Formal education programs that are available only
in an urban centre don’t work when they force out of town learners
to uproot their families and destabilize their lives in order to
attend. Learners in rural and remote Canada need options in how
and where they can maintain life long learning opportunities.
Distance
education programs designed by, and for the residents of rural and
isolated communities in Canada, capitalize on the potential of information
technology. By shaping the use of technology, such programs provide
effective, appropriate offerings that meet the unique needs of individualized
groups of people spread across this great land. With distance education,
one can access the finest thought in Canada and the expertise of
the world.
Self
sufficiency and program ownership are at the core of successful
ventures run by Canada’s Aboriginal population. KiHS is an example
of how Aboriginal people provide essential services to their own
people and communities, using leading - edge technology, maintaining
cultural integrity, and still meeting main stream parameters.
Once
learners have optimized usage of technology in tele-education and
telehealth, there is the potential to expand IT usage to generate
prosperity through economic development for themselves and Canada
as a whole.
I
look forward to the day when urban centres catch up to the north,
utilizing information technologies to learn from the best resources
throughout Canada and the world, and allowing themselves to take
advantage of the benefits of living in the 21st century.
