Passaic Valley not only delivers its own programming through Internet2; the school also receives programming from other cultural and educational partners such as the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Rutgers University-Camden, and Montclair State. “These programs create a template so that a teacher has a catalog of content to use without having to leave the classroom,” Conforth says.
The first time we did ‘Around the World,‘ our students realized they were not valued in the world the way they thought they were.— Matthew Conforth, Passaic Valley High School
Conforth explains that the NJPAC music programs had a limited reach before the advent of Internet2. “Before Internet2, the live audience for these programs was restricted to schools that were no more than 16 miles from the NJPAC in Newark. Other students had to be bussed to NJPAC and return to school before the end of the school day. It is much easier, and less costly, for our students to participate in the interactive programs, not to mention that they have the opportunity to interact with an expert—and the kids don’t want to look foolish in front of the expert.”
Conforth says that when the technology and funding to deliver videoconferencing first became available, ambitions ran a bit too far ahead. “At first, teachers and administrators were curious to find out if the technology could be used to deliver complete courses that the school could not offer onsite,” he says. “But then they wanted the instructor to be as qualified as a full-time faculty member, including the right certification.” Conforth stresses the value of Internet2 programming as supplemental instruction. “I found that teachers preferred content experts over complete course instruction, to go beyond the chapters in the textbook.”
Made in Manhattan
New York’s Manhattan School of Music has been providing videoconference programming through Internet2 since 2000, according to Christianne Orto, assistant dean of distance learning. MSM has delivered programs to K-12 schools in 25 states, reaching 1,700 students. Most of the programs MSM offers are supplements to traditional classroom instruction.
“Everything we do conforms to state and national education standards,” Orto says. “We provide curriculum guides for all that we do.” MSM faculty design the course content as well as the off-line print lesson plan that is given to the participating K-12 teacher. The teacher uses the curriculum guide to prepare her students for the videoconference and to create homework or other supplemental lessons from it.
Orto works with an advisory committee consisting of MSM faculty and senior administration to generate ideas for K-12 and higher education programming. “Out of 250 faculty members, about 25 percent are involved in teaching at least one of our online programs,” she says.
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