TECHNOLOGY & EDUCATION DIGEST
Digest No. 29 -- November 14, 1997
A Moderated Mailing List
Steve Wildstrom (steve_wildstrom@businessweek.com), Moderator

Return to Technology & Education

This is a follow-up to the MAC v. Windows operating system discussion. While my preference is a properly RAMed MAC, conversations with classroom teachers at a variety of ed-tech conferences run along the lines that their students are platform independent and, actually, application publisher independent. Students will thrive on any capable machine and migrate transparently to its corporate opponent. They also appear to have very little difficulty migrating from software package to software package.

So let's not project our problems on the kids. Given adequate resources they seem to do just fine.

David Sejda
Assistant Dean
Professional Studies
Jersey City State College
JC NJ 07305

Stephen D. Scouten" (hfs51@univ-hsg.hfs.msu.edu) writes:

Does anyone know of a vendor that produces small keyboards? What I mean by small is a smaller key and layout for children to use for keyboard training. In our school district's Tech. meeting last night we were talking keyboard skills in our school system. One of the problems with effective teaching of keyboarding skills in the elementary ages is that their hands are not large enough for the keyboard. My old wrestling coach (who teachs high school keyboarding) asked if their was a keyboard designed for the smaller hands of a child, so I am asking you?

Thanks,

Stephen Scouten, Systems Analyst
Michigan State University - Housing & Food Services
Columbia Central School District - Technology Committee Member

Kevin Sullivan (KSull@compuserve.com) writes:

Herb Halbrecht wrote:

Previously , we tried to take kids out of other classes to teach about using the internet , etc. Teachers clearly begrudged this time.

Herb, were you trying to take them out of art, music, theater and phys ed classes to show them how to cruise the internet for questionable material? Not sure I would sympathize with you there. Silicon snake oil will not save our children.

kevin

Jan Wee (jwee@mail.arc.nasa.gov) passes allong the following:

NASA Quest Project announces the opening of "NeurOn," a study of the brain in space!

NeurOn is a project directed toward K-12 students and teachers primarily, but everybody is welcome! NeurOn focuses on people and science of NASA's Neurolab Shuttle mission, STS-90. Neurolab, the last in the series of Spacelab flights, concentrates on the questions of how the brain and nervous system develop and function in microgravity. The answers to these questions will impact not only space flight in the future, but will also further Earth-based life science research. NeurOn uses the Internet and email to help break barriers between NASA and the classroom. Classrooms around the world will be encouraged to "participate" in the preparations for the Neurolab mission, STS-90.

Visit our website at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron

The NeurOn project focuses primarily on the people of the project, their efforts, their successes, and their challenges. Students will be provided lots of opportunities to interact with these enthusiastic people. We'll encourage email exchanges and host frequent Web chat sessions. Our first get-acquainted chat will be on November 12 at 10:30 a.m. Pacific Standard. Join us from http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/chats

Twenty-six Principal Investigators (PIs) and their more than 80 co-investigators, representing seven different countries will have experiments on this flight. Ground personnel assemble the hardware and needs like food, water and experiment supplies for the 16-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. A seven-member crew will then carry out the investigations in the microgravity environment.

As the Neurolab mission prepares for and conducts research, students in the classroom will participate in activities which allow them to simulate some of the activities and experiences of the scientist and engineers to better understand the mission. Curriculum materials will be made available to facilitate this classroom participation.

Additionally, classroom-to-classroom interactions will be facilitated through special projects that challenge creativity and stimulate debate. For a preview of one of these, see the Great Habitat Debate at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/events/habitat

If you are interested in Neurolab Online, please consider joining the maillist. It will be the best way to stay up to date as the project develops. To join, send an email to: listmanager@quest.arc.nasa.gov In the message body, write only the following: subscribe updates-nrn

We hope you join us on this exciting adventure that combines the thrill of space flight, the satisfaction of learning new information, and the chance to learn about the diverse people and roles that it takes to pull together a NASA space life sciences mission.

Welcome aboard!

Linda Conrad, NeurOn Project Manager

Loretta Saff (lsaff@link-systems.com) writes:

Today it seems everyone is scrambling to become "connected." This mailing list is full of letters about fabulous research projects accomplished via the Internet, exciting "field trips" that could only happen "on line," and other intriguing, albeit time-consuming, learning activities. But what about those teachers struggling to find the time to make sure their students understand the basics? What happens when the overworked teacher faces a classroom of students who need extra help with fractions, not an extra virtual trip around the world?

Let me introduce you to NetTutor. Developed by Link-Systems International in Tampa, Florida, NetTutor is a truly interactive Web link for on-line communication between students and tutors. Imagine a World Wide Whiteboard on which student and tutor can simultaneously render mathematical and scientific formulas, accent marks, and special symbols, graph functions, draw perfect lines and circles! If a student is doing homework and gets stuck, NetTutor can provide that extra assistance that can make the difference. It allows teachers "office hours" even when they are not in the office! Teachers can get a report via e-mail or web interface of who used the site, how he/she performed, and any messages the student may want to send about the homework.

I invite you and your readers to take a look at our homepage at: http://www.link-systems.com and access the WWWhiteboard demo to see for yourselves the exciting possibilities that NetTutor offers. (You must be Java enabled to work with the site.)

In addition, teachers can get rid of dittos with The Mathematical Exerciser, a NetTutor option that generates unlimited numbers of practice problems on-line for students learning basic arithmetic, algebra, through calculus. With just a click of the mouse, the computer checks the answers, keeps track of the scores, and reports the results back to the teacher. Whether it's reinforcing a skill or assigning homework, each student gets a different set of problems, and the teacher has an individual records of performance.

THERE IS NO NEED FOR EXPENSIVE SOFTWARE; ALL YOU NEED IS A WEB CONNECTION!

NetTutor is ideal for providing tutoring help outside standard class times, distance learning courses, building skills via practice problems; it is perfect for any communication between students and teachers that require the use of special symbols (math, science, foreign languages).

Call Link-Systems International (813) 615-0377 to set up an on-line demonstration. If you prefer, e-mail me at lsaff@link-systems.com. Find out how the Internet can be used for basic learning, and give teachers a little extra time to plan their next lesson.

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