--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 265 EDUCATOR Ref: E3T00002 Date: 03/23/97 From: BURHAN SHASHAN Time: 06:29pm \/To: SHEILA KING (Read 1 times) Subj: Advice Good morning Sheila, I wonder if you could do me a favour, or at least , tell me something that can be useful for myself to improve my writing through BBSing. Am not dreaming to become an author and have my books published. not that much only to write my personal messages and my views and news for the users or friends that I meet in this new experience for me of the interesting cybernates ...I know writing like muscle the more you write the more you become strong .But always I believe I couldn't express myself fluently in English especially in writing. Now let me ask you dear Sheila from your experience in this field plus your high qualification as I can feel it from your messages :Is there any way that I can join ;an intensive course or a especial programs or an e-mail educator that can provide such services in order to strengthen my ability for writing (am willing to pay any fees for this purpose). hope am not bothering you with this strange task but I will be very grateful to you if you just tell me even something about it . and I hope also you forgive me for my exhausted language so to speak. Accept from me best wishes and good regards Burhan Shashan --- OLXWin 1.00a Procrastination is the thief of time. * Origin: FidoNET: Home Alone BBS Jeddah, KSA [+9662]6611062 (2:542/500) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 265 EDUCATOR Ref: E3T00003 Date: 03/23/97 From: SHEILA KING Time: 10:10am \/To: MATT SMITH (Read 1 times) Subj: Re: Announcement! -> Public schools here are running into skeptical politicians when it -> comes to _widespread_ placement of computers in schools anyway. Many -> question the cost-effectiveness. -> Nobody is lucky enough to have your problem. ^^^^^^ That is simply not true. I see regularly on the educational Internet newsgroups, requests by teachers and tech administrators for advice on configuring labs, advice on hardware purchase decisions, and advice on access policies. On the AP Computer Science mailing list which I participate in, there are a NUMBER of schools that apparently have an extremely broad computer program, teaching not only programming and computer applications, but also media design, and networking. Sheila King --- PCBoard (R) v15.3/M 10 * Origin: Castle of the Four Winds...subjective reality? (1:218/804) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 265 EDUCATOR Ref: E3T00004 Date: 03/23/97 From: SHEILA KING Time: 10:19am \/To: CARL BOGARDUS (Read 1 times) Subj: Announcement! -> How are your schools dealing with access issues? We are just -> developing our policy. Our school is going very slowly. We do (I believe) have Internet access this year in the library. I know that the librarians have had some difficulty in finding an ISP (Internet Service Provider) who was consistent (without lots of downtime, etc...). I'm not sure why that is. I don't have time to even do my own job, let alone inquire about their problems... If I understand correctly, this year Internet access is for faculty only (I have not availed myself of it, since I have access at home), with next year being opened up to students. I believe that along with the registration packets this summer, the admin will include an Internet policy sheet to be signed by parents so that their student will be allowed to use the service offered in the library. I could ask the librarian about it, and see if they have any policy sheet yet? Other than that, we are putting in a "multi-media lab", as the admin likes to call it, next year. I do not believe we will have Internet access in the lab, although the machines will be networked, and so a sort of "Intranet" could be run, where teachers have obtained a small Web-like *.html file that concerns a particular topic that they wish to present. This would be self-contained, and you wouldn't have to worry about kids venturing out on the Internet and getting into no-no's. I believe there are quite a number of these "Intra-net" type *.html files available already prepared on CD-ROM for purchase, although it's not hard to prepare your own by doing your own Web browsing and saving the files off to disk. (I haven't learned how to do this yet, though.) By making these files available off of the server, all the students on the network should be able to access them. I'm not sure if this is what you were looking for? When I go out in the newsgroups and read my mailing list again, I'll try to keep you in mind if I see any mention of "Acceptable Use Policies" and save some of that info here. My e-mail adress is: cking@cyberg8t.com. If you send me yours, it would be easier for me to forward any such info I have, rather than saving it off to a text file and either posting it here or sending it via FidoNet. Sheila King --- PCBoard (R) v15.3/M 10 * Origin: Castle of the Four Winds...subjective reality? (1:218/804) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 265 EDUCATOR Ref: E3U00000 Date: 03/24/97 From: MATT SMITH Time: 09:17pm \/To: DAN TRIPLETT (Read 1 times) Subj: Re: Tenure cases DT> MS> There are 17 appeals-court-level cases on firing tenured DT> teachers DT> MS>in this state. The key one "Thompson vs. Bd. of Education" shows DT> MS>that even physical abuse that would get a parent arrested if he DT> did DT> MS>it to his own kid will not be sufficient to fire a tenured DT> teacher. DT> DT> Not having these cases before me for my review I can email you the complete text of both Thompson cases if you give me an Internet address. I challenge you to read these cases (relate to same teacher) and then post here _your_ opinion of tenure law in this state, particularly just what a teacher must do to get fired. --- Simplex BBS (v1.07.00Beta [DOS]) * Origin: NighthawkBBS, Burlington NC 910-228-7002 HST Dual (1:3644/6) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 265 EDUCATOR Ref: E3V00000 Date: 03/24/97 From: CARL BOGARDUS Time: 08:00pm \/To: MATT SMITH (Read 1 times) Subj: Re: Announcement! CB> How are your schools dealing with access issues? We are just CB> developing CB> our policy. MS> Public schools here are running into skeptical politicians when MS> it comes to _widespread_ placement of computers in MS> schools anyway. Many question the cost- MS> effectiveness. Nobody is lucky enough to have your MS> problem. One assumption made is that the useful life of a computer is 5 years or less. However, I feel that this is a misconception due to over promotion of new software/hardware. Given proper equipment purchases, most hardware can be kept in service for at least 10 years. Our word processor (WP51), is no longer in production, but it is not going to wear out and, I have been told, the tool of choice for many law firms even now. Things will change, but not as fast as hype proclaims. Our problem is that the hardware we have was five years old when purchased, out of production, and with no reguard for its life-span or upgrade path (a PS/2 lab). Effectiveness of a tool depends upon training, schools have spent very little to train teachers--result, unused equipment, wasted money, etc.. However, I think your statement that nobody is lucky enough to have my problem is incorrect--quite a few schools have far more than we do, I bet that there are some in your state. --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: VETLink #13 Las Cruces NM (505)523-2811 (1:305/105) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 265 EDUCATOR Ref: E3V00001 Date: 03/24/97 From: CARL BOGARDUS Time: 08:15pm \/To: DALE HILL (Read 1 times) Subj: Announcement! DH> Hi Carl, have you thought about connecting the BBS to the K12Net? I think I will be able to pick that up from Ken Blystone in El Paso, so the answer is yes, we will be connecting, either through him or through a UUCP connection. --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: VETLink #13 Las Cruces NM (505)523-2811 (1:305/105) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 265 EDUCATOR Ref: E3V00002 Date: 03/25/97 From: MATT SMITH Time: 11:24pm \/To: SHEILA KING (Read 1 times) Subj: Re: Announcement! SK> -> Public schools here are running into skeptical politicians when SK> it SK> -> comes to _widespread_ placement of computers in schools anyway. SK> Many SK> -> question the cost-effectiveness. SK> -> Nobody is lucky enough to have your problem. SK> ^^^^^^ SK> SK> That is simply not true. I see regularly on the educational Internet SK> newsgroups, requests by teachers and tech administrators for advice SK> on SK> configuring labs, advice on hardware purchase decisions, and advice SK> on SK> access policies. I'm talking about the situation _here_ (read my post that you quoted). It's a sad situation. Politicians here have seen too many wasted-money cases, like the language lab in the local HS that ended up unused and then dismantled on the floor, to want to spend money on mass PC purchases...in spite of the excellent possibilities. --- Simplex BBS (v1.07.00Beta [DOS]) * Origin: NighthawkBBS, Burlington NC 910-228-7002 HST Dual (1:3644/6) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 265 EDUCATOR Ref: E3V00003 Date: 03/25/97 From: MATT SMITH Time: 11:28pm \/To: CARL BOGARDUS (Read 1 times) Subj: Re: Announcement! CB> One assumption made is that the useful life of a computer is 5 years One politician here even made the (dubious) statement that kids would near-instantly destroy them! CB> or CB> less. However, I feel that this is a misconception due to over CB> promotion CB> of new software/hardware. Given proper equipment purchases, most CB> hardware CB> can be kept in service for at least 10 years. Been there, done that with a 286 clone desktop. CB> (WP51), CB> is no longer in production, but it is not going to wear out and, This is an important point regarding software: it doesn't wear out. CB> have CB> been told, the tool of choice for many law firms even now. Including me. Most HS grads will not even be seeing the latest software on the job. CB> Our problem is that the hardware we have was five years old when CB> purchased, CB> out of production, and with no reguard for its life-span or upgrade CB> path (a CB> PS/2 lab). This is idiocy in procurement. CB> Effectiveness of a tool depends upon training, schools have spent CB> very CB> little to train teachers--result, unused equipment, wasted money, That's the real problem. --- Simplex BBS (v1.07.00Beta [DOS]) * Origin: NighthawkBBS, Burlington NC 910-228-7002 HST Dual (1:3644/6) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 265 EDUCATOR Ref: E3V00004 Date: 03/25/97 From: DAVID ALLAN Time: 12:13pm \/To: ALL (Read 1 times) Subj: Home Schooling...... Does anyone know where there is an echo/newsgroup/BB/or mailing list for home-schoolers? Does anyone know any home schoolers in Massachusetts that are online? (If anyone knows of a mailing list for home-schoolers based in Massachusetts I'd be very greatful!) Thanks! Dave - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dave in Boston (david.allan@1:330/204) (NetMail is always welcome!) ... I know a good tagline when I steal one. --- PCBoard (R) v15.3 (OS/2) 5 * Origin: PandA's Den BBS * Danvers, MA * 508-750-0250 (1:330/204) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 265 EDUCATOR Ref: E3V00005 Date: 03/25/97 From: CARL BOGARDUS Time: 08:49pm \/To: SHEILA KING (Read 1 times) Subj: Announcement! SK> this year in the library. I know that the librarians have had some SK> difficulty in finding an ISP (Internet Service Provider) who was SK> consistent (without lots of downtime, etc...). I'm I only have two choices here, one is a large national concern--probably the best choice so far. I am not sure how the technology dept is proposing how they are going to connect the library next fall. I am using AOL because of the ease of setting up additional sites to access the internet and other features of the service, but it cannot be used on the labs BBS. SK> access in the lab, although the machines will be networked, and so a SK> sort of "Intranet" could be run, where teachers have obtained a small SK> Web-like *.html file that concerns a particular SK> topic that they wish to SK> present. This would be self-contained, and you wouldn't have to worry My BBS is set up to be accessed from any workstation that can access my server--including the Library. However, the library has not had the bbs and several other features on my server scripted in to allow access. That might happen this week--the network service guy said it would be a two-hour job. I need to expand the number of nodes to allow more access, so I will be writing a P.O. this week---there go my class funds. Both ProBoard and Wildcat BBS systems now offer a server that runs on Win/95 or NT. This will allow a BBS to offer direct connection to WWW browsing, etc. at very reasonable costs. SK> available already prepared on CD-ROM for purchase, although it's not SK> hard to prepare your own by doing your own Web browsing and saving the SK> files off to disk. (I haven't learned how to do this yet, though.) By SK> making these files available off of the server, all SK> the students on the SK> network should be able to access them. SlipKnot, a very simple browser has that capability--however not all ISPs offer Lynx access (dos browsing-no graphics). SlipKnot uses Lynx to do a graphical browse--but it is not compatible with latest features of Netscape or other browsers. SK> newsgroups and read my mailing list again, I'll try SK> to keep you in mind SK> if I see any mention of "Acceptable Use Policies" SK> and save some of that SK> info here. This is actually what I am looking for--what we have is only the Library proposal, I reviewed it and asked why all Internet access policies were not developed at the same time--no reply yet. --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: VETLink #13 Las Cruces NM (505)523-2811 (1:305/105)