Last update at http://inet.nttam.com : Thu May 4 12:36:16 1995 YouthCaN Millard Clements New York University clements@acf6.nyu.edu YouthCaN is an initiative of faculty and students of the NYU program in Environmental Conservation Education in cooperation with the H. Frank Carey High School Ecology Council, I*EARN, International Education and Resource Network (Copen Family Fund), and the American Museum of Natural History. YouthCaN activities have been co-sponsored by UNEP , UNESCO, NYNEX, CON-ED, and a number of environmental organizations. The mission of YouthCaN is to develop a sustainable computer network of youth groups for the coordination and expression of youth concerns regarding environmental issues. The strategy of YouthCaN is to organize opportunities for young people with computer telecommunications skills to teach other young people how to develop such networking abilities and how to connect with like minded young people around the world. YouthCaN94 focused attention on ocean pollution and its effects on sea life along with a concern for the health of rivers, lakes and seas that connect with the great oceans of the world. The motivating question of YouthCaN94 was: How is ocean, river and lake pollution affecting our lives and what are we doing to face this challenge? The YouthCaN94 demonstrated the power of computer networking as an opportunity for environmental action, research, and cross-cultural communication with educators, UN officials, youth groups, and NGO's. During the conference live interactive links were made with student groups around the world via: computers, video phones, video conferencing. More than 700 students attended the YouthcaN94 conference at the American Museum of Natural history. YouthCaN95 addressed the issue of environmental restoration, on April 28, 1995 at the American Museum of Natural History. Students and youth groups were provided opportunities to describe their restoration projects and to demonstrate their computer networking activities. The focus of this event was youth and global communications. Elementary and High School students planned the day of demonstrations, workshops, and discussions. There are today many commercial and noncommercial school based telecommunications projects. Extravagant rhetoric, at times, celebrates the contribution of telecommunications to eduction. The significance of this new technology is enormous but little understood, it is much discussed, but it is still a mystery to many. In the last ten years or so there has been a profound change in human communications systems at least as important as the development of movable print and the technology to produce books. Computers and computer telecommunications now, today, can connect schools in Belarus and schools in Florida. That is, at reasonable cost students in schools in one region of the world can write to or communicate with students in many other parts of the world. Computer telecommunications using telephone lines is now cheap enough for modest school budgets. At the same time, there are very rich nations of the world that enjoy an abundance of food, comforts of secure housing, benefits of health care, education and freedom of personal choice in many aspects of life. And, there are nations of the world that have people living on the edge of existence, with little food, inadequate shelter, poor health care and inadequate access to education, and few options for personal choice. Telecommunications involving young people, scholars, poets, artists and philosophers in the various nations of the world, may address and clarify some of the deep divisions among the nations the world today. That is a possibility and a reality of telecommunications and education today. Computer telecommunications basically does three things: O N E: IT PROVIDES ACCESS TO INFORMATION THAT IN THE PAST WAS DIFFICULT TO GET OR WAS IN FACT UNAVAILABLE. T W O: IT PROVIDES CONNECTION WITH STUDENTS, TEACHERS, COLLEAGUES, ACROSS THE CITY, ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD. T H R E E IT PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITIES OF THE WRITTEN WORD. IT FACILITATES FRIENDSHIPS WITH PEOPLE IN DISTANT PLACES THAT ARE NOT BASED ON GENDER, AGE, OR SOCIAL CLASS. IN THIS NEW COMMUNITY, PEOPLE ARE WHAT THEIR WORDS REVEAL. Our challenge as educators, citizens, poets, artists or as environmentalists is to learn how to use telecommunications to access significant information relating to the issues about which we care, and to use telecommunications to participate in communities with whom we choose to become involved. O N E ACCESS INFORMATION For almost any topic dealing with nature and the environment, education, history, philosophy, government, art and science there are online resources that are more current than any textbook, more diverse in perspective than the public media provides. For some issues such as climate change, rainforests, population, sustainable development, toxic waste, the ozone layer or global warming, there are no better resources than those on line today. For information about the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection, the United Nations, USAID, The U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Education telecommunications is the primary resource. Here are a few illustrations of online information resources: Telnet/Gopher Sites Am. Philos. Assoc. gopher aa.ox.edu or gopher 134.69.1.2 offers: BBS for philosophers. gopher gopher.ed.gov [U.S. Dept. of Education] offers information on most if not all activities of the department. Career Centers Online gopher gopher.msen.com and gopher gopher.msen.com 9062mail occ-info@mail.msen.com offers: Jobs database, resume listing service, search by location/keyword MicroMUSE telnet michael.ai.mit.edu or telnet 128.89.2.153 virtual reality Earthquake information Earthquake Info. finger quake@geophys.washington.edu [Wash., Oregon] finger quake@fm.gi.alaska.edu [Alaska] finger quake@scec2.gps.caltech.edu [Southern Calif.] UN Gopher This is the UN gopher from which you go to other UN gophers. Root gopher server: GOPHER gopher.undp.org 1. The United Nations, what it is and what it does/ 2. United Nations Current Information (Highlights, Press Releases, et../ 3. United Nations Documents (General Assembly, Sec. Council)/ 4. United Nations Conferences/ 5. United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)/ 6. United Nations System Directories/ 7. United Nations System Telecommunications Catalogue/ 8. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Documents/ 9. Other United Nations & related Gophers/ 10. Environment Related Information/ 11. Other Gopher & Information Servers/ 12. Access to External Public Databases/ 13. Announcements/ 14. United Nations 50th Anniversary/ 15. Gopher contents accessible through E-Mail -Project Gutenberg ftp mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu or ftp 128.174.201.12 Offers: Many books in print and almanac files. cd pub/etext International Education Bulletin Board TELNET NIS.CALSTATE.EDU or 130.150.102.39 login: intl International Education Main Menu -Nanaimo schoolsnet telnet crc.sd68.nanaimo.bc.ca or telnet 134.87.120.1 offers: Education-based bbs (login: guest) There are thousands of such resources now available through: listservs telneting to one place or another.. Gophering to one place or another. Writing e-mail directly to individuals. WWW The world has changed; there are new possibilities for teachers and students and parents and each one of us personally. T W O ACCESS TO PEOPLE: NEW CONNECTIONS There are at least three different ways of connecting with environmentalists, teachers, students and schools around the world: 1. Join one of the many listservs that connect environmentalists with common interests. 2. Find organizations and schools now engaged in environmental education. Or, find students, and teachers seeking engagement in environmental projects. 3. Find the address of individual teachers or students and get in touch with them personally by e-mail. Let me review some examples of each one of these: JOIN A LISTSERV: Here are some examples of listservs. There may be more than 5,000 listservs dealing with a wide array of issues. 1. Listname: BIOSPH-L (Biosphere, ecology, Discussion List) listserv@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu 2. Listname: AFRICANA on LISTSERV@WMVM1 - Information Technology and Africa or LISTSERV@wmvm1.cc.wm.edu The purpose of AFRICANA LISTSERV is to provide an electronic forum for sharing and exchanging information on the various activities going on in the field of information technology in Africa. Interested parties are invited to post notices, questions, ideas and pertinent information on WHO is Doing WHAT, WHERE, HOW WHEN and even WHY anywhere on the continent of Africa. Owner: Paa-Bekoe Welbeck or 3. Listname: DEVEL-L is concerned with a wide range of sustainable development issues. listserv@auvm.bitnet" 4. Listname: AIDS, is concerned with AIDS. Bitnet%"listserv@rutvm1" 5. Listnames: a) Agor@une.edu.au AGORA = e-journal in classics b) Ancien-L@ULKYVM History of the Ancient Mediterranean c) AnSax-L@WVNVM Anglo Saxon [very active, technical] d) BMCR-L@cc.brynmawr.edu Bryn Mawr Classics Review (ejournal) e) BMMR-L@cc.brynmawr.edu Bryn Mawr Medieval Review (ejournal) f) Classics@UWAVM Classical Greek and Latin [very active] g) IBYCUS-L@uscvm Ibycus (Ancient Greek) h) Interscripta@morgan.ucs.mun.ca Medieval seminar topics i) IOUDAIOS@yorkvm1 First Century Judaism j) MedFem-L@UWAVM Medievalist feminists k) MEDIEV-L@ukanvm Medieval l) MedSci-L@brownvm Medieval and Renaissance science m) MEDTEXTL@uiucvmd Medieval Texts, Philology, Codicology n) AHC-L@DGOGWDG1 (European) Association for History & Computing 6. Listname: Global listserv@vm1.nodak.edu Almost everyday new listserv are developed to serve some new community of interest. FIND A SCHOOL: Write to teachers or students. ESTONIA Here is an address that will send a message to schools in Estonia that are now online: Use it with care. Give careful thought to any message. Many people may read it. When you use telecommunications, you are often writing to strangers. You must think about who they are, what their life might be like. What do you have to say to them in their circumstances of life? Estonia has many environmental difficulties; teachers there are seeking for the development of joint school- to-school environmental projects. Internet address: Schools in Estonia: koolid@lists.ut.ee ROMANIA Here is the addresses of schools online in Romania. The central mailinglist: lactive@cpc.soros.ro Here are some schools and teachers in Romania "liceul de informatica" from iasi (liis) ----------------------------------------- postmaster: postmaster@liis.soros.ro Active addresses: ivasc@liis.soros.ro (teacher Cornelia ivasc); gafton@liis.soros.ro (Cristian Gafton, administrator e-mail); mona@liis.soros.ro (teacher Mona Pruna); dino@liis.soros.ro (Laurentiu Marin); suiram@liis.soros.ro (Marius Hirjoi); rudy@liis.soro s.ro (Corneliu Rudeanu); mahu@liis.soros.ro (Gheorghe Mahu); mirela@liis.soros.ro (teacher Mirela Tibu); ibanescu@liis.soros.ro (teacher Liliana Ibanescu); cosette@liis.soros.ro (Cosette Chichirau) proteus@liis.soros.ro (Paul Avarvarei) Here are some teachers in various other places looking for partners. Robinson, Kelly kerobins@cln.etc.bc.CA My name is Kelly Robinson and I teach grade 5 in Terrace, B.C. Over the past two years my school has been getting more involved with computers and we are now trying to become more active in the areas of e-mail and telecommunications. A number of staff members and I are interested in getting our classes communicating with other classes within our country or anywhere in the world. We would also be open to exchanging hypercard material in the form of stacks or postcards. Our school includes grades 4 - 7. If interested, please make contact. Kelly Robinson Gr. 5 Teacher Clarence Michiel School S.D.#88(Terrace) Terrace, BC, Canada Daley, Bruce chipper@nevada.EDU chipper@redrock.nevada.edu Elaine Wynn Elementary School Clark County School District Las Vegas, Nevada USA My name is Bruce Daley, and I am a third grade teacher at Elaine Wynn Elementary School, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. I use the internet and computer telecommunications extensively in my classroom as a learning tool for the children. Here are students from the i*earn network Date: Fri, 19 Aug 1994 11:06 -0700 (PDT) From: Lincoln Middle School Subject: super pc person Yo, How are you doing? My name is Shelli Olson. I'm 13 years old and I'm in the 8th grade at Lincoln Middle School My favorite subjects are Science and Social Studies. I like swimming, crafts, playing the piano, and reading. Please write to me. Use Shelli Olson as the subject. send the E-mail to lincolnms @igc.apc org Sincerely, Shelli Olson References: <498700069@peg.pegasus.oz.au> Hi my name is Amy Fryer I'm in year 10 and go to Broadford Secondary College. I live in Clonbinane which is 10 minutes out of Broadford. I have two sisters Nicole and Emily my mum and dads name are Jo-Anne and Jeff. My ambition in life is to become a Marine Biologist. My interests include clothes shopping, surfing, water skiing and motorbike riding. The music I like listening to is, Cypress Hill, Electric Hippies, Toni Childs and just any music that has a groovy beat. So if you find me interesting please respond. Amy Newsgroups: iearn.youth Lines: 18 references: <498700069@peg.pegasus.oz.au> NICOLE POULTER Dear All Hi my name is Nicole Poulter I am 17 years old I attend Broadford Secondary College I am In year 10 In my family there are five Mum , Dad , Robert , Nicole , Scott .We don't have a very big house but it is big enough for the five of us . We have 2 dogs 4 fish .I love to play a lot of sport I play netball 6 days a week including weekends if I don't play netball I am lost My mum was mainly the one who got me into netball because she use to play a lot of netball . I don't have a job as I am still at school this class is called Global Classroom and I enjoy it very much as I like to make contact with the other side of the world. There are 23 people in this class and at the best of times it is very noisy our teacher is a very cool teacher and his name is Mr. W. Coppinger ok that's all for now good bye please write back soon Nicole Poulter. broadfordsc@peg.apc.org Hello. My name is Zach Rudland. I am 18 years old, about six feet tall, and I weigh about 150 pounds. I go to school at Truman High School in Federal Way, Washington, U.S.A. Federal Way is about 15 miles away from Seattle. Like most people my age, I enjoy sports.I like to play football, basketball, volleyball, and almost any other kind of ball game you can play. I play hackey-sack, and frisbee a lot. I ride skateboard and snowboard, but my very favorite sport is surfing. The class that I am using this network in is called Environmental Chemistry. This term we are dealing with a big issue in the Pacific Northwest, Water! Water rights, usage, and pollution. I am interested in talking with someone "down" there because Australia, not unlike the rest of the world, really interests me and this could be a great way to learn more about your part of the globe. Australia also has some of the world's best surf. These are mere illustrations of people online who are looking for partners to develop common interests and activities. THREE NEW COMMUNITIES IN CREATION Computer telecommunications is not merely a technology that can be said to make schools, or environmental education, or higher education or teacher education more efficient or effective. It makes possible direct communication between people in one part of the world with people in another. It provides access to alternative sources of information. It generates a new human relationships, new communities based on the written word. They are new human communities. Telecommunications communities exist through words, through minds, through new communication possibilities. While they exit, we should try to explore and use them. Governments may try to control this new technology; business people will try to make a profit from it. Who knows what the future will be? Two changes are significant for environmentalists, teachers, artists and students: 1. Freedom from standardized sources of information produced by nation states and corporations. 2. Opportunity to develop environmental projects, educational projects, and research projects that cross national boundaries and form the basis of new communities of work and interest that are no longer based on propinquity, nationality, or culture. Computer telecommunications is a fundamental change in the world in which we live. A very significant aspect of that change is that with telecommunications there can be few secrets; many governments are online. Computer records usually become public. To some degree with telecommunications, government and business become transparent. The study in school of the nations of the world can be based on direct access to credible information. Although, information is not knowledge nor is it wisdom, but it is the beginning of understanding of how the governments, the United Nations and the business communities of the world operate. A more or less secrete world is becoming public, that reality is changing the world in which we live. One might call this change the democratization of information. That democracy may aid our struggle for social justice in our deeply divided world. The new technology makes possible direct communication among people in different parts of the world. As students, and scholars, and women's advocates have casual, routine, regular, and timely written communications with their colleagues in distance places, the study of social issues, geography, languages, and culture become living realities. Schools in Belarus, Florida and London may develop joint projects that bring various perspectives to the study of history, the environment or current affairs. World history can have a new meaning when world history is jointly studied in various regions of the world. World history from any nation state perspective is limited by the resources of that nation. But, world history from the North and the South, from Europe and South America may be comparative and complimentary. Joint world history studies can provide some freedom from the cultural limitations of any one nation state perspective. That freedom of shared perspectives can be the basis of a deeper awareness of the multiplicity of the ways people live on our earth. That growing awareness may develop through the democratization of communications. Finally, the new technology generates new human relationships, new communities based on the written word. New human communities are being formed through the new communications technology. The democratization of communications allows ordinary people, students, and teachers to be producers of information about their own lives, activities and circumstances. With television, radio and the print media, selected individuals have freedom of speech. With the new technology we are all free to give voice to our concerns and interests. It is the most significant communications event in our lifetime. Colleagues and friends may trivialize it; some may seek to incorporate it into old educational and political paradigms. Computer telecommunications may be converted into one more commercial textbook, or even political propaganda. But, the new technologies now provide remarkable educational opportunities. Rather than use obsolete books on the nations of the world we can and our students can communicate by e-mail with schools in Moscow, teachers in Japan, Environmentalists in Kiev, students in Estonia, Florida, Canada, or London. Developing technology is providing challenging opportunity. Now we must learn how to use this technology with art, skill and wisdom. If you care about the conflicts in Bosnia, Africa, East Timur, or the racial tensions in the United States, get online, and put your students online with those students. If you want to know about the Eastern European nations, get your students connected with students in those countries. We have the technology, we must develop skill in its use. YouthCan (youthcan@igc.apc.org) is one project in international telecommunications devoted to creating a community of cooperation and communications devoted to facing and resolving global issues that threaten our lives today. ******* Millard Clements is a professor in the New York University School of Education. He is co-director of the Program in Environmental Conservation Education. Spring, 1995