Superintendents in Cyberspace.

School Leaders Reap Counsel and Cash From Their Travels on the Information Superhighway 

Editor's Note: The information superhighway carries a special attraction for K-12 educators, and over the past year thousands have logged on for professional purposes. But early evidence suggests few central-office administrators--and even fewer district superintendents--are among those now navigating the Internet.

One central-office school leader recently suggested that the paucity of superintendents on the Internet was no different than executives in other fields, saying: "I read an article in Newsweek that described a summer training program just for CEOs who were computer illiterate. The setting provided information on how to use the Internet, spreadsheets, etc. I would guess that many superintendents fall into a similar category. Basically, they don't want other people to know their lack of computer knowledge and therefore use 'I don't have time' as an excuse.

A technology coordinator who works with superintendents in three Midwest school districts was even more blunt: "They are interested in gaining Internet access for their districts, but the superintendents themselves, so far, see no real use for themselves. Two of the superintendents have virtually no keyboarding skills. ... I get the impression they will have to really see some valuable use before they are willing to put in the time to learn."

In hopes of encouraging more widespread involvement, The School Administrator identified several school district leaders who are regular users and invited them to write about their experiences. What follows are first-person stories by eight district superintendents and an associate superintendent.

If you are a regular Internet user and would like to share your own stories (or comment on anything else appearing in the magazine), please send a message to Jay P. Goldman, editor of The School Administrator, at [e-mail].

A Guinea Pig Gets Hooked

DOUG YOUNG 

At the rather strong suggestion of a University of Tennessee professor I had hired as a consultant to provide technology training for our teachers, I became a computer user to set an example. I think he figured if I could learn to operate a computer, anyone could. In just a few weeks I was hooked.

Then I made a scheduling blunder. With my days completely filled and many evenings also booked with school activities, I discovered the Internet.

At first I just cruised around, learning where things were and how to access information. I learned the file transfer protocol process, which allowed me to print out a hard copy of information. I also learned about listservs and e-mail.

As I started to put all this new knowledge together, I found diverse uses for it that have touched classroom practices and reshaped how I research information for administrative decisions.

For instance, our biology teacher had taught his students to use e-mail. As part of an assignment, those students started asking me questions, which I promptly answered on my laptop computer while sitting in my recliner at home late in the evenings. This allowed me to give some thought to their questions and provide much better responses than I could have given them at school with a dozen pressing problems on my mind.

I also discovered some of our graduates who were in college had access to the Internet. One student and I talk every night about his graduate studies in civil engineering, and together we have found sources on the Internet that list jobs. We are trying to find him a good position.

Teachers who might not be able to see me during the school day have found me in the evenings in my recliner cruising the "net." I answer questions and even put together some good programs that I can now see in the classrooms. One of my most successful endeavors has channeled thousands of dollars to our district's vocational program.

This occurred after a controversy arose about the distribution of federal funds from the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act between the county system and our 660-student system, one of five special state-supported schools. The state education department had determined that the county system would receive most of the funds even though it enrolled only 30 percent of the secondary students. I sent an inquiry describing the situation on a listserv for vocational information (Vocnet), which went out to more than 500 people.

One of my responses was an e-mail message from a U.S. Department of Education official, who put me in touch with the administrator responsible for distributing the Perkins funds to the states. I discussed the situation with him and he helped resolve the controversy to allow a more equitable distribution of the money.

The Internet also helped our high school adopt a block-scheduling plan. Through several listservs I accessed information and discussed problems with other administrators whose schools are using the block schedule. I turned again to the Internet to find out about schools using commercial food service companies. Next year our high school is contracting with such a firm. I obtained information and opinions from other schools that employ the same company.

The Internet has become a powerful tool. I would not want to be without it. However, I do find myself spending too much time online (sometimes into the wee hours of the morning). I am hooked, but just as I started out to do, I am serving as an example to our staff and I would encourage other superintendents to do the same.

Not Just for Computer Junkies

RALPH E. POWELL

Just a couple of years ago, I thought terms like "listserv," "gopher," "Mosaic," and "file transfer protocol" were used only by "techies." Now they are part of my everyday vocabulary and each is an extremely important tool that I use as a superintendent.

I am not an Internet junkie. Like most district superintendents, I don't have much time for cruising the "net." My first interest in the Internet was as a means of bringing current resources to the classroom. Today it is a valuable resource used by teachers and students of all grade levels in Hallsville, from kindergarten to senior year.

Now I primarily use the Internet for e-mail to keep in touch with neighboring superintendents, consultants, other professional educators, and my office staff when I am out of town. However, in Missouri, such limited use by superintendents will be short-lived. Thanks largely to a visionary governor, Mel Carnahan, Missouri has taken a gigantic leap toward the 21st century.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education received funding to create a statewide network linking all school districts and the department. The state agency entered into a three-year contract with the Missouri Research in Education Network, or MOREnet, to connect every school district in the state. MOREnet provides a connection to the Internet and extensive training and support for district personnel using a "train-the-trainer" model.

During the first phase, more than 600 local district coordinators will receive training. The contract provides for two types of connections depending on the computer equipment available in the district. If a district is ready, a 56KB-dedicated connection to the Internet is provided. Districts without a local area network are offered a number of toll-free "dial-up" connections.

The state education department's motivation is not just to provide access to the Internet for every Missouri student. Part of the contract with MOREnet calls for setting up and maintaining a host computer on the Internet. This will be used by the department to post most of the information a superintendent needs from the state and allows each district superintendent to have an e-mail address. Communications from the department that in the past took weeks to prepare, print, and mail can be sent to all superintendents electronically, greatly reducing the cost to state government and putting vital information in the hands of superintendents much faster.

A tremendous side benefit is the fact that everyone in the state education department can and I hope, will have an e-mail address--no more phone tag--and we will have written (electronic) copies of our conversations.

The Internet has changed how I gather information and how I keep in touch. Yet this is only the beginning! I strongly believe that a Missouri superintendent who is not familiar with and using the Interne within the next year or so will be handcuffed in meeting the needs of his or her school district.

From Snail Mail to E-mail

JOHN ZELIFF

I first became a traveler on the information superhighway as a doctoral student at the University of Missouri-Columbia during the summer of 1990. Once I returned to my school district, I realized how spoiled I had become.

I felt the same way again in 1992 after a summer of university study. This time the withdrawal symptoms were too much, and I felt it was time for me and other leaders in the rural K-12 schools of northwest Missouri to enter the information age.

Northwest Missouri State University, located in Maryville, had provided area K-12 schools with automated library services through the Regional Electronic Catalog Accessed Library since 1986. This dial-up computer connection provided access to the university's on-line catalog listings along with the ability to obtain books from its library collection.

Other administrators and I met with the university's director of computing services. We wanted to find a way to provide Internet access to area schools surrounding the university. Northwest had established an electronic campus and in 1987 became the first comprehensive high-access academic computing network at a public university in the nation. Our meeting resulted in the formation of NORTHWESTnet in spring 1993, a partnership of 23 K-12 school districts in a nine-county region.

With funding from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, NORTHWESTnet increased access through the use of packet data radio (wireless) connections to the electronic campus, thus eliminating long distance telephone connections to access the Internet. This opened up even broader educational opportunities for students, teachers, and administrators of the rural schools in the region.

Each morning when I arrive at school, I check my e-mail; each evening as I leave, I check my e-mail. I may find a message from one of my teachers, a student, an area administrator, a college professor a colleague from Missouri, a former student now in college, or someone frkmthe state department of education. One afternoon, I even received an e-mail from a student telling me that the weather was looking bad and recommending that school be dismissed early. I always have e-mail from the various listservs to which I subscribe.

Listserv discussion groups allow me to keep current on trends in education, technology, and other special-interest areas. When a situation or problem arises, I know that I can post it on the appropriate listserv and within a few hours, I will have feedback from experts and practitioners from all over the world. Listservs I have used include: K-12 administration, educational technology, and t e Coalition of Essential Schools. I also receive information from the White House, ranging from President Clinton's daily schedule to White House press releases.

When I need information, I turn to my desktop computer. I can access the Missouri Department of Education's gopher and get the latest information on school finance, comparative information about school districts, recent decisions from the U.S. and Missouri Supreme Courts and related commentary the public school laws of Missouri, newsletters from the state education commissioner and the state board of education president, Missouri teacher certification requirements, and state department of education activities. I also can retrieve census information-- helpful information on our district's demographics. When I contact a supervisor from the state education department using e-mail, I can receive a response faster than "snail mail" and usually faster than waiting for a return phone call.

If I want to know what is going on outside my community that day, I can access news summaries from USA Today and other newspapers across the country. I can receive the latest weather forecast for our area or any location I may be traveling. While I am out of town, I check in with my secretary and building principals using e-mail rather than making long-distance phone calls.

I continually scout resources for others in our district to use. I have secured lesson plans for teachers, examples of school technology plans for principals, and projects and activities used by our gifted teacher and students. I have accessed the Federal Register and contacted college professors. I provided contacts for our guidance counselors in developing an at-risk program. I have performed ERIC searches for current information on a range of subjects. I have downloaded files and pictures for teachers and students.

By giving our school district worldwide access to this cutting-edge research and technology, we create a tremendous potential. The only limits are the imagination of the administrators, teachers, and students using the Internet. For our school district, it provides exposure to the global, competitive economic system. I cannot think of a better public relations tool than to make these services available to our community as well.

Abandoning the Phone for E-mail

ANNE COOPER

I hesitated about using the Internet. Though I wholeheartedly support the use of technology in our schools and continue to ensure that our students have access to quality hardware and software, I was reticent to get involved myself. I saw it as either a potential waste of time with little return or yet another in-basket to manage.

Fortunately, I listened to knowledgeable staff members and took the plunge. The advantages for a superintendent becoming conversant with the "net" are many.

First-hand experience and information give one a basis for intelligent decision making. For me, the Internet provides enhanced information and direct experience that otherwise would be unavailable. The Internet proves beneficial when:

* developing a personal vision of how this technology might benefit clients of the system (staff and students);

* developing a real understanding of the issues that support the fielding of proposals for resource allocation;

* receiving technical information and advice from experts while enjoying a degree of independence from their possible biases (this offers better comprehension of recommendations and allows me to generate my own informed opinions); and

* informing our board as to which technologies are appropriate and what their practical implications might be.

The introduction of technology into the system is inevitable. A superintendent who uses technology and can speak intelligently about it has a degree of credibility obtainable in no other way. The value attached to the use of technology within the district is manifest. The merits of using the Internet oneself helps immensely when trying to facilitate incorporation of technology into various settings: professional development, classroom instruction, communication systems, and administrative support initiatives.

An obvious advantage that accrues to all who use the "net" is immediate contact with others in the same domain. It enables one to converse with a pool of experts with whom contact might not be practical or possible in any other way. To us in northern Canada, the virtual environment of the Internet also helps diminish the obstacle of physical distance by equalizing access to expertise.

In British Columbia, the Ministry of Education funded the purchase of computer hardware and supporting communication software for all 75 provincial superintendents. This was a visionary action on our ministry's part and dramatically decreased the isolation that I once felt.

Beyond communicating with colleagues, I have the potential now to do ERIC searches from my desk, talk with scholars on topical listservs, and gather information using the World Wide Web. My access now is a must. I liken it to the purchase of our first facsimile machine years ago. The question then was what would we do with it? Now the question is what would we do without it?

In our roles as CEOs, we know that time management is critical. I collect my e-mail usually twice per day and respond immediately to all high priority, or in-district, messages. I spend approximately one-half hour per day, usually in the late afternoon, just before I leave for home, reading and responding to messages. This is not an onerous task.

I net-surf from home in the evening. This environment is more conducive to browsing, and I can better justify the time spent. I still feel unwilling to surf during my normal working day. I'd rather spend any extra time I have in our schools.

Since being connected, I now do all of my routine correspondence with approximately 10 staff members (we are just now phasing in access for all district staff). I wouldn't think of phoning them, simply because e-mail is so much easier. New teachers who become connected tend to feel part of the district much sooner since I try to correspond with them using this technology.

The nature of my professional contacts and exchanges has improved markedly since I began to use the net regularly last September. I see articles and comments on a variety of lists and forward these to staff. Many staff members return the favor, effectively flagging items of interest and relevance. In a sense, I am able to interact more effectively with at least twice the staff I used to. The conversational tone of the medium suits my personal style.

Plugging in Districtwide

WAYNE FERGUSON

I was introduced to the Internet at a meeting concerning school climate. The group was discussing items over coffee with the librarian from a neighboring school. The librarian's principal interest in the Internet was his ability to send e-mail to his son who was an exchange student in New Zealand.

I discussed the concept of the Internet with my principals, and we decided the district should get a modem to explore this idea. I got "hooked" the first time I logged on.

This was made possible largely because the Nebraska legislature passed legislation that made the educational service units (our intermediate service agencies) responsible for helping all schools in Nebraska become Internet users. I worked with a consortium of three service units in setting up a unix server, which we named the Panhandle Educational Service Unit Internet Consortium, or PANESU. With access to the Internet, I began to work with staff to get each an account. Several have now completed college-level classes about the Internet, some of them as part of on-line courses.

Our school district, which enrolls 285 students in K-12, received a grant of $98,000 from U.S. West to network the total school system and develop a direct connection to PANESU to be in operation this semester. This connection, which started in January, allows all students and staff members access to all the information on the superhighway. Teachers now are requiring their students to use the Internet to research their senior papers.

Administratively, I have made major use of e-mall. I find it an ideal method of returning calls, making appointments, and mailing information to others. I can make "calls" when it is convenient for me; the receiving party can answer when he or she has time. This is a significant time saver. I also spend some time on the gophers and new networks. I look for topics of interest to students or staff, then download the information to the teachers or students so they can use the material.

The Internet will become a major player in the educational plans of the rural isolated school district, but there is a downside to this technology: It will require money. Our district is lucky, having received a major outside grant, but not all districts will be able to come up with external funding.

Staff members must be retrained. Most are trying to understand word processing on the computer and if you add the load of using the Internet, something must give. A commitment of time and money for in-service training is necessary, and the school district must provide the computers to use the services.

If the Internet is to become a valuable tool for educational enhancement, it must be made accessible to all. Availability is the next challenge for the schools.

An Unexpected Personal Connection

MARY NEBGEN

I connected to the Internet just last summer, so I'm still a relatively new user. At the time, I was mainly interested in doing research on ERIC. My projects included a speech on the importance of preschool and an orientation manual for new school board members. I thought the Internet could save me library time.

It did that and a whole lot more. I spent some time just browsing and found the K-12 administrators listserv. I subscribed and found myself in the midst of ongoing discussions about year-round schools, consequences for tardiness, weighted grades, and sexual harassment. I began reading each message with interest and soon learned that consumed an inordinate amount of time--one day there were 107 messages! I've since learned to view only messages of interest to our district.

What benefits have I gained? I've posted questions about motivational speakers and budget development processes, both of which have reaped answers from across the nation. I've learned how other districts are handling issues that we also face (e.g., character education, parent involvement, and bus routing software). I've received messages from friends across the nation who saw my Internet questions and wrote to say hello. I've talked to teachers and students in my own district who are on the Internet--a personal connection I had not anticipated.

I'm sure that I haven't even begun to tap the vast array of benefits on the highway ahead. Time is limited, and I do not have the luxury of spending hours exploring the territory. What traveling I have done, however, has been helpful professionally. I look forward to further trips in cyberspace!

Influencing Legislation at My Desktop

ERIC J. BARTLESON

My first experience with on-line computing came when I joined CompuServe in 1992. I thoroughly enjoyed the service's access to databases and reference materials. I also liked the speed and flexibility of e-mail as I corresponded electronically with many of my friends throughout the country who were also members of this service.

The Internet entered my vocabulary about two years ago when as an adjunct professor I was provided an address through a local university. Because of the difficulty in navigating the Internet without user-friendly programs such as gopher and Mosaic, I did not use the service regularly.

When I received my first copy of gopher, navigating the Internet became much easier. I was hooked. I signed onto a number of listservs--common-theme discussion groups in which you receive all messages sent by any other member. This became a problem when I received up to 200 messages a day. I soon pared my listservs to one, the listserv related to K-12 administration. This allows me to keep up with current topics related to educational administration and to interact with practicing and aspiring administrators throughout the country.

I also use the Internet to send and receive e-mail from friends and colleagues. This allows me to make contacts and send messages without the delay of regular mall nor the inconvenience of phone connections not made.

The Internet also provides me with access to thousands of sources of information. One of the most useful and helpful Internet resources is in school law and the legislative process. In Minnesota, the legislature has created a server to provide on-line access to many databases, including the full text of all of the current Minnesota statutes, biographical information of legislative members, membership on all committees, daily and weekly schedules of committee and full house and senate sessions, all bills that have been introduced and a bill-tracking service that provides the current status of legislation as it moves through the process. I monitor this server daily to keep up on legislative activity and to communicate, via e-mail, with my legislators.

During the last legislative session, our 1,200-student school district worked with one of our legislators via the Internet to amend a statute to allow us to receive a $200,000 grant for improving educational facilities. In particular, the K-12 administration listserv has provided me and our school district an invaluable tool in gaining insight into current educational issues and experiences of other school districts in implementing educational reform efforts.

Recently there has been a lot of discussion on the listserv about block scheduling for high school classes. These discussions, which include insights from practicing administrators based on their experiences, have helped us determine our direction.

Administrators need to become aware of all the resources available to them on the Internet and to encourage teachers to become familiar with the many instructional and research tools that can enhance their roles as facilitators of education.

Mining a Field of Valuable Resources

KENNETH ARNDT

When I first became a central-office administrator five years ago, the district technology coordinator introduced me to the world of information via the computer and modem. As a principal, I had used a computer daily, but I had little knowledge of e-mail, let alone any understanding of the information superhighway.

My ignorance of the Internet continued until last year. Perhaps owing to the growing media attention and the persistence of our district's technology director, I finally took a look. Another key factor was my community's establishment of a "freenet"--a cost-free access ramp--thereby allowing anyone to connect to the Internet via a local telephone number.

Today I spend about six hours per week on the infohighway, typically logging on during the early morning hours or late evening at home.

I enjoy using the infohighway for two reasons: Communicating with others with similar concerns helps me professionally, and it's enjoyable. During the past year I have communicated with educators and non-educators by subscribing to listservs dealing with administration, curriculum, and leadership theory. Topics I found of the most value have dealt with site-based decision making, inclusion, technology plans, contract negotiations language, and staff development. On top of this vast information, I have found useful quotes or ideas that I use in presentations.

At a state conference last fall, an educator introduced himself to me by mentioning some of the statements that I made on a listserv. On another occasion, someone asked via the Internet if I would be interested in a paid position as a consultant because he read some of my comments and felt I could be of service.

While the benefits are many, one also must realize that messages are literally transmitted all over the world, therefore I would advise not posting something you might regret later. I also suggest not subscribing to more than three listservs if you don't want to become deluged with e-mail. Another disadvantage is that the program I use does not allow you to edit your typing mistakes once you hit the return key and you only have one hour of use at a time. But what can you expect for free!

If you are an administrator interested in entering the infohighway, talk to current school administration users. Let them walk you through the steps. Once you log onto the infohighway, you will not want to get off.

Brainstorming via the 'Net'

JAMES K. TICE 

(E-mail [e-mail])

As a superintendent of a small, rural school district, I use telecommunications, including the Internet, every day for an hour or more, usually in a couple of sessions.

I arrive at the office between 6 and 7 a.m. and get on ORION, our local on-line network. This is my on-ramp to MOREnet, the statewide higher education on-line network, which leads to the Internet. Currently I subscribe to four listservs, including those dealing with K-12 administration and educational technology. I would add more, but time is a finite resource.

I scan the messages, sorting, responding, printing, filing--generally 40 to 60 messages a day. I then go back to my undeletes and read or print them for present or future use. I also forward items, with my comments to staff or others. At the moment, all my administrators and their secretaries are on-line users, as are two of my seven board members and the architectural firm handling our recently approved facility bond projects.

Many of my forwarded materials contain my brainstorms as "seed" ideas for people to use or not, as they see fit. About 10 of the professional staff in our district do the same for me from their own listservs.

I am primarily focused on improving the instructional process and learning environment with a particular interest in technology's impact on learning. I have associates who wander the Internet and send me things that might interest me. This works well, in having some volunteer "miners" looking for gold on the Internet.

I feel fortunate to have this tool at my disposal for several reasons:

* How else can a small, rural school district in southwestern Missouri develop a network of contacts and then provide these contacts to my teachers, board of education members, and administrators for their growth?

* How else can I have research persons, worldwide, working for me?

* How else can I have a group of local associates doing research and development for me and my school district on a voluntary basis and be excited about it?

* How else could I screen the votes of our state legislators from the previous day and then with a stroke of the key send them appropriate feedback and forward all this to colleagues in other corners of the state for their appropriate action?

A Resource for Educators

The Educational Research Service recently published The Internet Handbook for School Users, perhaps the best resource to date that relates to professional educators.

The handbook has sections relating to questions educators commonly ask, and how to access K-12 Internet resources. The guide includes a reference sheet of Internet commands and a glossary of terms.

Single copies are available for $12 to ERS subscribers, $24 for nonsubscribers.

ERS also has published a condensed version for teachers and others involved in on-line instruction. "The Internet Manual for Classroom Use" is priced at 1-24 copies, $8 each; 25-49 copies, $7 each; 50-99 copies, $6 each; 100 or more copies, $6 each. Shipping and handling is $3.50 or 10 percent of total whichever is greater. Allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.

Contact ERS at 2000 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, Va. 22201, or call 703-243-2100.

A Glossary of Terms

These terms are used by some of those writing about their adventures as Internet and e-mail users.

* file transfer protocol: the procedures that allow you to access and transfer files from a remote location to your own terminal

* gopher: a service that presents information to the user in a series of menus

* Mosaic: A user-friendly, colorful interface for the Internet that supports advanced feature, such as sound and sophisticated fonts. Mosaic is particularly useful when exploring the World Wide Web.

* unix server: An Internet-accessible comp computer running unix software. The unix system requires familiarity with DOS-like commands.

* World Wide Web: An Internet service that organizes information, such as documents and databases, using a method called hypertext. In hypertext, pieces of information are linked to other information, as if on a web. By selecting words in a documents, you are led to related documents, pictures, or sounds.