BJ LINC — What You Provide
- TV Monitor
- Dedicated Phone Line(s)
- Dedicated E-mail Address
- Video Recorder (VCR or DVD Equivalent)
- DVD Player (DVD-R)
- Course Materials
- Classroom Facilitator
TV Monitor
The viewing monitor needs to be positioned where all the students have a relatively direct view of the screen. This helps them feel more a part of the class. The screen should be large enough for comfortable viewing. Experiment with screen size to see what is best for your school. Some schools have screens as small as 29 inches while others have used very large screens. Some schools have found that external speakers attached to the TV provide better acoustics for the student.
Dedicated Phone Line(s)
Each of your BJ LINC classrooms needs two connections back to BJ LINC. You need either two standard dedicated telephone lines with regular modular phone plugs or one standard dedicated phone line and an Internet connection through your Local Area Network (DSL or cable, etc.). Since the connections are used for voice and data transmission, the connections must be dedicated (not used for any other purpose). BJ LINC pays for the daily cost of the long-distance calls or Internet access. We advise that you not use metered service for local calls.
NOTE: Classrooms with BJ LINC Receive Only (TVRO) capabilities will not need the two connections, but a phone line in the classroom would help expedite the troubleshooting of any problems with your reception of the BJ LINC signal.
From the BJ LINC Subscription Agreement, "The Subscriber shall provide BJ LINC or its agent with access to the Designated Location and to such Equipment for the purposes of service. This includes access to the Classroom Control Unit via the Internet through port 5462 in both directions. It is desirable to access the CCU with the use of Microsoft Remote Desktop. This access is for the maintenance of the CCU, which includes upgrades, evaluation of system performance, and accessing system records for trouble-shooting purposes."
Dedicated E-mail Address
Your school must set up a separate, secure (password protected) e-mail account dedicated to BJ LINC. Please see Section H for details on the address requirements. While any computer can receive grades, you must have a Microsoft Excel© software program installed on at least one computer in order to read, update, and print the grade reports. You should be able to use Excel© 97, 2000, or 2002 (called XP©) versions. If you have Microsoft Office© on your computer, then you have Excel© since it is one of the package programs. If you do not have Microsoft Excel© you may be able to download a free copy of Open Office from the Internet.
Video Recorder (VCR or DVD Equivalent)
A VCR is vital not only to record class on days when your school is not in session, such as snow days, but also to record in-class quizzes for students who have been absent. The recording also provides a review for students who are having difficulty. The recorder must have separate audio and video inputs.
NOTE: BJ LINC authorizes contract schools to record programs with the understanding that they will be used only by the BJ LINC class and only during the current academic year (that is, programming and printed materials are to be destroyed or erased at the end of the school year).
BJ LINC will provide DVDs at no charge if a school misses a transmission due to BJ LINC technical difficulty. There is a charge for all other recordings.
DVD Player (DVD-R)
All makeup classes are in DVD format. The DVD format offers better quality but also, and more importantly, the convenience of going to the specific lesson you want. Each school will need to have a DVD player, compatible with DVD-R, for this purpose.
Course Materials
A complete list of books and materials are available on our website.
For science classes, we have abbreviated the list of needed laboratory materials as much as possible. Many states mandate that a portion of the high school science courses be spent in a hands-on laboratory setting for the class to be valid; hence, the list is required. Besides fulfilling the minimum state requirements, we also want to prepare your students thoroughly for what awaits them in college.
Note: Be sure to order early!
Classroom Facilitator
The facilitator is the KEY to maintaining academic excellence and integrity in your BJ LINC classes. Our instructor and your facilitator use a tag-team approach to help each student achieve his potential. Subject-matter expertise and prior technical experience are helpful but not necessary. Among other things, an effective facilitator organizes well; maintains class discipline; prepares in advance for quizzes, tests, and labs; walks around the room during class; expects student participation; encourages students; and promptly e-mails makeup scores and materials to BJ LINC.
Facilitators are required to view all sessions dealing with their role in BJ LINC, particularly those workshops given during the Orientation sessions the week before school begins. These required sessions should be recorded for future need. Substitutes should also view these sessions.
