The virtual conference will feature examples of classroom projects and ongoing technical issues. Internet-related videos will also be presented.

We expect the following people to participate in this conference: people at schools which are already connected, individuals who want to demonstrate the power of the Internet for education, and anyone who wants to celebrate the Internet access they have with schools that are about to be online.

You can interact with content and technology experts via WebChat at a NASA Website. The experts in the content track will be online for chats, and you can also see and hear a short presentation introducting their topics. You'll use RealAudio to listen and a Web browser window to view the graphics that go along with these talks. Finally, you will be able to view video clips of U.S. President Clinton and U.S. Vice President Gore using Internet Video Services client.

GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) and the NASA K-12 Internet Initiative's "Sharing NASA" program are the featured classroom projects. During the virtual conference you will receive an introduction to these projects and have an opportunity to interact with GLOBE and NASA scientists and engineers.

• The GLOBE Program is a worldwide network of students, teachers, and scientists working together to study and understand the global environment. GLOBE students make a core set of environmental observations at or near their schools and report their data via the Internet. Scientists use GLOBE data in their research and provide feedback to the students to enrich their science education.

• "Sharing NASA" uses the Internet to allow students to share in the excitement of authentic scientific and engineering pursuits. Teachers and students are given background information and access to the scientists and engineers that help make NASA missions a reality. Project topics have included high-altitude astronomy, spacecraft explorations of distant planets, and space-based life sciences research.

The technology topics will focus on the ongoing needs created when a school site is wired. Support for this effort will be provided by NetTEAM96 and NASA. NetTEAM96 is a consortium of 8 high-technology corporations that have pledged to support the efforts of NetDay. These companies have worked together to provide ongoing product and service donations, price discounts and technical expertise. During the virtual conference topics such as wiring support, security, server support and network design are a few examples of what will be covered.

In addition, a select set of videos which discuss connecting to the Internet and the benefits offered to schools will be aired. These videos will be broadcast using Internet technologies such as MBONE and CU-SeeMe.

To participate in the Website, WebChat and RealAudio portions of the conference, attendees will need access to the Internet via a graphical Web browser, such as Netscape. A minimum modem speed of 14.4kbps is also required. Two test dates will be scheduled prior to the main event to allow attendees to become familiar with the technologies and how they will be used on October 12. (These dates are tentatively set for October 7 and 9.)

A Special Thanks to the following vendors who donated product functionality to this event:

• Internet Video Services which specializes in the storage and distribution of video and audio for Internet use.
• MediaMart. also a sponsor.
• WebChat Broadcasting System the developer of the WebChat software used for this conference and a coordinator of interactive on-line events.

We look forward to working with you on this exciting project! We invite you to review the agenda and begin planning for the event!

This page was last updated on 9/27/96.
The responsible NASA official is Karen Traicoff.