rfc1578.txt

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        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), network access



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      providers, or technology consultants.

      To give you an idea of possible equipment needs, here are three
      sample scenarios, based on possible solutions found in the United
      States.  Keep in mind that these are very general examples and
      that there are many solutions at each level.  See also the answer
      to Question 5.5.

        Low-end: You could subscribe to some kind of Internet dial-up
        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 will need a computer which allows
        terminal emulation, terminal emulation software, and a modem
        which is compatible with your dial-up service.  The approximate
        cost, not including the PC or the cost of the phone call, is US
        $100 to US $800 plus a monthly fee of approximately US $30.

        Mid-range: You could subscribe to a dial-up service that
        provides Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) or Point to Point
        Protocol (PPP), allowing your computer to effectively become a
        host on the Internet.  You will need a computer with SLIP or PPP
        software, telecommunications applications software (to allow you
        to use telnet and FTP - File Transfer Protocol), and a modem
        which is compatible with your dial-up service.  The approximate
        cost, not including the PC or the cost of the phone call, is US
        $100 to US $800 plus a monthly fee of approximately US $60.

        High-end: Your school or department could subscribe to a service
        that provides a full Internet connection to the school or
        department's local area network.  This allows all the computers
        on the local area network access to the Internet.  You will need
        a router and a connection to a network access provider's router.
        Typically the connection is a leased line with a CSU/DSU
        (Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit).  A leased line is a
        permanent high speed telephone connection between two points;
        this allows you to have a high quality permanent Internet
        connection at all times.  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:  a TCP/IP (Transmission Control
        Protocol/Internet Protocol) stack, as well as TCP/IP based
        communications software such as Telnet and FTP.  The approximate
        cost, not including the computers, is US $2,000 to US $3,000
        plus a monthly fee of at least US $200.







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   4.3  What is required in terms of personnel to support an Internet
        connection?  (Will it require extra staff, training, more time
        of teachers and librarians?)

      Any plan for implementing technology in schools must consider
      staff development.  Training is often the most neglected aspect of
      a technology plan, and a lack of training can lead to failure of
      the plan.  In the case of the Internet, all users will need some
      kind of training, whether they are teachers, librarians, students,
      administrators, or people fulfilling other roles in the school.

      The train-the-trainer model, in which a group of people are
      trained in a subject or tool and each individual in turn trains
      other groups, is a good model for Internet training.  A small
      group of motivated teachers can be provided with training and can
      then educate their colleagues.  One advantage is that the initial
      group is able to target the specific needs of the other teachers
      in the school.

      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.  Additionally, vendors
      often provide some support, perhaps a help desk for basic
      questions.

   4.4  How do I convince the people who do the purchasing in our school
        system 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, school/community, 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 17-minute video targeted at
      school administrators entitled "Experience the Power: Network
      Technology for Education".  It uses interview clips of students,
      teachers, and policy makers in the United States to educate about



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      what the Internet is and to encourage support for the use of
      telecommunications in primary and secondary schools.  The NASA
      NREN (US National Aeronautics and Space Administration National
      Research and Education Network) K-12 Initiative has produced an
      11-minute video describing the benefits to schools in using the
      Internet.  The video is entitled, "Global Quest: The Internet in
      the Classroom", and it tells the story through interview clips
      with students and teachers who have experienced the power of
      computer networking.  For further information on the two videos,
      see "National Center for Education Statistics", and "NASA Central
      Operation of Resources for Educators" under "Organizations" in
      Section 9, "Resources and Contacts".

   4.5  Where do I go for technical support and training?

      Much technical support and training can be found by using the
      Internet itself.  You can send questions to people in the know and
      join discussion lists and news groups that discuss and answer
      questions about support and training.  One such list is Tipsheet,
      the Computer Help and Tip Exchange, the purpose of which is to
      provide a supportive setting where people can ask questions or
      discuss products.  Other lists are the education-related lists
      mentioned in Question 7.2.  All of these are listed in Section 9,
      "Resources and Contacts".

      Network News, or Usenet News, is a world-wide bulletin board
      system with discussion groups on various topics, including
      computer science, general science, social and cultural themes,
      recreational interests, etc.  By sending questions to an
      appropriate news group you can receive answers from people
      experienced with your particular problem.  Specific news groups to
      look for are those beginning with "comp", for "computer", and
      followed by the type of operating system, hardware, or software
      you have a question about.  For example, comp.os.unix or
      comp.os.msdos.apps.  To understand the culture and etiquette of
      Usenet News, read the group news.announce.newusers.

      Your local community may also have resources that you can tap.
      These are again colleges and universities, businesses, computer
      clubs and user groups, technology consultants, and government
      agencies.

      Your network access 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.

      There are some documents for further reading and exploration that



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      you may want to peruse.  See Section 8, "Suggested Reading".
      There are books on almost every specific subject in the computing
      world that may answer your questions.  For new books, check your
      local library, bookstore, or booksellers' catalogs.

5.   Questions About Implementation and Technical Options

   5.1  How do I learn about options for getting my school connected?

      In the United States, there are a number of state-wide educational
      networks, most of them with access to the Internet.  To find out
      if there is a state education network in your area which gives
      accounts to educators and/or students, contact the Consortium for
      School Networking.  The InterNIC has a list of regional and
      national network providers.  Both the Consortium for School
      Networking and the InterNIC are listed in Section 9, "Resources
      and Contacts".

      The global regional NICs such as the RIPE NCC in Europe can also
      provide a list of service providers.  The APNIC in the Pacific Rim
      will have a similar list in the near future.

      You can sometimes locate a person enthusiastic about the idea of
      using networks in schools and willing to help you who works as an
      independent consultant, in a local college or university, in a
      technology company, for a network access provider, at a community
      network, or in a government agency.

      There are a number of books about the Internet and how to get
      connected to it.  A few are listed in Section 8, "Suggested
      Reading", and more are being published every month.  Check
      libraries, bookstores, and booksellers' catalogs.

   5.2  How many of our computers should we put on the Internet?

      You will probably want to make Internet *access* possible for as
      many of your school's computers as possible.  If you are using a
      dial-up service, you may want a number of shared accounts
      throughout the school.  If your school has a Local Area Network
      (LAN) with several computers on it, one dedicated Internet
      connection should be able to serve the whole school.

      If you are going to connect a lot of computers to the network, you
      will need to make sure your line speed is adequate.  Most dial-up
      systems available today support speeds up to 14.4 Kbs (kilobits
      per second), which is adequate for no more than a couple of
      network users, depending upon the network utilities (FTP, etc.)
      they are using.  If you are planning to connect a large number of



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      users, you should probably consider a dedicated line of 56 Kbs or
      higher.

   5.3  Should we set up a telecommunications lab or put networked
        computers in each classroom?

      A computer lab is an easier maintenance set-up for the person in
      charge of keeping the equipment running and allows each individual
      (or pair) in an entire class to be using a computer at the same
      time; a computer located in the classroom is more convenient for
      both the teacher and the class.  If you choose the lab option, you
      will probably want to get a commitment from specific teachers or
      media specialists to use the lab in the course of their teaching.
      You might also consider the other labs located throughout your
      school.  For example, if you have a science or language lab, it
      may be the best place for your school to begin to use the
      Internet.  And finally, remember that the library is a natural
      place for people to access network resources!

      Networking all computers campus-wide can be expensive.  You will
      need to consider the options--dial-up access, a dedicated line, or
      some other possibility--and weigh them against your school's needs
      and priorities.  You may want to investigate having one lab, the
      library, and a few classrooms with modem access, assuming phone
      lines are available.  As use of the Internet catches on, it will
      be more effective to create a campus-wide local area network that
      is routed to the Internet through a dedicated line than to keep
      adding modems in classrooms.  Or you may want to consider the
      other options discussed in question 5.5 below.

   5.4  Can people get on the Internet from home?

      This depends on your network access provider.  It is certainly a
      possibility and is probably desirable for the educators at your
      school if they happen to have the necessary equipment at home.
      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 school/community meeting.  At issue is the shared
      responsibility of educators and parents to monitor student
      Internet use.  (See also Question 6.2.)

   5.5  What are some of the options for using Internet services without
        paying for a full, dedicated-line Internet connection?

      It is possible to create a local, store-and-forward network using
      various implementations of the Unix to Unix Copy (UUCP) software
      suite, available as public domain (free) or shareware (small fee



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      which is often optional) software, which can run on many different
      platforms including Amiga, IBM, and Macintosh.  The connections
      are via dial-up phone lines using local phone numbers.  Usenet
      News and email are "stored" on a computer until the time appointed
      for that computer to contact the next one along the path to the
      final destination, at which time it is "forwarded" along its way.
      Most computers are set up to process outgoing requests at least
      every 30 minutes.  With this type of system you will have access
      to as many Usenet News groups as your site agrees to carry, as
      well as email, which includes access to mailing lists and
      listservs such as those listed in Section 9, "Resources and
      Contacts".  Many file servers also offer file transfer and other
      services via email.

      There are a couple of important advantages to such a system.
      First, it is much more affordable since such networks provide more
      efficient use of telephone lines, making a connection only while
      data is actually being transferred.  Second, it allows for
      filtering, which gives a school some control over what kind of
      information is available to its students.

      The disadvantage to this type of Internet access is that you may
      be limited regarding the range of Internet applications you can
      use.

      FrEdMail, FidoNet, and K12Net are store-and-forward systems.