Get documents about "Mark your calendars ... …
Document Sample
NWECS
Northern Wisconsin Educational Communications System
Winter 2008 Volume 1 Issue 1
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
Mark your calendars...… It’s been a great semester for distance
learning! The coordination it takes to offer and
receive classes over the network is quite a task. A
Friday, December 19th, NWECS big thank you to the Programming Committee,
Governing Board Meeting, 1-3 counselors, instructors, facilitators, librarians,
technicians and whomever else assists in making
p.m. via ITV ITV a success in your school. NWECS continues to
increase hours of usage over the network and its
Friday, January 9th, NWECS users continue to come up with new and
Programming Meeting (big interesting ways to make connecting at a distance
a useful tool. The price of gas is currently going
scheduling meeting for down; however, the demands on your time is
2009/10), 1-3 p.m. via ITV not. The network has been valuable for those who
conduct meetings and events in local ITV rooms,
eliminating the time and cost it takes to travel to
meetings around the area and state.
We’ve had great successes over the network. We
are offering a variety of different classes,
including a highly successful Sports Management
course out of Glidden HS and two new sections of
French from Washburn HS. I’ve heard of many
new offerings for fall of next year, so the upward
trend of usage doesn’t look like it is going away
anytime soon.
NWECS also has one of the largest programs
running in the state. There are two sections of
ACT Prep running this semester, involving a total
of 15 sites and over 130 students! We are also
Hurley HS boasts a new ITV room put into use for the seeing an increased demand for virtual fieldtrips
2008/2009 school year. This is Hurley’s second ITV and are currently working on the return of Career
room which allows them to offer even more distance Opportunity sessions.
learning classes to their students!
If you have any innovative ideas or suggestions on
how to better utilize your ITV room, please let me
In this issue… know. We will do our best to make it succeed for
your school!
Virtual Field Trips
Happy Holidays,
Website Tips
Holly Scharf
What’s Happening Director of the NWECS Network
Our Mission: Through Cooperation ensure effective delivery of interactive education and services to its members.
WAYNE’S WORLD In Fall 2008 we’ve hosted...
The most asked question this semester is not ...262 sessions per week
about ITV, but the conversion to DTV (digital
television) and whether to purchase an LCD or ...4,716 sessions for the semester
Plasma TV. On February 17, 2009, all
television broadcasts in the United States will ...11,509 hours for the semester
become digital. The benefits of this transition
will bring improved picture and sound quality ...the most diverse network which
and a better use of the broadcast spectrum.
Each TV station will have the ability to provide includes 2 libraries, 3 UW members,
multiple channels of programming.
private colleges, technical colleges and
If you are using an outside antenna and have 2 tribal colleges
an analog TV receiver you will need a convertor
box to continue receiving programming. A
coupon is available at https://www.dtv2009.gov/
...two K/12 sites with 2
ApplyCoupon.aspx. If you are currently BadgerNet classrooms
connected to a cable or satellite provider, no
additional changes will be necessary before
2/17/09. If you have recently purchased a new
Plasma or LCD TV, make sure it is equipped
with a QAM / ATSC tuner (check your owner’s
manual or enter your model number on the
manufacturer’s website for this information).
Terms HD, HDTV or DTV “ready” usually
means the set will display high resolution
images but you will still need a convertor box if
it doesn’t have the tuner.
Plasma vs. LCD
The first question I hear is which one is better?
Depends on what size you are looking for. If
you are in the market for 50” or larger then I
would suggest plasma. At this point plasma has
the edge in terms of picture quality and price.
At the smaller end (15” to 42” TV’s) LCD is the
only way to go for great resolution and they are NWECS Team
getting cheaper all the time. The numbers Holly Scharf, Director, ext. 5236
game, what does it mean? The top of the line holly.scharf@witc.edu
products in both LCD and plasma will do 1080p
(progressive scan). The surprise most people Wayne Erdman, ITV Specialist, ext. 5252
will have after purchasing an HDTV is that very wayne.erdman@witc.edu
few programs are currently in HD. All existing Susan Clark, Coordinator/Scheduler, ext. 5414
TV programs that were recorded with current susan.clark@witc.edu
technology will be converted to Standard
Definition (SD) digital and will be transmitted at Amanda Ridout, Scheduler, ext. 5486
480i (which is different than the high resolution amanda.ridout@witc.edu
or HDTV which is transmitted at 720 or 1080). Jennifer Olson, Scheduler, ext. 5427
So when looking at a new TV with 1080p, you jennifern.olson@witc.edu
may be future-proofing as very little content at
1080p is currently available. Newsletter Editor: Lori Bowman
Discover Virtual Field Trips Today!
Pro-Football Hall of Fame Program Selections for the
In an effort to perpetuate the game of Pro-Football Hall of Fame
professional football, the Hall of Fame
brings these gridiron greats to your The Story of Pro-Football
school. The Hall of Fame is offering Careers in the NFL
distance learning programs to schools African American Trailblazers
nationwide. Each program is What’s with NFL Team Nicknames?
educationally based and is Art and Hall of Fame Experience
supplemented by classroom activities The NFL: America’s Game
which are aligned with national
standards of education. Join in on these For more information on this and the over 50 other virtual
programs to learn such things as media field trip offerings please visit our website at
literacy, history, careers, geography, www.nwecs.net or contact Sue Clark at
math, language arts, character education susan.clark@witc.edu or 715-468-2815 ext. 5414
and visual arts.
NWECS Website Update
www.nwecs.net "Nothing in the world is more
dangerous than sincere ignorance
Have you visited the NWECS website lately? This and conscientious stupidity."
is a great resource for members in need of quick - Martin Luther King Jr.
answers to questions or in search of additional
information about the network.
Visit the website and click on :
Programming and Schedules to get a
complete list of current room schedules by
room and location. A great resource when you
What’s Happening
are looking for where you can plug in!
Forms to find printable forms for ITV Preparing for ACT via ITV
Requests, ITV Change Requests, Student
Registration Forms, Member Applications, and What a success! Juniors and seniors are
more! taking advantage of their local ITV rooms by
participating in ACT Prep. Students learn
Members & Policies for a list of all current
NWECS members. Visit member websites for
what to expect, how to prepare, test taking
information on what they are doing with ITV and pointers and answer sample test
how you can connect! questions. NWECS is running two sections
this month, running two hours per night for
three nights. We have a total of 135
students enrolled and appreciate all the
coordination from local facilitators and
schedulers to make this happen.
NWECS Members
Antigo High School Northland College
Ashland High School Northland Pines High School
Bad River Library Media Center Phillips High School
Bayfield High School Red Cliff Library Media Center
Butternut High School 1 St. Croix Youth Center
Butternut High School 2 South Shore High School
Cesa 12 Superior High School
College of Menominee Nation UW-Barron County
Drummond High School UW-Stout
Glidden High School UW-Superior
Hayward High School Washburn High School
Hayward High School HPLL Winter High School
Hurley High School 1 WITC—Ashland
Hurley High School 2 WITC—New Richmond
LCO Community College WITC—Rice Lake
Mellen High School WITC—Superior
Mosinee High School
NWECS
1900 College Drive
Rice Lake, WI 54868
PH 1-800-243-9482
ext. 5236, 5252, or 5414
FAX 715-234-1307
Related docs
