Arkansas Department of Education Distance Learning Center
Encyclopedia
The Arkansas Department of Education Distance Learning Center (ADE Distance Learning Center or ADE DLC) is a provider of real-time or synchronous
elementary
and secondary education
classes for students throughout the state of Arkansas
. The DLC currently teaches classes to almost 3,200 students, located at more than 100 schools around the state.
, as its name implies. However, the fiscal agent for the ADE DLC is Dawson Educational Services Co-op, based in Arkadelphia, Arkansas
. The day-to-day operations of the DLC are overseen by a Program Coordinator and an Instructional Coordinator. There is a Personnel Policies Committee, elected by the teachers, that works to improve the personnel policies of the ADE DLC. The ADE DLC employs 25 teachers, all Highly Qualified (as outlined by the No Child Left Behind Act
) in the subject areas that they teach.
These Foundational Commitments are closely correlated to the four Distance Learning Focus Areas of the Arkansas Department of Education.
s were interviewed and hired. The first group of teachers included one math
teacher, one English and journalism
teacher, and five Spanish
teachers.
The first classes at the ADE DLC began in August 2001. At that time, three schools participated, with a total of 65 students taking classes from the ADE DLC. During the 2009 - 2010 academic year, the ADE DLC will provide instruction to 3200 students from 100 schools in the state. During the first year of operation, most of the classes taught were delivered using Enhanced Audio Graphics technology. This technology enabled the content to be pushed to the desktop computer
of the students and the audio communication was accomplished using audio bridging services from telephone companies. However, Compressed Interactive Video (CIV), was used in other classes, so that the teacher and students could see and speak to each other in real time and communicate more effectively. As distance learning in Arkansas grew, the state legislature apportioned funds to allow schools to buy CIV equipment. Currently, 243 out of 245 school district
s have CIV systems connected to the state video network. Today, all ADE DLC classes are provided using CIV technology. In addition, the teachers push the class content to the student computers using the IBM/Lotus Sametime
program. This program provides an online meeting room and whiteboard, to facilitate the presentation of materials and communication between the students and their teachers.
The ADE Distance Learning Center requires that schools provide a networked computer for each student during class. Within Arkansas, the ADE Distance Learning Center was instrumental in the implementation of a 1:1 student-to-computer ratio to enable students to benefit from the interactivity
provided by integrating CIV technology with real-time desktop technology. Equity is achieved, since all students may participate in the online class meetings, test online, and otherwise take advantage of the vast resources of the internet.
In the fall of 2009, the ADE DLC began hosting videos on a Flash server at its Website
, to provide students with additional resources to help them succeed in their classes. These videos are recorded and edited in-house by the same teachers that teach the classes.
Synchronous learning
Synchronous learning refers to a group of people learning the same things at the same time in the same place. This is the type of pedagogy practiced in most schools and undergraduate programs, but not in graduate programs...
elementary
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
and secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
classes for students throughout the state of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. The DLC currently teaches classes to almost 3,200 students, located at more than 100 schools around the state.
Organizational structure
The ADE DLC is a part of the Arkansas Department of EducationArkansas Department of Education
The Arkansas Department of Education , headquartered in Little Rock, is the state education agency of Arkansas. Founded in 1931, its responsibilities include accrediting schools, assisting Arkansas schools and their school districts in developing their curricula, approving the textbooks used in...
, as its name implies. However, the fiscal agent for the ADE DLC is Dawson Educational Services Co-op, based in Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,548. The city is the county seat of Clark County. The city is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Two universities, Henderson State...
. The day-to-day operations of the DLC are overseen by a Program Coordinator and an Instructional Coordinator. There is a Personnel Policies Committee, elected by the teachers, that works to improve the personnel policies of the ADE DLC. The ADE DLC employs 25 teachers, all Highly Qualified (as outlined by the No Child Left Behind Act
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...
) in the subject areas that they teach.
ADE Oversight
The Arkansas Department of Education has established official rules and guidelines regarding distance learning in Arkansas. Specifically, there are three guidelines:- All courses must be approved and meet curriculumCurriculumSee also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
frameworks and content standards. - All instructors for distance learning must be properly licensed or approved.
- A properly trained adult must be present at all times when distance learning students meet as a group.
ADE Distance Learning Center Foundational Commitments
The ADE Distance Learning Center has the following four Foundational Commitments, which summarize its purpose:- Address the teacher-availability dilemma by delivering quality distance-learning courses to areas of Arkansas where teacher availability is limited.
- Allow state-required courses at various times of the day, in order to provide greater scheduling flexibility for students.
- Enrich and enhance curriculum by offering web-based resources, elective courses, and Advanced Placement classes.
- Provide professional developmentProfessional developmentProfessional development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement. Professional development encompasses all types of facilitated learning opportunities, ranging from college degrees to formal coursework, conferences and informal learning...
and instructional support by using technologyTechnologyTechnology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and web-based resources for training and training in integrating technology into the classroom.
These Foundational Commitments are closely correlated to the four Distance Learning Focus Areas of the Arkansas Department of Education.
History of the ADE Distance Learning Center
In 2000, Jim Boardman, then Assistant Commissioner of Information Technology for the Arkansas Department of Education, created a distance learning program under the Arkansas Department of Education that would provide Arkansas students with course content aligned to the Arkansas Curriculum standards and that would also provide the course content required by the state for high school graduation. At this time, there were two other distance learning providers in the state, but none with this specific objective. Administrators were hired to establish the foundation for such an institution, and in May 2001, the first teacherTeacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s were interviewed and hired. The first group of teachers included one math
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
teacher, one English and journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
teacher, and five Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
teachers.
The first classes at the ADE DLC began in August 2001. At that time, three schools participated, with a total of 65 students taking classes from the ADE DLC. During the 2009 - 2010 academic year, the ADE DLC will provide instruction to 3200 students from 100 schools in the state. During the first year of operation, most of the classes taught were delivered using Enhanced Audio Graphics technology. This technology enabled the content to be pushed to the desktop computer
Desktop computer
A desktop computer is a personal computer in a form intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a mobile laptop or portable computer. Early desktop computers are designed to lay flat on the desk, while modern towers stand upright...
of the students and the audio communication was accomplished using audio bridging services from telephone companies. However, Compressed Interactive Video (CIV), was used in other classes, so that the teacher and students could see and speak to each other in real time and communicate more effectively. As distance learning in Arkansas grew, the state legislature apportioned funds to allow schools to buy CIV equipment. Currently, 243 out of 245 school district
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
s have CIV systems connected to the state video network. Today, all ADE DLC classes are provided using CIV technology. In addition, the teachers push the class content to the student computers using the IBM/Lotus Sametime
Lotus Sametime
IBM Sametime is a client–server application and middleware platform that provides real-time, unified communications and collaboration for enterprises. Those capabilities include presence information, enterprise instant messaging, web conferencing, community collaboration, and telephony capabilities...
program. This program provides an online meeting room and whiteboard, to facilitate the presentation of materials and communication between the students and their teachers.
The ADE Distance Learning Center requires that schools provide a networked computer for each student during class. Within Arkansas, the ADE Distance Learning Center was instrumental in the implementation of a 1:1 student-to-computer ratio to enable students to benefit from the interactivity
Interactivity
In the fields of information science, communication, and industrial design, there is debate over the meaning of interactivity. In the "contingency view" of interactivity, there are three levels:...
provided by integrating CIV technology with real-time desktop technology. Equity is achieved, since all students may participate in the online class meetings, test online, and otherwise take advantage of the vast resources of the internet.
In the fall of 2009, the ADE DLC began hosting videos on a Flash server at its Website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
, to provide students with additional resources to help them succeed in their classes. These videos are recorded and edited in-house by the same teachers that teach the classes.
Awards and recognition
The ADE Distance Learning Center has been the recipient of several prestigious awards. Some of these awards have gone to the institution, while others have recognized individual teachers.- United States Distance Learning AssociationUnited States Distance Learning AssociationThe United States Distance Learning Association is a non-profit association that promotes the development and application of distance education. It was formed in 1987 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts....
(USDLA) Bronze Award 2007 for Best Practices for Distance Learning Programming. - USDLA Bronze Award 2008 for Best Practices for Distance Learning Programming.
- USDLA Gold Award 2008 for Best Practices in Distance Learning Teaching - Cynthia Green, English teacher.
- USDLA Platinum Award 2010 for Best Practices in Distance Learning Teaching - Teresa Sheree Crites, English and Language Arts teacher
- USDLA Platinum Award 2010 for Best Practices in Distance Learning Teaching - Erin Radke, Journalism teacher
- Arkansas Distance Learning Association (ARDLA) award for Outstanding Distance Education Program 2009.
- ARDLA Outstanding Distance Education Faculty 2009 award - Sheree Crites, English teacher.