Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, November 30, 1995                   TAG: 9511300040
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: INDIAN VALLEY                                LENGTH: Medium

THE WORLD COMES TO FLOYD SCHOOLS - VIRTUALLY SPEAKING|

Wednesday, school administrators and representatives from Citizens Telephone Corp. proudly displayed new additions to every classroom in the county: hardware and wiring that will connect students to reference materials, videos, CD ROMs and the Internet.

The new computers and media equipment installed in classrooms and libraries is no gimmick, Superintendent Terry Arbogast said.

"This is another tool to improve individual academic achievement - for every child in all our schools," he said.

The improvements are two-fold: Computers with toll-free access to the Internet through Citizens Telephone, and a multi-media connection to libraries through video, data and voice connections.

The media management system will allow teachers to access information from any school library in the county without leaving the classroom.

Catherine Hinman, for example, is teaching her third-graders about moon phases. With the push of a button, she can request a laser disc on Neil Armstrong's historic moon landing. The media specialist can access the disc and send it on via the classroom's television.

Plus, with a connection to the Internet, Hinman's class can access NASA itself.

One of her students, Heather Farmer, spent at least an hour Wednesday "surfing" NASA pages. She found more information than any third-grader could ever use, from atmospheric conditions to pictures of the moon's swiss cheese surface.

"Part of the benefit of this is the exploration - just trying to find things and learn on their own," Hinman said.

County schools - along with businesses and residents in Floyd, Montgomery and Roanoke counties - now have toll-free access to the Internet through Citizens Telephone Cooperative.

In January, the local telephone server donated $200,000 to the schools toward the multi-media equipment.

"We see it as an investment in our community," said General Manager Jim Newell.

Another $50,000 in state funds helped with installation and equipment costs, Arbogast said. The rest of the funds came from money allocated by the School Board.