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technology In the beginning was the word, and the word was written. Some people have described distance education as the use of print or electronic communications media to deliver instruction when teachers and learners are separated in place and/or time(Eastmond, 1995, qtd. in Kerka). Others emphasize distance learning over education, defining it as “getting people - and often video images of people - into the same electronic space so they can help one another learn” (Filipczak, 1995, p. 111 qtd in Kerka), or a “system and process that connects learners with distributed resources” (Filipczak, p. 113). These last two definitions tend to center on the learner and give the learner more control. Given that the teacher evaluation in the state of Texas is now looking toward “Learner centered education”, this will be the emphasis of this research, that distance learning is a system which connects people in order to obtain information or education. In the past if someone wanted to learn anything at a distance from the one who was teaching, they studied by correspondence. These correspondence courses now may be referred to as “snail mail”. The development of new technologies has greatly changed the way that distance instruction is delivered. First, we had such media as audiotape, videotape, radio, and television. Now we must include satellite transmission, computers, the internet, and the World Wide Web as means by which we may learn by distance education. This early use of correspondence courses was limited mostly to adults who wanted to further their education and lacked only the time or the means to attend classes; therefore, they sent away for educational opportunities and continued their education by mail. Not only have we moved on through technology to video and computers, but the age of our distance learning students is getting younger. The majority of people using distance learning is still the college age students. My own daughter has taken three classes over the internet and at least one using video. Just recently this technology is being used for students in grades K - 12. The reason that these students are just now having the possibility of this experience is not because of the limited abilities of the students, but because those of us who are teachers are sometimes less open to change, and those who are administrators or government officials who control the money are perhaps the worst. The students seem to be more flexible to new ideas and methods of learning. One such method of getting people together is the Internet. This is one of the greatest means of transfer of information ever created and is growing rapidly worldwide. Distant learning is being done on the internet throughout the country and, in fact, all over the world. Some of the advantages of utilizing distance learning on the Internet include the following: (1) time and place flexibility; (2) potential to reach a global audience; (3) no concern about compatibility of computer equipment and operating systems; (4) quick development time, compared to videos and C D ROMs; (5) easy updating of content, as well as archival capabilities; and (6) usually lower development and operating costs, compared to satellite broadcasting, for example (Bates, 1995; Eastman,1995; Wulf, 1996 qtd. in Kerka). Equity is often mentioned as a benefit of online learning; the relative anonymity of computer communication has the potential to give voice to those reluctant to speak in face-to-face situations and to allow learner contributions to be judged on their own merit, unaffected by “any obvious cultural markers” (Bates,1995, p. 209 qtd. in Kerka). Distance learning is being used for many reasons in such technologically cutting edge states as California and in much more rural states like Mississippi. One such school in California is the Community Learning Center which is a Charter School in Kern County California. This Charter School was established in order to “provide instruction to pupils who are not currently successful in conventional public school settings by using distance learning that employs state-of-the-art technology” (Blanton, 1998, p. 1). In the years between 1985 and 1993 the dropout rate in Kern county was reduced by over half. Their distance learning program made use of many means including computer based, media-based, small group activities, and directed instruction. The targeted students were those who were either prospective dropouts, on probation, or even homeless children. Mississippi, because of the fact that it is considered a rural state, qualified for federal funds when implementing its statewide distance learning programs. Oklahoma is also getting on the Distance learning bandwagon. For example, “Teachers in Western Heights School District in Oklahoma don’t drive to meetings anymore. And parents don’t always come to school for teacher conferences. They joined forces to install JetNet, a state-of-the-art telecommunications network which brings desktop videoconferencing to the districts 230 classrooms” (Quesada,1997). Each classroom now has an ISDN phone line, a Gateway 2000 Pentium computer, color TV, and Intel ProShare. The district provided paid training for the teachers and has seen dynamic things happen. The United States as a whole seems to be quite involved in the concept of distance learning. The NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio has conducted a survey of 500 United States schools K-12 in March 1998. Of the 72 schools that responded, 78% are currently involved in distance learning, 22% have plans to become involved in distance learning and 28% are part of a distance learning network of schools (Peterson, 1998). When you consider many of the reasons why a school district or state would be slow about pursuing distance learning, reasons such as money, training, upgrading, it has come to the attention of this student that one of the problems in our home state with incorporating distance learning has little to do with these areas. When Ms. Marie Shelton with the Ft. Worth Ind. School District proposed something like an internet approach to help some of those students who would not or could not attend school, the state’s questions were, “How would you figure their ADA?” and, “How would you determine how many hours they spent on the assignments” ( How many hours in school?) It is apparent that we will need to step out of some of our paradigms in order to broaden our horizons with distance learning. The state is using distance learning in its institutions of higher learning. Almost every college and university is utilizing distance learning to some extent. The University of North Texas is on the cutting edge and is now very involved in distance learning. Distance learning is also being incorporated into the high schools in Texas. Just recently the Arlington Independent School District, with the help of a grant from Southwestern Bell Telephone, has taken great strides in providing distance learning for their students. According to Mr. Mark Murray, the assistant to the director of computer technologies for Arlington Independent School District, they have installed fiber optic lines thereby creating a closed system between some of their high schools in order to provide these schools with distant learning. They are currently getting tied in with the Region 11 Service Center’s T-1 lines which will increase their capacity to offer distant learning. Ft. Worth Independent School District, as well as other schools in Region 11 will also be incorporating these T-1 lines and their connection with the Region 11 office to allow more sites to have internet access as well as to communicate via modem with other schools in the district as well as global communication. Thanks in part to Marie Shelton in the Ft. Worth Ind. School District, this district is becoming very involved. They have installed a distance learning network in four FWISD high schools in order to offer Japanese as a foreign language to other high schools. Ms. Sandy Camp is the Japanese teacher at Paschal High School and for some time this was the only school in Ft. Worth which offered this language. They currently have systems in place so that Ms. Camp can teach, via interactive television, Japanese to students at Eastern Hills, Western Hills, and Southwest High Schools. Given the way technology is changing, these systems are almost out of date. Ms. Shelton informed me that the board has approved four new sites and systems in order to continue distance learning through interactive television. Ft. Worth Ind. School District has also included distance learning in the bond issue to be decided on this winter. There will be financing for sixteen more sites in the FWISD if the bond package passes. This district, FWISD, is also getting the benefit of Region 11 and their installment of T-1 lines. These should be installed and available in the spring of 1999. Some schools in this district have even now enjoyed the fact that they have internet access in their classrooms and are teaching and using the internet as a tool for other disciplines. Distance learning is coming. It is not imperative that everyone take advanage of the medium because as has been shown, people can and do learn in “one room schoolhouses” and in “Ivory towers” but if someone is going use every possible means to educate and receive an education as varied and inclusive as possible, then we must consider distance learning as at least one means to that end. It is coming and is already here. Are you ready? Bibliography:

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