rfc1578.txt

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Network Working Group                                         J. Sellers
Request for Comments: 1578                   NASA NREN/Sterling Software
FYI: 22                                                    February 1994
Category: Informational


                      FYI on Questions and Answers
Answers to Commonly Asked "Primary and Secondary School Internet User"
                               Questions

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  This memo
   does not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of
   this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

   The goal of this FYI RFC, 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 primary 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
   2.  Acknowledgments................................................ 2
   3.  Questions About the Internet in an Educational Setting......... 3
   4.  Questions About School Support for an Internet Connection...... 5
   5.  Questions About Implementation and Technical Options.......... 10
   6.  Questions About Security and Ethics............................12
   7.  Questions About Educational Collaboration, Projects, and
       Resources..................................................... 15
   8.  Suggested Reading............................................. 18
   9.  Resources and Contacts........................................ 21
   10. References.................................................... 35
   11. Security Considerations....................................... 35
   12. Author's Address.............................................. 35
       Appendix A:  Examples of Projects Using the Internet.......... 36
       Appendix B:  How To Get Documents Electronically.............. 43
       Appendix C:  Glossary of Terms Used in This Document.......... 47




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RFC 1578                 FYI Q/A - for Schools             February 1994


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 document
   attempts first to define the most frequently asked questions related
   to the use of the Internet in pre-university 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.  I have tried to include only the most
   stable of network services when listing resources and groups for you
   to contact, which is a good solution to the problem of changing
   offerings on the Internet, but by no means a fool-proof one.  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 document will be produced as Internet School
   Networking working group members are made aware of new questions and
   of insufficient or inaccurate information in the document.  The RFC
   number of this document will change with each update, but the FYI
   number (22) will remain the same.

2.  Acknowledgments

   The author wishes to thank for their help and contributions to this
   document the members of the Consortium for School Networking,
   Kidsphere, and Ednet electronic mailing lists, Ronald Elliott,
   Science and Technology Center; Klaus Fueller, Institute for Teacher
   Training of the German federal state of Hesia (HILF), and educator;
   Ellen Hoffman, Merit Network, Inc.; William Manning, Rice University;
   and Anthony Rutkowski, CNRI.  Special thanks go to Raymond Harder,
   Microcomputer Consultant, and Michael Newell, NASA Advanced Network
   Applications, who not only made contributions but also kept a steady
   stream of feedback flowing.  Extra special thanks go to the
   remarkable Ms. April Marine of the NASA Network Applications and
   Information Center for her contributions to the document, her expert
   advice, and her unparalleled support.





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RFC 1578                 FYI Q/A - for Schools             February 1994


3.  Questions About the Internet in an Educational Setting

   3.1  What is the Internet?

      The Internet is a collection of more than 10,000 interconnected
      computer networks around the world that make 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 contact with people all over the world
      possible, bringing into the classroom experts in every content
      area, new and old friends, and colleagues in education.  With
      access to the Internet, your site can become a valuable source of
      information as well.  Consider the expertise in your school which
      could be shared with others around the world.

      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,



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      educators able to reach the Internet are not as isolated.

      A hands-on classroom tool, the use of networks can be a 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 class, race, ability, and disability are removed as
      factors in communication while using the Internet, it is a natural
      tool for addressing  the needs of all students; exactly how this
      is done will vary from district to district as schools empower
      individual teachers and students.

      School reform, which is much on the minds of many educators today,
      can be supported by the use of the Internet as one of many
      educational tools.  See the answer to Question 4.1 for more
      specifics.

   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 readily available and not so far away
      physically as to make using the resource impossible for educators
      and others.

      Many features of the Internet, such as the availability of online
      library catalogs and information articles, will actually end up
      saving considerable time once an instructor learns to use them,
      and there are new tools being developed all the time to make
      Internet resources more easily accessible.

      As the value of the Internet as an educational resource becomes
      more evident, school systems will need to look toward building the
      time to use it into educators' schedules.












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RFC 1578                 FYI Q/A - for Schools             February 1994


   3.4  I'm already using the National Geographic Kids Network (or PBS
        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 connected to the
      Internet.  Some commercial programs for schools use networks and
      provide value-added service, such as curriculum software,
      technical support, project organization and coordination, etc.
      Some provide value-added service, but don't allow for all basic
      Internet services.  Networks like FrEdMail (Free Educational
      Electronic Mail), FidoNet, and K12Net are bulletin board and
      conferencing systems linked via the Internet which provide
      inexpensive access to some Internet services.  If you can use
      interactive computer access (Telnet) and electronic file transfer
      (FTP), as well as 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.  See Section 9, "Resources and
      Contacts" for how to reach the InterNIC, FrEdMail, FidoNet, 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
      sometimes 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



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      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-connected 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
      School/Community Technology Committee, or a joint School
      District/School/Community Technology Committee.

      The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) has
      information on grants and funding.  Ask for the AskERIC InfoGuide
      called "Grants and Funding Sources".  Two network services, one
      maintained by the United States Department of Education's Office
      of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) and one maintained
      by the US National Science Foundation, also have information about
      grants and funding.  Grants can be a way for you to acquire the
      initial money to demonstrate the value of telecommunications in
      the classroom, and since these monies are often awarded on a
      short-term basis, should probably be looked at as temporary means
      of funding your activities.  For information on these
      organizations and their services, see Section 9, "Resources and
      Contacts".  (Note: The funding services mentioned are primarily US
      based.)

   4.2  How much does it cost to connect to the Internet, and what
        kind of equipment (hardware, software, etc.) does my school need