From: Fran.O'gorman@f94.n272.z1.fidonet.org (Fran O'gorman)
Newsgroups: k12.ed.comp.literacy
Subject: Re: progress of my class
Date: 12 Oct 92 21:05:46 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:272/94 - Monroe Electronic M, Monroe NY

Hi Maurice,

 ML> We just received our new system a 
 ML> few weeks ago, a 386 hard drive for our 25 workstations in our 
 ML> lab. What a treat. We have over 120 programs on our hard drive. 
 ML> What an advantage over the 286, spead, graphics etc.

Wow, I'm jealous!  We just wrote a grant that will bring in a
dozen or so 386's with hard drives... but when they arrive they'll
be replacing a dozen PC/2's (model 30's) so our current setup is
not as advanced as even your previous one was.

When you say 'hard drive' do you mean server?  I'm figuring you
mean that since you refer to 'workstations'.  We're not set up
like that (LAN's, etc) nor are there plans that we will be.

We had a Computer Coordinator but when he got a job in another
district in administration, the position was cut, so the decision
making seems to be more in the hands of the superintendent.   He
did seek the input of the business teacher though.  Actually I'm
the library media specialist teaching 7th grade computer as a
favor.  But because computers has been a hobby and passion of
mine, even the business teacher has to turn to me from time to
time for technical help...come to think of it so did the Computer
Coordinator when we had one :-)... actually we help one another
since no one can know everything and our differing strenghts
complement one another.

Joe (the computer Coordinator) was mainly an Apple and Mac person
-- the business teacher and I more IBM and clones.

I find it interesting that you've gone IBM even on the younger
level.  Around these parts the younger ones are still on Apples.
Even if they've upraded to GS's or macs.  Personally I prefer IBM
or clones for all the levels right now, but I represent a majority
view point in that around these parts.

 ML>  I'm ful time 
 ML> in the lab and I teach grades k to 8 (5 to 13 year olds). The 
 ML> older kids have done word pro to start and the younger ones the 
 ML> paint/graphics program. We have been working on desk-top 
 ML> publishing with most of them.

I'm curious what software you're using for the desktop publishing?
Our hardware limits us right now and so I'm only having them use
Newsroom as a class, although we do have Publish it! on the one
hard drive we do have (which is actually on a system our business
teacher brought in from home and does not belong to the school).

 ML> The spreadsheet and database is 
 ML> next. We have been using a new program caled Democalk, wich   
 ML> combines both database and spreadsheets together. I is very user 
 ML> frieindly therefore I plan to use it with my 10 and 11 year olds. 

I'm not familiar with this program... we have a lab pack of
McGraw-Hill Integrated Software -- limited but a good intro-- has
all 3 together (database, spreadsheet, wordprocessing) it's easy
to use but has its limitations.  The only thing that really
bothers me that would make me want to switch (since it IS an
otherwise good introduction) is that it displays the database like
the spreadsheet and doesn't have the option of seeing the records
like cards which can confuse them... otherwise it's adequate as an
introduction.  Even has a graphing feature but prints out the
graph as ascii characters... funny, displays onscreen in ansi and
if we just do a shift/printscreen we can print a more
sophisticated looking graph... can't understand why they didn't
program it in.

 ML> Logo and basic are the next programing sessions. 

If you can thread back I left a couple of msgs to someone else of
some projects I did with kids and Logo with success in its early
days as a volunteer in my son's school... I absolutely loved
logo... it was my first introduction to computers back in '81! :-)

 ML>    We are using 
 ML> a telecomunication program that turns our lab into a communiation 
 ML> network......the students write to each other from station to 
 ML> station. It stimulates writing in a non threatenning environement. 
 ML> It also gets them initiated to modem, which is our next step.

So if I understand you, right now they're communicating right in
the lab without a modem but will use a modem shortly?

The communication software I use is telix but I also have procomm.
I prefer telix because it has the zmodem protocol which my procomm
lacks.

 ML> We 
 ML> may even send yuour students a few penpals if thats o.k. at your 
 ML> end.  We would be using this BBS. I'll let you know about that in 
 ML> a few weeks.

That would be great!  Now I hope when you say BBS, you don't mean
the local one you use that carries this echo and that your kids
would post on one of the sysop's local msg bases... we'd never see
them if you do... hope you realize this, but am just making
sure...  I receive your msgs here on this BBS in Monroe NY because
my sysop and yours participate in Fidonet but the non Fido
conferences would not be carried in both places.

 ML> Keep in jtouch,

Will do

 ML> I love to chat .....

Me too! :-)

--Fran


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