Looking to take the use of video in the classroom and the community at large to new heights, a group of forward-thinking educators in Missouri is preparing to launch a new internet-based television network--one that might very well transform how education and training is delivered in schools throughout the state, and beyond.

Imagine being a high school football coach and having the capacity to screen the last 10 years of game films simply by logging on to the internet; or a rural high school student who, thanks to a unique television program, now can enroll in classes previously unavailable at his or her school. How about a teacher looking for instructional videos to supplement a difficult biology or history lesson, or a school administrator attempting to wedge important continuing-ed courses into an already bloated schedule.

These are just some of the benefits educators at the Missouri School Boards Association (MSBA) say will be possible through their latest foray into the evolving world of online video instruction, or Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).

The ambitious project, scheduled to kick off March 3 with a live broadcast from the Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Zooquarium in Springfield, Mo., aims to marry all of the benefits of streaming video with the ubiquity of the internet, providing a completely interactive learning experience, the likes of which few schools have ever seen before from a nonprofit education organization.

"When we integrate video material into core lessons ... learning takes on a new dimension," said Carter Ward, MSBA's executive director.

Dubbed the "Education Solutions Global Network," or ESGN, the network--available online at www.esgn.tv--supports the delivery of a broad spectrum of original and rebroadcast video content--from live coverage of educational events and conferences, to playbacks of classic high school sporting events and video-conferencing, to virtual learning programs for teachers and students.

Unlike other subscription-based video on-demand services available to schools these days, MSBA says its program, which functions on the internet, is more versatile, providing an interactive venue for teachers and students to become active participants in the learning process.

"We're not just interested in video streaming solutions," explained Joel Denney, MSBA's associate executive director, in an interview with eSchool News. "Because this solution is IP-based it gives us the opportunity to augment all of the opportunities of the internet with video."

Apart from simply downloading a video and broadcasting it, Denney said, the ESGN portal provides the capability to perform instant text messaging; conduct live polling; offer anytime, anywhere access to content; and broadcast both live and pre-recorded events with the same professional-grade method of delivery.

MSBA plans to use its video network to broadcast everything from online field trips and live broadcasts to virtual courses, extended teacher training and professional development sessions, and high school sporting events, officials said.