High school students can take as much as a Semester of courses through online teaching, putting them ahead of other students and saving them money on tuition. Next year, courses will also be available to middle school students who can take high school classes to get ahead as well.

The technology is perfect for high school students who want to take physics courses although none are offered at the highschool. Such a small numbern of students wouldn’t justify starting a physics program, but video conferencing allows them to join other schools who have.

The video conferencing projects was started last year at a cost of $130,000. The initial infrastructure was paid via a federal grant, and a second grant will allow the school to offer more courses. Distance learning allows everyone to save time, money and allow students with the initiative to get ahead and be better prepared for college.

You can’t always guarantee [the animals] are going to do what you want, but when it works, it works great. Even if the timing isn’t just right, it’s still a lot better than standing in a studio.

The video conference project was named the winner of the Media, Arts & Entertainment award my Computerworld for its innovative and practical use of the technology. The program at the Cleveland Zoo began in 1998, using basic video conference equipment. Today, they use wireless a wireless solution which allows them to move the equipment through all of the different animal habitats allowing the children to see more than ever before.

Cleveland Zoo Education Specialist, Cathy Ryan:

I taught in a room with four walls. The kids were going from one classroom into another. I wanted them to see more. Now we have a lot more teachable moments. We can say, ‘Take a look at that joey — it’s pushing its head out of the pouch,’ and we can zoom in on that for the kids to see.

While the initial cost of setting up a wireless video conferencing system was high, the ability to move it around the zoo has made it a very useful tool. The system, set up by Total Systems Integration of Ohio allows the presenters to move the system around on a cart and send the video directly over the web.