I believe we will arrive Friday between 12 and 12:30. On Saturday, we will arrive at 8:30 on Saturday, and will work throughout the day. We would also like to incorporate a lunch. Any recommendations on where to go (I don’t eat meat or poultry, the others do)? Thanks!

Response

Please advise,

We are excited as well. I need to know how many are coming. Thanks for making me aware of the food preference. We were planning to have snacks on Friday and food on Saturday. However there are good eating places in the area. I can advise you better once I know where you are staying and what you like. We will have salad, a meatless pasta, juice, soda, water, rolls, muffins, cake, chips, chicken and other goodies.
We aim to please!!

A previous message stated a preference to have rectangular tables. I assume that the 2 triangle tables will not be used in the setup.

See you soon.

Below and attached are the URL’s that we can bookmark on the New Macedonia computers tomorrow and Saturday. I began with some more general web portals that list a large number of sites. I also included a few individual sites for educational games and typing. At the end is the URL listing a number of free religious software programs.

Web Portals (General Purpose Web Sites that offer a wide variety of resources)

1. Internet Public Library KidSpace http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace

2. GetNetWise http://kids.getnetwise.org/

GetNetWise’s Four Web Sites/Portals for Kids

The Children’s Partnership Suggested Sites
The American Library Association’s 700+ Sites (Also listed separately below)
Wired Patrol Approved Sites

Enough is Enough Recommended Sites
http://kids.getnetwise.org/kidsites/

GetNetWise’s Tools for Families **INCLUDING MONITORING SOFTWARE
http://kids.getnetwise.org/tools/
“Search or browse for Internet safety products, including those that filter explicit or violent content, monitor a child’s Internet access, or limit time online. See sample contracts for kids’ Internet use.”

3. American Library Association http://www.ala.org/

ALA Cool Sites for Kids
http://www.ala.org/greatsites

Internet Safety: Resources for Parents and Children
http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/techinttele/internetsafety/internetsafety.htm

Search Engines for Kids

1. Ask for Kids (formerly Ask Jeeves Kids) http://www.askforkids.com/

2. AOL@SCHOOL http://school.aol.com

General Homework Sites

1. Information Please http://www.infoplease.com

2. FactMonster http://www.factmonster.com

3. FunBrain http://www.funbrain.com

Typing Tutors

1. Learn 2 Type http://learn2type.com

2. Free Touch Typing Program http://www.sense-lang.org/typing/

Child’s Play (Games)

Young Children
1. PBS Kids http://pbskids.org

2. Nick, Jr. http://www.nickjr.com

3. Sesame Workshop http://www.sesameworkshop.org/sesamestreet

Elementary School Kids
1. MaMaMedia.com http://www.mamamedia.com

2. Kid’s Castle (Smithsonian Magazine) http://kidscastle.si.edu

3. Cartoon Network.com http://www.cartoonnetwork.com

Free Religious Software http://www.freechristiansoftware.org/

Religion Web Sites

Bible Gateway http://www.biblegateway.org
Per ALA’s Great Web Sites for Kids, Bible Gateway “is an excellent site to search the Christian Bible, in one of seven languages, textually as well as by specific categories, phrases, or terms.” It indicates which sources are appropriate for elementary-aged youth and middle school-aged youth. It provides additional resources such as audio bibles, commentaries, various e-book editions of the Bible, dictionaries, study tools, and comprehensive, biographical, survey, and chronological bible reading plans.

Religion-Online http://www.religion-online.org
Per Irene McDermott, “Religious scholar William F. Fore established this site to make major works of religion available to his divinity students… Browse this extensive free-full text collection through a subject directory that covers the major issues faced by religion today. Explore writings about the Bible…and modern ethics, social issues, and practical theology (read: mental health counseling). Fore presents the full texts of writings ‘presenting many different points of view, but all written from the perspective of sound scholarship’” (The Librarian’s Internet Survival Guide, 2nd ed., page 108).

EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE–I DON’T THINK WE NEED IT?

As long as we can download one or two of the free religious software programs, I don’t think we need to worry about free educational software. Rather, they could access educational sites and resources and games via the web. (Perhaps this might free up processing power if we don’t download too much stuff?) As we discussed at one point, we can bookmark some good sites, and we can give them my printouts and/or photocopies describing these sites. The printouts and photocopies would help if the internet isn’t connected by December 1st, and they could serve as a handy reference in case they lose bookmarks, for example.

I have some good kid-friendly web portals and sites that list all kind of educational resources and games. These sources include typing tutor sites and homework help-many come from Irene McDermott’s The Librarian’s Internet Survival Guide: Strategies for the High-Tech Reference Desk (025.042M143L2006)-I have a photocopy of Chapter 5 about the Internet for Kids for NM staff that will give them numerous sites to explore.

If NM wants good educational software, I have a Consumer Reports article for them that has some reasonably priced educational software grouped by age–I highlighted those that should work with their computers and don’t need lots of processing power for fancy graphics.

MONITORING SOFTWARE

As for monitoring software, I have printouts about those that were ranked highest by Consumer Reports (Safe Eyes 2006 and Spector Pro 6.0). I also have a printout from GetNetWise which has info about all kinds of monitoring software.

Also-we thought we’d meet Tuesday at 7pm. What are we doing then? Loading up computers for Wednesday delivery? Are we going to be able to ping? Perhaps our main priority is to make sure whatever working computers we have can network okay, and that the printer and scanner work before we leave.

Martin helped us prioritize what we have to do before we pack up everything for the trip Thursday at 5pm. We need to consider what NM wants and what resources we have. For instance, if we don’t get all computers working, that’s okay. Ideally, yes, we will try to get all the computers working and the software loaded but we were thinking that the highest priority would be to make sure that whatever working computers we have are networked (e.g. 12 of 15 is okay) because there is no guarantee that we will have internet at NM. Also, we need to make sure we have drivers for the printer. So we played with the list:

>- Return computers to Pnet so we can ping them.

>- Test for networking
> – Install network card drivers if necessary

>- Set up scanner and printer on one comp (We can do it in East St. Louis, cat we?) –perhaps make sure printer/scanner is okay before we go?

>- Look into networking the printer

>- Fix remaining comps and install software

>- Install educational/office software (I’ll try to make the CD tonight)

>- Recommend a monitoring software

In my mind this is what needs to be completed before we leave, Is there anything else we have to do?

• Fix remaining comps and install software
• Test for networking
• Install network card drivers if necessary
• Install educational/office software (I’ll try to make the CD tonight)
• Set up scanner and printer on one comp(We can do it in East St. Louis, cat we?)
• Look into networking the printer
• Recommend a monitoring software

Anything else?

If Charter doesn’t work, then maybe we could mention the Phoebus Pyramid thing as a possible alternative. I think the pyramid requires at least “2 bars” of digital Verizon access to operate.

Also,  7pm Tuesday should work for our schedule. I can meet then, or any night, or during those day-time slots that are good for others to make sure all the computers work okay.

I guess we need to return all the computers, fix the remaining 1-2 pesky computers, ping everything, make sure the religion software is loaded, and make sure the scanner and printer work okay?

Response

Yep, 7pm on Tuesday is fine. We can load whatever software we need to onto the computers at my place and then load them into cars for traveling back to the lab on Wednesday. If Prairienet is open its regular hours on Wednesday (9am to 8pm, apparently), I should be able to come in and fiddle with things for a good chunk of the day.

As for the Internet issue with New Mace, I guess the best we can do is make sure that everything is ready for them for when they get Internet access. We only have a week left to get things done, after all.

and martin–your name at Prairienet is the delivery address for the printer, correct?

Response

Tell Ron that the phone line is unnecessary if DSL is not an option.

Response

Thanks for the update.

I struck out with AT&T. DSL was not available in the area. Charter cable is
next. Any suggestions? I will possibly get a designated phone line for the library.
I’ll get right on the printer purchase and delivery.

anything else i should mention during the phone call?

-make sure DSL line will be in place
talk about office computer-we won’t network it
would like more table that are flat-not those crazy octo-gonaial things
-let them know we’re making progress, and are excited to see them on the 1st

Response

Samsung printer $129.99
<http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1152227795683&type=product&skuId=7941187>

Lexmark Printer $249.99
<http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1130986501034&type=product&skuId=7631119>

I’m leaning towards the Lexmark even though it is more expensive. From what I can tell from the description, it is ready for networking, while the Samsung may need an adapter or something. Martin, what do you think?

Response

Alma and Ron,

I left a voice mail for Alma, but also thought I would email you some updates.

We are busily working on the computers, making cables and installing software for you. We are all very excited to actually put the computer lab together.

We were hoping you have already or have plans to install the DSL line we discussed, so that we can actually network all of the computer. The computer in the office will not be on this network. This is because it either needs its own phone line, or a very long cable running from the lab to the office.

Also, we like the idea of having several rectangle shaped tables in an “l” shape in the lab. We remember that you have more somewhere, but it would be helpful to have those in the lab when we arrive.

Finally, after some researching, we have two printers to recommend to you.

Samsung printer $129.99
<http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1152227795683&type=product&skuId=7941187>

Lexmark Printer $249.99
<http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1130986501034&type=product&skuId=7631119>

If you decide to buy either of the printers, you should have it sent here so we can network that.