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  • From: Edward Wesolowski <ids AT idisplay.com>
  • To: "InterNetWorkers" <internetworkers AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Another Bill Gates escapade
  • Date: Fri, 10 May 2002 11:19:37 -0400


David:
...not to get off message here, but I keep thinking about the inspirational stories from grade school about former presidents who studied by candle light. I wonder if we'll have new stories about straylight and terminals? (Actually I think it's wonderful to become so absorbed by something.). I agree, Distance Learning ain't as perfect as having a real time mentor, but it can work like Gina describes.
Ed W.

At 08:08 AM 5/10/02 -0700, you wrote:
hey Gina --

thanks for the input! since you have a good deal of first-hand knowledge with
NCSSM (both as a student and instructor), i value your opinion. it might not
have been clear from my late nite posting, but i am not against distance
learning. and you are completely correct about those regions not being able to
afford that type of instructor.

one really cool job i interviewed for at the Biology dept of UNC did exactly
this thing with smaller colleges and universities around the state. the setups
involved "Smart Boards" which enabled an instructor at UNC (or NCCU or NC A&T,
for that matter) to be writing/drawing on their local board and all that info
would show up on the remote board. very cool; esp. in terms of scientific
graphing and teaching. this was mated to a live video feed which displayed the
instructor in real time. what a great project.

so, yeah - not everywhere can afford such things or to have the best
instructors, but it is nice that efforts are underway to "share."
dave ;)
___ _ _____ . ....
m a h t o o z e e a c k a t s p e e k e e z e e d o t n e t
------ / / ......... . . .

On Fri, 10 May 2002, Gina Norman wrote:

> > > 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? ;)
> ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~;)~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


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