As per Relevance of the word computer, we have this rfc below:
Network Working Group J.
Request for Comments: 1578 NASA NREN/Sterling
FYI: 22 February 1994
Category:
FYI on Questions and
Answers to Commonly Asked "Primary and Secondary School Internet User
Status of this
This memo provides information for the Internet community. This
does not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution
this memo is unlimited
The goal of this FYI RFC, produced by the Internet School
(ISN) group in the User Services Area of the Internet
Task Force (IETF), is to document the questions most commonly
about the Internet by those in the primary and secondary
community, and to provide pointers to sources which answer
questions. It is directed at educators, school media specialists
and school administrators who are recently connected to the Internet
who are accessing the Internet via dial-up or another means which
not a direct connection, or who are considering an
connection as a resource for their schools
Table of
1. Introduction................................................... 2
2. Acknowledgments................................................ 2
3. Questions About the Internet in an Educational Setting......... 3
4. Questions About School Support for an Internet Connection...... 5
5. Questions About Implementation and Technical Options.......... 10
6. Questions About Security and Ethics............................12
7. Questions About Educational Collaboration, Projects,
Resources..................................................... 15
8. Suggested Reading............................................. 18
9. Resources and Contacts........................................ 21
10. References.................................................... 35
11. Security Considerations....................................... 35
12. Author's Address.............................................. 35
Appendix A: Examples of Projects Using the Internet.......... 36
Appendix B: How To Get Documents Electronically.............. 43
Appendix C: Glossary of Terms Used in This Document.......... 47
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1.
The elementary and secondary school community of teachers,
specialists, administrators, and students is a growing population
the Internet. In general, this group of users approaches
Internet with less experience in data network technology and
technical and user support resources than other Internet user groups
Many of their questions are related to the special needs of
community, while others are shared by any new user. This
attempts first to define the most frequently asked questions
to the use of the Internet in pre-university education and then
provide not only answers but also pointers to further information
For new user questions of a more general nature, the reader
get FYI 4, "FYI on Questions and Answers: Answers to Commonly
'New Internet User' Questions" [1]. For information on how to
this document, see Appendix B
It is important to remember that the Internet is a volatile
changing virtual environment. I have tried to include only the
stable of network services when listing resources and groups for
to contact, which is a good solution to the problem of
offerings on the Internet, but by no means a fool-proof one.
constant change also means that there is a lot out there that
will discover as you begin to explore on your own
Future updates of this document will be produced as Internet
Networking working group members are made aware of new questions
of insufficient or inaccurate information in the document. The
number of this document will change with each update, but the
number (22) will remain the same
2.
The author wishes to thank for their help and contributions to
document the members of the Consortium for School Networking
Kidsphere, and Ednet electronic mailing lists, Ronald Elliott
Science and Technology Center; Klaus Fueller, Institute for
Training of the German federal state of Hesia (HILF), and educator
Ellen Hoffman, Merit Network, Inc.; William Manning, Rice University
and Anthony Rutkowski, CNRI. Special thanks go to Raymond Harder
Microcomputer Consultant, and Michael Newell, NASA Advanced
Applications, who not only made contributions but also kept a
stream of feedback flowing. Extra special thanks go to
remarkable Ms. April Marine of the NASA Network Applications
Information Center for her contributions to the document, her
advice, and her unparalleled support
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3. Questions About the Internet in an Educational
3.1 What is the Internet
The Internet is a collection of more than 10,000
computer networks around the world that make it possible to
information almost instantly. The networks are owned by
commercial, research, governmental, and educational
and individuals. The Internet allows the more than 1.5
computers and 10 millions users of the system to
easily and quickly through messaging, discussion groups,
conferencing. Users are able to discover and access people
information, distribute information, and experiment with
technologies and services. The Internet has become a major
infrastructure for education, research, professional learning
public service, and business and is currently growing at the
of about ten percent per month
The Internet Society serves as the international organization
Internet cooperation and coordination. See Section 9, "
and Contacts".
For a more complete basic introduction to the Internet, see
20, "What is the Internet?" [2]. Instructions on retrieving
documents can be found in Appendix B
3.2 What are the benefits of using the Internet in the classroom
The Internet expands classroom resources dramatically by
many resources from all over the world available to students
teachers, and media specialists, including original
materials. It brings information, data, images, and even
software into the classroom from places otherwise impossible
reach, and it does this almost instantly. Access to
resources can yield individual and group projects, collaboration
curriculum materials, and idea sharing not found in
without Internet access
Internet access also makes contact with people all over the
possible, bringing into the classroom experts in every
area, new and old friends, and colleagues in education.
access to the Internet, your site can become a valuable source
information as well. Consider the expertise in your school
could be shared with others around the world
The isolation inherent in the teaching profession is well-
among educators. By having access to colleagues in other parts
the world, as well as to those who work outside of classrooms
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educators able to reach the Internet are not as isolated
A hands-on classroom tool, the use of networks can be a
for students in and of itself, and their use encourages the
of independence and autonomy that many educators agree
important for students to achieve in their learning process
Because class, race, ability, and disability are removed
factors in communication while using the Internet, it is a
tool for addressing the needs of all students; exactly how
is done will vary from district to district as schools
individual teachers and students
School reform, which is much on the minds of many educators today
can be supported by the use of the Internet as one of
educational tools. See the answer to Question 4.1 for
specifics
3.3 How can educators incorporate this resource into their
schedules
Most educators learn about the Internet during the time they
to learn about any new teaching tool or resource. Realistically
of course, this means they "steal" time at lunch, on week-ends
and before and after school to explore resources and
relationships via the Internet. Those who do so feel that it
well worth the rich rewards. It's important that computers
to access the Internet are readily available and not so far
physically as to make using the resource impossible for
and others
Many features of the Internet, such as the availability of
library catalogs and information articles, will actually end
saving considerable time once an instructor learns to use them
and there are new tools being developed all the time to
Internet resources more easily accessible
As the value of the Internet as an educational resource
more evident, school systems will need to look toward building
time to use it into educators' schedules
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3.4 I'm already using the National Geographic Kids Network (or
Learning Link or FrEdMail or ______). Does this have
to do with the Internet? Is the Internet different from
I'm already using
Since the Internet is a network of many different networks,
may be using one of the networks which is connected to
Internet. Some commercial programs for schools use networks
provide value-added service, such as curriculum software
technical support, project organization and coordination, etc
Some provide value-added service, but don't allow for all
Internet services. Networks like FrEdMail (Free
Electronic Mail), FidoNet, and K12Net are bulletin board
conferencing systems linked via the Internet which
inexpensive access to some Internet services. If you can
interactive computer access (Telnet) and electronic file
(FTP), as well as electronic mail, you are probably "on"
Internet. If you have questions about the specific service you'
currently using, ask its support personnel if you have
access, or call the InterNIC. See Section 9, "Resources
Contacts" for how to reach the InterNIC, FrEdMail, FidoNet,
K12Net
4. Questions About School Support for an Internet
4.1 Where does my school get the money for connecting to
Internet
Although school budgets are impossibly tight in most cases,
cost of an Internet connection can be squeezed from the
when its value becomes apparent. Costs for a low end
can be quite reasonable. (See the next question.)
The challenge facing those advocating an Internet
sometimes has less to do with the actual cost than it has with
difficulty of convincing administrators to spend money on
unfamiliar resource
In order to move the Internet connection closer to the top of
school's priority list, consider at least two possibilities
First, your school may be in the process of reform, as are
schools. Because use of the Internet shifts focus away from
teacher-as-expert model and toward one of shared
for learning, it can be a vital part of school reform. Much
school reform attempts to move away from teacher isolation
toward teacher collaboration, away from learning in a school-
context and toward learning in a life context, away from
emphasis on knowing and toward an emphasis on learning, away
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a focus on content and toward a focus on concepts [3].
Internet can play an integral part in helping to achieve
shifts
Second, to demonstrate the value of a connection, actual
access is more useful than words. While this may sound like
chicken-and-egg situation (I have to have Internet access to
Internet access), some organizations will provide guest
on an Internet-connected computer for people in schools who
trying to convince others of the value of an Internet connection
Contact local colleges, universities, technology companies
service providers, community networks, and government agencies
both guest accounts and funding ideas. For alternatives to
own school's budget or for supplements to it, look for funding
federal, state, and district budgets as well as from
grants. Work with equipment vendors to provide the
needed at low or no cost to your school, and consider forming
School/Community Technology Committee, or a joint
District/School/Community Technology Committee
The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)
information on grants and funding. Ask for the AskERIC
called "Grants and Funding Sources". Two network services,
maintained by the United States Department of Education's
of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) and one
by the US National Science Foundation, also have information
grants and funding. Grants can be a way for you to acquire
initial money to demonstrate the value of telecommunications
the classroom, and since these monies are often awarded on
short-term basis, should probably be looked at as temporary
of funding your activities. For information on
organizations and their services, see Section 9, "Resources
Contacts". (Note: The funding services mentioned are primarily
based.)
4.2 How much does it cost to connect to the Internet, and
kind of equipment (hardware, software, etc.) does my school
in order to support an Internet connection
The cost of an Internet connection varies tremendously with
location of your site and the kind of connection that
appropriate to your needs. In order to determine the cost to
school, you will need to answer a number of questions. For help
learning what the questions are and getting answers to them,
asking at local colleges, universities, technology companies
government agencies, community networks (often called "freenets"),
local electronic bulletin board systems (BBS), network
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providers, or technology consultants
To give you an idea of possible equipment needs, here are
sample scenarios, based on possible solutions found in the
States. Keep in mind that these are very general examples
that there are many solutions at each level. See also the
to Question 5.5.
Low-end: You could subscribe to some kind of Internet dial-
service. This may be provided by a vendor at a cost, by a
university gratis, or as a part of a public access service
a community network. You will need a computer which
terminal emulation, terminal emulation software, and a
which is compatible with your dial-up service. The
cost, not including the PC or the cost of the phone call, is
$100 to US $800 plus a monthly fee of approximately US $30.
Mid-range: You could subscribe to a dial-up service
provides Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) or Point to
Protocol (PPP), allowing your computer to effectively become
host on the Internet. You will need a computer with SLIP or
software, telecommunications applications software (to allow
to use telnet and FTP - File Transfer Protocol), and a
which is compatible with your dial-up service. The
cost, not including the PC or the cost of the phone call, is
$100 to US $800 plus a monthly fee of approximately US $60.
High-end: Your school or department could subscribe to a
that provides a full Internet connection to the school
department's local area network. This allows all the
on the local area network access to the Internet. You will
a router and a connection to a network access provider's router
Typically the connection is a leased line with a CSU/
(Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit). A leased line is
permanent high speed telephone connection between two points
this allows you to have a high quality permanent
connection at all times. A local area network, which
consist only of the router and a PC, Macintosh, or
computer system, is also needed, and your computer(s) will
some special software: a TCP/IP (Transmission
Protocol/Internet Protocol) stack, as well as TCP/IP
communications software such as Telnet and FTP. The
cost, not including the computers, is US $2,000 to US $3,000
plus a monthly fee of at least US $200.
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4.3 What is required in terms of personnel to support an
connection? (Will it require extra staff, training, more
of teachers and librarians?)
Any plan for implementing technology in schools must
staff development. Training is often the most neglected aspect
a technology plan, and a lack of training can lead to failure
the plan. In the case of the Internet, all users will need
kind of training, whether they are teachers, librarians, students
administrators, or people fulfilling other roles in the school
The train-the-trainer model, in which a group of people
trained in a subject or tool and each individual in turn
other groups, is a good model for Internet training. A
group of motivated teachers can be provided with training and
then educate their colleagues. One advantage is that the
group is able to target the specific needs of the other
in the school
Depending on the hardware involved, there may be a need
technical support. Finding this kind of support, which
will certainly need because it is not usually in place, may
tricky. Some districts are beginning to provide it at
district level. Some schools are able to use volunteers
business, industry, or government agencies. Much of this type
support can be done over the network itself, which makes
possible for someone located off-site to maintain the
with only occasional trips to the school. Additionally,
often provide some support, perhaps a help desk for
questions
4.4 How do I convince the people who do the purchasing in our
system to spend money on this
Most people become convinced with exposure. One
individual in the school who is able to show proof of concept
starting a pilot program can be the catalyst for a school or
entire district. If you can get an Internet account (as
above) and use it for instruction in your classroom, you can
presentations at faculty, school/community, and school
meetings
The National Center for Education Statistics in the Office
Educational Research and Improvement at the United
Department of Education has released a 17-minute video targeted
school administrators entitled "Experience the Power:
Technology for Education". It uses interview clips of students
teachers, and policy makers in the United States to educate
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what the Internet is and to encourage support for the use
telecommunications in primary and secondary schools. The
NREN (US National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Research and Education Network) K-12 Initiative has produced
11-minute video describing the benefits to schools in using
Internet. The video is entitled, "Global Quest: The Internet
the Classroom", and it tells the story through interview
with students and teachers who have experienced the power
computer networking. For further information on the two videos
see "National Center for Education Statistics", and "NASA
Operation of Resources for Educators" under "Organizations"
Section 9, "Resources and Contacts".
4.5 Where do I go for technical support and training
Much technical support and training can be found by using
Internet itself. You can send questions to people in the know
join discussion lists and news groups that discuss and
questions about support and training. One such list is Tipsheet
the Computer Help and Tip Exchange, the purpose of which is
provide a supportive setting where people can ask questions
discuss products. Other lists are the education-related
mentioned in Question 7.2. All of these are listed in Section 9,
"Resources and Contacts".
Network News, or Usenet News, is a world-wide bulletin
system with discussion groups on various topics,
computer science, general science, social and cultural themes
recreational interests, etc. By sending questions to
appropriate news group you can receive answers from
experienced with your particular problem. Specific news groups
look for are those beginning with "comp", for "computer",
followed by the type of operating system, hardware, or
you have a question about. For example, comp.os.unix
comp.os.msdos.apps. To understand the culture and etiquette
Usenet News, read the group news.announce.newusers
Your local community may also have resources that you can tap
These are again colleges and universities, businesses,
clubs and user groups, technology consultants, and
agencies
Your network access provider may offer training and support
technical issues, and other groups also offer formal classes
seminars. For those schools who have designated technical people
they are good candidates for classes and seminars
There are some documents for further reading and exploration
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you may want to peruse. See Section 8, "Suggested Reading".
There are books on almost every specific subject in the
world that may answer your questions. For new books, check
local library, bookstore, or booksellers' catalogs
5. Questions About Implementation and Technical
5.1 How do I learn about options for getting my school connected
In the United States, there are a number of state-wide
networks, most of them with access to the Internet. To find
if there is a state education network in your area which
accounts to educators and/or students, contact the Consortium
School Networking. The InterNIC has a list of regional
national network providers. Both the Consortium for
Networking and the InterNIC are listed in Section 9, "
and Contacts".
The global regional NICs such as the RIPE NCC in Europe can
provide a list of service providers. The APNIC in the Pacific
will have a similar list in the near future
You can sometimes locate a person enthusiastic about the idea
using networks in schools and willing to help you who works as
independent consultant, in a local college or university, in
technology company, for a network access provider, at a
network, or in a government agency
There are a number of books about the Internet and how to
connected to it. A few are listed in Section 8, "
Reading", and more are being published every month.
libraries, bookstores, and booksellers' catalogs
5.2 How many of our computers should we put on the Internet
You will probably want to make Internet *access* possible for
many of your school's computers as possible. If you are using
dial-up service, you may want a number of shared
throughout the school. If your school has a Local Area
(LAN) with several computers on it, one dedicated
connection should be able to serve the whole school
If you are going to connect a lot of computers to the network,
will need to make sure your line speed is adequate. Most dial-
systems available today support speeds up to 14.4 Kbs (
per second), which is adequate for no more than a couple
network users, depending upon the network utilities (FTP, etc.)
they are using. If you are planning to connect a large number
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users, you should probably consider a dedicated line of 56 Kbs
higher
5.3 Should we set up a telecommunications lab or put
computers in each classroom
A computer lab is an easier maintenance set-up for the person
charge of keeping the equipment running and allows each
(or pair) in an entire class to be using a computer at the
time; a computer located in the classroom is more convenient
both the teacher and the class. If you choose the lab option,
will probably want to get a commitment from specific teachers
media specialists to use the lab in the course of their teaching
You might also consider the other labs located throughout
school. For example, if you have a science or language lab,
may be the best place for your school to begin to use
Internet. And finally, remember that the library is a
place for people to access network resources
Networking all computers campus-wide can be expensive. You
need to consider the options--dial-up access, a dedicated line,
some other possibility--and weigh them against your school's
and priorities. You may want to investigate having one lab,
library, and a few classrooms with modem access, assuming
lines are available. As use of the Internet catches on, it
be more effective to create a campus-wide local area network
is routed to the Internet through a dedicated line than to
adding modems in classrooms. Or you may want to consider
other options discussed in question 5.5 below
5.4 Can people get on the Internet from home
This depends on your network access provider. It is certainly
possibility and is probably desirable for the educators at
school if they happen to have the necessary equipment at home
You will need to discuss whether you want to make this
available to students even if it is possible technically. This
best discussed with the community your school serves in a
forum such as a school/community meeting. At issue is the
responsibility of educators and parents to monitor
Internet use. (See also Question 6.2.)
5.5 What are some of the options for using Internet services
paying for a full, dedicated-line Internet connection
It is possible to create a local, store-and-forward network
various implementations of the Unix to Unix Copy (UUCP)
suite, available as public domain (free) or shareware (small
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which is often optional) software, which can run on many
platforms including Amiga, IBM, and Macintosh. The
are via dial-up phone lines using local phone numbers.
News and email are "stored" on a computer until the time
for that computer to contact the next one along the path to
final destination, at which time it is "forwarded" along its way
Most computers are set up to process outgoing requests at
every 30 minutes. With this type of system you will have
to as many Usenet News groups as your site agrees to carry,
well as email, which includes access to mailing lists
listservs such as those listed in Section 9, "Resources
Contacts". Many file servers also offer file transfer and
services via email
There are a couple of important advantages to such a system
First, it is much more affordable since such networks provide
efficient use of telephone lines, making a connection only
data is actually being transferred. Second, it allows
filtering, which gives a school some control over what kind
information is available to its students
The disadvantage to this type of Internet access is that you
be limited regarding the range of Internet applications you
use
FrEdMail, FidoNet, and K12Net are store-and-forward systems
FidoNet, for example, is a network of amateurs and hobbyists
operates on personal computers and is publicly accessible
anyone with a microcomputer and a modem. Contact information
all three organizations can be found in Section 9, "Resources
Contacts".
6. Questions About Security and
6.1 Who should have access in the school, the teachers or
students
Clearly the answer is that all educators, including
and media specialists or librarians, AND students should
access to the Internet. There's no reason why support
should not also have access. In elementary schools, access
students may be more supervised than in the upper grades
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6.2 I've heard that there are files on the Internet that
would not like their children to get. How can students
kept from accessing this objectionable material
If your school has a direct Internet connection, and often even
it doesn't, it is not possible to use a technical solution
prevent students from accessing objectionable material.
on the network, including students, is able to download files
public electronic repositories, some of which contain
that just about anyone would consider objectionable for school-
children. The store-and-forward scenario described in
5.5 is one solution to filtering the information to which
have access, but if students are allowed to use email then it
possible for someone to send them objectionable material
For this reason, it is important that schools develop
policies to guide students' use of the Internet and
rules, and consequences for breaking them, that govern behavior
the Internet. Additionally, schools should consider
issues around technology and ethics into the curriculum [4].
Another possibility is to control the times and opportunities
students have to access the Internet, and only allow access
supervision. This is a less desirable option than teaching
ethics of Internet access as a matter of course, but may be
in combination with other methods to ensure the integrity of
school, its students, and its educators
In any case, schools need to exercise reasonable oversight
realizing that it is almost impossible to absolutely
that students will not be able to access objectionable material
6.3 How do we keep our own and other people's computers safe
student "hackers"?
In the language of computer folks, a "hacker" is someone who
excellent at understanding and manipulating computer systems.
"cracker" is someone who maliciously and/or illegally enters
attempts to enter someone else's computer system
Computer security is unquestionably important, both in
the security of the school's computers and in ensuring the
behavior of the school's students (and others who use
network). In this area, not only school policy, but also
and national laws may apply. Two sources of information which
can read to help you sort through security issues are
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"Site Security Handbook" (FYI 8)
"Ethical Uses of Information Technologies in Education
(Sivin & Bialo
The full references for these documents can be found in Section 8,
"Suggested Reading". The pamphlet "Ethical Uses of
Technologies in Education" is more applicable to the laws of
United States than to those of other countries, but several of
ideas are shared in various cultures
6.4 How do we keep viruses from attacking all our computers if
get connected to the Internet
If you use the Internet to exchange data (such as text
pictures), virus infection is generally not a problem. The
concern is when you download software programs and run them
your own computer. Any program you download over the network
run could have a virus. For that matter, any program, whether
tape or a disk, even commercial software still in its
packaging, might possibly have a virus. For this reason,
computers should have virus protection software running on them
Virus checking software is available free over the Internet
Anonymous FTP from the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT),
which is run by the US National Institute for Standards
Technology (NIST). The Anonymous FTP host computer
ftp.cert.org. (For information on using Anonymous FTP,
Appendix B.) Your hardware or software vendor, your
access provider, your technical support resources, or
colleagues on network mailing lists should be able to provide
specific information applicable to your site
To help reduce the risk of downloading a virus with your program
try to use trusted sources. Ask someone you know or send
question to a mailing list or news group to find the most
sites for software access
6.5 What are the rules for using the Internet
When your Internet connection is established, your access
should acquaint you with their Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).
policy explains the acceptable and non-acceptable uses for
connection. For example, it is in all cases unacceptable to
the network for illegal purposes. It may, in some cases,
unacceptable to use the network for commercial purposes. If
a policy is not mentioned, ask for it. All users are expected
know what the acceptable and unacceptable uses of their
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are. Remember that it is essential to establish a school-
policy in addition to the provider's AUP
7. Questions About Educational Collaboration, Projects, and
7.1 How can I find specific projects using the Internet that
already developed
There are a several resources on the Internet that are
specifically at the primary and secondary school communities,
the number is growing. The InterNIC gopher server has a
on K-12 (Kindergarten through 12th grade) Education,
Consortium for School Networking maintains a gopher server,
NASA's Spacelink is directed at primary and secondary
educators. NYSERNet's Empire Internet Schoolhouse is an
of its Bridging the Gap program. For access to these and others
see Section 9, "Resources and Contacts".
Many people on electronic mailing lists such as Ednet, Kidsphere
and the Consortium for School Networking Discussion
(cosndisc) post their projects and ask for partners
collaborators. The K12 hierarchy of Usenet News has
groups where educators post these invitations as well.
subscription to these and other electronic lists and for names
news groups, see Section 9, "Resources and Contacts". For
groups and mailing lists of special interest to educators, see
"Ednet Guide to Usenet Newsgroups" and "An Educator's Guide to E
Mail Lists", both of which are listed in Section 8, "
Reading".
As you explore the Internet, there are some tools that will
you find projects that are already developed. A good overview
many of these resource discovery tools is the "Guide to
Resource Tools" written by the European Academic Research
(EARN) Association. It explains the basics of tools such
Gopher, Veronica, WAIS, Archie, and the World Wide Web, as well
others, and provides pointers for finding out more about
useful tools. It is listed in Section 8, "Suggested Reading".
7.2 Where do I go to find colleagues who support networking
schools willing to participate in projects
The electronic mailing lists and Usenet News groups in Section 9,
"Resources and Contacts" are rich with people who want
collaborate on projects involving use of the Internet
There are also a number of conferences you may want to look in to
The National Education Computing Conference (NECC) is
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annually, as is Tel-Ed, a conference sponsored by
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
maintains an online server which has a calendar of conferences
over the world in telecommunications for education. The
conference is the annual conference for the Internet Society.
Section 9, "Resources and Contacts", for contact information
these organizations and for information on access to ISTE's
server
7.3 What are some examples of how the Internet is being used
classrooms now
Projects which use the Internet sometimes request sites from
over the world to contribute data from the local area then
that data for use by all. Weather patterns, pollutants in
or air, and Monarch butterfly migration are some of the data
has been collected over the Internet. In Appendix A you will
several examples from the Kidsphere electronic mailing list,
from a different content area and representing different ways
using the Internet
There are a number of specific projects you may find interesting
KIDS-94 (and subsequent years), managed by the non-profit
Society, is one. It currently includes ten discussion lists
services, some of them only for people who are ten through
years old. Another place to look is Academy One of the
Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN), which usually has between 5
and 10 projects running at a time. The International
and Research Network (I*EARN), a project of the non-profit
Family Fund, facilitates telecommunications in schools around
world. Chatback Trust, initiated to provide email for schools
the United Kingdom and around the world with students who
mental or physical difficulty with communicating, and
International, directed at any school on the Internet, maintain
network server that you may want to investigate. The
Schools Project involves approximately 200 schools in 20
and has as its goal building a support system for secondary
educators. For contact information on these groups and
access, refer to Section 9, "Resources and Contacts".
7.4 Is there a manual that lists sites on the Internet
useful for class exploration
There are a number of resource guides, and so far only a
are directed specifically at an education audience. "
Incomplete Guide to the Internet and Other
Opportunities Especially for Teachers and Students K-12"
compiled by the NCSA Education Group and is available online.
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RFC 1578 FYI Q/A - for Schools February 1994
"Internet Resource Directory for Educators, Version 2" is
available online. It was prepared by a team of 46 teachers
Nebraska and Texas who were enrolled in telecomputing courses
two universities in 1992 and 1993. Ednet's "Educator's Guide
Email Lists" is available electronically, as is the "Ednet
to Usenet News Groups". ERIC offers several documents relating
telecommunications and education, including the ERIC
"Internet Basics", the ERIC Review "K-12 Networking",
"Instructional Development for Distance Education",
"Strategies for Teaching at a Distance". Complete
information for these documents is listed in Section 8, "
Reading". For help in retrieving the documents electronically
see Appendix B
There are also printed guides to the Internet appearing along
the new books on the Internet. The problem with paper
guides is that the Internet is a changing environment, so
become outdated quickly. Check libraries, bookstores,
booksellers' catalogs for these guides
One answer to the problem of printed Internet guides is
newsletter. NetTEACH NEWS is a newsletter specifically
primary and secondary school educators interested in networking
It contains information on new services on the Internet that
of interest to educators, projects for collaboration, conferences
new books and publications, and includes "The Instruction Corner",
which gives practical tutorials on using network tools
services. NetTEACH NEWS is published ten times a year, and
available both hardcopy and via email. Subscription
can be found in Section 9, "Resources and Contacts".
7.5 How can I add my own contributions to the Internet
The network server operated by the Consortium for
Networking exists expressly for the sharing of ideas by
elementary and secondary school community. Educators
encouraged to submit projects, lesson plans, and ideas. A
server maintained by PSGnet and RAINet also accepts
submissions for addition to the many sections of its menu
devoted to elementary and secondary school interests. See
9, "Resources and Contacts" for information on reaching CoSN
submitting materials, and for access to the server maintained
PSGnet and RAINet. It is important to remember that anything
create should be updated for others as you make changes
in the course of your learning by experience
The electronic mail lists and news groups mentioned are
places to share your knowledge and yourself as a resource, and
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RFC 1578 FYI Q/A - for Schools February 1994
you gain experience you may find you have the knowledge to put
an electronic server at your own site. A group of schools
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States shares one
server, and there you could recently find and download to your
computer photographs and notes from an exhibit on the
of one of the elementary schools
8. Suggested
Those items marked with an asterisk (*) are available free online
For information on retrieving documents electronically,
Appendix B
Dearn, D. The Internet Guide for New Users
Washington, DC: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994.
*"Ednet Guide to Usenet Newsgroups
online
nic.umass.
pub/ednet/edusenet.
*"Educator's Guide to E-Mail Lists
online
nic.umass.
pub/ednet/educatrs.
Fraase, M. The Mac Internet Tour Guide. Chapel Hill, NC
Ventana Press, 1993.
*FYI 4 "FYI on Questions and Answers: Answers to Commonly asked "
Internet User" Questions", Malkin, G.S. and A. Marine
(fyi4.txt or rfc1325.txt
*FYI 5 "Choosing a Name for Your Computer", Libes, D
(fyi5.txt or rfc1178.txt
*FYI 8 "Site Security Handbook", Holbrook, J.P. and J.K
Reynolds. (fyi8.txt or rfc1244.txt
*FYI 16 "Connecting to the Internet: What Connecting
Should Anticipate", ACM SIGUCCS Networking Task Force
(fyi16.txt or rfc1359.txt
*FYI 18 "Internet Users' Glossary", LaQuey Parker, T. and G. Malkin
(fyi18.txt or rfc1392.txt
*FYI 19 "Introducing the Internet--A Short Bibliography
Introductory Internetworking Reading for the Network Novice",
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RFC 1578 FYI Q/A - for Schools February 1994
Hoffman, E. and L. Jackson. (fyi19.txt or rfc1463.txt
*FYI 20, "What is the Internet?" Krol, E. and E. Hoffman
(fyi20.txt or rfc1462.txt
The FYI series is online in the following locations.
the site nearest you from which to download the files
United
ds.internic.net (198.49.45.10)
fyi/fyi##.
Pacific
munnari.oz.au (128.250.1.21)
fyi/fyi##.
nic.nordu.net (192.36.148.17)
fyi/fyi##.
*"Guide to Network Resource Tools", EARN Association. May 1993.
64 pp
online
naic.nasa.
files/general_info/earn-resource-tool-guide.ps
earn-resource-tool-guide.
ftp.earn.
pub/doc/resource-tool-guide.ps
resource-tool-guide.
ns.ripe.
earn/earn-resource-tool-guide.ps
earn-resource-tool-guide.
ds.internic.
pub/internet-doc/EARN.nettools.ps
EARN.nettools.
via email
send a message to...
...LISTSERV@EARNCC.
leave the subject blank and in the first line of the body
enter...
...GET NETTOOLS
for the plain ASCII text format,
...GET NETTOOLS
for the PostScript
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RFC 1578 FYI Q/A - for Schools February 1994
*"Incomplete Guide to the Internet and Other
Opportunities Especially for Teachers and Students K-12",
Education Group. July, 1993.
online
ftp.ncsa.uiuc.
Education/Education_Resources/Incomplete_
To order a hardcopy, contact
Valerie
NCSA Education
605 E. Springfield Ave
Champaign, IL 61820
vsheehan@ncsa.uiuc.
or
Lisa
NCSA Education
605 E. Springfield Ave
Champaign, IL 61820
bievenue@ncsa.uiuc.
*Internet Resource Directory for
online
tcet.unt.
pub/telecomputing-info/IRD/IRD-telnet-sites.txt
IRD-ftp-archives.txt, IRD-listservs.txt,
IRD-infusion-ideas.
Kehoe, Brendan. Zen and the Art of the Internet: A Beginner's Guide
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1992.
Krol, E. The Whole Internet User's Guide & Catalog. Sebastopol
CA: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 1992.
LaQuey, T. The Internet Companion: A Beginner's Guide to
Networking. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company
1992.
Marine, A., S. Kirkpatrick, V. Neou, and C. Ward. Internet
Getting Started. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall
1993.
Sivin, J.P. and Bialo, E.R. "Ethical Uses of
Technologies in Education", 1992. Washington, DC: U.S
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs
National Institute of Justice
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RFC 1578 FYI Q/A - for Schools February 1994
To order, call 800-851-3420 from within the
States or 301-251-5500 from outside of the United States
Or write to
U.S. Department of
Office of Justice
National Institute of
Washington, DC 20531
*RFC 1480 "The US Domain", Cooper, A. and J. Postel. June 1993.
(rfc1480.txt
This document will also be useful to people not in the
States. See the sites listed under the FYI documents for
location nearest you from which to download the file
9. Resources and
------------
CONFERENCES
------------
NECC and Tel-
International Society for Technology in
1787 Agate
Eugene, Oregon 97403-1923
phone: 503-346-4414 or 1-800-336-5191
fax: 503-346-5890
email: iste@oregon.uoregon.
(Compuserve: 70014,2117)
(AppleLink: ISTE
Electronic access to a calendar of conferences all over the
and other information is available on the ISTE server.
"Network Servers" in this section
Internet
1895 Preston White
Suite 100
Reston, Virginia 22091
Phone: 703-648-9888
Fax: 703-620-0913
Email: isoc@isoc.
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RFC 1578 FYI Q/A - for Schools February 1994
----------------------
ELECTRONIC MAIL LISTS
----------------------
Cosndisc (Consortium for School Networking Discussion List
To subscribe, send a message to...
listproc@yukon.cren.
Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body
the message enter...
subscribe cosndisc YourFirstName
To post, send a message to...
cosndisc@yukon.cren.
To subscribe, send a message to...
listserv@nic.umass.
Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body
the message enter...
subscribe ednet YourFirstName
To post, send a message to...
ednet@nic.umass.
To subscribe, send a message to...
kidsphere-request@vms.cis.pitt.
Type any message asking to be added to the list
To post, send a message to...
kidsphere@vms.cis.pitt.
KIDS-95/
To learn about KIDLINK projects, subscribe to the news service
sending a message to...
listserv@vm1.nodak.
Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body
the message enter...
subscribe KIDLINK YourFirstName
To receive a file of general information on KIDLINK, send email
the same listserv address, leave the Subject field blank, and
the first line of the body of the message enter...
get kidlink
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RFC 1578 FYI Q/A - for Schools February 1994
K12admin (A list for K-12 educators interested in
administration
To subscribe, send a message to...
listserv@suvm.syr.
Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body
the message enter...
subscribe k12admin YourFirstName
To post, send a message to...
k12admin@suvm.syr.
LM_NET (A list for school library media specialists worldwide
To subscribe, send a message to...
listserv@suvm.syr.
Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body
the message enter...
subscribe LM_NET YourFirstName
To post, send a message to...
LM_NET@suvm.syr.
SIGTEL-L (A list for the Special Interest Group
Telecommunications, a service of the International Society
Technology in Education
To subscribe, send a message to...
SIGTEL-L@unmvma.unm.
Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body
the message enter...
subscribe SIGTEL-L YourFirstName
To post, send a message to...
SIGTEL-L@unmvma.unm.
Tipsheet (Computer Help and Tip Exchange
To subscribe, send a message to...
listserv@wsuvm1.csc.wsu.
Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body
the message enter...
subscribe tipsheet YourFirstName
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RFC 1578 FYI Q/A - for Schools February 1994
----------------
NETWORK SERVERS
----------------
Chatback Trust and Chatback International network
via telnet...
telnet rdz.stjohns.
login:
(Follow login instructions on screen.)
via gopher...
sjuvm.stjohns.edu (port 70)
Choose "Rehabilitation Resource Center" from first menu
Choose "SJU Unibase Bulletin Board and Conference System"
menu which then comes up
Consortium for School Networking gopher
via gopher...
cosn.org (port 70)
via telnet...
telnet cosn.
login:
(no password
Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Digests Archives
via telnet...
telnet bbs.oit.unc.
login:
(Follow directions on screen for registration. At the main menu
choose number 4, "Topical Document Search (WAIS)", and move
eric-digests. For help in WAIS, type a question mark.)
via FTP...
ftp ericir.syr.
login:
password: your_email_
cd
via email...
mail askeric@ericir.syr.
(In your message ask for the topic you're interested in. A
will answer you.)
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RFC 1578 FYI Q/A - for Schools February 1994
via gopher...
ericir.syr.edu (port 70)
Empire Internet
via gopher...
nysernet.org (port 70)
via telnet...
telnet nysernet.
login:
(no password
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) gopher
via gopher...
gopher.uoregon.edu (port 70)
via telnet...
telnet gopher.uoregon.
login:
(no password
Once connected via either of these two methods, use the menu
"Search Titles in This Gopher Server" and enter ISTE when
what to search for
InterNIC gopher
via gopher...
is.internic.net (port 70)
via telnet...
telnet is.internic.
login:
(no password
KIDS Gopher, a KIDLINK
via gopher...
kids.duq.edu (port 70)
via telnet...
telnet kids.duq.
login:
(no password
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NASA
via telnet...
telnet spacelink.msfc.nasa.
login:
password:
(Follow registration instructions on screen.)
To find information on the NASA Teacher Resource Center Network
for a NASA Select television schedule, enter "g" for GO TO,
enter either "TRC" or "NASA Select".
via FTP...
ftp spacelink.msfc.nasa.
National Science Foundation's (United States) Science and
Information System (STIS
via telnet...
telnet stis.nsf.
login:
Follow instructions on screen
via gopher...
stis.nsf.gov (port 70)
Office of Educational Research and Improvement (US Department
Education) gopher
via gopher...
gopher.ed.gov (port 70)
The OERI gopher server contains educational research and statistics
as well as information about the United States Department of
and its programs
PSGnet and RAINet gopher
via telnet...
telnet gopher.psg.
login:
(no password
via gopher...
gopher.psg.com (port 70)
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RFC 1578 FYI Q/A - for Schools February 1994
------------
NEWS GROUPS
------------
alt.education.
alt.kids-
comp.security.
k12.chat.
k12.chat.
k12.chat.
k12.chat.
k12.ed.
k12.ed.
k12.ed.comp.
k12.ed.health-
k12.ed.life-
k12.ed.
k12.ed.
k12.ed.
k12.ed.soc-
k12.ed.
k12.ed.
k12.ed.
k12.edu.life-skills (especially for school counselors
k12.euro.teachers (in Europe
k12.lang.
k12.lang.deutsch-
k12.lang.esp-
k12.lang.
k12.lang.
k12.
k12.sys.
misc.
misc.education.language.
misc.
misc.kids.
news.announce.
pubnet.nixpub (where a list of open access Unix sites is often posted
for those looking for access to Usenet News and email only
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RFC 1578 FYI Q/A - for Schools February 1994
-----------
NEWSLETTER
-----------
NetTEACH
Published monthly from August to March and bi-monthly April/May
June/July, NetTEACH NEWS is written for both the novice and
experienced networking teacher
Annual hardcopy subscription costs are
US $22.00 for individuals in the
US $25.00 for individuals in
US $30.00 for individuals outside the US and
US $30.00 for
Annual ASCII electronic copy costs are
US $15.00 for
Add $5.00 to hardcopy costs to receive both ASCII and hardcopy
Site licensing is available for public primary and secondary
networks. Discounts are available for school district
sub-scriptions
For a subscription form, questions, or to submit materials, contact
Kathy Rutkowski,
Chaos
13102 Weather Vane
Herndon, VA 22071
Phone: 703-471-0593
EMail: info@netteach.chaos.
--------------
ORGANIZATIONS
--------------
ERIC Clearinghouse on Information
Center for Science and
Syracuse
Syracuse, New York 13244-4100
Phone: 315-443-9114
Fax: 315-443-5448
EMail: askeric@ericir.syr.
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RFC 1578 FYI Q/A - for Schools February 1994
According to a recent electronic brochure, "The
Resources Information Center (ERIC) is a federally-funded
information system that provides access to an extensive body
education-related literature. ERIC provides a variety of
and products at all education levels."
Another portion of the electronic brochure states, "AskERIC is
Internet-based question-answering service for teachers,
media specialists, and administrators. Anyone involved with K-12
education can send an e-mail message to AskERIC. Drawing on
extensive resources of the ERIC system, AskERIC staff will
with an answer within 48 working hours." Educators may
questions about primary and secondary education, learning, teaching
information technology, or educational administration which
can answer. Parents AskERIC is a new service for parents
for information to better facilitate their children's
and educational experiences. Use the email address listed above
Chatback
Dr. R. Zenhausern, Executive
Psychology
St. Johns
SB 15,
Jamaica, NY 11439
Phone: 718-990-6447
Fax: 718-990-6705
EMail: drz@sjuvm.stjohns.
The Chatback
Tom Holloway, UK
25 Clemens
Royal Leamington
Warwickshire, CV31 2
Phone: +44-926-888333
Fax: +44-926-420204
EMail: t.holloway@warwick.ac.
The Chatback Trust is the organization which was
concerned primarily with school children with various types
language disorder. Chatback International is the expansion of
project onto the Internet and is concerned with the use of
to educate all children
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RFC 1578 FYI Q/A - for Schools February 1994
Consortium for School
P.O. Box 65193
Washington, DC 20035-5193
Phone: 202-466-6296
Fax: 202-872-4318
EMail: info@cosn.
According to a recent brochure, "The Consortium for
Networking is a membership organization of institutions formed
further the development and use of computer network technology
K-12 education." To join CoSN, request an application at the
address. To contribute your ideas, lesson plans, projects, etc.,
for others to access over the Internet, send to email to
ferdi@digital.cosn.
European Schools
University of
CICT/
Grote Bickerrsstraat 72
1013 KS
The
Contact: Dr. Pauline Meijer or Dr. Henk
Phone: +31-20-5251248
Fax: +31-20-5251211
EMail: risc@esp.educ.uva.
The European Schools Project is "a support system for
schools to explore applications of educational telematics."
1151 SW Vermont
Portland, OR 97219
Contact: Janet
Phone: 503-280-5280
EMail: jmurray@psg.
FidoNet is a dial-up, store-and-forward messaging system which
advantage of late night phone rates to send and receive email
conferences
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FrEdMail
P.O. Box 243,
Bonita, CA 91908
Contact: Al
Phone: 619-475-4852
EMail: arogers@bonita.cerf.fred.
International Education and Research Network (I*EARN
c/o Copen Family
345 Kear
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Contact: Dr. Edwin H.
Phone: 914-962-5864
Fax: 914-962-6472
EMail: ed1@copenfund.igc.apc.
According to Dr. Gragert, "The purpose of the I*EARN Network is
create low-cost telecommunications models to demonstrate
elementary and secondary students can make a meaningful
to the health and welfare of people and the planet. We want to
students go beyond simply being "pen-pals" to use
in joint student projects as part of the educational process."
I*EARN works with international service and youth organizations
add telecommunications to existing partnerships
KIDLINK
4815
Phone: +47-370-31204
Fax: +47-370-27111
EMail: opresno@extern.uio.
Contact: Odd de
KIDLINK is the organization that runs the yearly KIDS projects
KIDS-94, KIDS-95, etc. For information on getting files related
KIDS-NN/KIDLINK, see "Electronic Mail Lists" in this section.
access to the KIDS Gopher, see "Network Servers" in this section
K12
1151 SW Vermont
Portland, OR 97219
Phone: 503-280-5280
Contact: Janet
EMail: jmurray@psg.
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K12Net is a collection of conferences devoted to curriculum
language exchanges with native speakers, and classroom-to-
projects designed by teachers in K-12 education. The
are privately distributed among FidoNet-compatible bulletin
systems on five continents and are also available as
Newsgroups in the hierarchy "k12." More information about K12Net
available from gopher.psg.com
via telnet...
telnet gopher.psg.
login:
via gopher...
gopher.psg.com (port 70)
NASA Central Operation of Resources for Educators (CORE
Lorain County Joint Vocational
15181 Route 58
Oberlin, OH 44074
Phone: 216-774-1051, x293/294