8L2C)pJJJJ IH(ȱH:=IH[H`@HcH  $ +   I/H`JLNGȄBȄF aK  haaFF  mJm# KKJ UJ )J ۈ) ;J3ȱJFȱJGJKaȄM  aaNNJFLGJL L ---------------- FrEdMail Project ---------------- A Telecommunications Case Study in a K-12 Classroom: TELECOMMUNICATIONS DISK.8M' +CASE.MIDDLESML$)CASE.ELEM[YMM/FREDMAIL.SURVEY-VMM9? &PRODOS `DaElH$?EGvѶK+`L HHLy XP LM ŠϠĠӠS)*+,+`F)) (*=GJFjJJA QE'+ '== `@ STSP8QSS8 m P o R(8R IN A 7th GRADE CLASSROOM A Case Study of One Seventh Grade Class Conducted By Theres  !"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYronic bulletin board consists of several components: 1. a modem, which is an electronic device which enables computers to "talk " to each other across phone lines. 2. an Apple computer hooked to a dedicated phone line 3. the FrEdMail program wwork currently facilitating the exchange of information across telephone lines in educational settings. This electronic bulletin board enables students and teachers to communicate with each other, share ideas, and exchange information. The FrEdMail electtelecommunications as a learning tool. Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 3 FrEdMail Project Case Study FREDMAIL FrEdMail is a grassroots electronic bulletin board net We observed this classroom in the Spring of 1988 on ten separate occasions. We also interviewed teachers, students, and the school principal, reviewed the projects sent across the network, and constructed a questionnaire assessing student's valuation of The use of the network as a teaching tool provides students with real audiences with whom they can correspond. The theory is that real audiences provide an added incentive to communicate clearly and to surpass prior levels of reading and writing skills. rds, also known as nodes. The teacher observed in this case study has integrated the reading and writing requirements of her students into a program using the FrEdMail network as a motivator for student participation in a variety of learning activities. ojects through phone lines to classrooms across the nation, to Puerto Rico, and to Buenos Aires, Argentina. In this classroom, the teacher serves as the sysop (system operator) of one electronic bulletin board in a system comprised of over 75 bulletin boathern California school. This particular usage of the term "telecommunications" refers to a computer networking of schools using the FrEdMail electronic message network. The FrEdMail software program enables students to electronically transmit written prrade Classroom Page 1 FrEdMail Project Case Study ABSTRACT This case study describes the telecommunications activities observed in Mary Jack's 7th grade classroom in a Sou Class Survey Dealing With Data Sample Creating Critters Sample The Writing Network Magazine FrEdMail News Telecommunications in a 7th G TABLE OF CONTENTS CASE STUDY 1 - 17 APPENDICES: FrEdMail Map Interview Questions ctor San Diego County Office of Education Distributed Exclusively by CUE, Softswap Project FrEdMail Project Case Study a Powell Kathleen Wild San Diego State University Spring 1988 A California AB803 Curriculum Development Project Al Rogers, Direhich answers the phone automatically and accepts, stores, and delivers information in a specified format. 4. a security system, enforced by a password, allowing only authorized users on the network 5. a dedicated project facilitator, who may also be the sysop (system operator) The fifth component, a project facilitator, requires some explanation. In this case, the classroom teacher is both the sysop and the project facilitator. The physical maintenance of the system does not require a enses and network project correspondence like the pages of a giant scrapbook. Squeezed into one corner, an Apple computer, serving as the heart of this node's "bulletin board", is tirelessly receiving and storing messages sent over the phone lines, 24 hoto be corrected. Instead, you encounter a room lined with 32 Apple Computers sitting atop tables, monitors staring blankly, white enamel marker boards proclaiming the day's assignments written with colorful felt markers, and walls displaying computer licix). THE CLASSROOM Your first glance tells you this classroom is different. It does not resemble a typical 7th grade English classroom. You don's see rows of school desks, green chalkboards, white chalk, or stacks of handwritten assignments waiting project with a distant audience which uses a different FrEdMail node, email is moved electronically from node to node along a path to the desired destination. Specific routing information is available on the FrEdMail map. (See appendt the school year. 8. Teachers Only - enables teachers to communicate and interact without students accessing the bulletin board. 2. The transmission of intersystem email to distant sites. If a teacher chooses to collaborate on au tell if money is counterfeit?", geographical questions, and others. 7. Limericks - students refer to the limerick writing instructions and samples placed on this board and add their own limericks throughouut the year. The sysop deletes some as others are added. 5. Editorials - opinions of students and teachers. 6. Challenges - trivia type questions; examples include questions which require some research, such as "How do yoions to it. Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 4 FrEdMail Project Case Study 4. Jokes/Riddles - students contribute to this board, and answer the riddles and jokes throughoent's work, the best of which will be published in a collection at the end of the school year. 3. Round Robin - a story that stays on the bulletin board the entire school year and is expanded as students add new sectences: 1. General Messages - for messages of general interest such as announcements of club meetings, or information about hardware and software. 2. Literary Magazine - for teachers to submit samples of the studThe transmission of local email (electronic mail). Email may be addressed to individuals as private email, or be posted in one of several different public conferences, or bulletin boards. The board in this classroom supported eight conferdiences. The sysop must also occasionally troubleshoot system problems. Assuming all hardware and software components are working correctly, these combined duties may consume as much as two hours per day. The FrEdMail Network has two functions: 1. hich involves reading many messages and replying to many of them. Messages include answering queries, coordinating current projects, planning new projects, and maintaining and nurturing social contacts which will lead to new and different projects and augreat deal of time. However, the development and coordination of meaningful networking projects can be very time consuming. Included in the duties of sysop/facilitator is the daily monitoring of personal email and local and intersystem bulletin boards, wurs a day. This is the computer that electronically exchanges student projects on the FrEdMail telecommunications network. A TYPICAL DAY IN THE CLASSROOM The bell rings and 25 students file into class, each student quickly scanning the room for a desirable seat. The classroom has a liberal seating policy enabling students to choose next to whom they sit. Students choose their computer neighbors with discrimination because, although all are supplied with their own computer, projects are often a collab electronically mailed across the network. A few students have the opportunity to input their biopoems directly into the network. However, due to time constraints and the number of students, it is more efficient for the teacher to complete the electrosaves each assignment on one floppy disk. These saved assignments will be printed out, corrected by the teacher, and edited by the students on their computers. This process of editing and revising is repeated up to three times, until the final product iseer into their screens and most begin pecking at the keyboard. Some procrastinate until prodded by the teacher. The remainder of the hour is spent working on biopoems and/or editing previous assignments. Five minutes prior to the bell, a student helper 9 Resident of (City, Street, Road) Line 10 Your last name only Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 6 FrEdMail Project Case Study After hearing the explanation of biopoems, students pne 3 Four adjectives that describe you Line 4 ___(Number) Child of ______&______Parent's first names Line 5 Lover of ...(List three things) Line 6 Who feels.... Line 7 Who fears.... Line 8 Who would like to see.... Line are also creating biopoems, will reciprocate by returning their own biopoems back across the FrEdMail network. Students create their biopoems using the following skeleton: Line 1 Your First Name Only Line 2 Student at __________School Lit "bio" is short for biography. She gives specific guidelines to creating personal descriptive poems about themselves. The completed poems will be transmitted electronically to other schools linked to the FrEdMail network. Students in other classes who spelling key hidden under a large white card is revealed. Students are advised to rewrite their misspelled words on notebook paper to use as a study guide for tomorrow's test. Next on the agenda is "BioPoems". The teacher explains to the class thaght be expected, they type the words directly into their computers. Copying isn't a concern. If students feel neighbors are peering into their monitor, they are advised to simply turn down the screen brightness. After the spelling list is completed, ak correspondence on the classroom wall. Following the Success assignment, the teacher dictates a spelling pre-test to prepare students for tomorrow's real test. Students thoughtfully "write" each spelling word, but instead of using pencil and paper as mitures and memorabilia sent from "Computer Pals" in Salem, Oregon. The envelope includes a school newsletter and some information about the Salem community. Each student takes a turn looking through the contents before they are posted next to other networ designed to promote self esteem. 2) Take a spelling pre-test. 3) Stars "Biopoems", a telecommunications project. 4) Finish previous assignments. Before starting the day's agenda, the teacher shares an envelope filled with student pic FrEdMail Project Case Study THE CLASS STRUCTURE Students listen as the teacher explains that today's 50 minute class will accomplish the following tasks: 1) Complete the daily "Success" assignment, a district mandated writing programorative process. The classroom buzz is hushed as the teacher briefly outlines the day's agenda written on the white marker board in front of the classroom. Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 5 nic message transfer during her prep time or lunch hour. She accomplishes this task by uploading the saved assignments into the bulletin board and electronically mailing them across the network. THE STUDENTS The class is comprised of 7th grade Chapter I students attending a Southern California Junior High School. These students are identified as "Chapter I" students due to low achievement scores on the Gates/ MacGinitie Test scores in reading (vocabulary and comprehension). This test was administered i with the computer. With a pen you have to scribble out the mistakes, but with the computer you can just delete and that makes it easier to fix things. - I used to write sloppy because my spelling was wrong, so then teacher couldhat never happened before. - I check two books a week out of the library. That way if I don't like one, I have another one to read. I never used to read at home and now I do every night. MEDIUM SCORING STUDENT: - I like to writehe words. - I used to get all F's, except in math because that's easy for me. Now I get A's and some B's. - My P. E. teacher says I've changed. I never used to dress out, now I do. - I want to go to summer school and tEdMail Project Case Study HIGH SCORING STUDENT: - Its easier to read now. In my classes I volunteer to read out loud so much that everybody tells me not to. Before I would never read out loud in class because I could not sound out tr since using telecommunications. In the course of answering the questions, students spoke of their overall academic performance this pass year: Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 8 Frversus using pencil and paper; and students' perception of improvement in reading and writing skills (See appendix). All three students preferred writing with the computer to using pencil and paper and felt their reading and writing had improved this yeaow, one medium, and one high scorer (relative to the class) were interviewed in an attempt to gain insight into student attitudes on using telecommunications in the classroom. Specifically, the interviews focused on using the computer as a writing tool udents have experienced varying degrees of frustrations and failures in school for at least 7 years, and consequently often lack motivation. Achievement scores were used as a means of selecting three students as representative samples of the class. One l 2 Fourteen year olds STUDENTS' VIEWS OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS Has FrEdMail made a difference? Students' attitudes directly influence the success of any scholastic program, and FrEdMail is no exception. These Chapter I stMexican 6 Black 4 Caucasian 1 Samoan Age Range: 6 Twelve year olds 16 Thirteen year olds Number of students: 13 Boys 11 Girls Primary language: 13 Spanish 1 English 1 Samoan Ethnic background: 13 ics of the class: Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 7 FrEdMail Project Case Study TABLE 1.1 STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS e class members' primary language is other than English. It is likely that the lack of English skills in this class affected the reading achievement level to a greater degree than any lack of innate abilities. The following table summarizes the demographn September 1987, and student's scores ranged from a reading grade level of 1.9 to 5.9. In April of 1988 this test was readministered to the students. This time the reading grade levels ranged from 3.4 to 6.8. It is important to note that over 50% of thn't see the mistakes. - The kids learn more about writing poems and limericks, because this is the first time it is interesting. LOW SCORING STUDENT: - I spend more time doing homework. - I think my reading is better. - It's easier to write on the computer, because you can't read the handwriting otherwise." In addition to the three student interviews, we designed a survey (see appendix) and requested the teacher to administer it to the entire class. The intent of the r, I became the reading resource teacher, and then the computer resource teacher in a lab. Al Rogers changed the bulletin board software from PMS to GBBS and then to CMS, now known as FrEdMail. This second year of telecommunicating, a few schools in my datted (electronically) a few times with the elementary school across the street and sent a few pen pal letters. The next year I wrote and received an AB803 grant to expand the program to involve more schools in exchanging literary efforts. During this yea to calling when they were absent to get the homework assignments they missed. I used it a few times to send lesson plans when I was absent. The kids taught the substitutes how to download and print out the lesson plans that I sent by modem. We also chGATE English class. There weren't many schools which had the capability of communicating electronically. I encouraged some of the GATE kids to talk their parents into buying them modems for Christmas, so they could call the board after school. This leadructional Improvement Program (CTIIP) grant (CTIIP). I acquired a phone line, software, modem, and some writing software. Mr. Al Rogers, from the San Diego County Department of Education, came to my school to set up a PMS electronic bulletin board in my al Technology at San Diego State University. This certificate program proved to be a catalyst for Mary. The following is Mary's description of the evolution of FrEdMail at Lincoln Junior High: FrEdMail started four years ago as a California Teacher Instto acquire a phone line, a modem, and some writing software for a GATE (gifted and talented) class she was teaching at the time. Mary was first attracted to the idea of telecommunications in education when she was working toward a certificate in Educationool. For the pass thirteen years, Mary Jacks has been teaching a wide range of junior high students including bilingual, gifted, and Chapter I students. Mary became involved in telecommunications four years ago when she applied for and received a grant to find out about other teenagers by electronically "talking" with them through FrEdMail. THE TEACHER Another moving force behind this enthusiasm and involvement is the teacher, who is also the sysop for the FrEdMail node located in her Junior High Schor the electronic network is to provide them with what they consider to be a meaningful audience. The FrEdMail network links these students with other students their own age around the nation and also in two foreign countries. This linkup enables them ading and writing must be Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 9 FrEdMail Project Case Study accurate. A key factor in motivating students to use and expand their reading and writing skills fts? Could their work with computers and telecommunications account for their improved reading scores, or was it the influence of a powerful teacher? First, let's look at the technology. In order to telecommunicate successfully with a distant audience, re helped most, but not all of the students in her class. But it's not as simple as putting these 7th graders in front of a computer and turning them loose. What is it then that motivated the majority of these students to become involved in their assignmensurvey was to find out if the class as a whole felt this telecommunications class had improved their reading and writing skills. Seventeen thought is had indeed made a difference, and six did not. The teacher agreed that the use of telecommunications hadistrict had modems and sent some files for the first issue of The Writing Network Magazine. (An annual magazine which publishes student network projects.) Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 10 FrEdMail Project Case Study The following year, more schools in the district had modems. | colleague of mine, Yvonne Andres- Syer, and I went out to these schools to help them set up labs to telecommunicate. As more CMS nodes came on line, I receivedo fit these different requirements. This 7th grade class and other classes within the school, as well as the entire FrEdMail network, certainly do not lack creative project ideas for use in telecommunications. Here are some highlights of the projects we critical when telecommunicating internationally. An additional element of successful telecommunications is the creation of projects which satisfy the varying curricula requirements across the network. Creative writing assignments can be easily adapted te plenty of lead time. She starts posting her ideas in the bulletin boards in September for projects to be completed in the following Spring and keeps posting reminders throughout the fall. Due to differing holidays and vacations, timing becomes even moreually send files electronically. Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 11 FrEdMail Project Case Study PROJECTS According to Mary, the key to successful telecommunications projects is to providmpose and save their mail using word processing, and later during her prep period, at lunch, or after school, Mary electronically sends the saved versions to distant audiences. It is not logistically feasible for all students and/or teachers to individjunior high school, approximately 75% of the student body participates in writing projects that are electronically mailed. However, only a few watch the actual procedures used in sending the files electronically over the FrEdMail network. The students col simulation. Although many of these incoming 7th graders have used computers previously in the lower grades, they generally have not been involved in telecommunicating and do not have any formal training in keyboarding skills. During their two years in s must pass a computer literacy test to receive a computer license which enables them to use the computers. In the past, the literacy test was based on Electronic Village, a telecommunications simulation; however, next year it will be based on the FrEdMaiists in sending and receiving the messages and written work entailed in the project. PREPARING THE STUDENTS TO TELECOMMUNICATE Mary starts off the school year every September with an orientation to the computer lab FOR all 7th and 8th graders. Studentl.) Mary also assists other teachers in her school to participate in collaborative learning projects with other schools in the network. She helps them select appropriate activities which she designs or which teachers on other nodes originate, and then asscan't always give it as much time as I would like because of other educational commitments. All of my sysopping has to be done during regular school hours since remote sysopping would be very expensive for me. (I live 45 minutes away, which is a toll calration since it involves many hours of unpaid time. I spend a minimum of one hour a day just to keep the system at the maintenance level. Some days I spend two to three hours. Ideally I would like to be able to spend two to three hours a day on it, but I il, and published the biggest issue yes of The Writing Network Magazine. We had such a great response this year, we had to turn down some wonderful literary efforts. If a person wants to sysop a FrEdMail Network node, the time commitment is a big conside more literary efforts, even one from Argentina. We published the second issue of The Writing Network Magazine using literary efforts submitted from various nodes. Now, in 1988, we have over 75 CMS nodes on the network, we have changed our name to FrEdMafelt to be outstanding: SOCIAL STUDIES One enthusiastic Social Studies teacher, who has taught for 20 years in this junior high, has spent the pass two years using FrEdMail telecommunications to supplement her traditional lesson plans. One project she posted on the electronic network enabled her students to learn the concept behind the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution. To enhance students' understanding of the Preamble, this teacher provided the following skeleton to each of her six classes. Theyed on the results, predict how many in six classes will have these traits and record the predictions. Step 5 Administer the survey to six classes. Step 6 Compare the predictions with results. Record data. Step 7 Send the survey oleft Step 2 Have each member of the class record their prediction of how many other students in the class will have these inherited traits. Step 3 Compare predictions with results. Record the data. Step 4 Bassummarize the project's procedures: Step 1 Have each member of the class complete a survey to determine what traits they have: *Ear Wiggler *Tongue Roller *Widow's Peak *Chin Ch math/science skills as counting, estimating, sampling, and observing, as well as skills used in predicting, gathering, recording, and interpreting data. A copy of the form used by the students to gather the data is in the appendix. The following steps a 7th Grade Classroom Page 13 FrEdMail Project Case Study MATH A student teacher at this same junior high worked with Mary on a telecommunications project known as Dealing with Data. This project used sucial Studies class. *************************************************** Another popular assignment provided students with the opportunity to write their own classroom Bill of Rights and to share it across the network. Telecommunications in ning, provide for students having a fun learning environment, promote the best in all of us, and secure the blessings of these rules to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for Miss H's fifth period Soce follows: *************************************************** We, the people of Miss H's fifth period Social Studies class, in order to form a more perfect classroom, establish friendliness, rights and rules, insure positive learr the ___________________. ************************************************** Each class then had the opportunity to share their preambles with other Social Studies classes across the nation via the FrEdMail electronic mail network. An examplect _____________________, establish ________, insure________________, provide for _______________, promote the _________________, and secure the blessings of _____________ to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution fo PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DIRECTIONS: This is a copy change assignment. Please fill in the blanks with your own words. We, the people of____________________, in order to form a more perf School______________ Grade_______________ Teacher_____________ Copy Change Assignment FrEdMail Project Case Study *************************************************** Name________________ Date________________ used this outline to write their own "preamble" for their social studies class. It was then sent to other interested classes on the network. Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 12 ver FrEdMail to another school: six math classes at the receiving school will also have taken the survey. Step 8 Predict how many students from the other school will have the traits and compare the results. Record data. Step 9 Compare results of the two schools and send the results over FrEdMail to the participating school. Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 14 FrEdunior high computer resource teacher in San Diego, this project simulates letters being sent to and from the "North Pole". Even students who normally do not enjoy writing find themselves getting involved in this project. The junior high students receive l in the conk. By the way if you want Mick Dundee's autograph, I can get it for ya! *************************************************** Students have traditionally been enthusiastic about the annual Santa Project. Started in 1988 by a jtime and me vegemite sanga was masses. Couldn't keep it down and chundered everywhere. A stupid shelia called me drongo and I punched her in the honker. Teacher got me in trouble for it too. I played footy after school and got punched my grundies, strides and footy jumper. For breaky I had my weeties and snags. Headed off to the bus stop in the paddock basher, but the bus was late because it hit a roo on the way. Finally got to school and was real bushed. Tucker il Project Case Study *************************************************** G'day. Struth, I had a bad day today. Mum told me to get up early. It was flamming 6 o'clock so a told her to snut her laughing gear. Then I shoved on ging stories with classes in Australia and comparing slang terms and differences in writing styles. One Australian Tall Tale follows: Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 15 FrEdMa and The Boomerang Plot is Australian Tall Tales. Although Mary conducted the Australian Tall Tales project on a network other than FrEdMail, we felt it was worth mentioning as a good example of networking projects. The 7th grade students enjoyed exchancipating class is sent a copy of the unfinished story and asked to write the ending. All the endings are then shared across the network. This project promotes curiosity and motivates students to read the story as it changes. Similar to both Computer Palstory and sends it over the network to a second class. The second class then adds an additional section to the story and either sends it back to the first class or forwards it to a third class. Then another section is added, and so on. Finally, each partirices, living environments, and governments with students living in other states and in other countries. The Boomerang Plot is another project Mary and Yvonne have contributed to the network. In this project, one class writes the beginning section of a sion to writing letters, students often send photographs through the postal service. These photographs help bring the distant audience to life. Some of the most noteworthy Computer Pal projects have provided students with the opportunity to compare food pputer pals receive their letters across a computer network rather than through the postal service. Students learn to use the proper "friendly letter" format while they also practice reading and writing skills, including spelling and punctuation. In additects across the network. Computer Pal Letters is one of them. As this title implies, this project is closely related to the familiar pen pal experience many of us have participated in at some point in our lives. Unlike the traditional pen pal, however, comMail Project Case Study ENGLISH Yvonne Andres-Syer, the Computer Resource Teacher at a sister junior high school, is another enthusiastic contributor to FrEdMail projects. As mentioned previously, she and Mary Jacks collaborate on many of the same projetters from first graders who have written a wish letter to Santa. Students are instructed to reply as though they were Santa and are cautioned not to promise to deliver any particular present, so as not to cause any disappointments. They were also told that Santa, of course, always sends letters with correct punctuation, spelling and grammar. The project aims to add incentive for the older students to polish their writing skills, meet a deadline, and practice using computers. The project was in full fo987-1988 school year, three issues of the newsletter, The FrEdMail News, were produced and distributed to many users on the network. The newsletter included reports on projects and ideas, as well as reports from sysops and users, and an updated FrEdMail er school sites visited the class for the purpose of gathering information on joining the FrEdMail network. Mary used her preparation period to consult with these interested educators. According to Mary, these visits are a common occurrence. During the 1he school district in which we observed offers free classes to any teacher interested in learning more about computers, computer operations, and specifically FrEdMail software. During two of our ten observation sessions in Mary's class, educators from othventy-five nodes across the nation and outside the United States. What can the future be expected to hold for FrEdMail? Will it continue to grow at the rate it has over the past four years? If interest is any indication, FrEdMail has a bright future. Tforts sent by teachers and students across the network. This annual literary publication is The Writing Network Magazine. (see appendix) FrEdMail FUTURE PLANS In three years, the FrEdMail network has grown from six sites in San Diego County to over semunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 17 FrEdMail Project Case Study THE WRITING NETWORK MAGAZINE Each year Mary and a team of student editors, compile a magazine showcasing the exceptional literary ef projects completed by students participating in the FrEdMail network. Some others include Descriptive Riddles, Telelimericks, Outrageous Opinions, Proverbs and their Meanings, If I Were In Charge of the World..., Name Poetry, and many more. Telecomites original descriptions of critters and sends the descriptions to Class #2. Then, using any graphics program, Class #1 creates a picture of the critter from the written description. The preceding descriptions represent only a small sampling of the manyng leave them some carrots. HO, HO, HO, I love you, Santa Claus *************************************************** Creating Critters is a third dynamic project of Mary and Yvonne. In this project, Class #1 wren try and stay awake to see me, but it won't work because I will just wait until they go to sleep. So just remember to be good for mommy and daddy. I will remember what you want. P.S. If you would like to leave the reindeer somethiys and girls all over the world presents so if some times you don't get what you want it is not because you don't deserve it but because if I give all the presents to one child then I wouldn't have enough for everyone. Sometimes childr child. Please keep up the good work. My favorite food is chocolate cake. But if you are thinking of leaving me something I would prefer a nice hot glass of cocoa because I get very cold at night on my sleigh. I have to give bo FrEdMail Project Case Study *************************************************** North Pole 12-11-87 Dear HO, HO, HO, I got your letter. I am very happy to hear from you. I have heard that you have been a very goodrce this pass Christmas season, 1987. The letters were all sent back to the first graders via FrEdMail. A sample of one letter follows: Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 16 map listing existing nodes and their access numbers. Yvonne produces and edits the newsletter, providing information and enthusiasm to her readers. There are many teachers who are not so enthused by the prospect of becoming involved in FrEdMail. We found the time commitment factor to be the strongest deterrent to becoming involved with the FrEdMail network. Becoming a sysop includes taking on the responsibilities of maintaining the system technically, as well as providing training and support to other i NO 5. Did you ever use a computer before Mrs. Jacks' class? YES NO 6. Which of your classes have used the computer this year? (Circle one.) English Math Reading Science Social Studies Other 7. Which do youyou use your home computer? Circle one: every day three times a week once a week 3. Did you have one before you started Mrs. Jacks' class? YES NO 4. If you don't have a computer at home, would you like to? YES l Project Case Study SURVEY QUESTIONS FOR THE SEVENTH GRADE CLASS __________________________________________________________ 1. Do you have a computer at home? YES NO 2. If you have a computer at home, how often do Did you always do it? 5. Since you have used telecommunications, do you like to read more than you used to? Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 20 FrEdMaik your reading and writing has improved since you have been using telecommunications this year? 2. If you do think so, describe some of the improvements. 3. Are you also doing better in other classes? Describe. 4. Do you do your homework? Page 19 FrEdMail Project Case Study APPENDICES INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE THREE SEVENTH GRADERS __________________________________________________________ 1. Do you thinacher is the backbone of FrEdMail telecommunications. Providing support and encouragement to these teachers is vital to the maintenance and growth of the network. Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Allocation of additional time to provide technical support, assist other teachers, and develop curricula may be the incentive needed to motivate more teachers to take on the responsibilities associated with joining the FrEdMail Network. After all, the tetheir reading and writing skills by participating in the process of telecommunicating. In order to maintain the dynamic nature of this learning experience for students, the obstacle of providing time for teachers to maintain the system cannot be ignored. d writing skills. This increased motivation seems to stem primarily from the student's desire to communicate with the real audiences they are linked with on the FrEdMail network. Writing samples and test scores suggest that students can actually increase y involved, a wider circulation might influence more teachers to become involved with using the FrEdMail Network. In summation, the FrEdMail network has provided a tool to enable teachers to increase students' motivation to use and expand their reading anortant that teachers be aware of these optional levels of commitment. Although the newsletter Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom Page 18 FrEdMail Project Case Study serves to inform those alreading or unable to devote their free time to fulfilling the duties of a sysop. However, as outlined in the Vol. 2, Issue 3/Spring 1988 issue of FrEdMail News, becoming a sysop is not the only possible level of involvement in the FrEdMail Network. It is impnterested faculty, and developing curricula for telecommunicating. Although fulfilling these responsibilities is time consuming, sysops regularly volunteer free time to maintain the network. Yet for each enthusiastic teacher, there are many who are unwill like more? (Circle one.) using the computer writing on paper 8. Do you like using telecommunications to contact students in other schools? YES NO 9. If another student asked you about this telecommunications class, what would you tell them? (Circle one.) I think my writing is better since I have learned to use the computer. My writing has not changed since I have learned to use the computer. Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Cln California with approximately 10,000 students and seventeen schools, kindergarten through eighth grade. The district has a diverse population of families from upper-middle class households to families receiving government assistance. According to the diincluding: 2 principals, 3 media/computer specialists, 2 teachers, and 2 students. The district Superintendent and Director of Technology expressed the views of the district office. The district is a mid-sized suburban school district in souther This research was primarily conducted through a series of interviews at the district office. In addition, three school sites were visited. Approximately twelve hours of interviews were obtained to receive the perspective of the school site personnel ace for at least one year. In addition, to get a slightly different perspective than just one classroom and one teacher doing a "grassroots" project, a district was chosen that had incorporated telecommunications as part of the district curriculum. tion, the activities, the people, and the perceived problems and benefits of participation on the FrEdMail Telecommunications Network. In order to provide a thorough picture of implementation of telecommunications, a program was chosen that had been in pl FrEdMail Project Case Study This study is part of a California Curriculum Developmental Grant titled, "Networks, Functional Learning Environments and Language Skills Acquisition." The goal of this paper is to describe the history of implementa A California AB803 Curriculum Development Project Al Rogers, Director San Diego County Office of Education Distributed Exclusively by CUE, Softswap Project Z\]^_`abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|}~ELECOMMUNICATIONS INTO THE K-8 CURRICULUM by Nancy Strouse Pepperdine University Spring 1988 ---------------- FrEdMail Project ---------------- A Telecommunications Case Study in a K-12 Classroom: A STUDY OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT 'S IMPLEMENTATION OF T Page 22 aling With Data Sample Creating Critters Sample The Writing Network Magazine FrEdMail Newsletter Telecommunications in a 7th Grade Classroom assroom Page 21 FrEdMail Project Case Study NOTE: Other items included in the appendix of the original study are not included with this disk-top publishing version. They are: Destrict figures there are ten schools receiving Chapter 1 funds in the district. The ethnicity of the district is as follows: 26% Hispanic, 13% Asian, 2% Black, and 56% other white. For the purposes of anonymity, the district is referred to as Midland School District throughout this paper. According to the Director of Technology, implementing technology in the schools has been a Midland goal for over 15 years. Each school supports a media center with video equipment, 8-14 Apple II family computeector, having all the compatible equipment the same at all sites made Telecommunications in a K-8 District Page 3 FrEdMail Project Case Study training easier for the district. The Director of Techol site received a phone jack (placed at the discretion of the sites), a modem and terminal software paid for by the district. Training was provided by the district on a voluntary basis and was conducted by the Director of Technology. According to the dirommunications. The schools were able to call the board during the day to implement the telecommunications objectives as they taught their students in the lab. The Director of Technology became the Systems Operator (SysOp) of the bulletin board. Each scho982 with the establishment of a district bulletin board. The bulletin board was located at the district office on a computer used during a few hours each day for software preview by media/computer specialists and teachers, and at all other times for telecor operating the computer as a word processor are the objectives most often implemented by the use of telecommunications. HISTORY OF IMPLEMENTATION Midland began implementation of the telecommunications continuum of the computer curriculum in 1wever, several schools in the district are meeting the telecommunications objectives in grades prior to junior high school by involving students as young as first grade. At the elementary level the technology objectives for awareness of the computer and fd other means of interpersonal communications. 3. The student will develop an awareness of the kinds of telecomputing applications available today. There are no telecommunications objectives for grades K - 6 in the continuum, hojunior high student include: 1. The student will develop an awareness of the computer as a communicating tool. 2. The student will develop an awareness that the computer can be used as an alternative to mail, telephone an The use of telecommunications technology is guided by the district through a detailed Computer Continuum written for grades K-8. It includes a telecomputing component with objectives for students at the awareness level. These objectives for the v Media/Computer Specialist ------------------------- | | v v Teachers--------> Studentss in a K-8 District Page 2 FrEdMail Project Case Study Director of Technology ---------------------- | the district office of the Director of Technology. The district Superintendent is a computer user and a user of the FrEdMail network. The flow of information regarding technology in this type of organization looks like the following: Telecommunicationdia/computer specialist part of who's job is to implement or support teachers in implementing the district computer curriculum. This position is funded one half time by the district and one half time by the sites. The Midland oversees this effort throughrs, printers, phone lines and modems. School principals often use computers for word processing and other administrative tasks and indicate that "administrators are now expected (by the district) to be able to use a computer." Each site has a media or menology indicated the in-service sessions went much more smoothly without having to describe different modems and their individual peculiarities. The district bulletin board was limited in function. It was not connected to any other bulletin board systems. It did not support electronic mail, thereby personal messages could be read by all people using the system; and, there were no capabilities for uploading files so any messages needed to be typed directly onto the computer during the time of conMail). The Director of Technology continued in the job of SysOp of the system and ran the board as a local system while he learned the "ins and outs" of the software. In February of the following year, on the agreement of the Superintendent and the Directt on telecommunications in California about bulletin board software that he thought would be better suited to their purpose for using telecommunications and so, the Director of Technology changed their bulletin board software to Computer Mail Systems (FrEde affected the "use rates" of the system. In November of 1986, Midland upgraded its district bulletin board hardware to an Apple IIe with one 5.25" and two 3.5" disk drives. The district Director of Technology had heard from a well known expere phone off "hold" or no one would be able to call the school on that line all day. "Right away we had arguments between the office and teachers for engaging in activities the district was encouraging." It is possible that this phone line problem may havhat meant walking to the office before going on-line and remembering Telecommunications in a K-8 District Page 4 FrEdMail Project Case Study to return to the office after using the modem to take tho make a call. Conversely the people in the office would add "garbage" to a transmission going over the modem just by picking up the telephone and trying to dial. One solution was to put the office phone on "hold" while someone was using the modem, but tfor a multi-user business phone system consequently, if you were in another part of the school using the modem the people in the office would not know it and would get "blasted" in the ear by the electronic tone of the modem when they picked up the phone t this first phase of telecommunications implementation. Due to the expense, separate phone lines for the exclusive use of the modem were not installed, therefore, the users needed to share the line with the office. The modems purchased were not designed with telecommunications there was a greater chance of the school participating. He stated that full implementation of the use of telecommunications at each site was and still is a "goal" for the district. Several problems were encountered duringtor indicated that during this beginning phase of implementation even though the bulletin board was available for much of the day the use of the system was not wide-spread. If a school had a staff member who had taken training or who was already familiar in the lab with the media specialist. According to the Director of Technology, "use of the bulletin board was relatively infrequent, most of the use occurring after school hours by district staff, teachers, and students who had modems at home." The direc specialist, some students, primarily in the upper elementary and junior high grades, had the opportunity to actually call the bulletin board to type in newsletter articles or to leave messages. These students would generally be a part of a class working the board, and as a demonstration tool for instruction. Teachers or specialists in the schools were able to use the board in demonstration lessons so students could begin to understand what telecommunications was all about. According to a medianection to the bulletin board. There were three primary uses of Midland's board at this time: for private use such as passing of general messages, district memos and "want ads," publishing schools' electronic newsletters typed by the students directly toor of Technology, they connected to another board on the network system, becoming a FrEdMail node. This opened up the opportunity for students and teachers to communicate with several other schools in California and other parts of the United States. OVERVIEW OF HOW THE DISTRICT USES FREDMAIL The Director of Technology views the FrEdMail network system as a "facilitator of communications between educators and (as) providing an opportunity for students to participate in telecommunications projectction as a means of exposing students to telecommunications, to prepare them for the future. Teachers and media specialists felt this awareness was important to the students. "The whole idea of telecommunications is getting them ready for the future - ban by a teacher. A student remarked that he and his fellow students very much liked having their work published. "It was so exciting to see that our school paper actually was published where everyone could see it." The system also continues to funease student writing. "Students are impressed that other schools have access to their writing," and "students are 'tickled' when it is published." "The biggest impact I've seen is in motivating my kids. They want to write for it," are some remarks made, and third, teachers select works for publication on the KidWire digest of the network. The teacher and media specialists view this ability for students to publish their work where others can read it as a very motivating tool to improve and incrbulletin board so all callers to Midland's board can read the newsletters. Second, the teachers select exemplary work to be sent to the district for publication in a district newsletter which in turn is printed and sent to all the students in the districtn board. There are several ways students can have their assignments published using FrEdMail. First, students can write articles or literary pieces for their school newsletter. The individual school newsletters are placed in the Features section of the ter sophistication of the CMS software, students no longer have to type their articles directly onto the bulletin board during connect time. The students can write and edit their work on a computer at any time, and later up-load their work to the bulletiope." That it is "giving kids a reason to write" and that they have a built-in "audience of peers and others" for their writing. The single biggest use of the FrEdMail system in at Midland is as a vehicle for publishing student writing. Due to the greaoject Case Study media specialists many view the bulletin board as a place for students to publish their written work. The district Director of Technology feels that FrEdMail is allowing "their students to participate in projects of a global scn the last year, and now see it as a place where students can share their work with one another and get ideas from each other. According to a Telecommunications in a K-8 District Page 5 FrEdMail Prons is all about." A media specialist sees it as a "nationwide mail system for educators, teachers, and students" but few teachers in the district have used it as such. However, some school site staff have seen a change in the use of the bulletin board i, according to the director of Technology. "It was a continuation of what the district had started but with more communication possible" indicated a teacher. The teachers still view the system as a "means of developing a awareness of what telecommunicatiOffice of Technology implemented a district-wide project to increase use of the system by students and teachers. At the beginning the change from the old bulletin board system to FrEdMail brought little change in the use of the system by teacherss thereby getting acquainted with what it is and what its capabilities are." There were two major changes that occurred during this phase of implementation of telecommunications: the phone system was updated to eliminate some of the old problems, and the king, so many jobs, use telecommunications." "The teachers can use it to make the concept of telecommunications - information exchange - used in business real for the students," stated a teacher. Just like with other subject areas, the teachers felt that background and experience were invaluable for students to understand concepts. "One of the best things I can do for a kid is to give him the opportunity to experience - have some background. The fact that they may have a feel for it (telecommunications)come from specific classes; and others just had everyone submit work from grades 1-6. The district had budgeted for about 20 pages per issue. The schools were to submit their writing to the district office through KidWire by a stipulag to the Director of Telecommunications in a K-8 District Page 7 FrEdMail Project Case Study Technology one put together reporting teams of students in the upper grades; some had writing l had to choose a coordinator, in most cases the media specialists or a teacher, to collect and submit student writing. Each school was free to decide to collect the writing in whatever manner best suited that school's needs. Accordinecommunications project, the Midland School District Student News, in late 1987. All the media/computer specialists were informed by the Director of Technology at a meeting at the district office about the project. Each participating schoore digest was being used infrequently. He felt the potential for students to participate in writing to a student news service would be of great value and decided that his district needed to get involved. Midland started a district tel network) to stimulate student writing, to honor exemplary writing, increase the use of telecommunications, and to stimulate more activity on KidWire." He had read discussions on the FrEdMail network indicating that users felt the KidWier. Maybe next year." A CLOSER LOOK AT KEY ACTIVITIES o The District Newsletter After having participated with FrEdMail for six months, a project was designed by Midland's Director of Technology to "use KidWire (on the FrEdMail teacher indicated, "it takes time to do a curriculum project. You need time to plan how it is going to fit into the classroom. I did one project during summer school. It had to be done in a hurry. I would like to get involved in other projects, howevhools and mail off the different files. When specifically asked why more they thought more collaborative projects were not attempted, the teacher and media specialists all replied that collaborative projects also have associated difficulties. As the one had three different (locations) of classes." Although the teachers felt this brought some interesting communication into the classroom from different locations, it was also more work for the teacher to have to sort the different letters to the various sctions for their classes and only a few were involved in actual curriculum projects. "Pen-pal projects are difficult. You have to find others (classes) that have the facilities to write all the time and the ability to do it with some consistency. My classt, "...with a real experience the background they have is richer." The system is used least by students and teachers involved in collaborative projects with others outside the district. Some teachers were using FrEdMail for making pen-pal connecect Case Study the students needed to understand and that the specifics were less important. They felt it would be almost impossible to explain and have the students understand telecommunications if all they had was a book to read. As one teacher put i, can use it, will give them an advantage." They felt that the changing technology was not a serious factor because it was the concept that Telecommunications in a K-8 District Page 6 FrEdMail Projted date. The director of Technology stated that some schools wanted to mail the floppy disk with the files to the office, but the use of telecommunications was just about his only "hard and fast rule," in order to assure it was a telecommunications project. The Director of Technology down-loaded the files off of the bulletin board to a Macintosh computer. The district set up a rating panel of media specialists, teachers and district personnel, to give each piece he board I have no problem. I think they want to be on the computer and it's exciting to send your work some place else. It is so much more than a pencil and paper kind of thing." The school also use articles from other students outside and to solve problems. We write everyday. Usually when I ask the students to write I get a response that 'ok, it's another assignment.' Sometimes it's 'forget it, I'm not doing this today.' Usually if I'm calling for articles for tge each time the paper comes out. For one the writing is more in the line of a newsletter, more fiction, and with another it is a non-fiction newspaper. A teacher indicated that,"it is good for the students to learn to state opinions newspaper from the KidWire digest and post it on the board and to provide technical support. Again different schools handle the collection of articles in different ways. One school has regular reporters. One has different classes in char FrEdMail Project Case Study develop the criteria for the newspaper at their own site. Either a teacher or the media specialist is in charge of the project. The district SysOp's only involvement is to take a copy of the the ability to publish its site newspaper in the Features section of the district bulletin board. The schools who participate (5 schools for the month of May) Telecommunications in a K-8 District Page 8 each the schools by the end of the school year. o The "Electronic Student News" and KidWire Another means of publishing student work using telecommunications is the "Electronic Student News." Each school in the district has on further issues. "It has become a somewhat competitive (for the schools to be represented) thing very quickly. We are hoping it will become a district tradition," stated the Superintendent. The third issue of the Student News will rict newspaper, grades 1-6. When...the paper came out everyone got a copy. More students came and asked how to get something in print." All those interviewed expressed excitement and with the project so far. The district is planning ue we have had to set-up some guidelines to limit the quantity of submissions and emphasize the quality." The schools saw an immediate interest from the students. One teacher said, "we had 8 different classes represented in the first distrhe first issue was out, and all the schools saw the newspaper, interest increased. The Director of Technology remarked that, "the second issue had far more material than could be used, (submissions) were so heavy that for the third issthat all schools would want to participate. The first issue, with 9 schools represented, ended up having only 10 pages due to the low volume of participants both in number of students and number of schools submitting. However, after th acceptable scores were collected and formatted into the newsletter using desktop publishing software. Copies were made for each student in the district and distributed to the schools. The Director of Technology was hoping a score. The submissions were scored primarily on writing skills. The student writing from each of the schools was scored only against each other's, thereby assuring that each submitting school was included in the newsletter. The work wit the district writing to the KidWire network. In that way the teacher feels he is reinforcing the idea that a "student's writing is important to someone who may not know him," and as a way of sharing ideas. All of those people interviewed at Midland are happy with the response of their students to the telecommunications projects they have participated in so far. The KidWire and district newsletter projects are a part of the on-going language arts curric the United States on the KidWire network to be shared with other students. In this case the district staff knew his teacher had not been the one to actually send the files to the bulletin board. The district would like to see some of the teacherexplanation to their students about what is happening to their work. One first grade student was overheard by a district staff member explaining to his parent in great detail that his work had gone over the telephone wires from computer to computer across participate. This way we can get 'non-techie' people involved with collaborative projects." Although most of the teachers do not actually do the terminal aspects of a telecommunications project, they do know what telecommunications is and can give some alists, who are central people in the school, develop the expertise in doing the actual hands-on work of sending and receiving files. With the way FrEdMail works with attached files people don't have to actually know about the telecommunications aspect to participating in the district newsletter project participated at this level. Due to the limited amount of equipment available at each site, Midland sees this use by teachers to be very desirable. The Director of Technology "would like to see media specivity tool" that can be used in "whatever creative ways teachers can come up with." Teachers can participate at different levels. The least involved teachers have their students use FrEdWriter to generate files that someone else transmits. Many teachersrangement was preferable to having the equipment in the school office. It is more centrally located and can be used for instruction of students. The district encourages participation by teachers in many different ways. It is seen as a "producti the classroom teacher is responsible for the instruction. In most cases the modem is located in the media/computer center of the school with the media/computer specialist responsible for the equipment. It was stated by the teachers and staff that this arproject brought in many very limited technology users." Each school develops its plan for implementing the district telecommunications objectives. Frequently the media/computer specialist at the site teaches the students in a lab setting. In other cases,are teachers and staff who have modems at home. Telecommunications in a K-8 District Page 9 FrEdMail Project Case Study However, the Director of Technology feels, "the district newspaper rding to the SysOp the system is used "predominantly by younger teachers, not usually those close to retirement. They tend to be people more involved with technology such as the computer coordinators." He stated that most of the more active participants audience becomes a very important factor." THE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS The use of the FrEdMail system is widely divided in the Midland School District. Although all schools have equipment, not all schools participate in equal amounts. Accoher person. Other than communicating for themselves it gives a purpose for their writing. Normal assignments are just communication between the student and the teacher, whereas with telecommunications it opens it up to everybody. Theulum in the schools. They feel they have increased the student's quantity and quality of writing through motivation. A media specialist stated, "what the bulletin board has done for the students is to let the students communicate with anots become involved with other collaborative curriculum projects from the Ideas section of the FrEdMail network. They see this further curriculum integration as the next phase of teachers involved in projects on the FrEdMail network. "The next level that we hope we can get to is for people to participate in collaborative projects from the Ideas section or to initiate projects of their own," stated the Director of Technology. For those teachers who would like to get more directly involved, Midland offers inir work published on the board do understand how the board works and have an awareness of how the work got there. "Although most kids don't get hands-on experience they do get a conceptual understanding of what happened to their writing and how it got to ge 11 FrEdMail Project Case Study network and published nationally. As with this student, "many of the students logging on the system have modems at home," stated the SysOp. Most of the students that have had thee recruited a student to connect the equipment and to up-load and down-load all the schools files. It was through his work that the school newspaper was sent to a commercial educational Telecommunications in a K-8 District Pabulletin board. In a few cases students have become assistants to the media/computer specialist or the teacher. In one school the media specialist was not able to complete the telecommunications training and did not have the modem hooked up at school. Shts are using telecommunications primarily to publish their Language Arts work. They do not actually get to use the hardware in a "hands-on" situation. At some schools it is the responsibility of a small group of students to log-on and send files to the the ideas section. He feels "a community of users is developing and we'll be seeing more curriculum-based project utilization in the near future as some begin, the word spreads and is the way to get people involved." The vast majority of studenpal. Midland feels their recruitment of teachers to use telecommunications has been successful and that their use of the bulletin board is moving toward the district's goal of more collaborative projects. The SysOp is seeing more users scanningor some sites. "Our site strategy is to get one teacher going and successful then others will hear about it (the innovation) and want to join in. The teachers work very closely together at grade level, therefore communication is easy," indicated a princither most successful recruitment tools has been "word of mouth". As teachers talk to other teachers the word has spread about the district telecommunications project and what it took to be involved. This type of informal communication works frequently fa session this year and so far one is requested for next year. There are two informal ways teachers have become involved with telecommunications: one is through watching their students working in the lab with the media/computer specialist. The oern is that teachers at the sites see a listing of the in-service classes offered at the district office and believe the classes are "too sophisticated." The schools agree that site in-services are important too. One site has requested and received such nd how to set up and participate in a collaborative project with another teacher on the telecommunications network." The Director of Technology is beginning to see the need for teachers to have a whole staff workshop sessions on site. Their conc FrEdMail Project Case Study five weeks. There is no monetary compensation for attendance. The class covers such topics as "how to use the BBS to send mail and files to others, how to use a computer to communicate with the BBS, a-service classes in telecommunications a few times a year at the district office. Interested teachers can sign-up and take a class after school one day a week for approximately Telecommunications in a K-8 District Page 10 the district for publication," a media specialist stated. This conceptual understanding is accomplished during the structured lessons given in many schools on telecommunications. In some cases the labs work with one-half of a class at a time. The students receive demonstration lessons on telecommunications and Midland's FrEdMail bulletin board. At other times the students are able to use the keyboard and leave messages for their peers in another class. Students in two of the schools visited are can do is involve them in projects that use telecommunications and explain to them what is going on and how the telecommunications plays a role." Teachers and media/computer specialists expressed concern that all students did not get a hands-onved in the immediate future due to budget priorities. The Director of Technology indicated "there is no way we are going to get all kids in a hands-on way doing telecommunications with one computer, modem, and phone line set up in each school. The best wready working with teachers to develop other curriculum projects and I am willing to work with them on telecommunications projects," stated another. The lack of hardware is a problem for teachers and students that the district feels cannot be sol problems for teachers. More in-services are planned. The media/computer specialists are working to help teachers to acquire telecommunications skills. "I will work with teachers whenever they ask. I will work with them after school," said one. "I am alwhen I know how long it took me." "More in-service at sites will get teachers past their fears. Somehow give teachers time to work on learning the system by using it and to develop ways to use it in the classroom." The district is aware of thesers have other types of meetings after school, that leaves before school or during lunch and those are hard times because people need time to prepare and eat!" "Teachers are slower to learn than the kids. It makes me mad to see how fast the kids catch on f they don't have a phone line in the classroom. Technology gets used if it is available. If a teacher has to go down the hall to the media center each time we want to use a modem, it will not be used as much." "TIME is the most important factor. Teachesues a impeding their ability to use and get people to use telecommunications. "The time factor for teachers Telecommunications in a K-8 District Page 12 FrEdMail Project Case Study is important iBITORS TO PARTICIPATION The biggest problems for teachers trying to participate in the incorporation of telecommunications into their school schedule are: time, access, and training. Over and over teachers and media specialists expressed these iste phone line into his classroom. This school, the largest K-6 grade school in the district, has two phone lines and two modems with computer hardware for telecommunications use. The teacher has also taken on the role of assistant district SysOp. INHI comment is related to a teacher's involvement with telecommunications. The teacher became so interested in telecommunications that he wrote a CTIIP grant for equipment for his classroom. His principal was supportive of his efforts and purchased a separand is concerned about equity of access for students in the district and the Director of Technology is pleased to note that "the school with the lowest social-economic level and highest minority population is the school that uses the system the most." Thisfun." Most of their individual use is in leaving messages to others using electronic mail. Sometimes the students leave messages in the bulletin board section of the board. The district has had few abuses by students in use of the system. Midlae able to use the telecommunications equipment before or after school or during independent study. In two schools computer clubs have been started that participate in telecommunications. The students interviewed think that calling the bulletin board is " experience. One teacher figured out that if the students sent their writing for publication to him via the modem, then they would have had the opportunity to use the system and see what it was all about. Midland is continually thinking of how to expand the ways that students can participate on the district bulletin board. The assistant SysOp suggested "the bulletin board section...has not been used to its potential with guided discussions or activities, primarily due to time. This is one way the studenng the system. I spend 5 to 10 Telecommunications in a K-8 District Page 14 FrEdMail Project Case Study hours, probably more, per week." The Director of Technology indicated that almost all of thwith the software running the node, collect and post articles, validate new users and help them with any problems, and "police" the bulletin board sections for any inappropriate use of the system. "Enormous amounts of time are involved for the person runnis from several people in the district. One of these people is the district Director of Technology who has the job of SysOp of the bulletin board. Some of the responsibilities involved in the job are to setup and maintain the hardware, solve any problems worked for the district. "With the exception of 1 or 2 sites, we have had at least one person from each of the schools go through training," indicated the Director of Technology. The third type, and probably the largest amount, of support comees the people who have taken the class as resources for their peers at each site. "Those who have taken the class are encouraged to be a support person at their school." Offering the classes as a means of having a trained person at each site seems to haveis down-loaded and posted each week on the bulletin board. Second, Midland supports the teachers through their in-service program of telecommunications classes. The classes are offered two times a year and are held after school. The district se0. Ongoing costs to provide connections for other schools outside the district to the Midland board are about $25 to $45 per month. The district also has ongoing costs for publishing the Student News and for purchasing a technology news magazine, which trict has spent a significant amount of funds to provide equipment for each of the sites (modems and phone connections) and at the district office. The hardware and software for the district office, used to run their FrEdMail node, cost approximately $200are hoping the new version of FrEdMail will solve this problem so that the users can be completely worry free." DISTRICT SUPPORT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS Midland's support of telecommunications can be seen in three different areas. First, the disf Technology that "virtually nothing they can do will hang up the system." He continued, "there is nothing that will intimidate teachers faster that if they think they will break it. Unfortunately the system can hang up, but it is not the users fault. We around the district and have the district board act as the central computer (hub) for the system. Changes in the way the FrEdMail system itself is set up would help the district. During in-service training the teachers are told by the Director oboard phone number busy," a Telecommunications in a K-8 District Page 13 FrEdMail Project Case Study media specialist stated. One possibility they are talking about would be to set up more boards teachers involved in using telecommunications, the problem arises that the phone line to the board will get a greater volume of use. "It would help if the district had multiple board lines. It is very frustrating to get ready to do a lesson and have the t use could be expanded and be more educationally relevant." The district and sites expressed an interest in seeing if there was a way to allow two people to call the bulletin board at one time. With the district continually trying to get more ese types of jobs are done at home due to the amount of time involved. In addition, a teacher in the district has taken on the volunteer job of assistant SysOp to provide additional support when the SysOp is on vacation. Without his help the system might have to be shut off during holidays. The Director of Technology feels he also has the job of taking "opportunities to advertise the fact that the system exists." He takes ideas for collaborative projects and prints them and sends them to the sites via of Technology stated, "its been an eye-opener to me to see how many new people have gotten involved as a result of this project. I wish I had thought of a similar project a while ago." The site personnel see it as a way to encourage students to write andobjectives for his students by stimulating student writing and providing a medium for publishing exemplary writing. The project receives more articles for submission and more and more teachers and students are participating with each issue. The Director uch more real way, the outside world into the classroom. Engage real live distant learning with real live teachers and students. It opens the world to the classroom." The Midland School District Student News project has met the Director of Technology's , including the exchange of data using the kinds of applications available today. In addition, the district Director of Technology sees the FrEdMail system as a way to not only study telecommunications, but that "it enables the teacher to bring in, in a me FrEdMail network have been of great benefit to their students. They have met their curriculum objectives of making students aware of telecommunications as a communicating tool, that it can be used as an alternative means of interpersonal communicationso my classroom." Telecommunications in a K-8 District Page 15 FrEdMail Project Case Study CONCLUSION The Midland School District believes that their telecommunications projects on thy important even though it is a district decision to implement telecommunications." The teachers and specialists also voiced their feeling of support from their site principals. "My principal is very supportive. He was willing to pay for a phone line intsary that the principal support this 'crazy thing.'" A principal stated her role as being necessary for telecommunications to be available to her school. "I support it. I see the funds are there to support it, and therefore, the local site is still vert because of his support for the district technology person plus he goes out to schools and can use the system," from a principal. Several sites indicated that the school principal was an important person in making the program work. "It's absolutely necesOp through statements such as: "I received encouragement from the district SysOp to participate with my students and because of my successes, it is easier to encourage others," from one media specialist; and "I feel support from the district Superintendenlved with the system her job will change to "more curriculum planning and less technology," and she is "comfortable" moving to this expanded curriculum role. The sites expressed a strong feeling of support from the district Superintendent and Sys stated she "does not pass on ideas until she thinks the teachers are ready." She indicated by "ready" she means that the teachers need to come to the media center and use the system on their own. She also indicated that as teachers get more and more invo is viewed by a media specialist as a "sort of advertiser, one who works to get others involved." Sometimes this site support person takes on the responsibility of deciding what teachers receive information about the FrEdMail system. One media specialistthe principal or media/computer specialist. The media/computer specialists act as site support for the teachers. They see part of their job, as one specialist put it, "as intermediaries between the classroom and the bulletin board." Another job write well. As one media/specialist put it, "publishing their work where others can read it encourages students to write, it is not published unless it is of good quality and the students know it. The kids edit to death. The want it correct." Another teacher views the use of FrEdMail a success because of the students' reactions to their work. "That proves to me that it's working, if they really want to do the work and if they are bugging me about getting on - I think that is really neat. It has definct, September 1988. Special thanks Al Rogers and Terry Cannings who created and distributed the FredMail survey and to all the teachers who shared their ideas. Electronic Community Development Current technology makes the creation of an educat FrEdMail Project Research Report This paper is a report to the California State Educational Technology Committee, AB803 Curriculum Development, FrEdMail Proje A California AB803 Curriculum Development Project Al Rogers, Director San Diego County Office of Education Distributed Exclusively by CUE, Softswap Project nked together creating the future by Margaret Riel Director of Research and Development InterLearn Spring, 1988 ---------------- FrEdMail Project ---------------- FrEdMail Survey Free Education Mail Service: Schools li remely powerful tool that they have never had before and at virtually no cost - that's a pretty good bargain!!" Telecommunications in a K-8 District Page 16 great if they are aware of on-going lessons other teachers have set up. The Midland Director of Technology summed up his feelings about FrEdMail in this way..."you can use FrEdMail to support all kinds of things, so it gives teachers one more exthe problems of increased in board usage. It is possible that more will need to be done to see that classroom teachers are aware of project ideas posted on the FrEdMail network. In many cases the teacher's need for time to develop lessons will not be as nd the teachers' perceived needs for time to develop their skills and lessons, easier access to the bulletin board whenever possible, and more training at the sites. The district has acknowledged the need for more training and is looking into answers to titely been one facet that has effected their writing by providing motivation for writing this year." While district has hopes to get more teachers, and through them more students, involved with FrEdMail projects next year, they need to keep in miional network possible. However, building a community of educators and students is not as simple a task as installing computer technology. The promise of a new social organization, an electronic community, is not easily realized. The evolution of local, national and international networked communities is an important educational phenomenon. Al Rogers, in his role as Computer Educator for the San Diego County Teacher Education and Computer Center (TECC), saw the potential of l telecommunications? This question is addressed by the teachers who use FrEdMail. These educators provide their assessment of what has been accomplished and what needs to be done to continue this progress. The collective recommendation of thesater than the financial costs. Creating a vision of what can be is a large part of any grassroots movement. "What can be" is the topic of this paper. How successfully has the challenge been met? What is the cost/benefit ratio of educational y and with communities around the world. They respond to the challenge of those who question the expenditure of educational money on unproven technical innovations, seeking to demonstrate that the benefits to teachers and students are much grelly, nationally, and in other countries; o promote the professional development of teachers through their interactions with teachers and professionals; o and facilitate the relationships of schools with their own communit is supported through the personal investment of resources from those who have taken on a challenge. That challenge has been to demonstrate that telecommunication can o enhance student learning through cooperation with peers loca future. The group chose to call the network the "Free Education Mail Service" because they believe that teachers should have free access to technology. However, the system is far from free. It costs time, energy, and resources. The system Page 1 FrEdMail Project Research Report students to work collaboratively with other students in distant locations. In doing so, these teachers demonstrate their eagerness to use the tools of the present to build theail System. These information age pioneers share a vision that the power of telecommunication will provide a new avenue for professional development as well as provide opportunities for FrEdMail Survey ed system has no central location. The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of this community of information-age pioneers who are blending educational concerns with communication technology to develop and implement the FrEdM daily to technical maintenance and educational direction. A smaller set of sites, called hubs, cover the cost of long distance computer calls for surrounding sites. These are often funded by universities or school districts. This distribution cost, but with a greater expenditure of human resources. Each site, or node, dedicates a computer and phone line to the system and provides for the support of a system operator, a teacher or district coordinators that devotes several hourse Education Mail System (FrEdMail). In the FrEdMail system, the distributed power of many small computers located across the country emulates some of the simple features of electronic mail provided by large services at a much lower communicat classroom use. He conceived a compatible communication program, FrEdSender as a companion to the popular public domain word processor FrEdWriter which he had developed the previous year. With this set of tools, he began establishing the CMS Freinked bulletin board systems as a means for helping dedicated teachers explore the potential of this new tool in the classroom. Rogers located a bulletin board software package (Computer Mail System) for the Apple computer and redesigned it for e information pioneers provides a course for the continual development of telecommunications in the state of California. Survey of FrEdMail Users A survey developed by Al Rogers and Terry Canning was sent to the system operators of the FrEdMail boards with a request to post the survey online. Fifty-two surveys were returned (see Table 5). The majority of the respondents were teachers who work directly with students. The group included teachers who had extensive computer experieents have already developed this skill and the context for writing remains extremely limited in these exchanges. Students are very excited about the prospect of immediate mail from a distant location. However, it is difficult to match students one cost in terms of teacher time, networking bills and student energy is rarely matched with any significant change or development of student writing skills. Computer pal messages may help students learn to write a friendly letter, but most stud is one of the most frequently cited projects. Having students write to one another is an obvious way to get students involved in sending and receiving electronic mail. Unfortunately, it is an extremely limited use of telecommunication. Th Math 1 Science Total 17 Total of all projects listed 62 Writing projects were the most common, as might be expected in a medium where all exchanges are written. Pen pal exchange Stock Market 2 History dialog/History link 2 Social science survey (Japan) 3 Sharing history reports 2 Weather 1 Science 1 l Survey Page 4 FrEdMail Project Research Report Science/Problem Solving Projects Chess 2 Brain teasers/super sleuth 3 Guides 2 Bilingual exchanges 2 Famous person/character sketch 2 Drama/sign language 1 Book review 1 Writing Total 45 FrEdMains 7 Student Newspaper 5 Letters to Santa 4 Poems 3 Folk tales 2 Creative Writing 2 Vacationnt projects, but served as a support system for teachers who did use the network for this purpose. Table 6: Networking Projects for Students Writing Projects Pen Pals 14 Story Chai developing technical skills and expressed eagerness to get beyond learning the technology to using telecommunication more effectively in their classrooms. Some other respondents indicated that they did not work directly with students or studeivities, with most respondents listing an average of two projects (see Table 6). The fifteen respondents who did not list an activity either left the question blank or gave an explanation for the lack of projects. Some teachers cited their newlyors University Level 2 ___ Total Respondents 52 Networking Projects for Students Of the fifty two respondents, thirty seven had been involved in one or more acte Survey Respondents Classroom Teacher 25 Computer Lab Teachers 13 Computer Coordinators 10 Librarian 1 Teacher Aide 1 Teacher Educatnce as well as teachers who were both novices at computer use and telecommunication. FrEdMail Survey Page 3 FrEdMail Project Research Report Table 5: Th a one-to-one basis with classes of different size. The response rate is often very slow and the students who do not receive responses are extremely disappointed. Teachers become responsible for successfully matching each of their students with someone who shares a common interest. The content of computer pal letters is often so routine that interest does not continue past the first round of letters. In those cases where it does, there is usually little gain in doing this activido their work in isolation. FrEdMail Survey Page 6 FrEdMail Project Research Report But as all professionals, teachers need and value the cooperative development that comded on by the random ring of a telephone. Teachers are exceptional in their ability to juggle many complex classroom activities simultaneously, but the external intrusions of a ringing phone would threaten the delicate balance. Thus, teachers greatest benefit of FrEdMail was the ability to sustain regular, efficient interaction with other teachers. Telephones have never been readily available to teachers. Classrooms are carefully designed learning environments that cannot be intrutudents 4 Ease of use 4 Increases motivation and enthusiasm for learning 2 Newsletter 1 Many teachers found the 7 Sharing ideas (unspecified) 6 Low cost of FrEdMail 6 Students learn how to use a new technology 6 Effective means of comm. betw/teachers/s). Table 7: Strengths of FrEdMail: Sharing with other teachers/professional develop 19 Sharing among students/coop. learning/cultural exchange 17 Publishing student work for real audiences eir own networking experiences usually describes two different but complementary aspects of the activity. One is the use of computer telecommunication for their own personal growth, and the other is for the growth of their students (see Table 7nd developed a set of guidelines for development of future telecommunication projects. This function is analogous to that played by many agencies that review and evaluate educational software. Strengths of FrEdMail Teacher evaluations of thnments for their students. These teachers are using FrEdMail to exploit the unique potential of telecommunication and define its use in schools. The quality of the projects could be improved by a review panel that evaluated current projects aareful educational planning that goes into any classroom activity. Many of the other projects listed in Table 6, particularly the science and problem solving projects, represent the growth of teachers in creating exciting new learning enviro Page 5 FrEdMail Project Research Report themselves and others by structuring exchanges of writing, social science and science information. The planning and managing of these projects takes the same csee the potential of group communication and cooperative learning. Other activities produce greater learning on the part of students as well as teachers. Teachers have helped students learn about FrEdMail Survey can pass through the network and end up in locations that were originally unknown to the person sending the information. As teachers gain more experience in networking, they often move beyond the idea of one-to-one communication and begin to ty electronically. Teachers could just mail the letters or a floppy disk containing the letters with little or no difference to the project. Electronic networks make it easy to send the same information to a group of classrooms. Informationes from regular exchanges with their peers. Computer telecommunication gives teachers a silent phone. The computer serves as a personal secretary sending and receiving the calls for teachers. During a break in the day, the teacher can monitor the computer, read the messages received and respond to them. They go out immediately to other teachers in other classrooms without disturbing their important and fragile learning environments. They can also participate in a range of professioolunteered many hours to make it possible for teachers to lay the groundwork for the introduction of telecommunication into the classroom. Recommendations for the Future of FrEdMail. The recommendations made by teachers signal their need for unding 2 Teachers listed problems with each of these many steps. Often the problem was simply not enough time to do each of these tasks well. The growth of FrEdMail is a tribute to the energy and dedication of teachers who have v 8 Technical problems 6 Not enough telephone lines 6 Software problems 2 Not enough administrative support/f common interests 1 Difficulty in getting started 1 Not practical for whole groups of students 1 Communication Technology Problems Not enough computers and modems to join 3 Slow rate of response 2 No student use instructions 1 No one to organize and moderate projects 1 Hard to locate people with Table 8: Problems using FrEdMail Classroom use of Telecommunication Not enough time for learning and using FrEdMail 15 Not enough training for learning how to use it 8 Difficult to motivate new teacherst telecommunication curriculum and implement this curriculum into their classrooms (see Table 8). FrEdMail Survey Page 7 FrEdMail Project Research Report ed in terms of time to the individual has been high. There is not enough time for teachers to learn to use a minimally supported system of hardware and software, take an active role in the organization of the electronic community, develop, tess outside of the classroom. Limitations of FrEdMail The problems teachers cite with FrEdMail show the strain that is placed on teachers who are asked to organize the technology as well as its educational use. The cost of FrEdMail, measurmore similar to those than students will encounter outside of the school. Transferring school learning to contexts outside of school will become less problematic when students are able to set up working relationships with students and other adulto see that teachers on FrEdMail see that the strength of their work is not just teaching students how to use another tool of the modern age. They are using telecommunication to teach students a range of "basic skills" in environments that is w much information is necessary in a description of an event or experiment. When students receive messages that lack critical information, they begin to understand in a personal way the information needs of the reader. It is refreshing t positive aspect of FrEdMail. The communicative aspect of writing and the need to use conventional spelling and grammar are immediately evident when students work with others at a distance. Distant audiences help students make judgments about honal support services available from the district, the community, local universities, or people located all over the globe. Telecommunication makes classroom walls semi-permeable. Benefits to students was the second most commonly mentioned intellectual, technical, and financial support for telecom- munication (see Table 9). They have pioneered some exciting applications of telecommunication in their classrooms which draw attention to the potential of this new educational tool. Without such evidence, it is difficult to persuade educational administrators of the value of the program. However the current implementation strategy places an enormous burden on the classroom teacher. FrEdMail Survey telecommunication in the classrooms. These early efforts will help to establish new links between schools in distant locations and between schools and other sectors of the society. These innovative educators need the support and recognition forward look, examining each new innovation in technology and exploring possible classroom applications. The development of FrEdMail represents the collective efforts of educators to find the most productive and cost-effective way of utilizingopment of educational applications of telecommunication. FrEdMail Survey Page 9 FrEdMail Project Research Report Conclusion Since that time, educators have taken a been willing to work overtime to demonstrate the high personal and professional value they place on telecommunication. This personal commitment by leaders in the educational community should place a high priority on continuing research and develhe success of FrEdMail will depend on the development of a social and economic foundation for providing these badly needed services. Teachers do not have the time, and in some cases the skill, to solve the whole complex of problems. They have ty needs structure and guidance. The introduction of new sites and participants, the matching of teachers with common interests, and the development of good curriculum materials are vital to the growth of telecommunication in the classroom. Tpment and stable funding. School access problems, including limited phone lines and equipment shortages need to be addressed. But, the FrEdMail community realizes that improving the technology is only the starting point. The electronic communi 3 Standardize equipment 1 Support graphics 1 Teachers recommend that the technical shortcomings of FrEdMail and FrEdSender be solved with further develoeachers (regional centers, 800 lines) 4 Buy more computers with modems 4 Better instructions 2 More phone lines er system and/or communication software, particularly making it easier to upload, download and print) 12 Stable district funding for development of system 6 Technical support for tf teachers 1 Organize face-to-face meetings 1 Develop theoretical foundations and document student gains 1 Improving the Communication Technology Bettrom district admins 4 More regular update of news, on-line and print 2 Make Telecommunication easier 2 Create mechanism for linking up teachers 2 Use in pre-service education oorials 9 Better defined student projects 6 Classroom time designated for telecommunication 5 Increase the number and diversity of sites 5 More district curriculum support f Page 8 FrEdMail Project Research Report Table 9: Recommendations for Improving FrEdMail Educational Use of Telecommunication More in-service training, training tutof the community as they continue their exploration of the frontiers of the information age. Their work will provide the connections to the future. FrEdMail Survey Page 10