From: marc (Marc Siegel - NASA K-12 IITA Program)
Subject: Working w/o Internet in class, and misc
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 1996 06:17:38 -0700 (PDT)
Errors-to: mail-mgr@quest.arc.nasa.gov Hello folks, I few things are on the agenda for this email... 1) Those annoying "Errors-to: mail-mgr@quest.arc.nasa.gov" messages. Jeroen Wierda was right on the button when he wrote: I think that the stuff that some people were talking about lately is NOT an error message. I think that it means that: If you encounter errors with this service, you should send a message to the mail-mgr. It also means that if there are errors in the list, they'll bounce back to me, not to the person who originated the message. That was the situation which prompted me to put in the Errors-to: field. So as with many things computer, a fix on one front is a setback (confusing) on another. I agree with Jeroen that it would be ideal to have the message at the bottom of the header. I'm working that issue, but it isn't high on the priority list. So for now, please learn to ignore it. 2) Another (infrequent) Marc whine about proper list use: (THIS ONLY APPLIES TO PTK-ADVOCATES; ALL OTHERS PLEASE IGNORE) I've noticed a few posting recently to ptk-advocate list that would be best placed on discuss-lfm. General messages should always be shared over discuss-lfm, since there is a much larger group of people subscribed to discuss-lfm and your ideas will be more widely read (and enjoyed!). Also, discuss-lfm is archived and digested for those who prefer their teacher discussion in that format. So please limit ptk-advocate listings to message that really only apply to ptk-advocates. 3) Needing Internet access in your classroom: Recently, Linda McArthur wrote: In Oklahoma, computers are scarce in classrooms and Internet access is VERY scarce. I have been concerned about how this will limit participation by our Oklahoma students and teachers in some of the "Live from Mars" activities. For example, the Planet Explorer Toolkit Activity is terrific, but only science teachers with Internet access in their classrooms can participate. I hear Linda's concern, but I respectfully disagree that folks must have Internet access in their classrooms to participate. First off, the entire design phase (ie what tools will be included in the kit) can be done in class without any net access. When it comes to summarizing and sending it in, that is only one email which can be sent from home. Then to participate in the debate, I think in no more then an hour/week, a teacher could collect (at home online) all of the postings for the past week and put them on a disk. Then bring them to school and let kids read them and discuss and compose their own response. Again, from home, this info could be sent off in one email. I know it requires some work from home. But certainly you could participate. And actually getting involved in this way begins to build a strong case for why the Internet is so important to have in the classroom. We really do try to make these projects so that folks with just Email at home can also participate. But this is really just an egghead idea cooked up by some NASA weenies who aren't in classrooms. So I'd be interested to listen to whether the scenario I described is indeed workable. Have others on the list done these projects without Internet in their classrooms? Your network pal, Marc