Ia A T0c-o Pi Pi.j- , tqc.n/f The Bulletin of Georgia Public Broadcasting's Satellite ?.*#P.t.!.t\iif-.?.#. rr PeachStar Changes Georgia's Classrooms Less than a generation ago, the typical classroom experience in Georgia consisted of a lecture by the teacher, some "chalk talk," and an occasional class discussion. Multimedia, where it existed at all, meant a 16 mm film projector, a record player and, perhaps, an overhead projector. In fact, most teachers had few resources of any kind that they could use to illustrate or enhance traditional class-room activities. That situation has changed dramatically in recent years. Today, teachers have a tremendous array of multimedia resources at their disposal, and, as a result, classroom instruction is more interesting, relevant and effective than ever before. The biggest change of all has been in the area of satellite distance learning. The satellite makes it possible for every school to access quality educational programming in every subject area. Satellite distance learning is a revolution, and PeachStar Education Services is proud to be on the front lines. PeachStar has had great success for the past three years, setting in place the hardware and software that have enabled Georgia to become one of the nation's leading users and producers of satellite delivered education services. That posture will serve our state well in the future, as schools rely more and more on the quality, innovation and diversity of instruction delivered via satellite and other distance learning technologies. An Overview of Accomplishments Three years ago the Governor and state legislature decided that Georgia would get into satellite learning in a big way. Under the supervision of Georgia Public Broadcasting's new PeachStar Education Services Division, satellite dishes and other receiving equipment were purchased and installed at every public school, adult technical institute, college, university and regional library in the state. That's more than 2,200 sites in all, the largest education satellite network in any state in the nation. The dishes make it possible for schools to access programming from dozens of satellites and scores of quality education program providers. Meanwhile, Education Services began acquiring instructional programming to air direct to Georgia schools over the PeachStar Channel, housed on the state's transponder on telecommunications satellite TELSTAR 401. We contracted with some of the leading distance learning providers in the world, making it possible for Georgia schools to access quality programming for a fraction of the usual cost. We also began to produce some of our own programming including Count On It!, a mathematics series for elementary grade students; Georgia Stories I and II, a history series for eighth graders; and Irasshai, a Japanese foreign language and culture course that students may take for high school or college credit. Schools continue using Georgia Stories, a big hit with teachers and students and a winner of many regional, national and international awards for excellence. Count On It! and Irasshai were piloted last school year and are being offered to schools around the nation this year. Both have already earned widespread acclaim from educators as well as national producers and distributors of educational programming. And the best news is, these three series are available not only to Georgia schools but to all Georgians who have television sets. Count On It!, Georgia Stories and Irasshai can now be seen on GPTV weekday afternoons. Then, this past year, we implemented a dramatic upgrade of our technological network. The original receiving equipment installed in schools was based on the tried and true analog technology. About a year ago, the legislature appropriated funds to convert our receiving equipment to accommodate the emerging digital technology as well. In August, technicians began revisiting schools, installing the upgrades that make it possible for sites to (continued on page 3) ...... !.... ::: ::::. ........... PeachStar Pipeline EMG PROGRAM PROVIDER INFORMATION Educational Management Group Scottsdale, AZ 85251-2015 6710 East Camelback Rd. Suite 100 800-842-6791 * If the provider or copyright code in a program listing is not explained on this page, you may find it in your Media Specialist's 1996-97 PeachStar Program Guide. 2 ..... 'jj>jj:~~f?''''''''''-... . . .n jjjjj Georgia's Classrooms ... (continued from page 1) January 1997 receive analog and digital channels. That conversion was completed in November, and Georgia Public Broadcasting has already began transmitting GPTV and PeachStar digitally. Why? For starters, digital signals deliver far superior picture and audio. More significantly, many more digital signals can fit on to a satellite transponder. Before, the state had the ability to transmit two analog channels; we now have the potential to transmit more than a dozen digital channels. The implications for programming are tremendous, and GPB is already exploring ways to fill those extra channels with quality educational and public service programming. Currently, PeachStar is developing a pilot series to teach Spanish language and culture to students in primary grades. A middle school civics course is also in the works, as is a science series for second, third and sixth graders. At the same time we are increasingly serving other state agencies who are looking to satellite distance learning to meet their huge training needs. Those needs can be met more effectively and much more economically by satellite. While all the above has been going on, PeachStar staff have been traveling the state, providing staff development to media specialists, teachers, curriculum specialists and administrators. We're showing educators how they can most effectively use satellite programming to offer their students greater educational opportunities. We presented many more workshops to parents throughout the state, showing them how their children can get the most educationally from Barney, Mr. Rogers, Wishbone and all of the other characters and shows that make up the PBS Ready-To-Learn daytime schedule. In all, PeachStar delivered training to more than 13,000 Georgia educators and parents during 1996. We're even branching out from the satellite to the Internet. This is our second year coordinating Georgia's participation in MATHLINE, an online staff development service for mathematics teachers. PeachStar also coordinates Going the Distance, a cooperative effort with Clayton State College that, beginning in fall1997, will make it possible for adults to earn a college degree via distance learning. A new initiative, Solutions, from the Educational Management Group (EMG), is now being piloted in Georgia at three sites. Solution sites feature specially designed, state-of-the-art classroom settings that allow classes to take maximum advantage of distance learning and other instructional technologies. It's been a great half year for PeachStar Education Services. And that means it's been a great year for the future of public education in Georgia. Satellite programming can never replace the classroom teacher. But these offerings can serve as an invaluable resource that all teachers can use to greatly supplement and enhance regular classroom activities. As we begin 1997, our state has become the national leader in satellite distance learning. That gives Georgia teachers an important advantage as they continue to prepare our students for success in the 21st century. It's BeHer Than Ever! Count On It! Many teachers and other Pipeline readers have probably noticed that Count On It!, the award-winning mathematics series for elementary school students, has been expanded and improved. The new and revised episodes of Count On It! have been airing this fall on PeachStar. Beginning in January, the updated series also can be seen on weekday afternoons on GPTV, as well as at regularly scheduled times on PeachStar. Now all Georgia children, along with their parents, siblings and friends, can learn more about math in the real world by watching Count On It! at home. The stars of the series are two puppets, Blossom the Possum and Snappy the Snail, who, with a little help from their human friend Robbie, show young students how mathematical principles are an intricate part of our everyday world. The series was piloted last year and for the past several months has been available to public schools across the state via PeachStar. The pilot elicited praise, evaluations and suggestions from teachers and curriculum specialists, ~,.?:~-;~~~. ::o~~~:=t~~u:::~~~e~~~e~~ve been f:.'~.-:.';:~-.!..0".: Even as a pilot, the innovative ;: .. ,> series received much recognition, t-~ including an International Film and Video Certificate for Creative Excel- 1~.t:).j;ll lence. Now the number of programs 'if:~~ r. in the series has been increased, from 18 to 20. Each program has been ~:'~,~ t~~ length ened , from 20 mm. utes to 30 fl.jil' minutes. There is greater emphasis f:.ii on carefully explaining each new ~~~~~ math concept, and the number of mathematical electronic field trip adventures has been increased. 1r:~~t\:'~ ~,;~:~ with the teaching of other subjects. i.e,? Count On It! learning objectives are \ol! Also included, a comprehensive based on the National.Council of bibliography of additional resources Teachers of Mathematics standards - print and electronic - that might be for kindergarten through fourth grade. used to enhance mathematics The programs are supported by a instruction. Individuals interested in well-written Teacher Guide. The purchasing the guide should call404- guides are primarily for teachers, but 756-2550. The cost is $5.00, plus parents and other care givers will also $3.00 for postage and handling. You find them helpful. Guides include also can use the order form for many classroom activities and sug- PeachStar publications and tapes gestions on how to integrate math included in past issues of Pipeline. 3 PeachStar Pipeline , ........................................... .............................. . Guest Columnist Kay Hollifield, Barrow County Schools (Ms. Hollifield, a first grade teacher at County Line Elementary School in Barrow County, was kind enough to send these thoughts to us.) In today's classrooms, we, as teachers, have to compete with video games, television and computers. To motivate my students, I constantly search for unique and innovative techniques and interesting content. I use the PeachStar Pipeline and PeachStar Program Guide to locate the valuable distance learning programs broadcast over satellite. COUNT ON IT! is one highly innovative program that has really complemented many of my mathematics lessons. The programs pull in real-life experiences to which my students can relate. My students loved watching Blossom and Snappy throw skee ball and add up points. Students shared their experiences playing skee ball and other games. We then made a bean bag toss game, played the game, added up our scores and made the connection to the skee ball game in the broadcast. COUNT ON IT! uses a variety of strategies and activities to involve students in fun ways of learning mathematics. Since I cannot take my students on a real field trip for every topic we study, I use distance learning electronic field trips. By bringing experts to my classroom via satellite, students are enlightened about jobs, careers are studied, and students see and hear about how mathematics is used by people in their jobs. By having distance learning at my fingertips, my class may look inside factories, visit farms and outer space, or see areas that they may never have a chance to visit "in person." COUNT ON IT! programs include different levels learning and can be adapted for individual differences. Students feel a part of the program when they do activities before, with, or after viewing. The problems at the end of the lessons leave a desire for my students to continue to seek answers and look forward to the next COUNT ON IT! lesson. Using distance learning in the classroom is just another way to include technology in the learning process. As Snappy and Blossom guide my students through the mathematics learning process, the students enjoy the math lessons and know that their future mathematics learning is going to be relevant, fun, and exciting. Get Ready For The 3rd Annual READING RAINBOW Young Writers and Illustrators Awards Competition! To enter, children in grades K-3 must write their own story and illustrate their own work with original drawings. The contest ENTRIES & GUIDELINES will be available after January 1, 1997. MORE INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE in February's edition of PeachStar Pipeline. The deadline for entries is Friday, March 28, 1997 at 5:00pm. 24 SPECIAL TEACHERS NEEDED! FREE BREAKTHROUGH WORKSHOP Friday, January 24, 1996 Clayton State College 8:00am-5:00pm PeachStar has been awarded a special grant to provide training to science, computer, and math teachers of students in grades 4-12. A free oneday train-the-trainer workshop will be held on how to use Breakthrough: The Changing Face of Science in America, the six-part PBS series that profiles African-American, Latino and Native American scientists. The goal of the workshop is to show participants positive role models of successful African American, Native American and Latino scientists and mathematicians; strategies for integrating video, Internet and other technology resources into science and math instruction; and how to use the Breakthrough series to illustrate real world applications of the sciences and math. TO REGISTER Fax to (404) 756-2556 Attn.: Jeanette Pinkston DEADLINE: January 17 Name: School Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ __ School Telephone: _______ School System: ________ Grade/Subject: _________ For more information call: Jeanette Pinkston- (404) 756-2564 4 JANUARY VIEWING/TAPING PLANNING GRID " W litJml~., mnmnw IJ~Ii!IIIJ~ WEDNESDAY 7:00 Going The Distance 7:30 lrasshai Magic School Bus lrasshai Magic School Bus lrasshai 8:00 Integrated Science 6 Integrated Science 7 Integrated Science 8 Continuing Education: Medicine Friday Specials 9:00 Wishbone 9:30 Pappyland Imagination Station Pappyland Imagination Station Pappyland 1O:OO The GALAXY Classroom Count On It! Or SuperScience Alternating Fridays 10:20 Bulletin Board 10:30 Reading Rainbow Science Programs 11:00 Right Turns Only (2 shows) Arthur (2 shows) Achievement TV Arthur (2 shows) Futures 11 :30 Blockfeeds 12:00 TEAMS Social Studies TEAMS Science TEAMS Language Arts TEAMS Science TEAMS Staff Development 1 :00 Storytime Geonauts Young Astronauts Geonauts Young Astronauts 1:30 lrasshai Destines lrasshai Literary Visions lrasshai 2:00 Get Real TEAMS Staff Development Learning Circuit TEAMS Staff Development 2:30 World of Chemistry CrossRoads Cafe French in Action 3:00 What's the Big Idea? Technology in the Classroom 3:30 4:00 Teacher's Workshops What's the Big Idea? 4:30 Money Maze 6:00 Georgia Stories I Georgia Stories II 6:30 GED on TV GED on TV GED on TV 7:00 The GALAXY Classroom (Spanish & Open-Caption) 8:00 Elements of Change 9:30 lTV BLOCKFEEDS lTV BLOCKFEEDS lTV BLOCKFEEDS lTV BLOCKFEEDS lTV BLOCKFEEDS 10:00 10:30 11:00 I Listed are standard broadcast time slots to assist media specialists in planning, viewing and taping schedules. Please check the detailed program information sections to fill in blanks. Example to pencil in: 9:30-11 :30PM daily are lTV blockfeed slots. Thursday, January 23, shows #1-8 of Wordscape are broadcast.