Conference to introduce results from the 100-School Networking Project (Phase II)
Senior high school meeting

The Students of Kasuiko, Exploring the Sea in the 21st Century

Kazumasa Take and Kazuhiko Tokuda, Information Communication Department, Kagoshima Prefectural Kagoshima Fisheries Senior High School
http://www.kasuiko-hs.makurazaki.kagoshima.jp
e-mail:take@kasuiko-hs.makurazaki.kagoshima.jp/take@po.synapse.or.jp

1. Introduction

(1) Our activities on the computer networks Makurazaki net, Sakurajima net, and on the Kagoshima Prefecture educational network system

(2) Communication with Gifu Prefectural Ogaki Agricultural High School

(3) Regular communications with colleges and high schools overseas

(4) Distributing information, presentation of student research, and a demonstration at *the Industrial Education Fair*

(5) Lecture class (PR activities at our school, in the community, and on an isolated island)

(6) Participating in Kagoshima Prefecture's 20-School Internet Project

(7) Participating in the "Germination Map across Japan (kenaf)," and other activities (observing cherry blossoms and autumn colors)

(8) Summary: Pros and cons of our activities

(9) Others



2. Outline of our school: history, courses (ocean, information communication, and food technology courses, and a non-graded two-year course for graduates) and computer use

(1) We took part in the national SUIKO-VAN network, Kagoshima Prefecture's educational network system, and Makurazaki net, a local network. We established the "CUG" forum on Sakurajima net and annually issued IDs to about thirty people.

(2) Using e-mail, about eighty students corresponded with Gifu Prefecture's Ogaki Agricultural High School. Students introduced themselves, their school lives, and community, and wrote about their memories of high school. Students of Ogaki Agricultural High School sold products produced by our students at the school festival. E-mail from a female twelfth-grader in the food distribution course at Ogaki Agricultural High School:

"Thanks for sending us the canned food. They were very popular and quickly sold out at the festival. In addition to the canned food you sent, we sold rice, fruits, including persimmons and kiwi, and flowers such as cyclamens and pansies. I was very busy selling persimmons and enjoying the success of the festival. Luckily, the weather stayed nice. The festival was very lively, with student families, graduates, and other visitors, and included many fun events, such as the flea market planned by students. We twelfth graders really enjoyed our last school festival. We're happy we had the chance to exchange e-mail with you and to sell your products at our festival. Once again, thanks very much!"

(3) Communication with colleges and high schools overseas
In English, students introduced themselves, their school, school lives, and community. They also exchanged letters. E-mail from a student overseas.

Hello to Kiyotaka, Naoki, Katsuhiko, Yoshiki, Shinji, Takanori, Tsuyoshi, Satoshi, Takahiro, Sachiko,

We have just recieved the parcel you sent us, we would like to thank you for the calender and all the other information booklets. It was also good to see are pictures on the calender. We will try to answer some of your questions. We can vote when we turn 18. We are 3 males, Jonathan, David & Chris. The other Jonathan has left school to work in McDonalds. David and Jonathan support Chelsea Football Club and Chris supports Liverpool. We all enjoy movies and we all agree that Ewan MaGregort is good. We all think that Mariah Carey is very attractive and quite a good singer. Jonathan's favorite music group is Ocean Colour Scene, Have you heard of them? David likes U2, which are a band from Ireland. Our favorite female actress is Carmen Electra from Baywatch and MTV's singled out. David and Jonathan had a great time on our school ski trip, which was to America. The skiing was good and America was BIG! We also had a very good time at the school formal, this was a sort of prom or dance! There was a lot of dancing and celebrating of the new tear!!!!!! We must go now to class. Reply soon David, Chriss and me (Jonathan)

(4) Distributing information (creating a home page, sending e-mail, analyzing access logs, participating in a home page contest, etc.)
E-mail from a Japanese woman living abroad, received in the middle of January:

Dear Mr. Kazumasa Take,

Hello. My name is Harumi. I found your home page by chance while I was searching for information on Kuroshima in "goo." Thank you for your detailed information about Kuroshima, including the picture. I really like the fact that students and teachers collaborated to describe the community. I was looking for information about Kuroshima because I wanted to know if the island really existed, and if it did, what it was like. I like the writing of Sawako Ariyoshi, and couldn't read her book "I'll never forget" without crying. Right now, I live in Toronto, Canada, where it's very difficult to get Japanese books. So I go to Kinokuniya in New York once every two years or so. When I visited New York last November, I bought six of her books. I wanted anything she'd written, and one of the books I happened to grab was "I'll never forget."

By the way, like Mariko the heroine, I was a bit surprised to find that such an island existed. It was through reading the book that I became curious to find out if the island really existed. I found myself hoping it wouldn't be as it was in the book. After reading this book, I've decided to live as fully as possible, focusing on the present. It was nice to learn that Kuroshima is a tourist resort now. I plan to go there when I go back to Japan. I'm from Osaka, and I've never been to Kyushu. It will be my first visit there. I'll definitely pay a visit to the literary monument for Sawako Ariyoshi. Sorry about writing such a long letter about myself, but I wanted someone to know how moved I was. Thank you for creating a wonderful home page. I hope for even more progress at your school.

(5) Lecture class

In the community: about once a month
We post lecture information in the local newspaper.
Two years ago, we held lectures several times on an isolated island.

(6) Participating in Kagoshima Prefecture's 20-School Internet Project

Participants: elementary, junior and senior high schools, other schools, junior colleges, and vocational schools

Information about the project: Using infoSatsuma and provided Web space, participating schools can set up a free home page for one year. There is one access point in Kagoshima city. Times of availability for infoSatsuma and conditions for participation are as follows;

(7) Other activities

(8) Pros and cons of our activities

Benefits:
Students improved their presentation, communication, and computer skills, had the opportunity to try out advanced technology, and learned ways to improve seamanship skills.
Problems:
What is the purpose of vocational or special high schools?
The cost of line use
Hardware-related problems

(9) Others: contributing to bulletins, brochures, seminars, and study meetings


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