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| News Media Tip - March 6, 1996 SPECIAL EDITION: ***NSF AND THE INTERNET*** The NSF has played a central role in the origination and evolution of the Internet -- first as a provider of backbone services, and now as a catalyst in research efforts to increase the power and extend the reach of the 'net. Below are some examples of NSF support for networking. For more information on NSF networking examples, contact Beth Gaston (egaston@nsf.gov). For more information about educational uses of the Internet, contact Bill Noxon (wnoxon@nsf.gov). Both can be reached at (703) 292-8070. Contents of this Tipsheet:
INTERNET HISTORY
The NSF created the NSFNET, a backbone designed to link the research and education community and NSF Supercomputer Centers. The national backbone service was designed as both as an infrastructural network and also as a testbed for network-related research. The popularity of networking grew wildly and commercial firms built their own national networks and began providing services. Since the industry matured enough to provide basic infrastructure services, the NSF came up with a transition plan and decommissioned the NSFNET in April 1995. The agency now focuses on higher levels of connectivity and services for the research and education community. Media contact: Don Mitchell, (703) 306-1950, dmitchel@nsf.gov
COMMON KNOWLEDGE
The Pittsburgh School District is testing major changes in how science is taught in public schools through a novel electronic data network with distributed architecture. This testbed supports a wide range of curriculum reform and school restructuring through activities such as remote mentoring in mathematics and supercomputer access in science. The school district is directing the project, working jointly with the University of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center and two private companies. Media contact: Steve Sanchez, (703) 306-1651, ssanchez@nsf.gov
NATIONAL SCHOOL NETWORK TESTBED
K-12 teachers and students in San Diego, New York City and Massachusetts are linking into electronic mail, conferencing, databases, real time interaction, simulation and interactive video through easy-to-use software. This National School Network testbed builds on seven different science and math reform projects. Media contact: Steve Sanchez, (703) 306-1651, ssanchez@nsf.gov
"ALICE" TESTBED
State education agencies in California, Connecticut, Nebraska, Texas and Virginia are collaborating to hook up on "Alice" network servers with user-friendly software to support a variety of science and education projects, such as the National Geographic Society's "Kids Network." The testbed will also look closely at networked educational services by local schools, local government-supported projects and commercial publishers. Media contact: Steve Sanchez, (703) 306-1651, ssanchez@nsf.gov
COLLABORATIVE VISUALIZATION
A Learning Through Collaboration Network is investigating how students and classroom teachers can work directly with scientists and other experts on project-based questions in atmospheric science. The testbed includes techniques in two-way audio/video, and collaborative visualization of science phenomena, data and modeling. Several universities, NSF research arms and private companies are involved. Media contact: Steve Sanchez, (703) 306-1651, ssanchez@nsf.gov
GEOMETRY FORUM AND THE GLOBAL LABORATORYNSF is supporting a range of individual networking projects to advance understanding for how computer networks can be used to support innovation in science education. The Geometry Forum allows the building of electronic data bases and user friendly software so that symbols and diagrams may be used in geometry communications. The Global Laboratory tests collaborative science investigations among students, teachers and scientists around the world using low-cost instruments to measure environmental change. Media contact: Steve Sanchez, (703) 306-1651, ssanchez@nsf.gov
THE WEATHER UNDERGROUNDThe University of Michigan is testing computer networking systems in atmospheric science for middle school and secondary students at inner city schools in Detroit. A related project in Boulder, Colorado through the University of Colorado involves seventh graders, testing their understanding of atmospheric science while they investigate multiple representations of weather phenomena using National Weather Service satellite images. Media contact: Steve Sanchez, (703) 306-1651, ssanchez@nsf.gov
THE COMMUNITY OF EXPLORERSThis project explores inquiry methods in physics and biology. Teachers and students may author Explorer simulations and then share their work with others at remote sites. This may include simulation transmissions, data and notes between schools. The project takes aim at better understanding of how telecommunications networks function in support of teachers and students in building innovative classrooms of discovery and exploration in science. Media contact: Steve Sanchez, (703) 306-1651, ssanchez@nsf.gov
NSF CONNECTIONS PROGRAMThe focus of the NSF Connections Program is now on high performance connections -- meritorious applications that exceed the current capacity of network providers. Examples might include the creation of workstation clusters across the country, teleconferencing or videoconferencing or remote instrumentation that requires specific fast instruction. This technology-forcing initiative will introduce the prioritization of packets across the Internet as well as routing that can split traffic, sending high priority packets to an alternate network, such as the vBNS (see below). Media contact: Mark Luker, (703) 306-1950, mluker@nsf.gov
vBNS IN CONJUNCTION WITH MCIIn order to look to high performance connections, the NSF entered into a cooperative agreement with MCI to develop the very high speed Backbone Network Service. The vBNS provides high performance networking for research applications and will allow researchers to push the boundaries of networking research -- ultimately developing technology and applications that are expected to benefit all Internet users. The vBNS initially operates at speeds of 155 megabits per second (networks hooked into the Internet currently operate at speeds of up to 45 mbps) and is expected to reach transmission speeds in excess of 2.4 gigabits per second -- more than 50 times current speeds. Contact: Mark Luker, (703) 306-1950, mluker@nsf.gov
INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONSThe NSF has been a major player in internationalizing the Internet, including support for major links to Europe and infrastructure for most of Latin America and many Asian countries. Broadening the reach of the Internet makes it increasingly useful as a tool for scientists and others. Contact: Steve Goldstein, (703) 306-1950, sgoldstei@nsf.gov
GLOBAL SCHOOLHOUSE PROJECTThe Global Schoolhouse Project brought students together from around the world to use the Internet in collaborative research projects. The program uses CU-SeeMe videoconferencing software, developed at Cornell University with NSF funding. Seventeen US schools (elementary through high school) were formal participants in the project. These formal participants were joined by dozens of other schools both in the US and internationally. GSH is widely credited with spurring commercial enthusiasm for activities to get schools on the Internet. Successor activities to the original Schoolhouse Project are currently being implemented by the Global Schoolnet Foundation (with commercial support). Media Contact: Yvonne Marie Andres, (619) 433-3413, http://www.gsn.org, and resyv@CERF.NET
DIGITAL LIBRARIESTo make network connections as useful as possible, the NSF funds the development of a number of tools to use the Internet. The Digital Libraries program will dramatically advance the means to collect, store and organize information in digital forms and make it easily available to searching, retrieval and processing. Six testbed projects have been funded by NSF, DOD and NASA. Source information can include text, numerical data, visual images, symbols, sounds and spoken words, and video clips. When stored in digital form, organized in a searchable format and connected, the information resources become the ingredients of a digital library, available to users from around the country and the world. Contact: Steve Griffin: (703) 306-1930, sgriffin@nsf.gov
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