Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

internetworkers - Re: Another Bill Gates escapade

internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Gina Norman <gina AT vnet.net>
  • To: InterNetWorkers <internetworkers AT franklin.metalab.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Another Bill Gates escapade
  • Date: Fri, 10 May 2002 09:37:04 -0400 (EDT)


> > story of taking a course in calculus which was taught over closed-circuit
> > TV by a teacher at NCSSM. Suffice to say that a teacher on the TV is not
> > the same as one in the classroom.
>
> huh. altho it is a shame that they didn't have a qualified teacher locally,
> it
> is still interesting that the course was made *somehow* available.

The reality of education in smaller counties in North Carolina is that
often is would not make sense, financially, for the schools to hire the
staff to teach the more advanced calsses. If you take a small high school
in rural NC that might have a graduating class of 150 (tops), does it
really make sense for that school to hire teachers to teach AP Physics
(and similar classes) when there might be only 5 or 6 students who are
qualified (and want) to take it.

And that's where initiatives like NCSSM's distance learning program come
in... you get to expose the brightest students to some of the best
teachers (in, admitted, less than ideal circumstances) and give them the
opportunity to take classes that would otherwise been unoffered. Also,
at least at NCSSM, the curriculum is designed for distance-learning adn
the teachers have add additional training and experience in teaching
remotely. Usually the "local" teacher is also involved, which provides
another benefit: in-service education for our teachers.

I don't think distance learning is the perfect solution: it would
certainly be nice if every school could afford to teach every class that
any student wanted. However, given the current (and likely future)
restrictions on resources, distance learning (IMHO) is a better compromise
than not offering those classes at all.

My $.02, YMMV!

-Gina


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
My brain seems to have a circuit-breaker-like mechanism that, when I get
confused and befuddled by the overwhelming monstrosities of my life,
causes a default to the simplest and most pleasant of thoughts. Like
Marshmallow Peeps. I *like* Marshmallow Peeps.

Gina Norman And the only bit that
gina AT vnet.net (me personally) really matters:
ginanorm AT nortelnetworks.com (me at work) http://users.vnet.net/gina
ginathelintqueen AT yahoo.com (me personally, again -- sick of me yet? ;)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~;)~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page