Featured Network: Nicolet Distance Education Network
Nov 07, 2006
We have been providing distance education programs since: January 1997 for high school and 1995 for Nicolet Area Technical College classes. The network became fully operational in August 1997, K-8 Programming in 1999, Alternative Education Programm in 2004, and Professional development in 1997.
Number of member sites: 12 members and 13 sites.
Our membership includes (type of sites, eg, high schools, technical colleges, etc.): 11 K-12 School Districts and 1 Technical College.
Our member sites are located in these Wisconsin counties: Oneida, Lincoln, Forest, Langlade, Marinette, Vilas, and Iron.
An interesting program we recently provided was: NDEN Awarded Northern Initiatives National Forest Service Grant
In December of 2005 NDEN was awarded an Electronics Commons Forest Grant. This grant partnered NDEN member teachers and students with natural resource personnel from the USDA Forest service, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Tribal Agencies, Lake Associations, Trees for Tomorrow, Northwoods Wildlife Center, and the Ojibwe Museum, to name a few.
One of the requirements for the project was the use of technology in an innovative way that others could model in their communities. In this project the NDEN interactive television network (ITV) is being utilized to provide students and teachers with background information in preparation for their conservation education field day work experiences. ITV is also be used by students to share the results of and the lessons learned from project participation. Badgernet Converged Network (BCN) members are able to participate and have participated in both the preparatory ITV sessions and the sharing sessions.
This project is responsible for introducing many new teachers, students and community partners to distance learning and the use of the ITV classroom. Staff development opportunities were held for teachers and resource personnel on the Use of Interactive Television. The project led to interaction between students, teachers and resource personnel and fostered partnerships that will continue after the grant funding has ceased. These partnerships will ensure that those involved continue to use ITV technology to make connections to prepare students to make informed decisions and actively participate in hands-on resource management.
All project activities are designed to promote the implementation of the Wisconsin's model academic standards. Project activities are also designed to promote knowledge and awareness of forest resources, ecology, and forest management issues and to assist students in developing an environmental ethic so that they are able to make informed decisions regarding the National Forest ecosystem. To see some of the topics of study that NDEN member teachers and students have been involved in visit the project website.
A showcase program we are offering is: Technology Alternatives Plus (TAPS) is an alternative education program for students at risk. The TAPS Consortium (Laona, Wabeno, and White Lake) received start up funding for the program through a five year Department of Public Instruction alternative education competitive grant. TAPS is designed for drop-outs, noncompleters, and current students who will not graduate with their age-mates without interventions. Individual education plans are developed for these students which include classes taught via interactive television from 3:30-6:30 four days per week and during the summer, independent study programs, school-to-work and service learning, and other components dependent on individual student needs. Each district employs a tutor-facilitator who assists with the interactive television classes, monitors individual student programs, and provides a preventative tutoring program to students in need in grades 7-12. All grant activities are conducted with oversight from the TAPS Advisory Committee which meets monthly during the school year.
The number of programs we offer on a typical day is: Approximately 30.
Audiences attending our programs include: K-8 students, high school students, K-12 staff members, technical college students, alternative education students, and community members.
A typical day at our network involves: There is no typical day for our network. In addition to regularly scheduled high school classes and technical college classes, we also offer K-8 enrichment programming, professional development classes, meetings, special trainings (yesterday we held a Positive Action training for 3 districts), adult education opportunities, alternative education programming, and more.
Our most surprising success story was: Our alternative education program has probably been our most amazing success story. Very few people believed that interactive television would be a viable means for teaching students at risk, but it has been extremely successful. In two years 85 students (duplicated count as some attended both years) have taken 192 classes and earned 79 credits. 21 students have earned their diplomas from their respective school districts (Laona, Wabeno, White Lake).
Our favorite tip for distance education teachers is: Be flexible, creative, committed, and innovative. Remember to make the technology transparent.
A popular topic area for our courses this year is: High school classes -- foreign languages; k-8 programming -- anything on Native American culture.
Students taking our programs often comment on: The ability to form learning communities via ITV. Also, being able to take classes from different instructors without leaving their district.
A Virtual Field Trip we offered helped students learn about: State government.
An interesting thing about our network is: In October, 2006 we received a letter from State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Elizabeth Burmaster, telling us that NDEN has been selected to receive a "Standing Up for Rural Schools, Libraries, and Communities" award on Friday, October 20th in Madison. The letter goes on to state, "This is a tremendous honor, one which recognizes your collaborative efforts with partners in the community." I might add that our partners in the state have also been instrumental in the success of our network and programs.
At our network, we try our best to: Meet the needs of all communities of learners in our network and whenever possible make our programs available state-wide.
For more information contact: Virginia Metzdorf, NDEN Director.
Our Network's web site url is: http://www.nden.k12.wi.us/