Hit:Internet Use

[Lydia Piper <lpiper@CSRANET.COM>]

Hi  everyone,
 I got a lot of great advice on using the Internet so here are most of the
comments I received:
One thing that you can do is create web subject tours--by using programs
like Web Buddy or Web Whacker.  These can be used off line but the
students can actually surf the pre-selected sights. As far as online
searching I would suggest that you provide a search plan form that they
need to fill out beforehand.Our district requires that internet use involve
an educational project
approved by the teacher, must have signed parent permission, and must have
an adult who has view of the screen. We're a K-5 site. There are weeks that
we keep our machines busy, but about 3 machines is the most any one person
can logically observe at one time (our kids are just learning to use
Internet). I'd suggest you ask that use be research or project based,
educational and teacher approved, then scheduled. Best of luck!

Lorrie Wade, LMS     lorriew@hermiston.k12.or.us
With only one internet computer (and it having to run other programs as
well)  I don't see how you can find enough time to see that "everyone" gets
a chance to use it.

I would establish a policy that the net be used as a last resort when
answers to questions cannot be found in your book resources.  Because of
the time required in net searching, you might even have to have students
make a search request in writing, then do the searching yourself.  It's
hard enough for an adult with decent search skills to find just the right
source on the net.  Students waste an incredible amount of time because
they are so awed by the graphics and get side-tracked.


Dear Lydia,  At East High I am wrestling with the same problem.  I am
considering a 15 min time limit (with a timer.) If other patrons are in
line, the user has to move on.  However, the problem is more complicated.
Our station should be used for research and usually it isn't.  I plan to
write guidelines and put them into my " disclosure" document.  That way it
is not arbitrary.  Let me know if you get any great suggestions.  Thanks.
Christine S.
We are a high school in the same situation, just one internet hook up.
We have found that the sign up doesn't work for us.  What we do instead
is just first come, first served, but if people are waiting then we tell
the students on it they have to share and to finish up what they are
doing.  This works pretty well.  It is busy all day, though, and we will
be grateful when we get more hookups.

Carolyn Gierke

Until yesterday I've only had 1 Internet accessible computer in the LMC
for the past 2 years, now we have moved up in the world and have 2.  It
would depend upon how many of your students have accounts/AUP on file.
If only a few in the general student population (our situation) or
several which is where we are headed quickly.  So far I keep an eye open
on student use time, request that they let me know when they are surfing
as a courtesy call and have no problems bog down time.  Research needs
are always first, then general surfing/email.  Plan to use a sign-up
sheet in the future (next year?) due to more Internet computers
(hopefully if goes as planned) with a time limit.  Have found that some
students can tie up the computers whether it is Net or cdrom searching.
Have been tolerant so far because I feel that if the comptuers are not
t year we only had one connection also. I used a sign-up sheet and limited
time to 20 minutes.  It
worked fine since the Intenet had not really caught on yet.  This year I
have 6 connections and
often the kids are lined up(especially during lunch--I am glad that we don't
have study halls!).
Each student must sign  an AUP and take it home to be read and signed, too.
Missi Baker
Greenup HS (KY)

  Our high school has had 1 Net computer (with other software) for
2 years.  This semester we've gotten usage up to where I did a daily, by
period reserve schedule.  Students can schedule a day ahead, faculty can
schedule as far ahead as they need to (so they have priority for class
work before individual students sign up).  I am now doing this with a  six
computers (for other software) and I'm keeping count.  Shortly I hope to
have the ammo I need to make a clear case for *more* Internet access.
BTW, I keep the computer open for the first 10 minutes of the period, then
someone else can use it.  I have also tried to make a strong case with
teachers that it takes at least a period (42 mins.) to get anywhere with
the Net.  One teacher was scheduling his kids every 10 minutes.  Be glad
to provide more input. . . .Karen
cently had only one access point to the Internet in my media center also
and it does pose problems.  I made my students sign in and gave time limits.
Kind of like taking reservations at a restaurant when the line is so long
that everyone has to wait.

Mary Boyd, Wren High School, South Carolina.


At both my high school and elementary school, the students sign up, first
come, first serve, with a 15 minute limit.  At the elementary level, I would
hold a time for a student if a teacher and I collaborated first.  At the
secondary level, we keep it available for the whole class as long as the
teacher has sign up and collaborted first.  Elementary has only 1 line, like
yours.  Secondary just got a second access and it is heavenly.

Sherry
K-5 & 9-12 Librarian
Lowell Smith Elementary and Santa Rita High
Tucson Unified School District
Tucson, AZ


For most research, I put in the Grolier's or some other resource into the CD
on the Power Mac
and tehn print out the info they require - emphasizing they cannot turn it
in as their own work,
they must read and rewrite as well as cite the source properly, which is
neat because when I print
it out, the info is also printed at the end of the job. . .  Some still are
traditionalist and want to sit
and copy the work from books while chatting quietly with their neighbors. .
.  I do get swamped
with requests sometimes, but we also run a flexible schedule, so students
can come by at any
time (as long as their teachers release them) and do more research (and I'm
not presenting a
class). . .

Works out nice and have no complaints just yet. . .

I also took in an old stereo system of mine and some bookshelf speakers and
we get good
quality sound when we do CDs or go net searching...  I can also play music
CDs for ambiance or
listen to the radio (oldies music _only_)...

I hope this helped...

Aloha...   Earl J.

Earl J. Moniz (emoniz@christcom.net OR emoniz@nccu.edu)
We also only have one station, but I have decided NOT to have students sign
up for times -- at least for now.  First come, first serve has worked for us.
 I do have the option of imposing a thirty-minute limit and have had to do
that from time to time.  I also have an "Internet Guest Book" for students to
sign in/out, mark length of time on line, subject(s) of search, and service
used.  Students also know that they have to be doing classwork-related
searching.

So far this has worked for us (300 students, 9-12).

Lynn Henry
Concordia Academy
Roseville, MN
LynnH123@aol.com
I am the LMS at DeRuyter Central School.
Students interested in using the internet must obtain a form that has to be
signed by a parent.  It also inludes the students S.S. number.
Some schools require students, take a test.

Ira Tobak
DeRuytetr Central School
We  have exactly the same situation.  The Internet access computer is in
our "office" which has now been turned into more of a public workroom,
with   so many people in and out to use Internet.  We limit our students to 20
minutes ( we are on the 4x4 schedule, so the periods are longer) and we
also encourage the teachers to make assignments in groups, so that 4 or 5
students are using the computer together.  We do not allow any game
playing or random surfing and NO CHAT ROOMS or anything like that.  This
is our first year on the Internet, so we are playing this by ear so far.
We do not charge for printing at this point, but we also encourage the
students to do research in the library first, so they are not copying maps
from the Internet that we have in a book on the shelf.
This computer is also the one that I use for word processing, e-mail, et

Lydia,  I have only one internet access. I try to rotate kids on it during
library class when they are getting books. I have on a "safe site for
kids" such as Arthur or Berits Best Sites For kids . I also have kids
get a pass and use it a lunch time. I am going to start tomorrow with
a pass they can pick up that says their name and a description of what
they want to use the internet for. I am probably going to start to
have a clipboard by that computer so I can keep track of what times
are spoken for. I usually have it in use all day. Some kids are
exploring areas of interest and some are doing research.
Lydia B.Piper
Home-lpiper@csranet.com
School-!wges@csra.net
Website-www.csranet.com/~lpiper/lydiahom.htm