In November of 2008, we were awarded a three year USDA Distance Learning & Telemedicine Program grant.

The purpose of the grant is as follows:

• Implement the State of Minnesota’s World-Class Students Initiative designed to create rigorous courses through the development of quality real time, web-based distance learning and video conferencing opportunities to improve and supplement the existing curricula which will prepare students for higher education and careers in the new global economy.
• Improve literacy and math instruction through the effective teaching of reading in our elementary schools
• Provide professional development opportunities for the instructional staff to attract and maintain NCLB mandated highly qualified teachers.

 Funding will:

• Increase distance learning opportunities for 13,605 students in six rural school districts and two community colleges.
• Decrease disparity between rural and urban students
• Provide equitable opportunities through the expansion of educational distance learning to every grade level and every curricular level.
• Expansion of existing distance learning networks will allow the NESC to offer High Definition distance/online learning to any participating classroom.
• Provide large scale, low cost, video technology to the desktop.
• Provide critical distance learning curriculum that will enable higher levels of student achievement and technological interaction through dynamic programming and instruction.
• Allow this technology to be available to the general public for purposes of higher education.

The broader capabilities will:

• Enable use of High Definition video upgrades to increase service and educational quality and delivery
• Enable high quality large scale development of Video to the Desktop allowing two-way voice and video interaction on a one-on-one and peer-to-peer exchanges including multipointconferencing
• Provide enhanced distance learning curriculum to help increase educational achievement
• Provide professional development
• Provide healthcare education to address chronic health issues
• Participate in virtual field trips from sites around the world
• Provide access to technology, education, training, vocational education and information at large to rural residents
• Share courses both interactive and online
• Increase member district and student collaboration
• Develop a video portal that will allow for one stop scheduling and content review
• Provide full integration to all our distance learning services.

 Goals will be accomplished through:

• Acquisition of new, portable, video conferencing equipment and associated curricular enhancements.

 Telecommunications System Overview:

1)   DLT Hardware Infrastructure
(Provides ability to send and receive audio and video over telecommunications infrastructure).
a. Shared video conferencing core infrastructure
b. Local video conferencing endpoints

2)   DLT Content Infrastructure
(Without source would be harder to find and results in an idle DLT Hardware would be a waste of time, effort and money)
a. Curriculum and Applications
i. Compass Learning Odyssey
b. Steaming Media Services
i. Learn 360
c. Course Management Systems
i. Moodle
ii. DimDim

3)   DLT Local Infrastructure
(Without it, participants would fail due to lack of quality of service and ability to present what’s being sent and received.
a. Local Area Network Equipment
b. Classroom Equipment

Project Outcomes include:

• Six rural school districts and 32 sites will have access to opportunities once only available to richer, more urban communities
• 13,604 rural students will have access to educational programming through the provision of “anytime, anywhere” learning opportunities
• Teachers will receive intensive, focused professional development in reading
• Students will benefit from increased teacher knowledge of research-based and scientifically proven strategies for teaching reading
• Academic achievement in content areas will increase
• Reading and math achievement scores will improve for students’ grades 1-12
• Reaching and language learning will become fun through the use of new, innovative techniques facilitated by the use of technology – this is turn will create students who are excited about learning.
• Teachers will have access to technology
• Rural districts will be better able to recruit and retain teachers
• Schools will comply with NCLB regulations
• Teachers will have a greater level of in-depth content knowledge
• Teachers will utilize research-based, scientifically proven “best practices”
• All students’ will profit from more highly educated teachers
• Academic achievement will improve
• More students will achieve at a level commensurate with the state average in reading and math