The New York State Distance Learning Consortium
Meeting Minutes
For
May 6 & 7 2004
Binghamton, NY
The following is a summary of our most recent meeting. Please let Steve Smith know as soon as possible if anything has been omitted or reported in error. Many thanks to Elizabeth Huggler for taking meeting notes.
1.
Introduction, Agenda Review and Review of January 2004 Meeting Minutes
A. Agenda Review—We did a quick review of the agenda. We adjusted our agenda slightly moving the breakout sessions to the next day. It was also noted that our agendas should be more in detail instead of just “Round Table”. The following items were added to our agenda for this meeting;
· Ibuz awareness /training – Bonnie Nizamis
· USNY Counsel – Barb Buonanno
· SED letter on delaying new network installations
· Homebound students
· NAVS get together
· Sale of Verizon
· How are we marketing DL
· How costs are charged for online courses or video conferencing
B. Review of January 2004 meeting minutes—After review we approved the minutes. We are reminded that all meeting minutes are still on our web site.
2.
Focused Agenda Items -
·
Ibuz – Bonnie Nizamis:
§ Bonnie showed us the various attributes of this application
§ Bonnie helped us register to use Ibuz
§ Bonnie took pictures for Ibuz profiles
§ We are to play with Ibuz until the fall meeting
§ At the fall meeting we will discuss whether to move away from our new listserv to
Ibuz or not
§ Contact Bonnie for any help.
§
USNY Counsel – Barb Buonanno:
§ Barb made us aware of this new group primarily of higher level administrators
working on technology plan guidelines that include distance learning
§
Their website is www.usnytech.org
§
SED Letter Delaying New Network Installations:
§
The RIC Directors are working with SED to resolve this.
§
Homebound Students:
§ Chris Staats has put this in his co-ser to help support the technology needed to ensure a student gets his/her classes whatever the location.
§ APEX learning and Keystone are two currently being used
§ Ken Ford indicated that a response might be coming soon from SED on whether online courses have to reside on a BOCES server.
§
NAVS Discussion:
§
Albany, Oneida-Madison, Oswego, Broome and Cayuga BOCES
regions are connecting using a Verizon service called NAVS
§
They are access the same scheduler or connections.
§
Albany and Broome used the connection this current year
for classes
§ Service is expensive. Need for Verizon to develop a different tariff to make it more affordable for multiple lines.
§
How Are We Marketing Distance Learning In Our Regions
§ Our BOCES websites
· Our NYSDLC website
· Our NYSDLC flyer and bookmarks
§ Creating short videos, news casts, presentations to school Boards, parent open house nights are a few mentioned
§ Bob suggested that maybe we start hanging the banner at our local tech fairs.
§ How Costs are Charged for Online Courses and Video Conferencing
§ Students may not be charged for high school credit courses
§ The school hosting online courses provides the cost to produce the course
§ It was asked why some are using Keystone instead of Accelerate U. Comments suggested cost, legal/union issues, and response time.
§
NYSDLC Website Committee Report:
§ The web committee updated the group that a new website was started
§ We had a quick view of the new “look”
§ The committee intends to have the site ready for the opening of school this.
§ Any that are under construction will not show until ready. We are each responsible for providing Steve Smith with updates that pertain to our BOCES regions. If our website is not current what is the value? Email any changes to Steve ASAP.
§ Members are barb Buonanno, Paul Rubeo, Cris Staats, Tony Abbatiello, Steve Smith
§
NYSDLC White Page Committee Report:
§
The committee was unable to give a report. Members are Bob, Eliz, Paul, and Steve
Putman.
§ NYSSBA- 2004 is in Buffalo in October / 21-24 - Proposal are due now
· We decided last meeting not to have a booth this year
§ Paul Rubeo will be submitting a presentation on “Interactive Classroom”
§ Chris Staats will be submitting a presentation on DL information
§ Mike Hicks and Liz Huggler will be submitting a presentation on “Administrative
and Community Connections via DL”
§
NYSCATE - 2004 in Rochester in November / 21-23
Presentations
due
· We decided no booth this year
§ Jeff and Sean may due presentations.
· Use Ibuz to discuss more presentations
§ Video Conferencing -
§ No plans at this time.
§ DTC/DCI/NYSDLC Meeting Report
§ Steve Smith distributed notes from this joint group that met in Albany trying to consider all needs for planning a comprehensive network
§ Concerns were aired regarding that group communicating with the USNY group that is writing the tech plan for the state
§ Mike Sylofski attended the follow up meeting that was held on May 17th. The outcome document from that meeting was emailed via the listserv.
3.
Break Out Sessions:
§
Instructional:
§ What are districts doing with video conferencing in the elementary classroom?
§ Technical difficulties have discouraged some teachers
§ People who are hired by Reading Grant Title II D need to be communicating weekly
§ It was suggested that districts really need grassroots training on communication within the district before we can roll out any statewide initiatives
§ Ibuz should be used for these breakout discussions, Bonnie set up a discussion group
§ TW Cable free connects to districts. How best to leverage this and what equipment is needed
§ We discussed Career & Technical, Alternative Ed., and Career exploration
§ We talked about how the dl coordinators are facilitating the districts
§ The discussion moved to how to engage the SUNY system to work with us
§
We discussed creating local list servs for our distance
learning customers
§
Technical:
§ Further discussion on NAVS implementations for this fall
§ Who would be at the DTC/DCI/NYSDLC meetings
§ Robert suggested we buy a router for us to use at each meeting so we could hook up multiple laptops for training at our meetings. I.E Ibuz
§ Discussed other types of connection such as I/P and Tie Warner Cable network
§
Southern Westchester put together a great CD describing and showing video
conferencing.
4. Annual Budget Report:
5. Round Table:
§ Emily Trapp representing SUNY schools informed us that they are doing top - down assessments
§ Emily indicated there is a SUNY Technology conference being held June 14-16 in Kehonkson. Some of us may want to register. Let Emily know.
§ Emily asked how we price our services. As in past discussions, it became apparent that we all charge somewhat differently.
§ Is Verizon selling it business upstate?
§ One BOCES is using video conferencing for parents to observe their child’s behavior
in the classroom
§ NYSDLC Bookmarks and new Brochures were handed out
§ It was suggested a generic distance learning poster be made that all could use. Anyone interested in designing one, please feel free to do so and sure on the list serv
§ It was agreed that if Mike Bayba goes to the DCI/DTC/NYSDLC meeting and needs to stay over that our budget would pay for it
§ If anyone wants to create a generic distance learning video, please contact Steve Smith to have it paid for. Contact Steve before having the video made
§ Chris Staats asked us to email him any thoughts/resources on presenting to a school Board
§ Steve Smith is looking for a distance learning coordinator. Certified position
§ Discussion was rekindled on if distance learning should be called something else. Tabled to the next meeting
§
6. Our Next Meeting -
Dates for 2004-05 are,
October 7&8 (Binghamton), January 20&21, May 5&6
7.
According to the sign in sheet, the following individuals attended
this meeting.
NAME SCHOOL/AGENCY
Abbatiello, Tony Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES
Banks, Sean Orange-Ulster BOCES
Bayba, Mike Erie 2 BOCES
Biazzo, Kris Jefferson-Lewis BOCES
Buonanno, Barb Center for Applied Technology
Deyo, Karin Kell Oneida BOCES
Doyle, Michael Catteragus-Allegany BOCES
Elliot, Jeff Questar III
Fenton, Steve St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES
Ford, Ken Oneida-Herkimer BOCES
Fraley, Robert Orange-Ulster BOCES
Hicks, Michael Sullivan County BOCES
Hill, Judy Catteragus-Allegany BOCES
Huggler, Elizabeth Sullivan County BOCES
Hughes, Chris Lower Hudson RIC
Jakobovic, John Genesee Valley BOCES
Manvell, Robert Dutchess BOCES
Nizamis, Bonnie
Rossitto, Shelley Montecello CSD
Rubeo, Paul Ulster BOCES
Sharp, Holly Monroe #1 BOCES
Smith, Steve Broome-Tioga BOCES