From crispen@INTERNIC.NET Thu Jan 8 23:43:52 1998
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 00:50:36 -0500
From: crispen@INTERNIC.NET
Reply-To: TOURBUS-Request@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
To: TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: TOURBUS -- 7 JANUARY 1997 -- FCC / EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
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TODAY'S TOURBUS STOPS: Debunking the FCC Modem Tax (Part
Deux) / Discussions in Educational
Technology
TODAY'S TOURBUS ADDRESSES: http://www.pierian.com/whitepaper.htm
Howdy, y'all!
It looks like your fearless bus driver is going to have to re-debunk an
urban legend that resurfaced a couple of days ago. A couple of alert
TOURBUS riders recently sent me a warning that
Many local telephone companies have filed a proposal with the FCC
[The United States' Federal Communications Commission] to impose
per minute charges for Internet service. They contend that use
of Internet has or will hinder the operation of the telephone
network.
Unfortunately, the story is real ... real _OLD_, that is. In the late Fall
of 1996, several local telephone companies did indeed file a proposal with
the FCC to impose per minute charges for Internet service. Fortunately, a
few months later, the FCC rejected the proposal outright. The last I
heard, the issue is dead ... and it has been dead for well over a year.
By the way, if you want to find out more about this whole "FCC modem tax"
myth, check out my TOURBUS post from 13 February 1996 ["Edupage / Fear and
Loathing at the FCC"]. You can find that post, and all of the other
TOURBUS posts from the past two years, on the World Wide Web at
http://www.tourbus.com/
Actually, while the whole FCC modem tax myth is pretty funny [and, in all
honesty, that 13 February 1996 TOURBUS post is probably my favorite post
yet], if you _REALLY_ want a chuckle you need to check out today's TOURBUS
sponsor:
--> Receive a laugh in your email-box every day for *free*! <--
--> Come join the World's Largest Daily Humor Mailing List: <--
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--> free daily joke by sending mailto:join@jokeaday.com <--
With that said, let's get today's tour underway ...
-------------------------------------
DISCUSSIONS IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
-------------------------------------
Ever since I was a Simulations Director at the United States Space
Camp/Space Academy, I have been deeply interested in, and have been a
strong advocate for, the use of technology in the classroom to enhance the
educational experience. For example, most of us learned Newton's Third Law
of Motion through standard memorization ("To every action there is always
opposed an equal reaction; or, the mutual actions of two bodies upon each
other are always equal, and directed to contrary parts."). But, when you
strap yourself into a simulator floating on a cushion of air and you see
that when you push forward the simulator goes backwards (taking you with
it), Newton's Third Law ceases to be just a bunch of words that your
science teacher required you to memorize. The Third Law becomes real.
Now that President Clinton has set the goal of having a computer in every
classroom and having every school wired to the Internet by the year 2000,
the push to introduce new technology into the classroom is at a fever
pitch. But, while I am an advocate of technology in the classroom, I am
also the first to admit that the current push to put computers and Internet
access in every classroom carries with it some inherent risks and a heck of
a lot of unanswered questions.
It seems that I am not the only on to realize this. Back in September, the
nice folks at Pierian Spring Software invited your fearless bus driver and
seventeen other influential people in the field of educational technology
to attend the first Educational Technology Leaders Summit in Portland,
Oregon. According to Pierian Spring,
The purpose of the Summit was to bring key educational technology
champions together to discuss industry trends and what impact
technology can have on education. The discussion topics at the
Educational Technology Leaders Summit focused on multimedia, the
Internet, education reform, teacher training, and curriculum
software for the classroom.
At the Summit, we discussed the current status of technology in the
classroom, the failures and successes of information technology, and what
the future may hold. And, to be completely honest, being part of a two-day
discussion with seventeen other educational technology leaders was one of
the most informative experiences I have had in a long time.
Fortunately, our discussions did not occur behind closed doors. Pierian
Spring taped the proceedings and has just released a free white paper
documenting the discussions that took place at the Summit. The paper is
titled "Discussions in Educational Technology."
Wait ... it gets better. Interested in reading the white paper? Good ...
because it is online! You can find a copy of the "Discussions in
Educational Technology" paper on the World Wide Web at
http://www.pierian.com/whitepaper.htm
This Web page is about 85K in size, so [if you have a slow connection] you
might want to think about getting a cup of coffee first. :)
Actually, if you have a _REALLY_ slow connection [or if you are, like me,
just too darned lazy to spend the time printing out the white paper] the
nice folks at Pierian Spring Software would be more than happy to mail you
a paper copy of "Discussions in Educational Technology" for FREE. Here's
what you need to do to receive a hard copy of the white paper:
1. Send an e-mail letter Jennifer Davis, the Marketing Lead at
Pierian Spring Software. Her e-mail address is:
jdavis@pierian.com
2. In the body of your e-mail letter, desperately beg Jennifer to
snail mail you a copy of the white paper ("snail mail" is
slang for regular postal mail). By the way, special points
will be given to the person who writes the most pleading
letter. :P
3. MAKE SURE THAT, IN THE BODY OF YOUR E-MAIL LETTER, YOU INCLUDE
YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS. If you beg hard enough, Jennifer will
send you a paper copy of "Discussions in Educational
Technology" ... but she can't send it to you if you don't
include your mailing address.
That's it. Have a safe and happy weekend. :)
TODAY'S TOURBUS STOPS: Debunking the FCC Modem Tax (Part
Deux) / Discussions in Educational
Technology
TODAY'S TOURBUS ADDRESSES: http://www.pierian.com/whitepaper.htm
--------------------------------
TODAY'S SOUTHERN WORD OF THE DAY
--------------------------------
TENSY (Noun). The state on top of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.
Usage: "Elvis lived in Tensy, ju know?"
(Special thanks to Doug Keel for today's wurd)
YOU CAN FIND ALL OF THE OLD SOUTHERN WORDS OF THE DAY ON THE SOUTHERN WORD
HOMEPAGE AT http://www.brigadoon.com/~crispen/word.html
=--------------------------------------------------------------------=
For info on my book "Atlas for the Information Superhighway"
Visit http://www.brigadoon.com/~crispen/atlas.html
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(\__/) .' ) )) Patrick Douglas Crispen
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_( ( )_.' Warning: squirrels.
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