New Horizons for Learning: Networking for the Novice

Networking for the Novice:

Using this website and Online Networks

by Jan Perry

The following article was written to introduce new networkers to the New Horizons community of practice.

Networking is like a spider web. We start with a computer and a modem and find that we can reach out around our region, the state, the country, and the world. The larger our web grows, the more information and resources we have. The strength of our web co mes from the support we find for our ideas and questions. Our not-so-fragile web knocks down school and office walls, flattens hierarchies, and fans the wind of educational change across our country.

The opportunity to join New Horizons Online is your opportunity to enlarge that web. New Horizons continues to offer the same important information and educational resources it always has in print. Its added value will be the dialogue with a community of people who have similar interests and concerns about relevant and effective educational practices.

Getting Online

Becoming a network user takes three major steps. These steps are also reminders of where to look to solve any problems you may encounter.

The first step is obtaining the modem and connecting the hardware. The modem is the tool that tells your computer to connect to the network computer. You can choose a modem unit that plugs into your computer or a modem card you place inside the machine. Plug the telephone line into the jack on the outside of your computer.
Networkers' axiom: Loose connections are the cause of hardware problems 90% of the time!!
The second step is installing the modem software and learning to use it. If you already have Microsoft Works or Claris Works, you can create a "communications" file that operates your modem. Modem software often comes with the purchase of a modem. Oth erwise, ask your software store for a common, easy-to-use brand. The step-by-step instructions that are provided are not always clear to first-time users. If the modem does not work, first check the connections. Then ask an experienced colleague to check your modem set-up.
The final step is getting online and using the network itself. When you first connect, it's as startling and wonderful as Watson hearing Bell say, "Come here!" Actually, your screen will say "name and password." Your password provides you with access to the network and privacy for your personal electronic mail (e-mail). You will want to share information and resources from your networking with colleagues, but not your password. If you change your password, write it down in a handy place. The network will automatically disconnect you if you continue typing your name or password incorrectly. If you can't remember your password, contact the systems operator to help you get back online.

If you have a problem, check the steps above, consult your operating manual, call a friend, call the computer store that sold you the software, or call a tech support line. Whatever you do, don't spend two hours getting frustrated and end up by throwing the modem on the floor. The problem may be very simple to solve and if you try something that can't work, it may be a long time before you want to try again. You are now part of a network where members help each other. If you don't know, ask! Whether or not you become a "techie" is not important; your goal is to benefit from the information and dialogue online.

Learning Styles and the Network

Adults use their different learning styles on electronic networks. Some of us are more comfortable typing in shortened commands to move from place to place. Others like the solid structure of the menuing system. Where the first group may find menuing slow , others might like the "thought time" that the menuing system provides.

Handling information is a style issue, too. You may be one who gets overloaded with the amount of information on a network. You can limit the amount of information by using the "forget" command to hide from view items in which you are not interested. On the other hand, you may delight in that same quantity of information and want to read it all. You may decide to download all new information to a file in your computer and print it out to read at leisure.

Some folks are comfortable typing online extemporaneously. They may use the limited network editor and not worry about an error here or there. You may want everything to be perfect. You can write responses in a word processor and upload them back onto the network. If you must make a long distance phone call to connect with the network, working offline will be less costly.

You determine when to connect to the network. Many people choose to connect from home where they can plan uninterrupted time around their responsibilities. If you use equipment at school, you may prefer the time before or after working hours for networkin g. It is important to use the network often in the beginning to become at ease online. Drawing on lessons from childhood, you might set aside time for play and discovery on the network.

The right style for networking is the way that you work best, but it takes time to feel comfortable. A survey of 12 teachers new to networking and online for six months showed that seven felt confident while five still had some concerns. One person worrie d about spelling. Another felt that on a scale of 10, she was at about 5 -- able to use the network but not sure about her role in the dialogue.

The group agreed that new users should be online at least once a week to efficiently learn and improve networking skills . Many networkers advocate 3-5 times a week. More frequent use means less information to handle at one time.

When the teachers first began the project, they used many types of technical support. They attended training sessions and had telephone conversations with the moderator. Once on the network, the teachers used the Help Conference, electronic messaging (e-m ail), and colleagues familiar with networking. At the end of the six months there was less concern about telephoning the moderator, but participants requested more training sessions and a continuance of online help and collegial support. The need for telephone support decreased as people made the online connection and dealt with their problems there.

Online "Voices"

For most of us there is a "voice" to the written material online. After awhile you will be able to identify the person who is writing without checking for their name. Here are a few protocols to help your voice come through positively:

Don't use all capital letters. The type is difficult to read and your "voice" seems to be shouting.
Respect others' viewpoints. Be open to continued dialogue to clarify meanings.
Give as well as get. Add at least one comment each time you go online. You contribute to the conversation and you become more comfortable with writing online.
If you want to quote a person's conversation in a speech or piece of writing, be sure to ask for permission.
The written word online is the same as that on paper.

Expanding Your Horizons

Once you feel comfortable with the basics of a network you have the experience and the skills to use many other networks. You can find a variety of resources on the Internet. The Internet acts like a superhighway with off- and on-ramps for networks aro und the world. If you find yourself overwhelmed by the possibilities, limit yourself at first to particular networks that meet your needs and those of your students.

Even if you have only one computer in a school or a classroom, you can involve your students productively in networking. For example, you or a student can print out information from a network. Then the students work in small groups to formulate ideas, ans wer questions, and write responses. They type their finished work into a word processing file to be uploaded onto the network at a convenient time. There is a multitude of networks dedicated to curriculum topics or you and your class can start your own pr oject.

George Washington predicted that the US mail service would "bind the nation together in a chain of communication that shall never be broken." If schools and educators forge such a chain of electronic communication, it will have major impact on improving o ur nation's schools and its education system.

Getting Started

You should have access to this equipment:

1. Personal computer of any type, Macintosh, Apple, IBM or clone, or other.
2. Modem of any brand, internal or external, minimum 2400 or 1200 bps. Your modem must be "Hayes Compatible" to be able to make reliable connections.
3. Communications software. May come packaged with your modem or bundled with integrated productivity software. Also available as freeware or shareware. We can help you locate shareware if you need it.
4. An outside telephone connection without multiple lines. You must also be able to temporarily disable call waiting if you have this service. Some telephone companies offer Tone Block, a free Call Waiting enhancement that can be activated from your telephone or from within your modem software. To activate Tone Block on some push-button telephones, press *70 (asterisk 7 0) on your telephone touchpad before you attempt to connect with Belnet. You must do this each time you go online. Check with your phone company for more information.

About the author:

Jan Perry has taught at Kimball Elementary School in Seattle, Washington for 8 years, and has been involved in an NEA restructuring project since 1988. She is very interested in the process of restructuring and how that process affects t he products that result. She is an active user of electronic networks in her classroom and professionally.