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I recently asked the list's impressions of the Scholastic Network.  Here are
the responses.
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Gordon:
   I used Scholastic one-month offer to see what the program was about
but have canceled it.  As far as I could see, Schoalstic Online had
two selling points of possible interest.  One was a news database de-
rived I think from USA Today.  After searching the database, I
concluded that the database did not go very far back and was anchored
pretty firmly to current events.  The other selling point was the
service's attempt to link school's and class projects from around the
country to allow classes and students to communicate.  This is a
good service, but my school is already using a school-created BBS with
local links and links to K-12Net and Schl-Net and ultimate overnight
internet service to accomplish the same purpose.
   Good luck with your polling and happy holidays.


**************************************************************

Terry Thibodeaux        Internet: scoths01@bit.csc.lsu.edu

--------------------------------------------------------------

524 8th St.             Scotlandville Magnet HS Library

Port Allen LA 70767     Baton Rouge LA  70807

504-344-5311            504-775-3715

**************************************************************


I have signed up for the free trial period but have not yet received
any information from Scholastic.  I suspect that it will duplicate
many things available elsewhere, but did want to get a preview.
Please do summarize any comments you receive about the network!

--
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                         paula@freenet.fsu.edu
Paula Galland - St. Simons Island, GA - Glynn County School System
---------------------------------------------------------------------

*********************************************************************
Gordon,
        They gave me a thirty day trial for free to evaluate
their services.  I figured I could not loose, so they are sending
me their information to sign on.  I should receive it any day now.
They told me my thirty days would not start until I actually signed
on.

gary joseph
south-western city schools
grove city, ohio

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I (library coordinator for our district) took the Scholastic Network on a
trail basis.  We are members of Tenet.  I asked the teacher who does the
most with Tenet to evaluate it.  She does not think the Scholastic Network
is a worthwhile addition for teachers who have the opportunity to use the
Texas Education Network in classroom instruction.



The Scholastic Network is actually run by Scholastic, who have licensed
the America Online technology to create a seperate education oriented
network. An annual subscription of 5 hours per month, for 12 months is
$295. a year. Since the network is new, it is about to over a special
promotion at a reduced price for the rest of this school year. Anyone can
sign up for a freem one-month trial. There are many teachers and school
librarians online who think it's terrific-I will post Gordon's note in
the media librarian's center on Scholastic Network and ask people to email
him directly. For information on a trial subscription, you can send
email to Herbity@aol.com.
Susan Mernit, list member and Scholastic Network staffer

***************************************************************************

Hello,

I have been with Scholastic since the pilot program last year.  You ask the
same questions as many others: WHY Scholastic?

We belong to CORE, which is a statewide BBS; however, Scholastic is more
immediate and, for us, more topical.  I am a computer technician for our 1-6
elementary school in California:  I coordinate the usage of the network for
the entire school and am responsible to Scholastic to help monitor the
boards.  Our ties to Scholastic are very strong:  Sandie Sing, a first grade
teacher here, and I are loyal users and technical staff for the network.

Again, why Scholastic?  One of the main reasons you should select Scholastic
is that it is the only network which is directly educationally oriented.  It
is a network run by and for educators: it addresses their needs and the
needs of their students.   When one uses other networks, especially in the "chat
 "
areas, one risks the chance of "salty" or even unacceptable
conversations...one thing which is NOT a concern with Scholastic.  We use
the chat mode on an LCD and overhead for entire class participation and have
NEVER had a problem with the monitoring of conversations.  During this last
year, our school had the privilege to write online with Joanne Ryder, the
award winning children's author.  She began a Halloween "creature" feature
story online (she described the setting and ONE part of the creature,
stopped, then....) Then, the kids wrote their description of a body
part...then, she continued...until the story was completed...This generated
a great deal of enthusiasm and improved keyboarding skills at the same time!
We had over one hundred participants...and, she picked several passages from
our school, including four children who are considered VERY low
achievers....When the children saw their work online and then saw they were
selected, the ripple effect went through the school!  Joanne kept a lively
conversation going with one particular student, who is now writing her own
book! (Sixth grader)...We have become friends with Ms. Ryder, and she sent
our school a signed biography for the library and a signed poster for my
Technology Center!  We even have a Christmas card from her!  When a book
writing contest was posted online, I made the cursory announcement in each
class, NOT expecting the response!  (I attribute the over 60+ requests for
further information directly to the online writing with Ms. Ryder....she
inspired our school to strive for greater, better writing!)  The teachers
are thrilled with the writing this generates!

Today, in my mail, I found an email of over five pages of information about
France for one of our fifth grade classes, which one of the teachers online
sent...I will pass it on...
We have a post office set up, due to the volume of penpal letters our kids
receive...Because of Scholastic, the kids are actively involved keyboarding
penpal letters in nine states...I see keyboarding skills improving: none of
the kids want any of the other kids to see poor English or poor
keyboarding...
We have online chats with sister schools in other states: one of our
teachers online is from France, and this same fifth grade class held an online F
 rench
lesson...and she has sent our teacher a listing of common French
vocabulary...words which normally are difficult to find..."whiteboard",
"pointer", etc...invaluable!
We have "chatted" with Joanne Ryder and two other schools simultaneously
about her writing and animals (her love).  We have chatted with a man who is
now stationed at the South Pole...we keep in touch there, also...We have
chatted with each other to set up projects and we have chatted with Newsday
reporters about the World Series, Natalie Merchant about her singing career,
Eugene Byrd about his career in television and his interest in an online
project about modern revolutions...
Scholastic is well worth the money spent and is a must for any school:  I am
personally writing a District-wide grant to place Scholastic in ALL of our
schools...We have the opportunity to apply for over $30,000 in technology
grant money, so I am writing a grant for Scholastic.  I have presented the
network and am presenting it again next month at a District inservice, and
the interest is there...So, my grant is to purchase ample blocks of time for
ALL of our schools. When one is connected to Scholastic, one also has access to
 the services
provided by American Online, the Internet, the Smithsonian, Time Magazine
online, the Weather Services, CNN, and on and on...
Give Scholastic a try...I see you are a Media Center/Library
Specialist...are you also aware we have LitNet and a board which specifically ad
 dresses the
needs of Media Center Specialists...our own Media Center Technician is
communicating with two onliners about the computerization of our Media
Center...she found this invaluable!  We received some very good advice from
several sources!
Again, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me.  My screen name
is
JCoffey325...Enjoy!  Jane Coffey for Scholastic

***************************************************************************

Gordon--hope you are receiving responses. Have been pressured to join by
teachers at the middle school in my district. I have tried to convince
them to hold off until they finish internet training--but they seem to feel
that Scholastic Network is going to be sooooo much easier to use--and very
much menu-driven. Your summary will be helpful. Happy holidays. Paul
(paulvo@ids.net)

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I have sued the SCholastic Network for almost a year. I also have used the
AOL counterpart. I find the Scholastic Network has a better offering of
guests and some capabilities that the AOL counterpart does not have. It
allows access to all of AOL, and the internet but also can secure the
students in an area and prevent them from going into areas of AOL I would
not want them in. I teach a Telecommunications Classroom for our school and find
grades 1-5 have quickly learned to naviagate the Scholastic boards and
access the internet for purposes of writing letters to pen pals.

Judith


--
GORDON MANN                          |                    gmann@llnj.ll.pbs.org
Librarian/Information Specialist     |                     School  609-926-0287
Mainland Regional High School        |                         Fax 609-927-1942
1301 Oak Ave., Linwood, NJ 08221     |                        Home 609-390-8513

--
GORDON MANN                          |                    gmann@llnj.ll.pbs.org
Librarian/Information Specialist     |                     School  609-926-0287
Mainland Regional High School        |                         Fax 609-927-1942
1301 Oak Ave., Linwood, NJ 08221     |                        Home 609-390-8513


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