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ALTP
News August 12, 2000
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Recent ALTP News |
Reminder: ALTP BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING (OPEN) Wednesday, August 23, 2000
Dial-in attendance: contact tkraver@qwest.net |
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| To: | ALTP Associates | |||
| From: | Ted Kraver, Chairman 225 West Orchid Lane |
tkraver@qwest.net Phoenix, AZ 85021 |
602-944-8557 (off) 602-861-9150 (fax) |
ACTION AGENDA Saturday, August 12, 2000Arizona Learning Technology Partnership, Inc.
APNE E-LEARNING HOT TEAM MEETING Monday, August 14, 2000, from 1:00-4:00 pm World Business Building, Room 236 at Thunderbird (AGSIM) 15249 N. 59th Avenue, Glendale, AZ. E- Learning and New Talent Hot Team: Roy Herberger of the American Graduate School of International Management and Gregg Holmes of Cox Cable Arizona will co-chair this team focused on seeking opportunities to make E-learning pervasive in Arizona's schools, workplaces, homes, and communities. E-Learning Hot Team: mailto: E-Learning@azcommerce.com http://www.azcommerce.com/neweconomy/hotteaminfo.htm. To contribute to the E-Learning Hot Team, contact Craig Sullivan: craigs@azcommerce.com or 602-280-1343. APNE Project Manager Arizona Department of Commerce
FIRST ADVANCED DISTRIBUTED LEARNING CONFERENCE - USA There is a growing need to distribute training, learning materials and courseware to individuals and groups in different locations. The first ADLCand exhibition, which is combined with an Embedded Training Conference (ADL/ET C&E) will be held at the Wyndham Hotel, Orlando, Florida on Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th September 2000. [I will be attending, Ted the Ed.] Advances in learning, communications, and related technologies are rapidly changing the way we learn, the way we do business, and the way we live our lives. One of the defining characteristics of this emerging technology-based learning environment is the capability to move knowledge to where it is needed, when it is needed. In the future, all learners will have the ability to instantly access knowledge from myriad sources around the globe, tailored to their personal needs and delivered anywhere they need it - in the classroom, in the home, at the job site, on the flight line, and in the battlefield. This seminal event will feature the leading architects and cutting edge prototypes of the future learning environment - a global knowledge network with the capability to deliver cost-effective learning content, tailored to individual needs, anytime, anywhere. Guest speakers will present and enter into moderated panel discussions in crucial areas of interest to the education and training community. These include: Presidential and Congressional learning technology initiatives; investments in training modernization and the new networked economy; the emergence of common technical standards; the potential for large-scale cross-sector collaboration in the development of knowledge resources; and the imperatives for organizational and cultural changes. Creating this new e-learning environment will require the use of common open-architecture standards that will ensure reuse and interoperability of 'learning objects'. It is important to recognize that all organizations face common challenges in building and implementing the future learning environment, and no organization has the resources or the ability to go it alone. These common challenges underscore the need to deliberately foster large-scale collaboration, across the Department of Defense, the federal agencies, academia, and the private-sector, in order to reduce cost and risk, while optimizing return on investment. As such, an unprecedented degree of collaboration in the research, development, distribution, and management of learning tools and content is considered crucial to achieving future defense readiness, improving the quality of public education, and enhancing national competitiveness. There will also be a special tutorial session on the first set of guidelines and specifications (called the Sharable Content Object Reference Model, or SCORM) that is the sine qua non for allowing courseware and learning content to be reused and shared across technological and organizational boundaries.
WEB-BASED EDUCATION COMMISSION INVITES YOU TO E-TESTIFY MARY_GONZALES@ED.GOV The WEB-based Education Commission is inviting a range of experts to submit online "e-testimony" on public policies needed to help fulfill the educational promise of the Internet. The Commission wants to hear from individuals and organizations that have a stake in the future of education. Concrete recommendations needed access, professional development, distributive learning, assessment and accreditation, cost and financing, standards, intellectual property protection, online privacy, research and development, and marketplace forces. The complete list of issues is at www.webcommission.org. Commission will complete study by December 2000.
OPENMIND PUBLISHING GROUP - the future of textbook publishing is a real-time dynamic process http://www.openmindpublishing.com/
FEEDBACK FEEDBACK FEEDBACK FEEDBACK By: Ed Groenhout, NAU Not to say that fixed wireless, licensed (MDS, MMDS, ITFS) and unlicensed (Spread Spectrum), is a solution for all schools and small businesses beyond the limited reach of DSL and cable (Winstar seems to be doing quite well in other parts of the spectrum). It is clear that wireline -- specifically fiber from the central office to rural schools and small/medium size businesses, is very expensive for both the private and common carriers. Fiber has already been extended from the CO to the top 10,000 corporations in the U.S. as measured by size or clout, and the majority of the rest can't afford it. The smaller markets are being abandoned with abandon. According to Frontiers of Freedom, an advocacy group founded by the retired Senator Malcom Wallop, R-Wyo., and as reported in July 10 issue of Telephony, "U.S. West and GTE have sold 868,000 phone lines in sparsely populated areas -- more than half in New Mexico -- since 1992." Also, "In the last five years, U S West has sold nearly 600 rural systems that serve about 1 million consumers to small companies and local telephone cooperatives...." I heard with my own ears a representative of US West say in 1989 that it would upgrade and replace 26 central office switches in rural Arizona. I think it did none. But then, Ed Hatler, the State Department of Administration and others were studying the state's needs (remember AZ 2000?) in order to try to reduce the state's monthly telephone bill. Again, service to rural areas was a huge and costly issue to surmount, not to mention the politics involved. I have come to conclude that it's unrealistic to expect the extension of high bandwidth, wireline service over significant distance, with "significant" being defined by the economics of the particular circumstance. If it hadn't been for the Universal Service Fund established through a tax on inter-exchange carriers, much of the rural Rocky Mountain west wouldn't be underserved, it would be unserved. While the USF and the E-Rate programs are viable in many circumstances, each must include without prejudice service delivery through wireless means as well. There's a pilot project about to get underway on the Navajo Indian Reservation that includes providing high-speed Internet service to all 110 Chapter Houses. In an project whose parties were brought together by Northern Arizona University, each will receive small-dish satellite equipment including a single computer, monitor and 2-way Internet service through Gilat-To-Home (G2H) in league with EchoStar and Microsoft. The Internet service operates at 40 mbps downstream (shared) and 153.6 kbps upstream. In cooperation with the General Services and Community Services divisions of the Navajo Nation and the two agencies' work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, each Chapter House will also receive two additional computers to be networked through the G2H up-link/downlink equipment. A grant received by the Seba Dalkai Boarding School (aka Southwest Navajo Nation Virtual Alliance) was modified under mutual agreement of the grantor (NTIA/TOP) and grantee (SNNVA) to include all Navajo Nation Chapter Houses, and provides three years of Internet service at no cost to the Chapter Houses. If the Chapter Houses wish to continue the service after the three-year period, each will pay $69 per month for the service. If the Chapter House wants to include direct-broadcast-satellite programming provided by EchoStar/The DISH Network, the monthly cost depends on the package purchased (such as America's Top Forty -- which includes NAU's The Universityhouse Channel -- for $19.99 per month). The other major DBS service, DirecTV, is also planning
the delivery of two-way Internet services directly to the home and office,
ostensibly in the beginning of next year. G2H equipment and subscription
services will be available for home and office use through Radio Shack
in October. Neither DBS provider has announced what the equipment package
will cost the consumer, but it's expected to be less than $600 if the
computer stays in the package, less if not. NAU has also arranged for
the Havasupai Nation to participate in the G2H pilot as an example of
extreme isolation from which all can learn. But the truly bright prospect
of totally wireless Internet service available to anybody from anywhere
with a view to the south (100-119 degrees west Greenwich) is a remarkable
achievement in service to all rural and isolated people. Ed Groenhout Northern Arizona University I certainly agree with Bud Eldon's comments that something must be done about teacher education in science and mathematics. One small step to inspiring teachers and outstanding students to be more math and science conscious would be to invite retired engineers and scientists to conduct special "invitation only classes" on the importance of science and math education by giving interesting examples of the application of principles that SHOULD have been learned at the K12 level. One small example-I have contracted several boat maintenance companies in San Diego to wax my fibre glass sailboat. These companies charge by the LINEAR FOOT of boat length not realizing that their workload goes up with square of the boat length. Another example- a PhD on the California Energy Commission was horrified to discover that roughly two thirds of the energy in fuel for a typical power plant is lost in the heat of the stack gases! A third example-the inventor of a "100 percent efficient" windmill in California had his lawyer call me when I told him he was violating the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Fortunately, the lawyer soon realized that I wasn't talking about civil law. I realize this input of retired professionals would, of necessity be small from a teaching standpoint- but more important, it could be INSPIRATIONAL.
Archie Kelley, Retired Navy Captain (My marvelous first engineering boss in 1960’s aerospace (Garrett-Airesearch) skunk works, Ted the Ed.)
ARIZONA'S HIGH-TECH TALENT PARTNERSHIP http://www.AZhttp.net Tom Volhein tvolhein@home.com 602.957.6041 AZhttp Networking Opportunity: "Net Working Nights". Join us at Networks in the Downtown Phoenix Hyatt On Thursday, August 17, 2000 starting at 5pm in Networks located at the downtown Hyatt, 122 N. 2nd Street, Phoenix. Happy Hour Specials will be available, so bring a stack of business cards and connect with other high-tech professionals in the Valley. $1.00 off the first drink for all AZhttp Networkers. Happy Hour Food will be available courtesy of Networks. Parking in the Adams Parking Garage across from the main entrance of Networks will be validated at Networks. Networks is on the northwest corner of 2nd St and Adams. Enter the parking garage from 2nd St just south of Adams. Feel free to invite friends and co-workers to attend as well. More information at: http://www.azhttp.net/aug2000.html
OPINION BY BRINCEFIELD My new Oracle NIC (www.thinknic.com) is a breakthrough product. This is a great machine for countries such as China. It is also a great machine for replacing PCs in American Schools. I will give more details during the next few weeks. My initial experience is very favorable.
WISDOM IN A FEW WORDS To the creative individual all experience is seminal- all events are equidistant from new ideas and insights... Eric Hoffer There is nothing so awkward as courting a woman whilst she is making sausages. Laurence Sterne Idealism without realism is impotent. Realism without idealism is immoral. Richard Nixon We hear and apprehend only what we already half know. Henry David Thoreau Note: Some above reports were edited or paraphrased to shorten them to this newsletter format. Ted the Ed. The ALTP News/Action Agenda is produced by the Arizona Learning Technology To subscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ASUVM.INRE.ASU.EDU with the message To sign off the list, send email to LISTSERV@ASUVM.INRE.ASU.EDU with the
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