Volume 4. No 7
Information Technology News of the University of California, Davis April 1996
Information Technology News of the University of California, Davis April 1996
Sharing their knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm, UC Davis volunteers made a solid investment in the future of California by participating in NetDay '96 last month. The event was part of a statewide effort by tens of thousands of volunteers to install network wiring in California's 13,000 K-12 public and private schools.
UC Davis contributed locally by helping to wire several schools in the Davis Joint Unified School District and by sponsoring an open house in the Center for Advanced Information Technology (CAIT) on Saturday, March 9. The open house was hosted by Carole A. Barone, Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology, and Marilyn Sharrow, University Librarian.
Attending the open house were Eva Long, Davis superintendent of schools, Davis Community Network board members Don Sailor and Ruth Asmundson, Davis City Council member Maynard Skinner, and several teachers and administrators from the Davis Joint Unified School District.
"Teachers saw many demonstrations of network applications, including a wonderfully creative Web-based resource on aerodynamics for K-12 students," said Barone, referring to a demonstration by Jani Pallis of Cislunar Aerospace. Pallis presented a text book developed under a contract with NASA in association with Ken Weiss of Information Technology.
"Networking can dramatically change how we teach and how students learn," said Joan Gargano, Director of I.T. Distributed Computing Analysis and Support. "NetDay '96 was a way to raise awareness in the community of the need to wire the schools and to invest this technology in our children's future. "
Gargano coordinated the NetDay '96 event for UC Davis, along with Russ Hobby, Director of I.T. Advanced Networked and Scientific Applications. They worked in partnership with the Davis Joint Unified School District and the Davis Community Network.
Volunteers wired the backbone to every building in Birch Lane Elementary and Holmes Junior High. Several rooms were wired in West Davis Intermediate as well as in North Davis Elementary. Hugh Taylor, facilities manager for the Davis school district, coordinated the classroom wiring for the day.
"This was a real team effort by the maintenance and facility staff, service organizations from UC Davis, parents, and professionals," said school superintendent Eva Long.
A nationally noted advocate of science and math in K-12 public schools, superintendent Long voiced concern about her school district's ability to stay competitive.
"Millions of people each month are acquiring information and accessing the Internet. If this primary information is not accessible to students on a daily basis, then we won't be able to compete with the other school systems in California and the nation, which have direct access to the Internet," said Long.
Indispensable as an organizer of the event was Jan Meizel, a teacher at Davis High School and a Davis Community Network board member who is nationally recognized for getting her school online.
"Our access to the Internet gives individual students the ability to do research in a manner unlike before," said Meizel. "As part of their portfolio required for a grade, they have to gather up-to-date information gleaned off of the Internet in addition to the conventional library search.
"We always talk about real learning. Well, this prepares them to do real research in preparation for college and the work place," Meizel said.