patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu (Patt Haring) (07/15/90)
Big Sky Telegraph Update for July 1, 1990:
Frank and Regina Odasz are busy creating new online courses and
expanding the range of programs and resources available on
Telegraph. The circuit riders have been selected, the laptops
have arrived and we'll complete the circuit rider training by the
end of July. Each circuit rider has dozens of educational and
community contacts already planned.
The software for the first two community bbs's will be functional
at the Butte High School and the Hamilton RC&D office by mid-
July. Dave Hughes will install the Telegraph Expansion equipment
by mid-July. All plans continue either on or ahead of schedule.
The excitement statewide is palpable. The following are a review
of presentations and plans.
Regina and Frank Odasz presented at the international Electronic
Networking Association conference May 23-26 in San Francisco. Big
Sky Telegraph was well known by attendees as updates on our
progress are frequently posted on networks on both the east and
west coasts. Several persons involved in running National
educational networks will be joining us on Telegraph to discuss
how we can work together to offer teachers more services at lower
cost. Telegraph remains unique in its linking rural education
with rural community revitalization.
The MBEA (MT Bus. Educators Assoc.) has received a grant from
Carl Perkins to train 155 business educators statewide how to use
Telegraph for peer contact and information sharing. Their first
training session will be July 28.
On June 11, at MSU, Telegraph was presented to 35 Technology
Education teachers along with 40 rural librarians. Both groups
are planning to use Telegraph to efficiently share information.
Entrepreneurship curriculum's time has come!
The Montana Entrepreneurship Centers Project, based at the Univ.
of Montana, will create an online database of entrepreneurship
support agencies and information accessible through centers at
MSU, Eastern Montana College and the Univ. of Montana. Telegraph
is working closely with the leaders of this project. Telegraph's
consultant, David R. Hughes, helped them set up their system.
We're exploring ways to share broader access to this information.
Leaders in County Extension are planning to use Telegraph to
support their outreach efforts. 4-H youth leadership programs are
expected online, as are gifted and talented students (coordinated
by one of Telegraph's circuit riders.) The number of
organizations expressing interest in utilizing Telegraph is
overwhelming.
July 27 Frank Odasz will present Telegraph to the Certification
Standards and Practices Advisory Council who have asked to
discuss the feasibility of statewide online mentorship of first
year teachers using Telegraph. Under discussion is a project
whereby teacher education faculty and students from UM and WMC
would come online on Telegraph to evaluate the potential for
teacher ed. communications and resource dissemination.
The Wyoming State Economic Development Office is planning to
contract with Telegraph to bring 20 community economic
development offices online.
The National Diffusion Network currently has state faciliators
from 15 states involved with 4 model educational programs
communicating effectively online. They have received grants to
bring a total of 12 model educational programs online for next
year. Teachers from 5 rural counties in each of the 15 states
will soon receive telecom. training via Telegraph. This
innovative group has a concept paper submitted to US West to link
15 countries, including eastern block countries, with sister
communities in 15 states through Telegraph.
One hundred National Small Business Development Centers may begin
trial use of Telegraph next fall with the potential of 1000 sites
coming online within a year. Word of the effectiveness of
Montanan hospitality for online training on Telegraph is
spreading fast.
Native American networking on Telegraph is about to begin. ESL
(English as a second language) telewriting programs will start
next fall with Native American kids from Dayton, Nevada, Hardin,
Montana and several Eskimo villages in Alaska communicating
online. The motivational aspects of writing for a peer audience
and for reading personal messages from afar, will make this a
program to watch closely.
Dave Hughes, Telegraph's maverick consultant, along with Frank
and Regina Odasz, presented Telegraph at the Montana Association
Bilingual Education conference June 4 in Great Falls. Dave
demonstrated original Native American art, transmitted live in
full color, as one possible means for Native Americans to
disseminate reflections of their cultural identity as an economic
development activity. The potential here is for the Crow to
benefit economically by accentuating their cultural identity,
instead of sacrificing it.
Branching into exploring global trade is another dimension to
explore. The Navajo have an online system used to market their
crafts in 40 countries. International Trade is within our
capabilities. We're considering gathering lists of Montana-made
products and tribal crafts, and test-marketing them via online
systems. We have an experienced international trader who has
volunteered to assist us in this effort. The potential markets
for Eastern Europe alone are obvious. Bulletin board systems are
going up rapidly worldwide. We have the technology to generate
some truly innovative economic development efforts.
July 27, 1990
A Letter to US West's Educational Initiative Program:
Over six months ago I submitted concept papers to the Educational
Initiative regarding:
1. Teaching the 25 quadraplegics slated to move into a new
Missoula handicapped housing complex how to make money teaching
telecommunications skills to others. This could fit well with US
West's Montana Handicapped Telecommunications project.
2. The National Diffusion Network state facilitators from 15
western states have expressed interest in a sister communities
project with 15 countries for educational sharing. This group
will expand from 4 model educational programs currently on
Telegraph to 12 program this next year. They are doers.
Are these two projects under consideration?
Would US West entertain concept papers for the following?
1. The Women's Resource Center of Dillon proposed an adult
literacy training program to the Carl Perkins Fndn. following the
successful model demonstrated by last year's grant where loaner
micros from the local women's center were lent out to displaced
homemakers to receive microcomputer skills instruction at the
home or workplace. The funding for expanding the program to
include adult literacy training was denied.
The orginal project resulted in Sue Roden receiving microcomputer
instruction at the Lima Gas 'n Snacks Truckstop between fillups.
A landmark example of the potential of distance learning by
computer.
2. Dave Hughes has experts from the MIT Plasma and Fusion labs
ready to commit to a national networking effort, to include
Telegraph, to link science experts with gifted students across
most science disciplines. Several other major science resource
providers, the US Space Foundation for example, have expressed
interest in linking together. If US West were interested, a major
successful demonstration project for science and math
instruction, including tranmission of color charts and graphics
over regular phonelines, is possible if funding were available.
Colorado is about to put 1 million dollars into a statewide math
and science network following Telegraph's model, with the
addition of NAPLPS graphics capabilities, aided by consultant
David R. Hughes.
3. Seniornet has 4000 members nationally linking seniors to
communicate via modems. Clo Wiltse, circuit rider from Volberg,
MT, recently talked Computerlines of Bozeman into donating a
microcomputer and modem to the Broadus Rest Home so seniors can
penpal electronically with kids. I've a short video that will
emphatically demonstrate the potential, rather the necessity, of
creating more programs of this sort. I urge US West to realize
these seniors are educational resources and need to be utilized,
not discarded.
Native American economic development using telecommunications to
market Native crafts globally is viable. See the brief
explanation in Telegraph's July update.
Leadership is needed to link deaf and blind kids using personal
computer communications. Using TDD's keeps the deaf and blind
from enjoying the mainstream equality possible via the online
mode. The following groups have expressed interest:
Colorado Springs School for Deaf and Blind (They have their own
electronic bulletin board up and running.)
Montana School for Deaf and Blind
Leigh Calnek from Saskatewan Dept. of Ed. has 240 deaf and blind
kids about to begin networking.
Kitty Carton, of the IRIS network, has 100 deaf and blind kids
ready to begin networking.
Dave Hughes has been online with deaf and blind schools in Hong
Kong and China, both of which have expressed interest in
participating.
Who will provide the leadership for the above worthwhile
programs? Lots of real needs out there, and US West's Telegraph
project has some real answers that need to be demonstrated.
Lastly, the Telecom. Trappers Rendezvous scheduled for June 18-22
in Cody, Wyoming would be an ideal time for US West to showcase
any or all of the above successful, functioning programs for the
National media as evidence of its leadership in rural community
communications. I've enclosed a preliminary announcement.
Indications are this will rapidly evolve into a major
international event highlighting the uses of technology for rural
community support. HBO has already talked to Dave Hughes about
creating a documentory on the event. I've spoken to an individual
involved with an upcoming simucast involving 120 countries about
similar publicity. The Wyoming office of economic development
will partially underwrite the event. Perhaps US West would
consider co-sponsoring this event to highlight existing
telecommunications solutions for depressed rural Rocky Mountain
communities.
I can all but guarantee a public relations return on any or all
of the above in excess of the contribution. Our staff can
showcase the successful completion of any of the above projects
at the Rendezvous, given the one year leadtime.
--
Patt Haring patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu
"The harder you fall, the higher you bounce."
-- American Proverb