The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 9

THE COURIER-JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1989 A 9 KENTUCKY SCHOOLS AT A CROSSROADS WHAT CHATCCE TO LEARN? 'Talk-back' is allowed in this class LONG-DISTANCE LESSONS Kentucky is using satellite technology to provide more specialized courses to public schools IT! Instruction is Ut Television transmission is beamed to satellite in earth orbit. camera in the KET studio in Lexington. Relayed to a school's satellite dish. v.t;:C;!; i 2-way TV helps small; remote schools Continued from Page One achievement Administrative Informa- tion, such as attendance, could be quickly for Public Broadcasting and developed analyzed if every school in 'the State were Kentucky Educational Television and the tied Into the network. state Department of Education.

Equipment for the system is being bought primarily with as SI 1.4 million bond issue While Star Channels seem to have vast potential, educators caution that television teaching has limits. approved by the 1986 General Assembly. "Good television programs teach well: For a school like Wolfe County High, hir- I'poor ones teach poorly," said David R. An derson, a professor of-psychology at the Uni tial to academic motivation. A major reason kids study hard is to please the teacher." And he said that television instruction can be Ineffective unless students are given regular homework.

"So in physics, students actually have to do the math problems." Graviss uses mostly multiple-choice and true-or-false questions for teste, which can be conducted during a class or sent to the schools through a computer or by mall. Kentucky's satellite students, who are graded and assigned Credit just like students In any other class, are also given homework. Jennings Bryant director of the Institute for Communication Research at the University of Alabama, said there has been limited research that indicates two-way television learning is not much different than regular classrooms: "All the indicators I see when it's properly done are promising. But) I'm not willing to say it's equal to a classroom situation." He said the programs can ing a full-time employee to teach physics or statistics could easily cost more than $20,000. Instead, Wolfe County paid $3,000 half of the equipment cost and $300 for each student taking the yearlong KET courses: (Two students are taking statistics and seven are enrolled in physics at the school.) The statistics and physics course? are broadcast from KET's Lexington studio to a satellite 22,500 miles above the then relayed to receiver dishes at the 38 participating high schools In Kentucky.

Each student uses a computerized keypad versity of Massachusetts in Amherst Television instruction can be highly effective, he bringing students experiences or observations that are impossible to obtain In a regular class. For instance, he said, a biology class could watch the behavior of an African' animal. Chuck Duncan, who teaches Star Channels' physics course and who is on leave from Lafayette High School in Lexington, videotapes lab, experiments and shows them to his classes. One recent day, to demonstrate the The teacher monitors the student responses (voice and data) and modifies instruction accordingly. A SCHOOLS USING KET SATELLITE CLASSES Now in network Will join next year 1 ai nis aesti to type answers to multiple-choice questions; to ask the teacher to speed up or slow down; or to take tests.

Each school also has a telephone hookup, and teachers often have students work out problems and answer questions by phone as other students watch and listen. Students at 99 other schools in 17 other states are also receiving the statistics course through the Satellite Educational Resources Consortium, a partnership of which Kentucky is a member.) After the state Supreme Court ruled in June that Kentucky's school system was unconstitutional, some top legislators asked KET if it would be feasible to pand the television-instruction system. They reasoned that a wider system would be one major way to narrow the inequities in course offerings between rich and poor school districts. In response, KET has proposed a four-year plan that would install the system in every public elementary, middle and high school in the state more than 1,200 schools. The plan's costs would total $88.4 million in capital expenses and $15 million a year to cover operating expenses.

The Task Force on Education Reform's curriculum committee is scheduled to meet Dec. 7 at Western Kentucky University to dis- cuss KET's plan and other uses of technology in be successful only if they contain five elements: a talented teacher, a well-planned and evaluated curriculum, good production capabilities, a method for students to give feedback, and someone in the classroom such as a librarian to make sure students are using the equipment properly and carrying out their work, i "If any of those things fall, then I don't think you have a viable option. It has to be a system run better than a typical school," he said. Anderson said educational television programs should be regularly evaluated and monitored by qualified people who have no vested interest In the system. The probability and statistics course taught in the spring was evaluated by a consultant hired by the satellite consortium.

Lee Monk, a spokeswoman for the consortium, said the evaluation "came out very well." Monk and KET Director of Education Liz Hobson agreed with Anderson that outside evaluation was important They said the consortium will continue to evaluate the statistics course. The University of Kentucky Survey a Research Center is evaluating the yearlong physics course, said Jim Wolf, the center's research coordinator. Television courses, especially those with many stu high schools. An asterisk means school will join Grant County, Dry Ridge Prestonsburg Green County, Ftaceland Greensburg Russell Hart County, Munfordville Sheldon Clark, Inez Hazard Silver Grove Hickman County, South Hopkins, Clinton Nortonville Letcher County, Spencer County, Whitesburg Taylorsville McCreary County, Washington County, Stearns Springfield McDowell West Carter, Olive Hill Metcalfe County, West Hardin, Edmonton Stephensburg Monroe County, West Hopkins, Nebo Tompkm8ville Wheelwright Monticello Independent Whitley County, Newport Williamsburg Nicholas County, Carlisle Williamsburg Paul G. Blazer, Ashland Wolfe County, Campton Pikeville Woodford County, Powell County, Stanton Versailles network next school year.

Adair County, Columbia Allen Central, Eastern Berea Community Betsy Layne Buckhom Campbellsville Carlisle County, Bardwell Clinton County, Albany Corbin Cordia, Hazard Cumberland County, Burkesville Dawson Springs East Carter, Grayson Elliott County, Sandy Hook Estill County, Irvine Fairview, Ashland Fleming County, Flemingsburg Floyd County Technical, Martin Gallatin County, Warsaw By GIL LAWSON Staff Writer Seven Western Kentucky school districts, two colleges and the Tennessee Valley Authority want to use technology to give the local schools and the economy a shot in the arm. The plan is to create a television network, more fully two-way than Kentucky Educational Television's Star Channels system. Star Channels lets students see a teacher on a screen and communicate with the teacher through telephone lines and computer keypads. But the teacher can't see the students. The planned network would permit both students and teachers to see and hear each other all at once.

Officials of the seven school districts, which have formed a cooperative, say the network would allow them to pool resources and tie into nearby universities; TVA likes it because it could be used after school hours to train factory workers or put on seminars for small businesses. In fact TVA is interested in making the network a national demonstration project TVA official Ron. Shipe said, "It would be a tremendous community and education tool." For Instance, a student In a Fulton County classroom could see and hear a teacher in adjoining Hickman County, and the teacher, while in his own regular class, would be able to see and hear the Fulton County student all with the aid of cameras, monitors and microphones. Three districts in the West Kentucky Educational Technology Cooperative Fulton County, Fulton Independent and Hickman County are already considering merging because none of them can offer a broad curriculum alone. The cooperative's other members are Graves County, Mayfield Independent Calloway County and Murray Independent school districts, and Murray State University and Paducah Community College.

The hookup could make it seem like students in different schools are "all in one big room," said Fulton County school Superintendent Charles Terrett who also is chairman of the cooperative. For example, Terrett's district has only four students in a chemistry class. The network would enable them to "Join" a larger chemistry class in an adjacent district making better use of resources and cutting expenses by eliminating duplication in instruction. Shipe and Terrett said the network would not compete with Star Channels because the new network would offer basic courses; Star Channels provides only high-level courses not available in rural areas. Shipe said he thinks the two systems would complement each other.

The classroom equipment would cost $14,000 to $16,000 per room, with the total cost to the schools estimated at $1.2 million. That might be reduced if private companies get involved, Shipe said. TVA has made a financial commitment but Shipe declined to say how much because details are incomplete. South Central Bell has been asked to provide telephone lines to carry audio and video signals, and Joe Mefford, state economic-development manager for the company, said the proposal is under study. Terrett thinks similar systems could be developed in other regions of the state.

They already are in use in at least five other states, said Linda Lloyd, a native of Owensboro who works for a group of businesses in Texas developing a two-way system for schools there. Minnesota has had networks with full audio and visual capacity since 1980 and about a third of the state's 433 school districts use them, said John See, a Minnesota Department of Education official. One cooperative, Mid-State Educational Telecommunications Cooperative, based in Little Falls, is made up of eight rural school districts in central Minnesota. It uses 105 miles of fiber-optic cable to transmit 15 courses, according to Jerry Abraham, its director of instructional technology. Homework and tests are exchanged through the mail, facsimile machines and teachers who drive from one district to another.

Each class has six television monitors, and no more than 27 students. "It's like a traditional classroom. The only difference is some students are seen and heard on a television," Abraham said. The network is also connected to a state university, a community college and five technical colleges. A Minnesota Department of Education study found no significant difference in learning compared to normal classrooms.

See said. Abraham predicted that within the next three to five years half of Minnesota's school districts would be involved. "It's popping up all over the United States," he said. "All the indicators I sea when it's properly dona cro promising. (But) I'm not willing to say it's equal to a classroom situation." Jennings Bryant, director of the Institute for Communication Research at the University of Alabama dents enrolled, often must have a strong supporting cast tutors and university students to assist the teacher and help grade homework.

For instance, students in the KET statistics and physics courses can call three tutors with toll-free phone numbers before and after classes and on weeknlghts when they have problems with homework. schools. The task force will make recommendations to the legislature next year. Buel Guy, top aide to House Speaker Don Blandford, said technology is one thing the legislature "will have to use to bring equity" to the schools, Before the Supreme Court decision, KET's plans were less ambitious adding about $23 million over the next two fiscal years, beginning in July 1990, to complete the origi principles of gravity, Duncan, who holds a master's degree in nuclear engineering, was shown dropping a bowling ball and a water balloon off the top of a Lexington parking garage. A demonstration that could have taken a large portion of a class period was accomplished in minutes.

Satellite teaching also allows a teacher to Students in different schools can also corn- get an Immediate computerized profile of municate with each other and with their nal Star Channels project It would increase the number of high school courses from two each of his students to see whether they are teachers through a computer program called to 10 and equip all high schools for the two- correctly answering questions. Unlike a regu- "Learning Link." Each school has a comput lar classroom setting, in which some students way system. er terminal and can send "electronic mail" to teachers or to other students in far-flung districts and discuss homework or less seri-ous matters. Duncan, the physics teacher, believes it helps overcome isolation and provincialism. Bryant who Is currently evaluating an educational-television consortium that serves schools in 30 states, said the satellite courses have made rural schools he has visited feel "for the first time they are able to offer courses that make them comparable to wealthy ones.

They feel it is going to give their students parity for the first time." Under KETs most recent proposal, a comprehensive curriculum in foreign languages, the arts, and advanced math and science would be available by satellite to all high schools. And elementary and middle schools would use the broadcast system for special classes such as foreign languages. Some universities and libraries would be included in the network so students and teachers would have access to even more experts and resource materials. The system could be used for teacher in-service training, or for giving statewide may be hesitant to participate, everyone is asked to take part by using the keypads. "We pick on all of the kids, hands up or not" said Tom Graviss, who is teaching the Star Channels statistics course and is on leave from Louisville's Atherton High School.

Television learning systems can also be badly used. Anderson said such systems should only supplement a school's curriculum, not substitute for classroom teachers. Unlike television teaching, he said, a live teacher in a classroom "gives students the human approval and reward that are essen- Information from keypads and telephone is delivered to the studio by telephone lines. They communicate with the teacher using their keypads and telephone. H.

tz fj i pi The students watch the lesson on television. staff photo by stewart bowman James Lacy, Kara Clark and Katrina Brewer of Wolfe County High visited KET's Lexington studio. STAFF ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARA BARRY.