SCHOOL ON THE INTERNET

- How We Use It for Education -

  1. BRIEF HISTORY
  2. ENVIRONMENT
  3. USE IN CLASS & OUTSIDE
  1. Brief History Our use of the computer network started in 1987, the year the school was foundde, when we became a member of the "Campus 2000" run by BT, an educational network which provided its service for schools in Britain and countries in Europe. We sent e-mails asking for correspondence, and exchanged letters written by students with other schools, especially in Britain. We even tried to chat with some of them.


    2. In 1991, the educational network "Apic Net" started its operation in Japan. As it provided its users with gateway service onto the Internet, our range of partnership greatly extended. What we did was as follows:

    1. Correspondence with other school(the net organized the 'Electric Sister School' project to help members find e-mail exchange partners.)
    2. Participation in other educational projects such as "What's Japan What's America" and "GeoTouch"
    In 1995, we were connected to the Internet as a dialup-IP user. It allowed us to visit Web sites and make use of other applications.

    Late in the same year, we set up a mail & news server within the school so that students might have their own e-mail address under the school's domain name: < WKHS.WAKO.SAITAMA.JP >, although we only connected on a UUCP basis. At same time, we strated to give User Acount to all students and staff. ( Aproximately 960 students and 70 staffs have their individual e-mail address on now)

    In April 1998, the school LAN was connected full-time to the Internet. The LAN includes three computer laboratories, the libray, the career guidance room and some other terminal PCs for the school staff. We also put a filtering software in the porxy server in order to block students' access to inapproriate Web sites or their downloading of harmful files.

    In June 1999, we changed our school's domain name to < WAKOKU-H.ED.JP> , WAKOKU is short name in Japanese for our school.

    In January 2000, Our LAN was completed perfectly at last. All rooms in school building has one or two "outlet" for LAN and we can use network system in anywhere & anytime with laptop PCs. Maybe it makes great presentation use, internet use, e-mail use and so on.

    In August 2001, ADSL was connected. Then we have two lines for full time connection to internet now.

  2. Current Computer Environment. The current environment for users is as follows:
    1. Aproximately 200 PCs + 20 individual laptop computers on the LAN
    2. Internet Connection
    3. Server OS: Windows NT 4.0 & Windows 2000 (5 Servers running)
    4. Full-time access to Web pages via proxy servers but filltered by I-Gear software. (A web server and 2 proxy servers running)
    The above means all students and staffs can use internet, e-mail and LAN anytime and anywhere.
  3. Use In Class & Outside
    1. E-mail correpondence, especially in the "Information Processing" class for 1st graders
    2. Participation in projects organized by educational networks
    3. Personal cporespondence with:

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