December 10, 2001

We do what we can to answer questions and provide help to people who contact us. But, we are not a business, don't charge for our software and services, and are resource limited. Therefore, we (the SNS project team at the University of Missouri) don't guarantee support and are not able to supply much beyond the answers to questions.

If you need technical support you should seek out someone with knowlege of Linux/Unix/BSD. You can tell who they are by their pocket protectors, t-shirts from ThinkGeek, location in computer labs on Saturday nights when everyone else is on a date, and/or copy of Linux Magazine clutched in their right hand. (Kidding...sort of...)

Seriously...there are lots of knowlegeable Linux/Unix/BSD people out there who are happy to provide a helping hand to schools. It could even be a student or maintenance person in your school. Hang signs. Ask around. Look for a local Linux Users Group. See who is in the computer lab on Saturday night...

December 10, 2001

The Shadow netWorkspace™ product can be sustained by the following means:

• by continued funding for CTIE to engage in ongoing development and support,
• participation by other groups and individuals through the open source model,
• by companies/organizations who might pick up SNS as something they provide to schools as a networked solution, these companies then would have a vested interest in seeing that the software is supported and continues to grow, and
• participation by knowledgeable partner schools who use SNS.

December 10, 2001

There are projects and environments that share some similarities with the Shadow netWorkspace™. For a description of these, please see the report in the Research Documents section of this web site. Although they share some likeness in functionality, each of the systems seem to have unique audiences, objectives and methods. We'd love for you to use SNS, but we are really more interested in network-based, collaborative learning environments being implemented and used in educational settings. We want you to be able to find the best tools to serve your needs. Therefore, we believe you should explore the possible alternatives and choose the tools and capabilities that will help you meet your goals. We offer SNS as one of the alternatives and work to constantly improve SNS based on feedback and experience with the hope that it will find an ever wider audience.

December 10, 2001

Your school's Shadow netWorkspace™ (SNS) is owned, controlled, and maintained locally by your school. This gives your faculty and students the flexibility to maximize its use for teaching and learning. Most computers have the minimum system requirements to support SNS being installed on them. It is also possible to install and control SNS locally (i.e., at your school), but maintain it at a central location (i.e., the district central office). With SNS, schools can reap the benefits of an Intranet without a substantial new investment in hardware or software. Since SNS is accessed via the Internet, all individual users need is a computer, Internet access, and a Web browser (version 4.0 or higher). If those things are in place there is no need to purchase anything new. All SNS applications and features can be used on existing computers.

Since SNS programs are never installed on the user's computer, other than browser version, one never needs to worry about compatibility. With SNS, users are working on a remote secure server, which stores and backs up files and allows access to work tools; so teachers and students can use the SNS on any Internet-connected computer.

December 10, 2001

The benefits of using Shadow netWorkspace™ (SNS) are numerous. As the Internet expands and its usage increases, those benefits will continue to grow. Much has been written about using the Internet in schools, and most schools now have access to the Internet, but how will they use their connection effectively? Students and teachers everywhere have already begun to experience the benefits of using the Internet to support learning. SNS provides an easy, effective, inexpensive way to maximize the use of the Internet to enhance learning.

Students and teachers will work smarter with SNS because everything is right where they need it--no matter where they are. Every time a user logs in to SNS, they can access and manage all of their personal information (homework, assignments, communications, calendars, etc.), not to mention collaborating with others on group projects. Listed below are some of the significant benefits of SNS.

Teachers can:

• post schedules for tests, homework, and project deadlines,
• keep parents informed of important dates, meetings, and student progress,
• store lessons plans online for easier updates, changes, and sharing,
• access a host of instructional tools and resources,
• post lesson plans for parents and students to access,
• keep parents informed of student homework assignments,
• centralize the tools groups of students need to work collaboratively,
• post suggested reading lists and resource lists for parents and students,
• access built in resources to gain information about new methods and techniques,
• allow student to submit homework assignments, and
• improve communication between parents, students, and administrators.

Parents can:

• keep in touch with their child's day-to-day activities,
• access records and correspond with teacher from work or home,
• access information needed to help their child with homework assignments and other projects, and
• improve communication with teachers, students, and administrators.

Students can:

• enhance their reading, writing, and collaboration skills,
• easily maintain a portfolio,
• stay abreast of class assignments and progress even when absent,
• access files, assignments, homework, etc., from school, home, the library or anywhere there is a computer with a Web-browser and an Internet connection,
• conveniently organize and complete work with others-regardless of where group members are,
• enhance understanding of technology, the Internet and its uses, improve technology skills, and
• expand research capabilities beyond basic Internet browsing.

School Administrators can:

• enhance intra/inter-school communication,
• conveniently and effectively distribute school-wide announcements,
• easily post school communications (i.e., student handbooks, meeting minutes, lunch menus),
• improve communication between parents, teachers, and students,
• access and manage student information and records from any Internet connected computer with a Web browser, and
• advance your school as a leader in technology implementation and use.