Distance Learning Programming and Resources
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C-SPAN (Cable in the Classroom)
C-SPAN, the Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network, is a public service of the cable television industry offering gavel-to-gavel coverage of the House of Representatives, Senate, and other public policy events.
All C-SPAN and C-SPAN2 produced programming is commercial-free and is copyright cleared for use in the classroom and may be retained in perpetuity.
C-SPAN in the Classroom is the network's free membership service for teachers with teaching guides, support materials and scheduling information
World Wide Web Site: http://www.c-span.org
Joanne Wheeler 202/737-3220
Educators Only Hotline: 1-800-523-7586
Cable in the Classroom
Cable in the Classroom, a non-profit service of the cable television industry, seeks to match the resources of cable television with the needs of K-12 schools. Cable in the Classroom members - major cable companies and national cable networks - are partnering with educators to:
- increase awareness of the wide range of high quality educational programs which air without commercial interruption on a variety of cable channels;
- provide curriculum-related support materials, extended copyright clearances enabling teachers to build Cable in the Classroom video libraries, and teacher training using cable programs in the classroom; and
- contribute free basic cable service to public and state approved private schools passed by cable.
Cable in the Classroom's 33 network members provide a wide array of programming, including current events, documentaries, dramatic presentations, performing arts and curriculum-related programs for math, English, science, social studies, biology, foreign languages and health. Each month, Cable in the Classroom programmer members air over 540 hours of commercial-free programs which have no viewing requirements. Teachers have total discretion in choosing which programs to use and when to use them.
Most programs air at times that are inconvenient for use by teachers in the classroom. Taping and replaying programs and courses chosen by educational institutions would provide a new `Olelo service without significant production costs. Most programs have kits and teaching materials which could also be made available to teachers.
A general listing of the programming is provided within this listing as the entire array of Cable in the Classroom offerings is seldom printed.
California Virtual University
California is a global leader in technology and is home to world-class public colleges and universities, as well as many of the top private academic institutions. The Virtual Universiy initiative is intended to take advantage of these strengths to make California a world leader in the rapidly growing field of online education. Launched in 1997, CVU will tie together the online and distance learning offerings of California's 301 accredited colleges and universities. This will help students find the courses they need and assist schools in marketing their online education programs. California's education system will need to service 500,000 additional stats in the next decade as the current demographic bulge of kids in the Golden State reach college age. Online education is one way to extend the reach of California's higher education institutions to this growing body of students. The web site (www.virtualu.ca.gov) provides potential students, faculty and business partners with background information and an opportunity to submit suggestions on how to design the CVY to fit their needs. The site links the 45 accredited California universities in California that currently offer online courses, links to another 20 campuses that offer televised distance-learning courses, and links to online librarires at 60 California accredited campuses..
Cartoon Network (Cable in the Classroom)
The Cartoon Network (TOON) is a 24 hour basic cable service
Every Sunday at 7 a.m. ET, the network airs The Big Bag, a commercial-free program designed for pre-schoolers. Support material available upon request.
America Online, Keyword: Cartoon
1-800-344-6219 (Educators Only)
(404) 827-1717
Classmate Instruction Program
Dialog Information Services' Classmate Instruction Program allows students to do sophisticated research on-line. Beginning with special teacher training workshops to help educators log onto electronic databases, to special flat rates for schools, the Classmate program provides schools easy access to references from over 100 sources including popular magazines, research journals, and specialized databases. Students can retrieve information in such subjects as agriculture, the sciences, news, environment, medicine, psychology, and education. Teachers can get curriculum materials and guides for directing student activities on-line.
CNBC (Cable in the Classroom)
CNBC is a 24-hour network providing business news, market coverage and personal finance information during the day and talk shows that cover a wide range of issues and interests at night.
CNBC in the Classroom airs commercial-free the first Sunday of every month at 4:30 a.m. ET.
Teaching materials to accompany programs are available via Ingenius and in print. Closed-captioned for the hearing impaired.
World Wide Web Site: http://www.cnbc.com
Laura Ward (201) 585-6469
CNN (Cable in the Classroom)
CNN programming includes in-depth coverage of major news stories and specialized reports on business, finance, medicine, nutrition, science, technology, weather and entertainment.
CNN NEWSROOM, a 15 minute commercial-free news program, airs Monday - Friday at 4:30 a.m. ET. Worldview follows CNN Newsroom at 4:45 a.m. ET and will focus on historical and cultural background of world events.
A daily teacher's guide accompanies each CNN NEWSROOM/Worldview program and is available via a variety of on-line and fax services.
World Wide Web Sites:
http://www.cnn.com/newsroom CNN Newsroom
http://www.turner.com/tesi/ Turner Adventure Learning1-800-344-6219 (Educators Only)
(404) 827-1717
Community Learning Network -- CLN
CLN of Indiana University and Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) uses technology to extend regular university courses and student services into an urban community to attract historically underrepresented groups (Ehrmann, et al., 1992). It has adapted a model of student interaction developed by Professor Uri Treisman at the University of California at Berkeley. Treisman and colleagues at other universities have demonstrated that learning can be dramatically enhanced when students collaborate and learn from each other, especially when the students' learning is reinforced by others of their community. The Treisman strategy also depends on giving students material that is more difficult, open-ended, and more interesting. Student mentors keep the student focused on learning objectives. The courses incorporate four forms of interaction with faculty and others students:
- Didactic: televised lectures, recorded lectures available in cassette form on site, supplemental self-paced materials, a library of print and electronic materials available at learning centers and occasional lecture/discussion by faculty or peer mentors.
- Real time: telephone, interaction among students and with the peer mentor, office hours on campus, faculty visits to the learning centers, and collaboration among students in person or through one of the media.
- Time-delayed: electronic mail and computer conferencing, voice mail, Fax mail, bulletin boards (with thumb-tacks), and video playback.
- Informal: through the involvement of community-based individuals, especially community-center personnel, family members, and peer mentors, a variety of informal interactions will be used to increase the sense that learning is a vehicle for personal satisfaction, growth, and empowerment. Guest speakers, field trips, experiments, and special assignments involve the students in their own learning.
Community Telecommunications Network - CTN Wayne State University Detroit, MI
Wayne State University has had a partnership with twenty local educational institutions for a number of years called South Eastern Michigan Television Education Consortium (SEMTEC). In return they helped to arrange for channel space with their local cable operators. To deal with the cost, video signals generated at the university were broadcast on two of the university's Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS) channels. A new wireless system went on-line in 1990 and the new CTN consortium was created. The 18 channel system has all the benefits of the earlier system so that the signal can be picked up and rebroadcast on cable systems. The new systems provides a high-quality cable signal within a 50-mile radius of Detroit. Schools, factories, government buildings, churches and other facilities with the right equipment can receive all the channels. CTN was created primarily because each of the seven institutions involved in it had submitted competing requests for ITFS channels that were offered in Detroit in 1985. When the FCC devised a point system to select the institutions to receive the channels, the competitors filed a joint proposal with the FCC which allowed the CTN members individually to acquire two or three channels each, but at the same time specified joint transmission of all channels because of interference. The CTN members decided to operate the television transmission facilities jointly. (Rahimi, 1992).
CompuServe
The CompuServe on-line service has been around since the 1970s and offers thousands of information sources. Interface software for Mac and Windows is available. It offers night-time access to Knowledge Index, a feature that provides full text of numerous newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and professional journals. Many software and hardware companies maintain technical support forums where you can receive advice, exchange messages with company staff and other users, and get the latest software updates. There's also Support On-Site, a new extra-cost service that contains answers to questions about thousands of software and hardware products.
Courtroom Television Network (COURT) (Cable in the Classroom)
Offers live and taped coverage of real courtroom trials from around the country as well as programs that focus on law and the legal system.
Saturday morning at 4 a.m. ET, airs a one-hour commercial-free special involving current legal and social issues.
A discussion sheet for each program is available free to teachers.
World Wide Web Site: http://www.courttv.com
Susan Abbey 1-800-333-7649
(212) 973-2800
CSUNET, CSU California Technology Project
CSUNet, the California State University Network, run by the California Technology Project, offers conferences and access to teachers and universities. There are collaborative projects such as the Kids2Kids writing project, which is run out a classroom in Costa Mesa.
Discovery Channel (DSC) (Cable in the Classroom)
Assignment Discovery, a commercial-free, curriculum-based series, airs Monday-Friday from 9:00-10:00 a.m. ET/PT. Programs are closed captioned and include vocabulary words, study questions and suggested readings.
A free Discovery Networks teacher's guide is available. 1-800-321-1832.
World Wide Web Site: http://school.discovery.com
1-800-321-1832
Distance Learning Resource Network (DLRN)
DLRN provides a national information clearinghouse for educators and agencies to support planning and implementation of distance leanring programming. By calling the 800 number educators can talk to a DLRN staff member or be forwarded to someone who has the desired information. A database can be accessed through the Internet for a wide array of information and plans are being made to make it accessible through other commercial services. Resources include information about distance learning programs, Star Schools programs, planning and evaluation resources, funding, staff development, research, policy reports, legislation, computer conferencing, instructional techniques, model programs, classroom design, Goals 2000 and other information.
DLRN focuses on how reform and restructure can be facilitated through the applications-based use of technology and telecommunications. DLRN can also provide consulting services for up to one-hour with no fee to discuss setting up distance leanring programs strategies of adoption and other topics. DLRN can also provide training services to potential users of distance learning and the resources to provide extensive background and in-depth understanding of how to operate a successful distance learning program.
DLRN provides a 60-page resource guide and an Implementation Kit which includes video produced by the Pacific Mountain Network as part of the Star Schools Farview grant and other resources for educators, decision makers, and policy makers. DLRN is funded through a Star Schools dissemination grant from the Office Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education.
from "A Technical Guide to Teleconferencing and Distance Learning," 3rd edition
