ICT helps northern schools overcome many challenges

• Published in: SchoolNet magazine p. 9
• Main Author: Walker, Karen
• Format: Magazine Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ottawa Quadrant Educational Enterprises Inc 01.04.2000
• Subjects: Computer uses in education; Educational applications; Internet; Yukon Territory Canada
• ISSN: 1494-7331; 1206-159X

That will change due to a $17-million partnership between the Yukon government and NorthwesTel. Connect Yukon will bring reliable, high-speed Internet service to rural Yukon communities, and will make the dream of online course delivery come true. Says [JoAnn Davidson], "Now we'll be able to really capitalize on the expertise of our rural high school teachers. Geography will be a non-issue because the lead teacher for a particular course could be located in any high school in the Yukon." This model is already being successfully piloted in southern Yukon. The communities of Haines Junction and Watson Lake are 700 km apart, but students in both communities are sharing teachers and other resources while they take Information Technology 11 over the Internet. The course instructor, Darren Hays, is in Haines Junction with 11 students. Teacher-facilitator Rollie Comeau is in Watson Lake with 10 students. The two groups communicate by e-mail and the occasional teleconference. Comeau supports the students in Watson Lake by providing technical assistance, monitoring attendance, keeping track of academic progress and collaborating with Hays. Connect Yukon will support the expansion of this approach to more Yukon communities.