The Lower Hudson Regional Information
Center is offering videoconferencing service to its districts in
the fall of 2004. The initial project is a county-wide implementation
in Rockland County.
During the 2003-2004 school year, the Rockland County Legislature
allocated funds to assist with the implementation of a distance education
network connecting the County's high schools, public libraries, teacher
centers, government offices, Rockland BOCES and Rockland Community
College. This new education and communication network will be comprised
of nearly two dozen constituent organizations. Rockland County has
been working in close concert with Rockland, Putnam/Northern Westchester, and Southern Westchester
BOCES and with the Lower Hudson Regional Information
(LHRIC), to develop this cost effective, reliable, high-quality regional
two-way audio and video communications system to facilitate distance
education.
The purpose of this new distance education network will be to facilitate
student, teacher, administrator and community learning opportunities
beyond those available via traditional practices. Education and communications
have entered a new era, when unprecedented learning opportunities
result from technological innovations. The goal of this project
is to incorporate state-of-the-art communications technology, experienced
education personnel, and healthy financial support, producing unparalleled
education and communications resources, which will significantly
advance regional learning, communications, and access to our dynamic
global community.
The LHRIC has supported this start-up effort from its inception nearly four years ago through: system design recommendations, meeting presentations, cost estimations, technical site surveys, preliminary project coordination, and acting as a catalyst. Rockland BOCES is coordinating professional development regarding the instructional use of videoconferencing for the Rockland stakeholders.
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The project will address the following needs:
- To provide instructional and learning opportunities for
students in a wide range of program areas typically inaccessible
in the absence of a distance education network.
- To provide equity
of educational opportunity to students across the region
where the network will exist.
- To allow and enhance
opportunities for students to interact outside of their traditional
communities and to promote inter-cultural awareness and appreciation.
- To provide more cost effective ways
of delivering staff development programs to a greater number
of teachers and administrators across the region.
- To provide more
cost effective ways of delivering instructional programs to
students.
- To
enhance collaboration, training, and research efforts among
students and teachers in our local schools with colleges and universities.
- To
provide cost effective, reliable, centralized videoconferencing
bridging and gateway services upon which distance education relies.
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