Computer Networking

Interaction through networks helps break down communication barriers and connects students and teachers with the outside world. Access to a computer, a modem, and phone lines frees students and teachers from the physical limits and time constraints of the school environment. Networking allows them to send electronic mail, participate in computer conferencing, and access information from remote sources.
=>Electronic mail (e-mail) allows you to exchange information with other teachers or students, locally or worldwide. E-mail is like an answering machine using text: a sender composes a message which is stored on the network; the receiver pulls it up onto a screen and reads it. By talking to others across continents, students can continually improve their writing and reading skills.
=> File transfer allows you and your students to send or receive files across networks -- referred to as downloading or uploading files.
=>Computer conferencing/group communication makes it possible for groups of teachers and students to work together and share information without having to be in close physical proximity. Global classrooms may be created where students work cooperatively with other students as if they were in the same location. You and your students can join organized discussion groups (also called listservs) that focus on a wide variety of topics. For more information on education listservs, send an e-mail to askeric@ericir.syr.edu.
=>Databases of abstracts and full-text publications comprise a vast library of information available to you and your students. This includes the Department of Education´s online library INet (Gopher: gopher.ed.gov), NASA´s Spacelink program (Gopher: spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov), and the National Parent Information Network -- NPIN.