Featured Networks: BayNet, LakeNet, & PenNet
Jan 31, 2007
We have been providing distance education programs since: In 1988 Interactive Learning Services (ILS, then known as NEWTEC) began using ITFS (Instructional Television Fixed Service) as a distance learning tool to deliver classes, professional development, community courses and enrichment to 8 school districts in the area. That consortium grew to over 30 school districts served in CESAs 5, 6, 7 & 8! With the advent of BadgerNet, NEWTEC evolved into three separate regional networks in the CESA 7 area with ILS as the coordination agent for all three networks. These networks include BayNet, LakeNet and PenNet.
Number of member sites: ILS' three networks include a total 23 sites. BayNet has 3 sites including Howard Suamico, Luxemburg/Casco and CESA 7. LakeNet has 13 sites including Brillion, Elkhart Lake, Hilbert, Kiel, Lakeshore Technical College, Manitowoc, Mishicot, New Holstein, Random Lake, Two Rivers, Stockbridge, Silver Lake College and Wrightstown. PenNet has 7 sites including Algoma, Gibraltar, Northeast WI Technical College, Sevastopol, Southern Door, Sturgeon Bay, and Washington Island.
Our membership includes (type of sites, eg, high schools, technical colleges, etc.): Membership includes 18 high schools, one CESA, two technical colleges, and one private college.
Our member sites are located in these Wisconsin counties: Brown, Calumet, Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, and Sheboygan.
An interesting program we recently provided was: "A Visit With Mrs. Claus"
In December, 115 sites across WI, the US and even Greece brought preK-4th grade children to their distance learning facilities to chat with Mrs. Claus at "the North Pole." The children were introduced to videoconferencing, had a chance to ask questions, listened to a story and joined in a song and reindeer dance. It was great fun for everyone involved! Each December, these visits are offered. More information is available here.
A showcase program we are offering is: "Voyageur Songs and Dances"
This exciting program features Marc Kotz, an experienced dancer/actor who presents as an authentically clad French voyageur. Students learn some of the activities, songs, and dances done by fur traders during the 17th and 18th centuries in the Great Lakes region.
Three different songs are taught, along with accompanying movement/dances, and first-hand interpretation of the life of the voyageur are related to students as they imagine themselves in a nearby place, long ago, when adventure was waiting around every new bend in the river or over every roll of the horizon.
For more information, visit our web site.
The number of programs we offer on a typical day is: We offer 44 different high school credit classes in the three networks combined. In addition, the distance learning rooms are used for meetings, and ILS, other CESA 7 departments, and ILS member colleges take advantage of BCN to offer a number of professional development opportunities, graduate and undergrad courses and community education classes.
Audiences attending our programs include: Audiences include preK through 12th grade students, educators, district administrators and support staff, CESA staffs, pre-service teachers, and community members.
A typical day at our network involves: Our network provides technical support and scheduling coordination for all of the programs on the three ILS networks. In addition, ILS offers its members services in multimedia workshops, video production, technology networks,grant writing and implementation for tech literacy and vendor neutral consultation for districts' technology initiatives all via distance learning and/or onsite. We are hard at work developing a number of new electronic field trip programs which could be incorporated into existing curriculum or as after school learning experiences. Among those currently offered are programs about maple syrup production, water quality testing, aquaculture, WI geology dance & movement, children's theatre and drawing classes. More will be coming!
Our most surprising success story was: The growth of interest in the Mrs. Claus visits was our most surprising success story. From less than 45 sessions in Dec. 2005, we jumped to 115 in Dec. 2006! Our partnership with the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration has proved to be a very positive way to promote our own electronic field trips throughout the world. It's also an excellent resource for educators to find e-field trip opportunities that they can incorporate as part of their curriculum to enhance and enrich students' learning experiences.
Our favorite tip for distance education teachers is: Don't be afraid of the technology -- you won't break it! Have fun and let your personality shine through.
A popular topic area for our courses this year is: A variety of foreign languages (Spanish, French, German and Japanese) and AP class opportunities for our high school students are popular. The criminal justice courses offered by the technical colleges are also very popular.
For our adult learners Spanish for educators, sign language and tech literacy learning opportunities we've provided are all popular.
On average, the number of people attending our programs last year was: This varies greatly and is difficult to track. The new Renovo system should make this much easier for us to report.
Students taking our programs often comment on: Students often comment on how great it is to be able to take a class that wouldn't have been offered in their district if it weren't for distance learning. They tell us that once they get used to it, after the first week or so, it's not really different than any other class they've taken.
A Virtual Field Trip we offered helped students learn about: "Live... from the Heart" taught students what open heart surgery is like. Students got a "first-hand" look as the heart surgeon performed the operation. They had a chance to ask questions and receive expert answers. The virtual field trip is offered in cooperation with the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
An interesting thing about our network is: One of our three networks, PenNet, counts as a member the only island school district in Wisconsin--Washington. There are just two ways you can get to there: by boat or BCN!
At our network, we try our best to: We promote distance learning and 21st Century Learning Skills and support our members' technology initiatives in any way that we can.
For more information contact:
Roxann Nys: rnys@cesa7.k12.wi.us
920-465-5220;
Theresa Neuser:tneuser@cesa7.k12.wi.us
920-465-5216
Chris Rogers: crogers@cesa7.k12.wi.us
920-6175640
or
Bill Moede: bmoede@cesa7.k12.wi.us
920-360-3235
Our Network's web site url is: http://ils.k12.wi.us