TECHNOLOGY & EDUCATION DIGEST
Digest No. 25 -- October 10, 1997
A Moderated Mailing List
Steve Wildstrom (steve_wildstrom@businessweek.com), Moderator

Return to Technology & Education

I have been looking forward to seeing the resumption of the TECH-ED mailing, but confess to dismay at reading some incredible proposals like the last one listed.

Here, in Durham,NC-I'd like to outline a problem of a much smaller nature, and invite suggestions to alleviate same.

This past summer, the Duke Institute for Learning in Retirement "adopted" one elementary school, K-5. Based on the previous school year, when one tutor taught 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade kids how to access and use the WWW (Netscape),there was only ONE computer hooked up to an ISP. The kids lapped it up . We then quickly discovered that the problem we are facing as the entire school is being wired for internet access, internally ethernet, externally ISDN, that very few of the teachers are anxious to expose themselves to learning how to use the web and email, much less computers. Some are absolutely technophobic. Fortunately sev-eral, a minority,are ready-willing and able.

We are going to offer training courses again, at Duke facilities,and hope that more will attend this time.

Since I assume this is not a unique situation, have other schools successfully implemented programs motivating the TEACHERS, who we consider key? We believe that if we can get enough teachers started on small web projects which we would make sure were successful, this would hopefully lead to proving that one does not have to be a computer tecchie to use the internet, and that there are great learning / Teaching opportunities once we get going.

Any help on what others have done would be great.

I cant' even begin to consider grandiose multi hundred million $ plans. But I am anxious to start with one K-5 school, and see if we can make it an effective model for others.

Herb Halbrecht (919) 620-0546 Fax (919) 620-0454

>Stan (Giant4@aol.com) writes:

>I plan to buy a PC for my 8 year old this winter. She uses computers at school only for games. What are the good op-tions for entry level PC for this age? At >present I feel 200 MMX is needed, with an 8xCD-ROM, games, word processor, etc. >What are the suggestions at this time??

If you want computer usage to be fun and informative, get your kids a Macintosh. You may have to go to a specialist or Mail-order store and you may have to pay a few dollars more, but the confidence that it will work first time and every time will more than off-set the little extra. The operating system and software is designed from the ground up to be easy for even little children to use, for real tasks, not just games. Why else are they so popular with teachers? Hence the quotation....

"Why teach kids on Macs instead of the computer used in the 'Real World'?" "Be-cause it's our job to prepare kids for what they will be using tomorrow, not what people are using today".

Ted Janusz (ted_janusz@stercomm.com) writes:

Thought your readers might be interested in how a community can be connected on the information highway . . . today.

Here in Hilliard, Ohio (a suburb of Columbus), you can check on your child's homework assignment, contact a city councilwoman, get any information a soccer mom could possibly want, or hear an up-to-the-minute update on how the high school football team is playing 40 miles away. It's called the "InPhoNet" and it can be reached by calling (614) 777-2222. (And the box number for the foot-ball Wildcats is 6400!)

Loyce G Randall (randy2@EROLS.COM) writes:

I would like to see discussion re what students will learn via computers/the web other than how to operate a computer. Operating a computer is only a means to an end.

Hello from teacherzone.com
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Guidance Associates Announces
New Multimedia Internet Products for Schools

Mt. Kisco, NY, September 23, 1997 -- Guidance Associates has announced the release of NetGuidersT, new core curriculum Macintosh and Windows-based Internet software for grades 7-12. NetGuiders combine software and the resources of the World Wide Web to provide educators with a teaching tool that focuses the Internet onto specific subjects in the curriculum.

The first four NetGuiders include:

- U.S. History-Unit 1: FDR, the Great Depression, and the New Deal
- Literature-Unit 1: Mark Twain and the Art of the Novel
- Career Education-Unit 1: Getting a Job in the Real World
- Guidance/Health-Unit 1: Say 'No' to Smoking & Alcohol

In addition, Guidance Associates is developing a complete curriculum in English, Social Studies, Math and Science for elementary, junior and senior high schools, and in Careers, Health and Guidance for high schools.

Each NetGuider contains proprietary Java-based, self-scoring quizzes and games, crossword puzzles and additional activities including essay and research questions with dynamic Internet hyperlinks for the specific subject matter. NetGuiders also feature a simple interface and Internet tutorials and require only minimal computer experience.

Before designing the NetGuider packages, Guidance Associates editors surveyed teachers across the country to learn exactly how they use the 'Net. One of the biggest frustrations for teachers is the amount of time it takes a student to get to a really productive Web site that is relevant to a teacher's lesson plan. NetGuiders enable students to work on assignments and research projects by going directly to relevant pages on Web sites.

According to Jack Goodman, Vice-President of New Product Development, "NetGuiders transform the unorganized resources of the Web into a disciplined and organized educational tool. Our editors have spent months searching the 'Net for Web sites that are directly correlated to the subjects teachers teach. NetGuiders provide educators with lesson plans that really work."

Each NetGuider is priced at $99 and contains:

5 Student NetGuider Disks with:
- essay questions with hyperlinks to essential Web pages
- additional hyperlinks to dozens of sites for in-depth research
- puzzles, quizzes and other activities

30 Student Workbook-Portfolios

1 Teacher's Guide Disk with additional teaching and Internet resources.

For further information or sample copies of Guidance Associates NetGuiders contact Jack Goodman at 1-800-431-1242 ext. 106 or e-mail "info@guidanceassociates.com".

Guidance Associates, Intranet Communications Announce Bundling Agreement

Mt. Kisco, NY, October 2, 1997 -- Guidance Associates (Mt. Kisco, NY) and Intranet Communications Corp. (Irvine, CA) have announced a bundling agreement designed to bring new levels of core curriculum content and easy Internet connectivity to schools and districts across America.

Starting today, Guidance Associates' new NetGuiderT technology -- Java-based Internet software -- will be available to customers of Intranet Communications' sophisticated IntraSchool networking software. IntraSchool is a Netscape-based networking solution that makes designing and managing a school or district-wide intranet as easy as surfing the World Wide Web. NetGuider software brings core-curriculum content in a range of subject areas -- social studies, literature, careers and guidance/health -- to IntraSchool users and adapts the Internet for classroom use.

"We're excited about working with Intranet Communications," said Jack Goodman, vice president of Guidance Associates. "But the real winners are the schools that take advantage of IntraSchool and NetGuiders. They will get an intranet software solution and core-curriculum Internet software that is unavailable anywhere else."

For further information or sample copies of NetGuiders contact Jack Goodman at 1-800-431-1242 ext. 106 or e-mail "info@guidanceassociates.com".
For further information about Intranet Communications contact Andrew Jagoe at 1-714-450-0552, or e-mail "jagoe@intranetcommunications.com".

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