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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