Leann Walker
Lesson 12

Develop a who's who listing of people and places forming telecommunications networks for delivering instruction in which you are personally and professionally interested in gaining more in-depth learning and familiarity. Make an on-line visit to at least three of the websites and these people and places and develop a one-page handout listing the URL addresses and interesting information you learned to share with other students in class and instructor.

ISEEK, http://www.iseek.org/

Through the signing of a joint powers agreement in September 2000, Minnesota Virtual University formalized its role in an organization to promote education and employment via the Internet. The signed Joint Powers Agreement formalized the existence of ISEEK solutions - a holding organization that currently develops and markets sites that includes the Internet System for Education and Employment Knowledge the Minnesota Virtual University and the Career Resource System web sites. ISEEK has a Board comprised of members from participating state agencies, partners and business and industry. Reporting to the Board is a full time staff that manages the business development, marketing, technology and operations of the web properties.

My interest: Continued distance education in my region.

Educational Networks, http://www.educationalnetworks.net/

Educational Networks was established in March of 2000. As an application service provider, the company custom designs interactive school websites, which enable educational professionals to interact over the Internet with students, parents, alumni and the general public. After creating three fully interactive sites in Europe for three elite public schools, on March 21, 2001, Educational Networks launched its first American site at New Dorp High School, a public high school in the City of New York. Within 9 hours of its launching, the site had recorded more than ten thousand visits.

My interest: Is the interoperability of the New York system developed by Educational Networks, and its interactive and telecommunications capabilities.

Onvoy: Minnesota's Premier Communications Partner, http://www.onvoy.com/about.html

In 1996, MEANS Telcom and its local telephone company partners built a statewide network called the "Learning Network of MinnesotaSM" - supporting data, Internet and videoconferencing delivery to more than 470 Minnesota school districts and public libraries.

My interest: Researching networks that are in existence in my region and their capacity to maintain successful telecommunications within a school system.