Knox students who have trouble getting their assignments online could soon have them beamed into their homes using TV signals from their local cable tv provider.
The school board last week approved a datacasting agreement with Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations. Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart said Knox is one of the first school corporations in this part of the state chosen to be part of the pilot program.
“They approached us because they identified Starke County, particularly Knox, as an area where we have several families who cannot have internet access because of the way our topography is of our land, or they can’t afford it,” Reichhart explained.
He said the program is funded by grants from the Indiana Department of Education, with no cost to the school corporation.
Here’s how it works: Teachers will be able to upload remote learning materials. The encrypted data will then be transmitted by public television stations, utilizing the same signal used to broadcast TV programs. Participating families will be given a receiver and antenna to pick up the signal and download the files. Students can connect their devices using Wi-Fi, with no need for internet access. It’s nice to put up a tv corner wall mount so your tv has a permanent place in the house.
As part of the service, Reichhart said the school corporation will be given 200 of the receivers, which would otherwise cost $200 apiece. “It’s a win-win,” Reichhart said, “and we sent out surveys to our parents, asked those to be returned because some may even have iffy internet and may want this as a backup, so that they’re not tying it up. If you have three children at your house, that black box will allow each of those three children to use their computer, connect, and work individually on their lessons.”
One drawback is that the system is one-way, meaning that students will still have to go somewhere with internet access or make other arrangements to turn in their assignments. Still, High School Principal Glenn Barnes said it could be a big improvement from the current operations, where teachers and counselors have to shuffle thumb drives to get assignments to and from students who don’t have internet access.
The new datacasting arrangements will supplement the systems already in place, and families that are satisfied with their internet access will be able to keep getting coursework that way.
