The Year of the Network
This is the year that our districtıs classrooms and offices will finally be networked. State SchoolNET funds are providing the classroom wiring. The districtıs capital improvement levy is funding the non-classroom wiring and the hardware to make it all work.
What does our network provide?
- Sharing of technology resources
- Sharing and saving files
- Sharing applications
- Sharing of information resources
- Collaboration
Sharing of technology resources
You no longer need a printer attached to every computer. Faster, specialized printers can be shared among a workgroup or school.
Modems and phone lines are no longer necessary to connect to the Internet. We all share a permanent, faster connection. At the moment the slowest part of the district network is the connection between buildings.
Sharing and saving files
You can get to your individual work and shared files from any computer on our local network. Sharing data files and project templates with your students on different computers will be a piece of cake. SneakerNET (floppy disks travelling from computer to computer) will be distant memory.
Sharing applications
Programs that you may only use once in a while, do not have to be installed on every computer, but can reside on the network ready for you or your students use where ever they are.
Sharing of information resources
Doing research projects has never been easier. Unlike a Web search that finds hundreds of thousands of entries, very few of which are useful, you can search a number of commercial databases purchased by our district or state. The complete article text and often the graphics in many magazines, newspapers (including the Plain Dealer), encyclopedias, radio and television transcripts (NPR!) and books can be located. Because the content is so readily available, you can spend more time helping your students evaluate, organize and present the research they have done.
Real data is available for your students to manipulate in databases and spreadsheets to analyze and draw conclusions.
Up-to-the-minute assessment data about your students can be used to better plan their instruction.
Collaboration
Network based collaborative tools (e-mail, mailing lists, multi-user databases) can encourage more sharing among staff, students and community.
Communication tools (such as web sites) can disseminate important information to everyone.
Unfortunately many classrooms do not yet have one computer, much less enough for student groups to use at the same time. The realities of school funding mean that technology will be added slowly, but even older computers can take on new value when connected to our network.
Every school has at least one computer lab that can be scheduled for class projects and individual computers are available for staff use. Using the free dial-in connections provided to all staff, you can access our network from home as well. As your buildingıs network falls into place, take some time to acquaint yourself and your students with the powerful learning resources that are at your fingertips.
Union Technologist Index