Mass NetDay I Exceeds Expectations: A Post NetDay Overview

The first Massachusetts NetDay was a huge success. From the Berkshires to Boston, from the Cape to the New Hampshire border, over 400 schools participated in efforts to build the electronic infrastructure needed for education in the Information Age. Nearly two-thirds of them built networks. The others did planning or training in preparation for network creation or to take advantage of already-installed connections. Some schools submitted their own stories for you to read.

On NetDay itself, October 26, 1996, more than 3,000 volunteers across New England joined the drive to bring the Internet to Massachusetts schools as part of Mass. NetDay 96. Over 1,000 people offered their services in the preceding months. On the state level, nearly 200 people and over 100 businesses contributed thousands of hours to provide technical assistance, recruit volunteers, solicit business discounts, train teachers, and otherwise support the local effort. The in-kind contribution to the state's education system exceeded $2.5 million.

The Massachusetts NetDay 96 effort was sponsored by Mass Networks Education Partnership Inc, a new nonprofit, that has already announced a second NetDay for April 5, 1997. Mass Networks originally expected that the October effort would be a small pilot effort since the participating schools had to do much of the preparatory work over summer vacation. Not only did the overall numbers exceed expectations, but also many schools finished wiring their buildings before October 26 and used the day for teacher training and community demonstrations.

"This first NetDay is a success because of the enormous effort of thousands of community volunteers, hundreds of statewide and local businesses, and teachers in every district. But today is just one step in a long process of using the new technologies as a tool for the restructuring of teaching and learning," said Joyce Plotkin, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Software Council and President of the Mass Networks Organizing Committee. Ms. Plotkin spoke from NetDay Central at The Computer Museum in Boston, where volunteers at computers hooked up to the Internet tracked volunteers' progress across the state.

"NetDay has allowed me to speed up the implementation of my five-year technology plan by over a year," said Bernie DiNatale, Technical Director of the Chelmsford Public Schools. Bill Dalton, who led a team of Sun Microsystems volunteers in Braintree reports that "We actually wired every classroom in 6 elementary schools, and 2 middle schools. Now every classroom in town is wired. We figured that we saved approximately $100,000 by doing all the wiring ourselves. This money can now be spent on computers for the students to actually use instead of having to spend it on the wiring infrastructure. Internet access was a dream for the schools, but no one really acted on it. NetDay was the catalyst to bring all the volunteers together to get the job done. I am convinced that it would not have happened without Mass Networks making it a statewide goal and getting private industry to help. Since NetDay I have had many people thank me for the work that we did. Everyone in the community realizes how valuable this work was to the students."

Joseph Alviani, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and Chairman of the Mass Networks corporate board, said, "NetDay is a full partnership of business, labor unions, educators, and government. It has sparked an outpouring of energy and cooperation that should be a model for other efforts to bring positive benefits to Massachusetts."

While NetDay efforts exist in most of the 50 states, the Mass Networks campaign has distinguished itself by its effective organization, its goal of creating fully-functional networks with Internet connections, and its focus on the professional development of educators. More than 50 Internet training workshops have been held across the state, with additional workshops on a variety of topics planned for the future. Mass Networks' workshops focus not only on the technical aspects of operating the equipment, but also on ways to use the Internet as a curriculum tool in teaching science, math, language arts, and social studies at elementary, middle and high school levels.

"We believe that school-based networks achieve three important goals," said Mass Networks Executive Director Steven E. Miller. "They are a tool for education reform. They promote economic development by giving students the skills they need to secure jobs in the 21st century. And they help build communities and safeguard democracy by ensuring that no one is left behind. We expect a large increase in the number of schools that participate in our second NetDay on April 5, 1997."

During NetDay, The Computer Museum offered CU-SeeMe video-conferencing technology (provided by White Pine Inc.) to schools statewide with hookup capability so that people could talk with NetDay Central volunteers via live audio/video link. The Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications (MCET) provided a full day of satellite-delivered video broadcast of NetDay news and teacher training. Wang Laboratories staffed an toll-free hot line for schools that needed last minute technical assistance. Net Daemons Associates sent out a road team that was on call for schools needing emergency help.

MassNetworks was formed because, despite a wealth of high-tech companies and a history of innovation, Massachusetts numbers 49th among the 50 states in networked classrooms and 45th in modem lines installed. Senator Ted Kennedy and Governor Weld, along with Senator John Kerry, Congressman Ed Markey, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, and many others supported the initiative.

Mass. NetDay is part of NetDay 96, a nationwide grassroots effort involving 130,000 schools in all 50 states; 26,000 schools are expected to be wired by the end of October, putting 150,000 teachers and millions of students in touch with the Internet. The idea grew out of a California program, in which 5,000 volunteers, joined by President Clinton and Vice President Gore, installed six million feet of wire in over 3,500 schools, catapulting several hundred thousand students onto the Internet last March.

Sponsored by MassNetworks Education Partnership, Inc.
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Last updated: 5/2/97

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