Internet DRAFT - draft-ietf-isn-fyi
draft-ietf-isn-fyi
INTERNET-DRAFT
Internet School Networking Group Authors:
Expires: December 30, 1993 J. Sellers, NASA
A. Marine, NASA
FYI on Questions and Answers
Answers to Commonly Asked "Elementary and Secondary School Internet User"
Questions
Status of this Memo
This document is an Internet-Draft. Internet-Drafts are working
documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), its Areas,
and its Working Groups. Note that other groups may also distribute
working documents as Internet-Drafts. Internet-Drafts are draft
documents valid for a maximum of six months. Internet-Drafts may be
updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is
not appropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference material or to
cite them other than as a "working draft" or "work in progress."
Comments on the following draft may be submitted to Jennifer Sellers
(sellers@nsipo.arc.nasa.gov) or April Marine (amarine@atlas.arc.nasa.gov).
Abstract
The goal of this Internet Draft, produced by the Internet School Networking
(ISN) group in the User Services Area of the Internet Engineering Task
Force (IETF), is to document the questions most commonly asked about
the Internet by those in the elementary and secondary school community,
and to provide pointers to sources which answer those 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 is not a
direct connection, or who are considering an Internet connection as a
resource for their schools.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Acknowledgements
3. Questions About the Internet in an Educational Setting
4. Questions About School Support for an Internet Connection
5. Questions About Implementation and Technical Issues
6. Questions About Security and Ethics
7. Questions About Educational Collaboration, Projects, and Resources
8. Suggested Reading
9. Resources and Contacts
10. References
11. Security Considerations
12. Authors' Addresses
Appendix A: Examples of Projects Using the Internet
Appendix B: How To Get Documents Electronically
1. Introduction
The elementary and secondary school community of teachers, media
specialists, administrators, and students is a growing population on
the Internet. In general, this group of users approaches the Internet
with less experience in data network technology and fewer technical and
user support resources than other Internet user groups. Many of their
questions are related to the special needs of the community, while
others are shared by any new user. This draft
document attempts first to define the most frequently asked questions
related to the use of the Internet in undergraduate education and then
to provide not only answers but also pointers to further information.
For new user questions of a more general nature, the reader should get
FYI 4, "FYI on Questions and Answers: Answers to Commonly Asked 'New
Internet User' Questions." [1] For information on how to get this
document, see Appendix B.
It is important to remember that the Internet is a volatile and
changing virtual environment. We have tried to include only the most
stable of network services when listing resources and groups for you to
contact, a good solution but by no means a fool-proof one to the
problem of changing offerings on the Internet. This constant change
also means that there is a lot out there that you will discover as you
begin to explore on your own.
Future updates of this memo will be produced as Internet School
Networking group members are made aware of new questions and of
insufficient or inaccuracte information in the memo. The RFC number of
this document will change with each update, but the FYI number (XX)
will remain the same.
2. Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank for their help and contributions to this draft
the members of the Consortium for School Networking, Kidsphere, and
Ednet electronic mailing lists. Special thanks goes to Raymond Harder,
Microcomputer Consultant; William Manning, Rice University; and Anthony
Rutkowski, CNRI.
3. Questions About the Internet in an Educational Setting
3.1 What is the Internet?
The Internet is a series of more than 10,000 interconnected
computer networks around the world that makes it possible to
share information almost instantly. The networks are owned by
countless commercial, research, governmental, and educational
organizations and individuals. The Internet allows the more
than 1.5 million computers and 10 millions users of the system
to collaborate easily and quickly through messaging, discussion
groups, and conferencing. Users are able to discover and access
people and information, distribute information, and experiment
with new technologies and services. The Internet has become a
major global infrastructure for education, research,
professional learning, public service, and business and is
currently growing at the rate of about ten percent per month.
The Internet Society serves as the international organization
for Internet cooperation and coordination. See Section 9,
"Resources and Contacts."
For a more complete basic introduction to the Internet, see
FYI 20, "What is the Internet?" [2] Instructions on retrieving
FYI 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 making
many resources from all over the world available to students,
teachers, and media specialists, including original source
materials. It brings information, data, images, and even
computer software into the classroom from places otherwise
impossible to reach, and it does this almost instantly. Access
to these resources can yield individual and group projects,
collaboration, curriculum materials, and idea sharing not found
in schools without Internet access.
Internet access also makes possible contact with people all
over the world, bringing into the classroom experts in every
content area, new and old friends, and colleagues in
education. With an Internet connection, your site can
become a valuable source of information as well.
The isolation inherent in the teaching profession is well-known
among educators. By having access to colleagues in other parts
of the world, as well as to those who work outside of
classrooms, educators able to reach the Internet are not as
isolated.
A hands-on classroom tool, the use of networks can be a
motivator for students in and of itself, and their use
encourages the kind of independence and autonomy that many
educators agree is important for students to achieve in their
learning process. Because the Internet is blind to class,
race, ability, and disability, it is a natural for addressing
the needs of all students; exactly how this is done will vary
from school to school as the school empowers the individual.
3.3 How can educators incorporate this resource into their busy
schedules?
Most educators learn about the Internet during the time they
use 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 pursue relationships via the Internet. Those who
do so feel that it is well worth the rich rewards. It's
important that computers used to access the Internet are easily
accessible and not so far away physically as to make using the
resource impossible for educators and others.
As the value of the resource becomes more evident, school
systems will need to look toward building the time to use it
into educators' schedules.
3.4 I'm already using the National Geographic network (or Learning
Link, or FrEdMail, or ______). Does this have anything to do with the
Internet? Is the Internet different from what I'm already using?
Since the Internet is a network of many different networks, you
may be using one of the networks which is a part of the
Internet. Some commercial programs for schools use networks
and provide value-added service, such as curriculum software,
project organization and coordination, etc. Some provide
value-added service, but don't allow for all basic Internet
services. Networks like FrEdMail (Free Educational Electronic
Mail) and K12Net are bulletin board systems linked via the
Internet which provide inexpensive access to some Internet
services. If you can use telnet, FTP, and electronic mail, you
are probably "on" the Internet. If you have questions about
the specific service you're currently using, ask its support
personnel if you have Internet access, or call the InterNIC for
help in figuring this out. (InterNIC stands for Internet
Network Information Center.) See Section 9, "Resources and
Contacts" for how to reach the InterNIC, FrEdMail, and K12Net.
4. Questions About School Support for an Internet Connection
4.1 Where does my school get the money for connecting to the
Internet?
Although school budgets are impossibly tight in most cases, the
cost of an Internet connection can be squeezed from the budget
when its value becomes apparent. Costs for a low end connection
can be quite reasonable. (See the next question.)
The challenge facing those advocating an Internet connection
usually has less to do with the actual cost than it has with
the difficulty of convincing administrators to spend money on
an unfamiliar resource.
In order to move the Internet connection closer to the top of
your school's priority list, consider at least two
possibilities. First, your school may be in the process of
reform, as are many schools. Because use of the Internet
shifts focus away from a teacher-as-expert model and toward one
of shared responsibility for learning, it can be a vital part
of school reform. Much of school reform attempts to move away
from teacher isolation and toward teacher collaboration, away
from learning in a school-only context and toward learning in a
life context, away from an emphasis on knowing and toward an
emphasis on learning, away from a focus on content and toward a
focus on concepts. [3] The Internet can play an integral part
in helping to achieve these shifts.
Second, to demonstrate the value of a connection, actual
Internet access is more useful than words. While this may
sound like a chicken-and-egg situation (I have to have Internet
access to get Internet access), some organizations will provide
guest accounts on an Internet computer for people in schools
who are trying to convince others of the value of an Internet
connection.
Contact local colleges, universities, technology companies,
service providers, community networks, and government agencies for
both guest accounts and funding ideas. For alternatives to your
own school's budget or for supplements to it, look for funding in
federal, state, and district budgets as well as from private
grants. Work with equipment vendors to provide the hardware
needed at low or no cost to your school, and consider forming a
PTO Technology Committee, or a joint District/PTO Technology
Committee.
The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) has
information on grants and funding. See Section 9, "Resources
and Contacts." Ask for the AskERIC InfoGuide called "Grants
and Funding Sources."
4.2 How much does it cost to connect to the Internet, and what kind
of equipment (hardware, software, etc.) does my school need in order
to support an Internet connection?
The cost of an Internet connection varies tremendously with the
location of your site and the kind of connection that is
appropriate to your needs. In order to determine the cost to
your school, you will need to answer a number of questions.
For help in learning what the questions are and getting answers
to them, begin asking at local colleges, universities,
technology companies, government agencies, community networks
(often called "freenets"), local electronic bulletin board
systems (BBS), or service providers. (For a list of service
providers, contact the InterNIC, which is listed in Section 9,
"Resources and Contacts.")
To give you an idea of possible equipment needs, here are
three sample scenarios:
Low-end: You could subscribe to some kind of Internet dial-in
service. This may be provided by a vendor at a cost, by a
local university gratis, or as a part of a public access
service like a community network. You'll need a computer which
allows terminal emulation and a modem which is compatible with
your dial-in service. The approximate cost, not including the
PC, is $100 - $800 plus a monthly fee of approximately $30.
Mid-range: You could subscribe to a dial-in service that
provides Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) or Point to Point
Protocol (PPP), allowing your machine to become a host on the
Internet. You'll need a computer with SLIP or PPP software and
a modem which is compatible with your dial-in service. The
approximate cost, not including the PC, is $100 - $800 plus a
monthly fee of approximately $60.
High-end: You could subscribe to a service that provides a
full Internet connection. You'll need a router and a CSU/DSU
(Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit), a device which
connects the router to the service provider's router. A local
area network, which may consist only of the router and a PC,
Macintosh, or other computer system, is also needed, and your
computer(s) will need some special software. The approximate
cost, not including the computers, is $2,000 - $3,000 plus a
monthly fee of at least $200.
4.3 What is required in terms of personnel to support an Internet
connection? (Will it require extra staff, training, more time of
teachers and librarians?)
Any plan for implementing technology in schools should consider
staff development. In the case of the Internet, all users will
need some kind of training, whether they are teachers,
librarians, students, administrators, or fulfilling other roles
in the school. Train-the-trainer is a good model for Internet
training.
Depending on the hardware involved, there may be a need for
technical support. Finding this kind of support, which
schools will certainly need because it is not usually in
place, may be tricky. Some districts are beginning to
provide it at the district level. Some schools are able
to use volunteers from business, industry, or government
agencies. Much of this type of support can be done over
the network itself, which makes it possible for someone
located off-site to maintain the equipment with only
occasional trips to the school.
4.4 How do I convince the people in our system with the purse
strings to spend money on this?
Most people become convinced with exposure. One excited
individual in the school who is able to show proof of concept
by starting a pilot program can be the catalyst for a school or
an entire district. If you can get an Internet account (as
suggested above) and use it for instruction in your classroom,
you can make presentations at faculty, PTO, and school board
meetings.
The National Center for Education Statistics in the Office of
Educational Research and Improvement at the United States
Department of Education has released a video targeted at school
administrators. Its purpose is to educate them about what the
Internet is and to encourage support for the use of
telecommunications in elementary and secondary schools. For
further information, See Section 9, "Resources and Contacts."
[Note: this is due out some time this summer...has not been
released yet, but will be by the time this document is ready.]
4.5 Where do I go for technical support and training?
Much technical support and training can be found by using the
Internet itself. You can post questions to people in the know
and join discussion lists and news groups that discuss and
answer questions about support and training. Specific
electronic mail lists to look for are....
Specific news groups to look for are...
Your local community has resources that you may be able to
tap. These are again colleges and universities, businesses,
computer clubs and user groups, and government agencies.
Your service provider may offer training and support for
technical issues, and other groups also offer formal classes
and seminars. For those schools who have designated
technical people, they are good candidates for classes and
seminars.
5. Questions About Implementation and Technical Issues
5.1 How do I learn about options for getting my school connected?
In addition to suggestions made in answer to questions 4.1 and
4.2 above, you may contact the InterNIC at 1-800-444-4345 for a
referral to a service provider. Also, there are a number of
books on the Internet. See Section 8, "Suggested Reading."
5.2 How many of our computers should we put on the Internet?
You will probably want to make Internet *access* possible for
as many of your school's computers as possible. If you are
using a dial-up service, you may want one account per
classroom. If your school has a Local Area Network (LAN) with
several computers on it, one dedicated Internet connection will
service the whole school.
5.3 Should we set up a telecommunications lab or put networked
computers in each classroom?
Consider doing both, and get a commitment from specific teachers
or media specialists to use the labs in the course of their
teaching.
5.4 Can people get on the Internet from home?
This depends on your service provider. It is certainly a
possibility. You will need to discuss whether you want to
make this option available to students even if it is possible
technically. This is best discussed with the community your
school serves in a public forum such as a PTO meeting.
6. Questions About Security and Ethics
6.1 Who should have access in the school, the teachers or the
students?
Clearly the answer is that teachers AND students should have
access to the Internet. There's no reason why media
specialists, administrators and support staff should not also
have access. In elementary schools, access for students may be
more supervised than in the upper grades.
6.2 I've heard that there are files on the Internet that parents
would not like their children to get. How can students be kept
from accessing this objectionable material?
Technically, they can't. Everyone on the network, including
students, is able to download files from public electronic
repositories, some of which contain materials that many
consider objectionable. For this reason, it is important that
schools develop clear policies to guide students' use of the
Internet and establish rules, and consequences for breaking
them, that govern behavior on the Internet. Additionally,
schools should consider integrating issues around technology
and ethics into the curriculum. [4]
6.3 How do we keep our own and other people's computers safe from
student "hackers"?
In the language of computer folks, a "hacker" is someone who is
excellent at understanding and manipulating computer systems.
A "cracker" is someone who maliciously and/or illegally enters
or attempts to enter someone else's computer system.
Computer security is unquestionably important, both in
maintaining the security of the school's computers and in
ensuring the proper behavior of the school's students (and
other who use the network). In this area, not only school
policy, but also state and national laws may apply. Two
sources of information which you can read to help you sort
through securty issues are:
FYI 8: Site Security Handbook
"Ethical Uses of Information Technologies in
Education"
The full references for these documents can be found in Section
8, "Suggested Reading."
6.4 How do we keep viruses from attacking all our computers if we
get connected to the Internet?
You will need to run regular checks for viruses on all of your
systems. Virus checking software is available free over the
Internet via Anonymous FTP from ftp.cert.org. (For
information on using Anonymous FTP, see Appendix B.) Your
hardware or software vendor, your network access provider,
your technical support resources, or your colleagues on
network mailing lists should be able to provide more specific
information applicable to your site.
6.5 What are the rules for using the Internet?
When your Internet connection is established, your access
provider should acquaint you with their Acceptable Use Policy
(AUP). This policy explains the acceptable and
non-acceptable uses for your connection. For example, it is
in all cases unacceptable to use the network for illegal
purposes. It may, in some cases, be unacceptable to use the
netowrk for commercial purposes. If such a policy is not
mentioned, ask for it. All users are expected to know what
the acceptable and unacceptable uses of their network are.
Remember that it is essential to establish a school-wide
policy in addition to the provider's AUP.
7. Questions About Educational Collaboration, Projects, and Resources
7.1 What kinds of educational projects using the Internet are
effective?
Generally projects which use the Internet as a tool and focus
on content other than telecommunications itself are those
that engage students.
[Need more...looking for input from educators in the field.]
7.2 How can I find specific projects using the Internet that are
already developed?
There are a few resources on the Internet that are directed
specifically at the elemenatary and secondary school
communities. The InterNIC gopher server has a section on
K-12 (Kindergarten through 12th grade) Education, the
Consortium for School Networking maintains a gopher server,
and NASA's Spacelink is directed entirely at elementary and
secondary school educators and students. For access to any
of these, see Section 9, "Resources and Contacts."
Many people on electronic mailing lists such as Ednet,
Kidsphere, and the Consortium for School Networking
Discussion List (cosndisc) post their projects and ask for
partners and collaborators. The K12 hierarchy of Usenet News
has several groups where educators post these invitations as
well. For subscription to the electronic lists and access to
the news groups, see Section 9, "Resources and Contacts."
As you explore the Internet, there are some tools that will
help you find projects that are already developed. To begin
your exploration, two tools for information discovery and
retrieval that you should learn to use are WAIS (Wide Area
Information Server) and Gopher. Later you may want to learn
about and try Archie and WWW (World Wide Web).
A good overview of many of these resource discovery tools is
the "Guide to Network Resource Tools" written by the European
Academic Research Networks (EARN) Association. It explains
the basics of tools such as Gopher, Veronica, WAIS, Archie,
and the World Wide Web, as well as others, and provides
pointers for finding out more about these useful tools.
7.3 Where do I go to find colleagues who support networking and
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 to collaborate on projects involving use of the
Internet.
There are a number of conferences you may want to look in
to. The National Education Computing Conference (NECC) is
held annually, as is TelEd, a conference sponsored by the
Interntational Society for Technology in Education. The
INET conference is the annual conference for the Internet
Society. [Note: Any conferences located in parts of the
world other than the US?] For contact information, see
Section 9, "Resources and Contacts."
7.4 What are some examples of how the Internet is being used in
classrooms now?
Projects which use the Internet sometimes require sites from
all over the world to contribute data from the local area
then compile that data for use by all. Weather patterns,
pollutants in water or air, and Monarch butterfly migration
are some of the data that has been collected over the
Internet. In Appendix A you will find several examples from
the Kidsphere electronic mailing list, each from a different
content area and representing different ways of using the
Internet.
7.5 Is there a manual that lists sites on the Internet
particularly useful for class exploration?
There are a number of resource guides, and so far only a couple
are directed specifically at an education audience. "An
Incomplete Guide to the Internet and Other Telecommunications
Opportunities Especially for Teachers and Students K-12" is
compiled by the NCSA Education Group. Ednet's "Educator's
Guide to Email Lists" is available electronically, as is a list
of Usenet News groups under education headings. ERIC offers
several documents relating to telecommunications and education,
including the ERIC Digest "Internet Basics," the ERIC Review
"K-12 Networking," "Instructional Development for Distance
Education," and "Strategies for Teaching at a Distance."
Complete bilbliographic information for these documents is
listed in Section 8, "Suggested Reading." For help in
retrieving the documents electronically, see Appendix B.
7.6 How can I add my own contributions to the Internet?
The network server operated by the Consortium for School
Networking exists expressly for the sharing of ideas by the
elementary and secondary school community. Educators are
encouraged to submit projects, lesson plans, and ideas. See
Section 9, "Resources and Contacts" for information on
reaching CoSN or submitting materials. It is important to
remember that anything you create should be updated for others
as you make changes yourself in the course of your learning by
experience.
The electronic lists and news groups mentioned are also places
to share your knowledge and yourself as a resource.
8. Suggested Reading
For information on retrieving documents electronically, see Appendix
B.
EARN Tool Guide
ERIC Digest, Internet Basics
ERIC Review, K-12 Networking
"Ethical Uses of Information Technologies in Education" (National
Insitute of Justice)
FYI 4 "FYI on Questions and Answers: Answers to Commonly asked "New
Internet User" Questions," Malkin, G.S., A. Marine
(rfc1325.txt)
FYI 5 "Choosing a Name for Your Computer," Libes, D. (rfc1178.txt)
FYI 8 "Site Security Handbook," Holbrook, J.P. (rfc1244.txt)
FYI 16 "Connecting to the Internet: What Connecting Institutions Should
Anticipate," ACM SIGUCCS Networking Taskforce (rfc1359.txt)
FYI 19 "Introducing the Internet--A Short Bibliography of Introductory
Internetworking Reading for the Network Novice," Hoffman, E.,
L. Jackson (rfc1463.txt)
FYI 20, "What is the Internet?" Krol, E., E. Hoffman (rfc1462.txt)
Kehoe, Brendan. Zen and the Art of the Internet: A Beginner's Guide
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1992
(An earlier version is also available free over the Internet.)
Krol, Ed. The Whole Internet User's Guide & Catalog
Sebastopol, California: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 1992
LaQuey, Tracy. The Internet Companion: A Beginner's Guide to
Global Networking. Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley
Publishing Company, 1992
Marine, April, Susan Kirkpatrick, Vivian Neou, and Carol Ward. Internet:
Getting Started. Menlo Park, California: SRI International, 1992
9. Resources and Contacts
------------
CONFERENCES:
------------
NECC and TelEd
International Society for Technology in Education
1787 Agate Street
Eugene, Oregon 97403-1923
USA
INET
Internet Society
1895 Preston White Drive
Suite 100
Reston, Virginia 22091
USA
phone: 703-620-8990
fax: 703-620-0913
----------------------
ELECTRONIC MAIL LISTS:
----------------------
Ednet
To subscribe, send a message to...
listserv@nic.umass.edu
Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body of
the message enter...
subscribe ednet YourFirstName YourLastName
To post, send a message to...
ednet@nic.umass.edu
Cosndisc (Consortium for School Networking Discussion List)
To subscribe, send a message to...
listerv@bitnic.educom.edu
Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body of
the message enter...
subscribe cosndisc YourFirstName YourLastName
To post, send a message to...
cosndisc@bitnic.educom.edu
Kidsphere
To subscribe, send a message to...
kidsphere-request@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Type any message asking to be added to the list.
To post, send a message to...
kidsphere@vms.cis.pitt.edu
----------------
NETWORK SERVERS:
----------------
Consortium for School Networking gopher server
via gopher...
cosn.org (port 70)
via telnet...
telnet cosn.org
login: gopher
Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Digests Archives are
available
via FTP...
ftp ericir.syr.edu
cd pub
via email...
mail askeric@ericir.syr.edu
via gopher...
ericir.syr.edu (port 70)
InterNIC gopher server
via gopher...
is.internic.net (port 70)
via telnet...
telnet is.internic.net
login: gopher
NASA Spacelink
via telnet...
telnet spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
login: newuser
via FTP...
ftp spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
------------
NEWS GROUPS:
------------
--------------
ORGANIZATIONS:
--------------
Consortium for School Networking
P.O. Box 65193
Washington, DC 20035-5193
USA
Phone: 202-466-6296
Fax: 202-872-4318
Email: cosn@bitnic.educom.edu
According to a recent brochure, "The Consortium for School Networking
is a membership organization of institutions formed to further the
development and use of computer network technology in K-12
education." To join CoSN, request an application at the above
address. To contribute your ideas, lesson plans, projects, etc., for
others to access over the Internet, send to XXXX@cosn.org
ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources
030 Huntington Hall
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York 13244-2340
USA
Phone: 315-443-9114
Fax: 315-443-5448
Email: askeric@ericir.syr.edu
According to a recent electronic brochure, "The Educational Resources
Information Center (ERIC) is a federally-funded national information
system that provides access to an extensive body of education-related
literature. ERIC provides a variety of services and products at all
education levels."
Another portion of the electronic brochure states, "AskERIC is
an Internet-based question-answering service for teachers, library
media specialists, and administrators. Anyone involved with K-12
education can send an e-mail message to AskERIC. Drawing on the
extensive resources of the ERIC system, AskERIC staff will respond
with an answer within 48 working hours. If you have questions about
K-12 education, learning, teaching, information technology, educational
administration - AskERIC at: askeric@ericir.syr.edu"
FrEdMail Foundation
P.O. Box 243,
Bonita, CA 91908
USA
Phone: 619-475-4852
Contact: Al Rogers
Email: arogers@bonita.cerf.fred.org
K12Net
1151 SW Vermont Street
Portland, OR 97219
USA
Phone: 503-280-5280
Contact: Janet Murray
Email: jmurray@psg.com
National Center for Education Statistics
555 New Jersey Ave N.W., R.410 C
Washington DC 20208-5651
InterNIC Information Services
General Atomics
P.O. Box #85608
San Diego, California 92186-9784
USA
Phone: 800-444-4345
619-455-4600
Fax: 619-455-3990
Email: info@internic.net
The InterNIC is a (United States) National Science Foundation funded
group tasked with providing information services to the United States
research and education networking community. The Reference Desk is
in operation Monday through Friday, from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Pacific Time.
Internet Society
1895 Preston White Drive
Suite 100
Reston, Virginia 22091
USA
phone: 703-620-8990
fax: 703-620-0913
The Internet Society is the international organization for Internet
cooperation and coordination.
10. References
[1] FYI 4 "FYI on Questions and Answers: Answers to Commonly asked
"New Internet User" Questions," Malkin, G.S., A. Marine
(rfc1325.txt)
[2] FYI 20, "What is the Internet?" Krol, E., E. Hoffman (rfc1462.txt)
[3] "Restructuring Schools: A Systematic View" in Action Line, the
newsletter of the Maryland State Teachers Association, a
National Education Association Affiliate. Roger Kuhn, Editor.
No. 93-6. June, 1993.
[4] Sivin, Jay P. and Ellen R. Bialo (1992) "Ethical Uses of Infor-
mation Technologies in Education." Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National
Institute of Justice.
11. Security Considerations
General security considerations are discussed in Section 6 of this
document.
12. Authors' Addresses
April Marine
NASA NAIC
M/S 233-18
Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA 94025-1000
USA
amarine@atlas.arc.nasa.gov
Jennifer Sellers
NASA NREN
700 13th Street, NW
Suite 950
Washington, DC 20005
USA
sellers@nsipo.nasa.gov
APPENDIX A: EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS USING THE INTERNET
The following examples of projects using the Internet appeared on the
Kidsphere electronic mailing list during the 1992-93 school year.
=========================================
Example One, "Middle School Math Project"
=========================================
This is the official invitation to participate in "Puzzle
Now!". "Puzzle Now!" is an interdisciplinary project using
educational technology as a tool to integrate the curriculum.
"Puzzle Now!" provides teams of mathematics and language arts
teachers and students with thematic puzzle problems via VA.PEN.
PROJECT : Puzzle Now!
SUBJECT AREA : Mathematics/Language Arts
GRADE LEVEL : 6 - 8
DURATION : This project will consist of eight - one week
cycles.
March 19, 1993 Invitation to Participate
April 2, 1993 Deadline for Application
via email
April 5, 1993 Week #1 Puzzle posted
April 16, 1993 Deadline for participant
responses
***This time extension is due
to "Spring Break"***
April 19, 1993 Week #2 Puzzle posted
April 23, 1993 Deadline for participant
responses
April 26, 1993 Week #3 Puzzle posted
April 30, 1993 Deadline for participant
responses
May 3, 1993 Week #4 Puzzle posted
May 7, 1993 Deadline for participant
responses
May 10, 1993 Week #5 Puzzle posted
May 14, 1993 Deadline for participant
responses
May 17, 1993 Week #6 Puzzle posted
May 21, 1993 Deadline for participant
responses
May 24, 1993 Week #7 Puzzle posted
May 28, 1993 Deadline for participant
responses
May 31, 1993 Week #8 Puzzle posted
June 4, 1993 Deadline for participant
responses
PROJECT GOALS : -to increase student motivation for math
problem solving;
-to emphasize the importance of addressing
problems in a clear, concise, and logical
manner;
-to provide students with opportunities for
developing skills in written expression;
-to familiarize students with computer and
modem as tools for problem solving projects.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The puzzles presented in this project are no
mere entertainment. These puzzles will help
the student reason logically, develop thinking
skills, and will assist in the understanding of
many practical disciplines, such as geometry.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT to remember that getting
the correct answer isn't as important as
figuring out how to find it.
DO THE SOLUTIONS HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED IN A
PARTICULAR FASHION? Yes, the solution format
requires that the group/team/individual first
1)restate the puzzle/problem; 2)explain the
strategy, or strategies used in finding the
answer; 3)state the answer.
Your team/class may turn in only one solution.
That means you must work together to develop one
solution to be examined by the "Puzzlemeister".
SEND THE SOLUTION TO THE FOLLOWING ONLINE
ADDRESS:
puzzler@radford.vak12ed.edu
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
PROJECT APPLICATION
FOR
PUZZLE NOW!
To apply, please send the following information to this email
address:
puzzler@radford.vak12ed.edu
TEACHER :
SCHOOL AND LOCATION:
TEACHER'S EMAIL ADDRESS:
CLASS' EMAIL ADDRESS:
WHICH EMAIL ADDRESS SHOULD BE USED FOR RECEIVING THE "PUZZLE
NOW!" PROBLEMS?
RECOGNITION : Recognition will be awarded in the following
categories:
1) Outstanding Creativity
2) Outstanding Strategy
Each Monday morning, participating classes
will receive an online message congratulating
the winners in the above categories along
with their responses. At the end of the
eight weeks, certificates will be awarded to
classes who participated for all eight weeks,
weekly winners, and a prize will go to the
class/es with the most correct responses.
The awards will be sent via "snail mail".
SPONSOR : Heidi Bernard
Montgomery County School System
hbernard@radford.vak12ed.edu
(703)382-5168
APPLICATIONS : All applications for participation in this
project should be sent to the following email
address no later than the end of the school
day on Friday, April 2, 1993:
puzzler@radford.vak12ed.edu
This project is limited to no more than 25
participants (can be in the form of teams,
classes, or individuals). You will be
notified prior to April 2, 1993, if you are
accepted for participation in the project.
The sponsor (aka "The Puzzlemeister") will
also send additional information as needed.
"Contrariwise," continued Tweedledee, "if it was so, it might be;
and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't.
That's logic".
---Lewis Carroll
==========================================
Example Two, "Poetry Contest, Grades 9-12"
==========================================
National Public Telecomputing Network
--
Academy One Project Announcement
*****************************************************************
FIRST ANNUAL INTERNET POETRY CONTEST
FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS GRADES 9-12
***FEATURED FORM: THE SONNET***
***First Place Award: $50.00***
***Second Place Award: $25.00***
***Honorable Mentions: $10.00***
All entries must be postmarked by April 30, 1993
to qualify. Or they may be sent via e.mail to:
mcargo@eis.calstate.edu
All entries will be posted to the Academy One
Student Author newsgroup for enjoyment by others.
Send entries to:
Marge Cargo
Librarian
Troy High School
2200 E. Dorothy Lane
Fullerton, CA 92631
Phone:(714-870-3618)
Fax:(714)526-7630
For further information, write or fax to the above
address or email to:
mcargo@eis.calstate.edu
*****************************************************************
The first annual Internet Poetry Contest invites entries from
students in grades 9-12 for original sonnets written within the
last 3 years. The purpose of the contest is to encourage young
creative writers to practice the discipline needed to
write in a particular poetic form, in this case, the sonnet form.
(The sonnet is defined and examples are given below.) Sonnets
may be submitted in any recognized sonnet form including
Petrarchan, Shakespearean, Miltonic, or Spenserian.
Students submitting entries must include a form (given below)
certifying that each sonnet entered in the contest is original
and written within the last 3 years. The deadline for
mailing entries is April 30, 1993. Winners will be notified
individually and winning entries will also be announced via
Academy I on the Internet.
Judges for the contest are current or retired English instructors
throughout the United States.
The Sonnet
The sonnet as defined by Babette Deutsch in Poetry Handbook is as
follows:
Normally a poem of fourteen iambic pentameter lines, divided
into an octave* and a sestet**, with a prescribed rhyme scheme,
and concerned with a single thought or sentiment. Originating
in Provence, the particular form called the Italian sonnet was
perfected by Petrarch and therefore is also known as Petrarchan.
Its OCTAVE is rhymed a b b a a b b a, the SESTET is on two or
three rhymes, distinct from those in the octave, and while
various arrangements are accepted, those commonly used are
c d c - d c d, c d e c d e, c d e d c e. The octave presents
the theme in the first quatrain*** and develops it in the second;
the sestet exemplifies or reflects upon it in the first TERCET
and brings it to a logical emphatic close in the second. The
Italian form has been used by poets writing in English, but
rarely with the complete fidelity of the following example by
Dante Gabriel Rossetti:
The gloom that breathes upon me with these airs
Is like the drops which strike the traveller's brow
Who knows not, darkling, if they bring him now
Fresh storm, or be old rain the covert bears.
Ah! bodes this hour some harvest of new tares,
Or hath but memory of the day whose plough
Sowed hunger once,--the night at length when thou,
O prayer found vain, didst fall from out my prayers?
How prickly were the growths which yet how smooth,
Along the hedgerows of this journey shed,
Lie by Time's grace till night and sleep may soothe!
Even as the thistledown from pathsides dead
Gleaned by a girl in autumns of her youth,
Which one new year makes soft her marriage-bed.
* eight lines
** six lines
*** four lines
___________________________________________________________________________
The English or Shakespearean sonnet allows for a break between octave
and sestet but is composed of three quatrains, each with different pairs of
rhymes, and a final couplet, independently rhymed, which
makes an effective climax: a b a b,
c d c d, e f e f, g g as in
Shakespeare's seventy-third sonnet:
That time of yeare thou maist in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few doe hange
Upon those boughes which shake against the could,
Bare ruin'd quiers, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou seest the twi-light of such day,
As after Sun-set fadeth in the West,
Which by and by blacke night doth take away,
Deaths second selfe that seals up all in rest.
In me thous seest the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lye,
As the death bed, whereon it must expire,
Consum'd with that which it was nurrisht by.
This thou percev'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.
>From Deutsch, Babette. Poetry Handbook; a Dictionary of Terms.
New York : Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1962.
_________________________________________________________________
For further reference see:
Ciardi, John. How Does a Poem Mean? Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
1959.
Untermeyer, Louis. The Forms of Poetry; a Pocket Dicitonary of
Verse. New York : Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1954.
Sonnet Contest Entry Form
Please Submit with Entry
NAME___________________________________________________________
ADDRESS________________________________________________________
CITY_________________________________STATE_____________________
ZIP______________________SCHOOL PHONE__________________________
NAME OF CONTACT TEACHER, LIBRARIAN, OR
ADMINISTRATOR___________________________________________________
SCHOOL ADDRESS__________________________________________________
CITY______________________________________STATE_________________
ZIP_____________________ SCHOOL PHONE___________________________
HOMETOWN OR LOCAL NEWSPAPER_____________________________________
I CERTIFY THAT THIS EACH SONNET ENTERED IS AN ORIGINAL SONNET
WRITTEN BY ME WITHIN THE LAST 3 YEARS
SIGNATURE:____________________________________________DATE:______
==============================================
Example Three, "Tracking Monarch Butterflies"
==============================================
Our school has begun a study of monarchs using Nova's Animal Pathfinders.
After working through these lessons, which will give us the necessary
background information, we will design the format for collecting the data
on sighting monarchs. We will send information on the format to any school
who wishes to participate in the project. Our fifth grade students will
begin this project and we hope that students from kindergarten through
twelvth grade will get involved. We hope that schools from south to north
along the migratory flyways will be interested in joining and collecting
data about first sightings and population counts. We still have not foundt
the lepidopterists who did the initial research but will keep looking.
Hope to heaar from you soon. Susan Agate agate@bush.edu
=======================================
Example Four, "Simulated Space Mission"
=======================================
=======================================================
National Public Telecomputing Network
--
Academy One Program Announcement
=======================================================
SPECIAL EVENT: NESPUT 24-HOUR CENTENNIAL SPACE SHUTTLE
SIMULATED MISSION ON APRIL 27, 1993
SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, STUDENTS, SPACE ENTHUSIASTS:
The April 27 simulated and telecommunicated space shuttle mission
is a mostly real-time 24 hour mission involving numerous
activities in space. Your school could be involved for an entire
24 hour period or for a much lesser amount of time (say just your
school day or even a few hours). During that 24 hour period,
schools will be linked to share information via telecommunications
and a variety of activities will be going on via
telecommunications and in the classroom--most of them created by
the schools and students involved. The space shuttle Centennial
at University School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a real and permanent
simulator, will act as itself and use its mission control area as
Houston. Reports on the progress of our real student astronauts
will be posted on the listserv and via the menus on NPTN affiliate
systems carrying Academy One. Your school can act as any one of
the
following:
A second American shuttle.
A second Russian shuttle.
A weather reporting station for your area.
One of NASA's alternate landing sites.
A science station posing questions and problems for all
astronauts in simulated space.
An information station, posting interesting information of
interest about the space shuttle and the space program.
A graphics station, sending GIF files to other schools
(especially good if you have a scanner for your computer).
Any other type of space related station or activity you can
imagine.
HOW TO JOIN:
>>>1. If you're already subscribed to our listserve, you're
halfway there. Regular information will be sent to you. Here's
how to join our listserve, if you haven't:
WHAT IS A LISTSERVE?
A listserve is an internet system which allows a message sent to
it to be distributed to all subscribers to the listserve. Hence,
if 200 people are subscribed to the listserve, one message which
you send to the listserve (at one electronic mail address) is
automatically sent to all 200 subscribers. The result is a
mechanism for the exchange of views and data which is very
efficient. You don't need telnet access, just internet or bitnet
e.mail capability. The National Public Telecomputing Network's
Academy One NESPUT (National Educational Simulations Project Using
Telecommunications) education project will use this "mail
exploder" technique as part of the April 27th simulated space
shuttle mission.
HOW DO YOU SUBSCRIBE TO THE APRIL 27 SPACE SHUTTLE SIMULATED
MISSION LISTSERVE?
Simply send an electronic mail message to:
mission-request@sbase2.wariat.org
When you are prompted for a subject, simply type the word
"subscribe" (without the quotes). Do not actually send any
message. Within several hours you will receive an acknowledgement
of your subscription.
SPECIAL INFORMATION FILE
A file explaining the mission and its purposes including
information on how you can join is available by sending an e.mail
message to
mission-request@sbase2.wariat.org
When you are prompted for a subject, simply type FILE. Do not
actually send a message.
WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED HELP
If you have questions about the listserve, send an e.mail message
to Andrew Hartridge:
aa744@cleveland.freenet.edu
If you have questions about the mission or curricular or
educational objectives, send e.mail to Robert Morgan, coordinator
for NESPUT:
aa629@cleveland.freenet.edu
>>>2. If you have access to the internet, you can join in the
Academy One cybercasted, menu driven simulation by obtaining an
account on the Youngstown Freenet. Telnet to the Youngstown
Freenet at yfn.ysu.edu or 192.55.234.27 (letters preferred).
Login as a visitor and go through the registration process.
You'll have to mail or fax a signed statement, but you should have
an account in five days.
==================================================
Example Five, "Equinox Experiment and Calculation"
==================================================
ATTENTION - MARCH 20, l993 IS THE EQUINOX
A WORLDWIDE SCIENCE AND MATH EXPERIMENT
ERATOSTHENES EXPERIMENT
Eratosthenes, a Greek geographer (about 276 to 194 B.C.), made a
surprisingly accurate estimate of the earth's circumference. In
the great library in Alexandria he read that a deep vertical well
near Syene, in southern Egypt, was entirely lit up by the sun at
noon once a year. Eratosthenes reasoned that at this time sun
must be directly overhead, with its rays shining directly into
the well. In Alexandria, almost due north of Syene, he knew that
the sun was not directly overhead at noon on the same day because
a vertical object cast a shadow. Eratosthenes could now measure
the circumference of the earth (sorry Columbus) by making two
assumptions - that the earth is round and that the sun's rays are
essentially parallel. He set up a vertical post at Alexandria
and measured the angle of its shadow when the well at Syene was
completely sunlit. Eratosthenes knew from geometry that the size
of the measured angle equaled the size of the angle at the
earth's center between Syene and Alexandria. Knowing also that
the arc of an angle this size was 1/50 of a circle, and that the
distance between Syene and Alexandria was 5000 stadia, he multi-
plied 5000 by 50 to find the earth's circumference. His result,
250,000 stadia (about 46,250 km) is quite close to modern meas-
urements. Investigating the Earth, AGI, l970, Chapter 3, p. 66.
The formula Eratosthenes used is:
D A d=distance between Syene and Alexandria
_____ = _____ A=360 degrees assumption of round earth
a=shadow angle of vertical stick
d a D=to be determined (circumference)
----------------------------------------------------------------
Are you interested in participating?
All you need to do is place a vertical stick (shaft) into the
ground at your school and when the sun reaches it's highest
vertical assent for the day (solar noon), measure the angle of
the shadow of the stick.
-\
- \
stick -> - \
- a \ a=shadow angle
- \
- \
ground___________________-______\_____________________________
By doing this experiment on the equinox we all know that the
vertical rays of the sun are directly over the equator, like the
well at Syene. Using a globe or an atlas the distance between
your location and the equator can be determined and the circum-
ference can be calculated.
*****************************************************************
But how about sharing your shadow angle measurement with others
around the real globe.
******************************************************************
Send your measurement of the shadow angle____________degrees
Send your location city ____________________________________
Send your location country _________________________________
Send your latitude _________________________________________
Send your longitude ________________________________________
To: Lakewood High School bd765@cleveland.freenet.edu
We will compile all the data and send you a copy to use in your
classroom to compare the various locations and angles.
If you're interested send us your data. We will compile and return
it to you by March 25, l993. Chances are your lesson plans will
not be able to fit this in on Saturday March 20 , 1993 (the equi-
nox). Most any day plus or minus 2 days of the equinox will give
fairly good data (like Thurday, Friday, Monday or Tuesday).
=====================================
Example Six, "Famous Black Americans"
=====================================
Project Name: Who Am I?: Famous Black Americans
Subject Area: Social Studies, Research Skills
Grade Level: Grades 4-12
Project Description: The goal of this project is to assist students
in increasing their knowledge of American
black history. Each week, on Monday Morning,
a set of three or four clues will be sent to
your account. The same will occur on
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings.
At any time, through the end of the day on
Friday, your students may send their answer
(the name of the famous American identified
by the clues) to the following online
address:
whoami@radford.vak12ed.edu
A class should send only one answer each
week. If two are sent, the sponsors will
assume that the first of the answers is the
one intended to be submitted.
The sponsor will collect all answers, compile
a listing of classes who send the correct
answers, and will forward this list to all
participants via email by early on the
following Monday morning. On that morning,
in addition, the sponsor will send all
classes a new problem.
This project lasts five weeks, with clues
each week being given for a different famous
person in American history.
Project Length: Five Weeks
February 22 Invitation to Participate
March 1 First Clues Sent to
Classes: Famous
American #1
March 1-4 First Week for Clues:
Famous American #1
March 5 Deadline for Sending
Answers for First Week's
Clues
March 8-11 Second Week for Clues:
Famous American #2
March 12 Deadline for Sending
Answers for Second Week's
Clues
March 15-19 Third Week for Clues:
Famous American #3
March 20 Deadline for Sending
Answers for Third Week's
Clues
March 22-25 Fourth Week for Clues:
Famous American #4
March 26 Deadline for Sending
Answers for Fourth Week's
Clues
March 29-April 1 Fifth and Final Week for
Clues: Famous American #5
April 2 Deadline for Sending
Answers for Fifth Week's
Clues
Awards: Every Monday morning, participating classes
will receive an online message from the
sponsor congratulating those who have sent
correct answers during the previous week. At
the end of the five weeks, attractive
certificates will be awarded to all
participating classes (sent by way of the
Postal Service). In addition, classes which
have participated in each of the five weeks
will receive a separate style of certificate
for their school or class.
Sponsor: Rosary Beck
Montgomery County School System
rbeck@radford.vak12ed.edu
(703) 552-3920
Applications: All applications for participation in this
project should be sent to the following email
address no later than the end of the day on
Friday, February 26, 1993:
whoami@radford.vak12ed.edu
PROJECT APPLICATION
FOR
WHO AM I?: FAMOUS BLACK AMERICANS IN HISTORY
To apply, please send the following information to this email
address:
whoami@radford.vak12ed.edu
Teacher:
School and location:
Teacher's email address:
Class' email address:
Which email address should be used for receiving "Who Am I?" clues?
Internet Draft Expires: December 30, 1993
