When NetDay came to Texas, different regions used the opportunity to meet their local goals. Some districts opted to wire every classroom in a school, others put the priority on getting a connection to every building.

Higher Ed Offers a Helping Hand in Houston

Houston Independent School District
Anne Meyn
NetDay Coordinator
Houston Independent School District
http://txnetresults.cc.utexas.edu

NetDay spawned continuing relationships with companies and individuals who were involved with the project. Many individuals had not set foot in a classroom since their graduation. They might have gone to a PTA meeting, but hadn't paid attention to what was happening in the classroom.
-- Anne Meyn

During the first Texas NetDay, approximately 80 schools in the Houston Independent School District participated. They installed 6 network connections per classroom to connect to the library and to online resources. The district also trained teachers to share experiences and ideas for enhancing the curriculum and to promote educational technology. Mayor Lee Brown's office provided a team to pull wire each NetDay. The Enhanced Enterprise Community Board gathered local support, and Houston businesses and corporations backed the program. Texas Southern University provided computer training for teachers on NetDay, and the University of Houston basketball team adopted a low-income school with professional basketball star Clyde Drexler's mother's restaurant donating food for the event.

A NetDay partner in Texas, the Texas Chapter of Tech Corps played an important role in organizing volunteers to provide planning, wiring, and training. They funded training sessions and assisted schools and districts with a long-range plan for technology. The schools identified educational goals and resources, completed an inventory of existing infrastructure, designed a network structure (with volunteers from business), enlisted sponsors and gathered volunteers. In Dallas a group from the telecom industry adopted two schools, one in Dallas ISD, and one in the Wilmer-Hutchins District. Volunteers planned with school teams, wired both schools, procured computers, trained teachers, and maintain an on-going relationship assisting with technology needs.

People continued their involvement with training, repair work, and made an ongoing commitment to schools. Our schools wanted to be in the 21st century and the NetDay volunteers made that happen.
-- Anne Meyn

Getting Connected Faster, Better

Alamo Heights Independent School District
Rick Martinez
Director of Technology
Alamo Heights Independent School District
www.ahisd.net

When Rick Martinez first arrived at the Alamo Heights Independent School District in 1996, he met parents who felt frustrated with the lack of technology in schools. They were concerned that students graduated from high school and went on to college without learning to use technology for learning.

NetDay came to Texas just in time to leverage volunteers, resources, and publicity to quickly connect classrooms and schools. Volunteers answered the call to help pull wire from all over San Antonio; mothers, fathers, and students got involved. Lucent, Graybar, and Fisk Electric supported the efforts with donations and discounts on equipment and services. The District ran 179,000 feet of Cat 5 and 3,000 feet of fiber to classrooms, libraries, and offices in all five schools for $179,000. Before NetDay, the district received quotes for wiring the schools ranging from $300,000 to $400,000.

We had a crew of 5-6 people to prep the school. We put up j-hooks, Panduit, and pull strings. Companies donated ladders and lights to assist us. Our first school had 150-200 volunteers; they heard about it from articles in the newspaper and notices sent home with students. In one picture, you can see 75 people handing down wire to put it in place under a school. We hired a contractor to terminate and certify the wire and cable for 15 years. Rick Martinez

As Martinez plans expansion to a broadband network enabling video on demand and other new technology learning tools, he notes that students have already begun to benefit from the changes. They are better prepared for the future. From elementary school on, they research on the Internet, use appropriate applications for a given task such as a spreadsheet for crunching numbers, create multimedia animations, and many other activities. Students who were reading at lower levels and not writing, go online and write contributions to a web board. Not only are they reading and writing, but also they are developing critical thinking skills by critiquing the work of others.