More and more schools are entering into unique arrangements with power companies, local cable TV companies, telephone cooperatives, and higher education entities.

Is it difficult to implement a system?

Not difficult, but complex. The process of designing, coordinating, constructing, and implementing a two-way interactive television system is far from simple --- this is not a "plug-in" technology. However, with a good procedural plan (to inform and align all involved staff and potential partners) and guidance from experts and experienced system owners, your schools can have an unparalleled resource!

The Role of the Education Service Center at Greenbush

Greenbush provides the technical support for the Southeast Kansas Interactive Distance Learning Network. In addition, special projects and satellite programming are coordinated through Greenbush.

InterActive Television

Major Program Goals: The purpose of the InterActive Distance Learning Network (IDL) is to establish two-way interactive television networking system between local school districts and the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center that will benefit disabled students in the participating school districts. The Southeast Kansas Education Service Center 609 along with SEK Special Education Cooperative join in an effort to address the following specific goals:

Goal 1: Develop a two-way interactive television classroom in each of the four school districts and the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center.

Goal 2: Provide two-way interactive television staff development programming for special education teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators and regular education staff.

Goal 3: Determine mechanisms for providing instruction to disabled students through the two-way interactive networking systems that will assist the students in reaching their full potential within the least restrictive environment.

Goal 4: Develop professional staff consultative mechanisms to utilize the two-way interactive television system that will assist disabled students to access the least restrictive environments.

Goal 5: Determine alternative uses for the two-way interactive television system that will benefit disabled students.

Interactive Distance Learning Policy
Southeast Kansas Interactive Television Network

Section One: Rights and Responsibilities:

Teacher Responsibility:

1. Distance Learning teachers are expected to maintain classroom order as in a regular class situation but shall not be held liable for behavior of students at remote sites.

In the event of behavior problems, the teacher shall notify remote site personnel immediately. Each site shall be equipped with a telephone and listing of other site phone numbers and contact persons. Behavior problems at a remote site will be dealt with by remote site personnel.

Section Two: Production Rights:

1. Any of the lTV consortium schools may reuse the delivery tapes in house. The sale and reuse of remote delivery tapes outside the consortium schools shall be - permitted only upon agreement of the teacher and the IDL consortium.

2. A release shall be obtained from parents of students and or students of legal age portrayed in taped sessions in the event that the tape is used for other than in-house educational purposes.

Section Three: Attendance Policy:

1. Student absences shall be handled as with other absences, except that the originating teacher shall maintain a record of remote site student absences from his/her classes. (for grading and assessment purposes)

2. Each school is responsible for maintaining attendance records for students a that site.

Section Four: Time and Compensation:

1. All instructors teaching on the interactive system for the first time will receive one week of release for the time for training on the two-way interactive system and for preparation of the course to be taught.

2. Instructional days for a class on the system will follow the calender of the originating site for the class.

Section Five: Teacher Evaluation:

1. Teacher evaluations shall be the responsibility of the employing district.

Girard Unified School District 248
SOUTHEAST KANSAS INTERACTIVE DISTANCE LEARNING

STUDENT CONTRACT

The Southeast Kansas Interactive Distance Learning Network is a means for districts to provide low-incidence courses that normally would not be offered to students because of low enrollment or lack of qualified personnel.

Because of the uniqueness of Interactive Distance Learning, certain standards are expected of students enrolling in these courses. This contract is intended to make both the students and the parents aware of the standards expected of students enrolling in such courses.

As a student taking a Interactive Distance Learning Course, I am aware that:

1. Certain standards are expected of me, as a student, and insubordination of any kind will not be tolerated. Insubordination has been defined as anything that interferes with teaching or learning in the classroom.

2. Inappropriate language or gestures will not be tolerated.

3. In understand that anything I do in the classroom can be taped by anyone at anytime.

4. Classroom procedures that must be followed are:
A. Students must sit within camera view at all times.
B. Students must not mishandle the equipment in the classroom.
C. Students must follow all other rules as specified by the instructor.

The following procedures will be followed for students who do not or can not abide by the above listed rules:

First Offense: The student will be given a verbal warning and told that his/her parents may be notified by the letter of the infraction.

Second Offense: The student will be removed from the class.

SEVERE MISCONDUCT: Regardless of whether the offense is a first or second offense, the student will be removed from the class.

I have read and I understand the policy above and agree to abide by the rules of this contract.


Student Signature ______________________ Date ______________________


Parent Signature ______________________ Date ______________________
Adopted 4/16/90

Girard Unified School District 248 - 415 North Summit - Girard, KS 66743