A new high-bandwidth wireless network providing digital contentto two local elementary schools could put Ball State at theforefront of the digital technology movement, leaders of theDigital Middletown project said.
Through a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education,technicians at Ball State have set up a connection to Cowan andMitchell elementary schools in Delaware County that will allowabout 90 fourth- and fifth-grade students to access a range ofmultimedia programs.
Students and teachers are in the early stages of using the newprograms, and researchers from several of Ball State's departmentswill analyze the effects of the project on teaching andlearning.
"Today's students don't just read from the books," BizhanNasseh, assistant to the vice president for information technology,said. "This project is very significant for Ball State and thefuture of technology."
Each elementary school has been equipped with laptops and aplasma screen donated by Gateway Computers, and Ball State hasprovided a videoconferencing camera, two data projectors and onelaptop to each school.
At a speed of 54 megabits per second, students can access E3Electronic Field Trips, Annenberg/Corporation for PublicBroadcasting films and video from unitedstreaming, a DiscoveryChannel affiliate.
"One of the key goals here is to develop a national model," LisaHuffman, an assistant professor in the department of educationalpsychology, said.
Though other universities have implemented computer networkingsystems to schools, none have made it an extensive university-wideproject as Ball State has, Howard O'Neal Smitherman, vice presidentfor information technology, said.
"What they don't do is bring the level of technology andinvolvement by the whole university," Smitherman said, listingassisting professionals from the Teachers College, the College ofCommunication, Information, and Media and the College of Sciencesand Humanities as well as the Center for Media Design.
Their duties include preparing content and high-definition mediafiles, assisting teachers and students at the schools, andevaluating the progress of the program.
Milind Sakaria, a computer science graduate student, isassisting with the project and is also working with high-techcomputer games developed by the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology. Students at Burris Laboratory School are now usingthese games.
"It's going to have an impact not only on Ball State but alsothe schools," he said of the Digital Middletown project, addingthat the students' ability to access the programs from laptops attheir desks is a unique opportunity.
Smitherman said one of Ball State's goals is "to become apremier institution in digital media and digital content."
"We're going through major changes in a whole range of systems,"he said, noting the transition from analog to digital connectionsin telephone, television and movies. "What nobody knows is, how arewe going to end up? What effects does it have?"
The network infrastructure is also being set up in thesurrounding neighborhoods of the elementary schools to allowstudents and parents to access the media from home.
Larry John, superintendent of Cowan schools, said that thehigher, visual level of technology will benefit the students.
"It's one thing to hear the teacher lecture about it but anotherthing to actually see it," he said.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
