THE LAUNCH OF A TELSTAR 401 SATELLITE FROM CAPE CANAVERAL AT 7:20 P.M., TUESDAY, DEC. 14 WILL BRING A LITTLE CLOSER TO REALITY THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION’S GOAL THAT THE STATE’S SCHOOLS INFUSE COURSES AT ALL LEVELS WITH AN INTERNATIONAL FOCUS.
SPEAKING TO THE INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COUNCIL THIS WEEK, DR. WERNER ROGERS, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, UNDERSCORED THE NEED FOR GEORGIA STUDENTS TO BE PREPARED TO WORK IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY. HE SAID THAT FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAMS AND OTHER APPLICABLE COURSE MATERIALS WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY SCHOOL THAT WANTED A SATELLITE DISH TO RECEIVE THEM.
THE COUNCIL, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS/INDUSTRY, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, WAS CREATED BY DR. ROGERS IN 1991 TO FURTHER THESE AIMS.
THE AT&T SATELLITE (T-401) WILL PROVIDE THE DEPARTMENT ENOUGH SPECTRUM TO RECEIVE 80 CHANNELS, MAKING AVAILABLE A HOST OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO SCHOOLS OUTFITTED WITH STEERABLE ANTENNAS WHICH ARE BEING PROVIDED BY CONVERGENT MEDIA SYSTEMS OF ATLANTA. THE ANTENNAS ALSO WILL BE ABLE TO PICK UP PROGRAMS BROADCAST FROM OTHER SATELLITES INCLUDING THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL AND CNN, AMONG OTHERS. THE SERVICE IS TO BE CALLED THE EDUCATIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
ALL THOSE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE PUBLIC BROADCAST SYSTEM, GEORGIA PUBLIC TELEVISION, THE SATELLITE EDUCATION RESOURCE CONSORTIUM (SERC), AND SCOLA (WHICH BROADCASTS NEWS FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES IN THE ORIGINATING LANGUAGE) THAT HAVE PURCHASED SPACE ON THE SATELLITE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO GEORGIA SCHOOLS, SAID AL KORN, A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL AND DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING AT THE GEORGIA PUBLIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.
ALREADY SOME 70 SCHOOLS HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THE SATELLITE ANTENNAS WHICH ARE BEING INSTALLED FREE OF CHARGE, ACCORDING TO MR. KORN, WHO SAID THAT HE PLANS TO ATTEND THE LAUNCH OF THE T-STAR 401 AT CAPE CANAVERAL.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, MR. KORN MAY BE REACHED AT (404) 756-4727, OR BY FAX AT (404) 756-4713.