Long Distance Lessons

Rural schools like Wells often lack the resources to provide their students and teachers with special educational opportunities like those offered by larger schools.  Funding, transportation, and distance combine to make it especially difficult for small rural districts to provide the type of educational experiences for their teachers and students that promote academic excellence.  Wells ISD is utilizing distance learning to help break down those barriers.  Students and teachers can now connect to presenters at other sites without leaving the school campus.  Teachers are benefiting directly too, through professional development activities provided by video conferencing between the school and education professionals.  This is the first year that Wells has had its distance learning equipment in place.  Here's a few of the ways the district is using videoconferencing:

 

5th Graders Go "High Tech" Susan Burke's 5th grade students have been using real time, interactive videoconferencing to enrich their science lessons.  Region VII science consultant, Donna Wise, has been conducting a series of science experiments from the service center's distance learning classroom in Kilgore.  5th graders from Wells and five other districts enjoy participating in the experiments, asking and answering questions about density, mass, states of matter, and other topics.  Students (see photo at left) observe Ms. Wise as she walks them through each experiment, and can ask questions using one of 8 microphones in the distance learning classroom.

 

Access to Professional Consultants In November, Wells teachers had the opportunity to consult with Dr. Christopher Thomas, a professor at UTMB and noted authority on child development.  Dr. Thomas presented the latest information on helping children with ADHD/HDD.  Videoconferencing allowed our teachers to ask Dr.Thomas questions about ADHD and receive immediate answers.    In March, Dr. Thomas presented another workshop on helping children cope with violence.  He discussed the effects the space shuttle disaster and the war on terrorism have on children, and what teachers and parents can do to help them cope.  Videoconference equipment allows Wells staff to consult education professionals they normally have no access to.

 
 

Training without Travel Time The distance learning equipment has also allowed Wells administrators to cut back on time away from campus.  Instead of traveling to Region VII in Kilgore or to Austin, administrators and staff can get their updates and information without leaving the campus.  This allows them more time for other duties and also saves travel expenses for the district.  Whether it's an update on the TAKS test, a food service meeting, or an update on immunizations for the school nurse, videoconference has been an effective way to get the latest information quickly and easily.

What's in Store Wells has only just begun to utilize its distance learning resources and continues to work to develop the program.  Future videoconferencing plans include offering college classes to students and the community, taking elementary students on electronic field trips to places like NASA or the Institute of Texan Cultures, and career exploration through interviews with special guests.   Distance learning brings the world to the smallest, most isolated schools.  At Wells ISD and elsewhere, the possibilities for learning using this technology are limited only by the imagination.