ITV German 2 students from St. Croix Central and Prescott celebrated the Holiday Season with a get-together at SCC on Friday, Dec. 18. SCC ITV facilitator Lori Fedie organized the event with Paula Brown, the German ITV teacher from Osceola.
“These field trips allow the distance learning students to meet each other and interact face-to-face, a change from their every day interaction,” Fedie said.
The students played games, sang songs and enjoyed treats in the library before continuing their celebration in the foods room. Markus Haastert, SCC’s foreign exchange student from Germany, along with Whitney Aune and Hannah Elhorn, prepared a traditional German meal. To round out the celebration, the Chamber Choir caroled for the guests, who also included SCC Superintendent David Bradley, teacher Mary Lucking and community members Beth Monson and Tim Scott.
SCC High School students have the opportunity to take many classes they could not otherwise have through the Northern Lights Network over ITV (Instructional Television). When a few students in several different communities are interested in the same course, the total enrollment numbers are high enough to allow the course to be delivered via the ITV network. Students stay in their own high school or community to receive the instruction instead of traveling many miles to a technical college, university or another high school.
Technology assists the “rural” students with their distance learning courses. Students and instructors talk to each other using microphones and see each other using cameras and TV monitors. A document camera takes the place of a chalkboard and a fax machine and email attachments help course materials to be sent between sites.
All sites can either originate or receive programs. Programming for the 26 K12 school districts, WITC-Rice Lake, WITC-New Richmond, UW-Barron County, UW-River Falls, and CESA #11 is done cooperatively. Daytime courses for high school students, after school staff development opportunities, videoconferences, and evening/weekend classes for the community comprise the major programming focus.
The Northern Lights Network utilizes digital fiber IP technology, which provides for full motion video and audio transmission. Service to Northern Lights Network is provided by a number of local telephone companies whose efforts are managed and integrated by Wisconsin BadgerNet Access Alliance(WBAA).