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Education minister updates CDLI initiatives On October 30, 2002, Premier Roger Grimes and Education Minister Judy Foote officially launched the Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation (CDLI), one of the most progressive initiatives of the Department of Education. The CDLI uses advanced communications and information technology to provide high school courses and teacher professional development opportunities to students and teachers throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Minister Foote and Winston Carter, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers� Association (NLTA), recently announced a Memorandum of Understanding between the CDLI and the NLTA�s Virtual Teachers� Centre to work together to provide on-line teacher professional development. This is a ground-breaking partnership and the first of its kind in Canada. Today, the minister is pleased to provide a further update on CDLI developments. "The CDLI is a dynamic organization that is continually employing new and innovative communications technologies to enhance teaching and learning opportunities for our students and teachers," said Minister Foote. "Our most recent CDLI initiative is the adaptation of videoconferencing technology for potential use in the delivery of student programs and teacher professional development. In the past, videoconferencing presented limited opportunities for the education system. However, the newer technology, coupled with CDLI�s high speed frame relay network, allows for higher video quality and we are investigating various ways we can take advantage of this videoconferencing technology." The Department of Education is partnering with the Labrador School Board to determine the effectiveness of the Polycom View Station, the videoconferencing unit for educational applications. Videoconferencing allows the two board offices in Labrador City and Happy Valley-Goose Bay to communicate regularly, thereby reducing the need to travel between the two offices, while raising the quality of service. The CDLI is also providing technical assistance on a proposed initiative whereby school principals in Labrador can participate in principals� meetings via videoconference. In the past, principals in Labrador were limited in the number of times they could come together as a group by travel costs and times. This technology will allow them to have regular meetings, reducing costly air travel and time out of school. High quality videoconferencing can also offer timely and regular professional development opportunities for teachers throughout the province. With a facilitator in one location, teachers can videoconference from their own schools to engage in in-servicing that would otherwise see them travel to a central location. As this technology evolves, teachers will be able to participate in current and relevant professional development from their own schools. "With the advent of large-scale videoconferencing comes the opportunity to provide video instruction by highly trained specialist teachers in all schools, no matter how remote, even for one student," said Minister Foote. "The many applications of videoconferencing in the education system mean we can continue to experiment with its possibilities in order to improve the teaching and learning process for students and teachers throughout Newfoundland and Labrador." Media contact: Nora Daly, Communications, (709) 729-1906 2002 12 27 9:20 a.m. |
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