4/4/93 8:07:52 PM Opening "Chat Log 4/4/93" for recording. AFL Gayle : Granny wants to know about Alternative Schools. Anyone have any experience? AFC Leni : Granny....we had the most marvelous discussion on Iris network about that last spring...Canadian . AFC Leni : school..Bill Hay. AFA Bard : Alternative meaning what, Granny? AFC Leni : It is a non-graded student centered program taking kids from 8-12th grade. AFC Leni : Is that the kind of thing you are talking about? AFC Leni : It is a "school within a school". New Granny : I don't have a mouse, so this is slow. We are considering beginning an alternative school within our New Granny : own school for students who have difficulty functioning in a regular classroom but who do not qualify New Granny : for the exceptional children's program....those who fall between the cracks. AFA Bard : So it's kind of a school-within-a-school for "gray area" at-risk kids? A WONDERFUL idea!!! AFC Leni : That is a great idea! MaryEz : What about "Inclusion?" That's the way we are heading in our school system!! New Granny : We have two teachers from our own school (no money for extra teachers) who have volunteered to tackle New Granny : this task. We were wondering about schedules, etc. AFA Bard : What do you think they will do differently, Granny? New Granny : That's what I hope you will help with-- AFC Leni : What kind of emphasis will the curriculum have? Hands on? Lots of technology? What? AFC Leni : What age? New Granny : We believe the purpose of the Alt. School would be to help prepare these students so that at some poin New Granny : they would be able to re-enter the regular classroom These are middle school students. AFA Bard : So you're talking about more "personalized learning" and maybe ways to work extra-hard at AFA Bard : building self-esteem, etc.? New Granny : ...and building self esteem New Granny : Bard, you were reading my mind AFA Bard : :)) Sounds great! You can certainly use technology to help you. You might even consider AFA Bard : some sort of experiential learning projects based on HyperStudio/HyperCard? AFA Bard : You know... alternatives to other projects... find out about your neighborhood/city, etc.? New Granny : We are not sure about scheduling--Should these students be self contained all day or spend their elect New Granny : ive time with other students? AFC Leni : If you can get those kids engaged in exciting curriculum....wonders can be worked! New Granny : We are hoping to involve the community AFC Leni : How? AFA Bard : Inclusion, definately! Why not incorporate an in-class apprenticeship program? New Granny : Field trips, speakers, tutors, CSS Mike : o/" Happy birthday to Gayle, o/" Happy birthday to Gayle o/" AFA Bard : Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy (LATE) Birthday to GAYLE! Happy Birthday to you! AFC Leni : Happy birthday to you...... AFA Bard : .......... Gayle's Birthday was April 1! .......... CJ4Short : to Gayle from CJ, too - and many more . . . xxx MaryEz : Happy Birthday to you< Happy Birthday to you, dear Gayle. AFC Leni : (hi, Dolores :-D) AFA Bard : HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAYLE!!! New Granny : Happy birthday to you, happy birthday deal Gayle MaryEz : Happy Birthday to you! AFA Bard : Great things DO happen on April 1! DCHOAT : My daughter will be 30 tomorrow - of course, I was only 3 when she was born!! groan! AFA Bard : :) AFA Bard : Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy (LATE) Birthday to GAYLE! Happy Birthday to you! AFL Gayle : Gee, thanks to ALL of you! :))) AFC Leni : And many more....on channel 4......5th grade touch. MaryEz : Too bad Tooter isn't here with his balloons! DCHOAT : Monday holds Iowa Basic Testing - state mandated - and this is after kids with sub for 3 days!! AFA Bard : THAT ought to be a riot, DChoat! When will folks realize that ITBS (or any standardized test) is not AFA Bard : the "ultimate" measure of student knowledge/performance??? I HATE those tests! They DCHOAT : Do you all have state mandated achievement testing??? AFA Bard : even post the results in our newspapers! DUNMORE : That sounds like a typical happening. Then it will be published that US kids are below the world DCHOAT : Ours are posted, too!! By the state anti-education newspaper - pits school against school! Waste!! AFL Gayle : We "burned" the CAT (literally! ;) last year in NC. We give a state created AFL Gayle : test for the first time this year. AFA Bard : Here too... then the parents write to the newspaper for weeks and complain. :( DUNMORE : They don't do anything but irritate kids & teachers and waste teaching time DCHOAT : I love the English portion where they have sentences broken into 3 lines, and find mistake!:( MaryEz : We have the Connecticut Mastery Tests in the fall for all 4, 6, 8, 10 th grades DCHOAT : I have trouble with those, myself!!!! DCHOAT : Our state mandate is for 3,5,7,9,11 AFA Bard : We test in virtually EVERY grade except grades 5 and 9. :( MouserMatt : You're in CT, MaryEz?! AFL Gayle : Steve! Welcome!!!! MaryEz : And teachers are NO GOOD because kids can't answer the stupid questions. CSS Mike : Hello, Steve. MaryEz : Yes, MouserMatt. I teach in Guilford. AFA Bard : STEVE! AFL Gayle : Glad you were able to make it, Steve! :) DCHOAT : So true!! If you teach them the wonders, and leave off those IMPRT things, you fail!! AFL Gayle : Our guest for tonight is Simplexity, better known as Steve McQueen. :) DUNMORE : We are the only country with standardized testing before age 12. The othrers know better Then when th Simplexity : Hi. Wasn't expecting anybody here for another half hour. AFL Gayle : Simplexity is one of our Company Support areas in AED. I'll let Steve tell you AFL Gayle : about his products. MaryEz : Did you forget to Spring ahead, Steve? DCHOAT : What is AED??? AFL Gayle : (Steve, did you forget it's Daylight Savings Time now?) DUNMORE : they test they eleminate those who aren't suited to school tasks AFL Gayle : AED=Apple // Education Forum... where you are. :) Simplexity : No, I just was convinced that we weren't going to start until 9:00 Eastern.... DCHOAT : Ok - I have been with the Scholastic on line, and am still finding my way around the forums Simplexity : ....Which is 6:00 here. AFL Gayle : No. We start at 8 pm ET, Steve. END at 9 pm. AFL Gayle : At any rate, tell us about Simplexity and its products. :) Simplexity : Oh, no! Apologies to everyone! Simplexity : Simplexity has two products at the moment, Desktop Enhancer and ContactsGS. CSS Mike : Hi there, Bob! Simplexity : The DE (Desktop Enhancer) is a really neat utility that lets you easily .... AFA Bard : Welcome CSC Bob! Simplexity : customize any part of your Apple IIGS desktop environment. It lets you set up DCHOAT : Insert to AFL Gayle I am in Oklahoma - but not sure where I am on-line much of time!! Simplexity : a custom patter or picture for your desktop background, you can assign sounds Simplexity : to various system events, and you can set up an alarm clock which works in Simplexity : all desktop programs. AFA Bard : Custom pattern, Steve? Is that easy to do with your program? Simplexity : It also supports screen savers in both desktop and text-based programs, both Simplexity : 8-bit and 16-bit modes. AFL Gayle : Wow! That's a great feature! I know a lot of educators who have looked for a AFL Gayle : screen saver that worked in 8-bit mode.. Simplexity : yes, patterns are easy. There is a pattern editor right in the NDA. Simplexity : You can also make your own 8-bit savers using almost any paint program. AFA Bard : How about the alarm clock? Does it serve as a calendar too? Simplexity : Bard- Not really, it is programmable to go off at a certain time of day,,,, Simplexity : ,,,and you can select which days of the week you want it to be active on. AFA Bard : Neat! Is this related to your other program? Simplexity : I.E. 8:00 on Sunday only. Simplexity : :) AFL Gayle : :)) Great alarm! :) DCHOAT : Must crash - thanks for allowing me to join you tonight - Dolores in Oklahoma..where the buffalo roam. Simplexity : Not really, ContactsGS is a sort of Rolodex NDA which keeps track of all Simplexity : the people you want to call. It can dial the phone for you as well. AFA Bard : Nite Delores! Join us again next Sunday! DCHOAT : Thanks..I will! Simplexity : ContactsGS keeps all its data in an ASCII file which can be imported to or... CJ4Short : Does it printing capabilities while you're working on the screen? Simplexity : exported from a AppleWorks database or WP file. Simplexity : No, ContactsGS does not print. AFA Bard : How about memory, Steve-- is Contacts a memory hog? Simplexity : Oh, no. It only takes up 17K, plus whatever is required to hold your data. DAVIDSONRP : WELL , I told ya so! Just don't say anything when it goes the other way!! AFL Gayle : Just AppleWorks or will it work with AppleWorks GS, too, Steve? DAVIDSONRP : Look who's here the entire crew, evening guys & gals, sorry for interuptin' ;(( CSC Bob : Wiggles... how the blazes are you.. :) Simplexity : Both, Gayle. The fields are separated by tabs, and records by CR's. Wigster : Wiggles??? Gad, will I never live that down??? AFA Bard : Folks... we're hearing wonderful things from Steve of Simplexity Software! (He's talking about AFA Bard : ContactsGS right now) CSC Bob : hehehe... not from me... :) Simplexity : Actually, AW3 needs to be told how to export the file properly. Simplexity : AWGS does everything right automagically. Wigster : I can tell from his typing. He's the only person who ever says how the blazes are you. :) CSC Bob : Are you REALLY 6' 4"?? AFL Gayle : Ooops, Steve. Is that much trouble? (Telling AppleWorks?) Simplexity : No, there is a dialog that asks you how you want things formatted when you.... Simplexity : ....export the file. AFL Gayle : Ah, friendly, helpful program. :) Simplexity : Just tell it you want fields separated by tab characters. Simplexity : Actually, yes. AFL Gayle : Do you have any recommendations of how these programs would be particularly AFL Gayle : useful to teachers, Steve? Simplexity : Well, ContactsGS is useful to EVERYBODY who wants an easy way to look up their CJ4Short : Sorry, I tripped over tel. line - cut off - CJ4Short : Question - does it work with Mac's? Simplexity : phone lists when they hare working with an Apple IIgs. AFL Gayle : No, CJ. Apple //gs. :) Simplexity : Macs-only if you are using it as a file server for a IIgs. CJ4Short : Q. Apple IIe Simplexity : Sorry, requires a 16-bit processor. AFL Gayle : Has to be a GS, CJ. Contacts GS is a New Desk Accessory. Simplexity : The Desktop Enhancer could be useful in a number of ways. Put a picture CJ4Short : I understand - that leaves me out ! Simplexity : on the desktop which relates to today's lesson. Simplexity : Project - have your students create a P8/Text screen saver picture. CJ4Short : Well, thank you for a job well done! Interesting! Simplexity : That will teach about certain kinds of animation, as well as let them play Simplexity : with a paint program and do something creative related to your current lesson. CJ4Short : Sorry, hit the wrong key - wanted to safe it for the finale! Simplexity : Sounds are similar...use them to reinforce other things, or just to maintain... Simplexity : interest. Simplexity : Done AFA Bard : I really like the idea of the Desktop Enhancer--- where do I get it? Simplexity : Desktop Enhancer is $24.95 from Simplexity Software, 13045 Chapman Ave, Ste 302 Simplexity : Orange, CA. 92668 Simplexity : ContactsGS is $14.95 from the same address. Simplexity : Both are also available from Resource Central. AFA Bard : Excellent! AFL Gayle : And you can post any questions you have about Simplexity and its products in Simplexity : Oh, yeah, I was just reminded that if you order both at once, you get a.... AFL Gayle : Simplexity's Direct Connect here online in AED. Simplexity : ...discount - both products will cost only $35.00. AFA Bard : A bargain! AFL Gayle : Thanks again to Steve for being our guest tonight! :) Simplexity : Yes, indeed! AFA Bard : Thanks, Steve, for sharing with us! All of you IIgs owners out there- get 'em while they're hot! :) AFL Gayle : Next week, NO chat! Vacation time! :))) Simplexity : Thank you for having me! 4/4/93 9:00 PM Closing Log file.