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Practically Speaking

Kyle and her husband moved to Brookfield in 1986. She became active in local politics and started blogging in 2004. Her focus is primarily on local issues but often includes state and national topics, too. Kyle looks at things from the taxpayers’ perspective in a creative, yet down to earth way, addressing them from a practical point of view.

Virtually there: church, geysers, and classroom

By Kyle Prast
Sunday, Mar 2 2008, 08:49 PM

Technology can be a wonderful thing. Two weeks ago, we had that snowstorm warning on Sunday and the weatherman cautioned people to stay home. We were rather torn as to what to do, but since we just had 2 weather related fender benders that week, we chickened out and stayed home. The great thing was though, we did not need to miss our church service.

Thanks to the internet and some tech. minded members, we sat around the computer screen and watched the live sermon  from the comfort of our home! Not quite as good as being there, but we did virtually see and hear the LIVE service. I can also go back to the church website and review a sermon if I want to.

This technology has hit our beloved Yellowstone National Park too. We are what is kindly referred to as Geyser Geeks*--people who love to sit and observe geysers. If all goes according to plan, this summer we'll make our 5th pilgrimage to geyserland in 7 years.

To help us bide our time until the day we set foot on the Upper Geyser Basin, we now have the option of watching some of the geysers LIVE on the park's newly installed geysercam. Just this afternoon we watched Old Faithful and Plume go off. Pretty terrific.

As time goes on, I believe we will see more and more of this type of LIVE broadcast technology. It will enable people to "attend" events from the comfort of their own homes.

Currently, our Elmbrook School District is proposing a $62.2 million dollar high school referendum. The District states this is needed to solve our future facility needs. But I believe, because of technological advances, we can implement this type of live, virtual broadcast technology in our schools and thereby reduce our classroom space needs.

Virtual live broadcast could be used for some classes for all students, and virtual technology could also be used for all classes for some students. Either way, virtual education reduces the burden on classrooms. It also reduces the need for having a teacher for every class.

Virtual, live broadcast and virtual school should be looked at BEFORE we commit to 20 years of higher taxes.
counter hit xanga

*The official geyser watchers are called Geyser Gazers.

Links: Betterbrookfield Vicki Mckenna 

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The countdown begins: Just 29 days until MILLIONS OF DOLLARS Tuesday!

Email me your thoughts on the $62.2 million dollar referendum.

Be sure to read Representative Rich Zipperer's Legislative Update: Right to Bear Arms, Tax Relief, Ending Sanctuary Cities, Banning Partial Birth Abortion, and Virtual Charter Schools.
 

 


Comments

intewedm   

In the latest Brookfield newsletter the EBS had their propaganda supplement included and I noted that when they compared the list of items on the last referendum and on the upcoming one, most of the items were still there.  That means that they have included most of their "wants" as well as the actual "needs".  Until there is a price tags that differentiate between the two, I will NEVER vote "Yes".  One would hope they will eventually ask the voters for the money to do the NEEDED repairs before the cost for those is through the roof.

March 3, 2008 9:53 AM

Santa's Elf   

Looks like they are playing the old - give em two objectionable recommendations and see if you can confuse the mob!

ESD today announced that they were planning to introduce oral sex in eighth grade rather than sixth as planned. (see the lovely Lisa Sink's J/S article entitled: "Oral sex warnings recommended in 8th grade").

I say we vote NO to ALL recommendations! That gets them confused as to what would have happened had they not got cute!

March 3, 2008 11:11 PM

kathryn   

We've had three groups work on this (high schools proposal); if they have indeed produced much the same lists, maybe there is a greater level of consensus out there than we think?  

March 4, 2008 11:46 AM

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