It was interesting to read in last week's edition of Yorkton This Week (Jan. 26), about the Good Spirit School Division's Board of Directors looking at options to enhance electronic communications within the division.
The idea is that it would be a benefit for connecting Board members, some of whom have to travel a whole hour to attend a meeting. All right that might not seem significant given crossing Calgary at rush hour would take that long, but at least it shows the Board is looking to the future.
There is no doubt connecting via the Internet is the future in many ways.
The ability to connect people over large areas, far larger than the local school division, is an aspect of the 'Net just beginning to be realized.
When a company begins to analyze the costs associated with flying people from across the country to an office in say Vancouver, covering the costs of airfares, hotels and meals, and add in time lost at local offices, and connecting via computer teleconferencing has to become increasingly the method of choice, at least for companies serious about bottom line savings.
That is a future which should not be overlooked, and something those investigating the potential of business use for the Yorkton Airport should be considering.
In terms of the school division, they may be looking at the tip of teleconferencing potential in terms of education, buy looking at what it might mean to the Board itself.
The real potential would seem to be in supporting teaching staff, and educating staff.
For teachers there is the potential to share ideas from school-to-school, and division-to-division in regards to class planning, or working with potential problems they may face.
For students, the options are almost limitless.
In an era where small schools can face challenges offering a full curriculum, and have the staffing expertise for other subjects, distant education support is one way to support the staff and curriculum.Even in a larger school setting, videoconferencing can put expertise at a student's disposal. The very best instructors could potentially provide guidance to multiple classrooms, with their instruction supported locally by in-class teachers.
The local division suggested in the story such teleconferencing for students was further in the future, it is the area the Board and the provincial Department of Education need to work on fast tracking.Only then will the full value of teleconferencing is realized.
