ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 24, 1996 TAG: 9602260090
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
ROANOKE'S NEWEST magnet school is developing one of the most advanced communication systems, which will enable pupils to link up to the Internet, other electronic media and reference materials.
Soon, the children at Lincoln Terrace Elementary School will be able to communicate with their counterparts at schools around the world.
Through interactive videos and distance learning, pupils will have a chance to visit the San Francisco Zoo or the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
With nearly $325,000 in federal funds, the Roanoke school is developing a sophisticated computer system, called Saturn Network, that will link it to the Internet and other electronic media and reference materials.
Lincoln Terrace, the city's newest magnet program, will have one of the nation's most advanced communication systems for a school, Principal William Sinkler says.
The MCI Foundation, a grants division of the long-distance telephone company, also has contributed $12,500 to supplement the school's federal magnet grant, which was reduced because of budget cuts. MCI officials presented the check Friday to city school Superintendent Wayne Harris.
The company has worked closely with Lincoln Terrace for several years and provided advice about the magnet program's development. MCI employees have been volunteers at the school.
Brian Madden, MCI's branch manager in Virginia, says the school's magnet program will help children acquire the communication skills needed in the 21st century. "Technology is changing the way we work, live and learn."
Harris says MCI has demonstrated its commitment to schools and has helped children understand the importance of technology and communication skills.
While some parts of the Saturn Network have not been installed, the children already are benefiting from more computers, laser-disc players and interactive software.
Fifth-grader Amanda Weaver is excited about a computerized talking dictionary that explains the meaning of words, pronounces them and provides pictures of objects.
"It helps you understand faster what a word means," Weaver says.
Danielle Bush likes the "Oregon Trail" computer program, which mixes history with a game.
Some classrooms have more than half a dozen computers. "We've got more computers now, and you get to use them more," says Ben Butler, a fifth-grader.
Anisah Rasheed can study spelling by using the computer and get tips by breaking words into parts. "You can learn more things with the computers we have now," he says.
Sinkler says the classrooms will be connected to the Internet in the next few weeks as more equipment is installed.
A recent survey by the U.S. Department of Education showed that 9 percent of classrooms in the country have access to the Internet. Several of Roanoke's magnet schools have access, but not all classrooms in the schools.
In the next two months, Lincoln Terrace also will install a "Titan Zone," a special center with a teaching amphitheater and computer workstations at which children can learn the history of communication - from hieroglyphics to cyberspace.
Next year, the school will open a United Nations Resource Center, which will help children learn negotiation and conflict-resolution skills, Sinkler says. They also will learn about self-government through participation in a student government council, he says.
The school has received a three-year grant, with smaller amounts expected in the second and third years. The amount for these years will depend on federal budget cuts.
Sandra Burks, director of the city's magnet schools, says Lincoln Terrace's program is designed to strengthen language and critical-thinking skills through the use of computers and electronic technology. It is available to all students from kindergarten to fifth grade.
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