By Susan Tucker

Dear Readers: A New Column WHAT FOLLOWS is the first in- stallment of a new department in TechTrends that will highlight appli- cations of AECT's electronic net- work, TechCentral. I asked Board Member Chuck Forsythe, a longtime AECT activist with the National As- sociation of Regional Media Centers (NARMC), for his help.

First, let me tell you that I re- ceived Chuck's letter via electronic mail on TechCentral. Chuck was able to "upload" his letter from his computer onto the network, and I "downloaded" it here at AECT headquarters for review and editing. What you see here is the letter as it actually appeared on my computer screen when I checked my electron- ic mailbox.

Notice you can send registered mail; Chuck did so, so he knew I received the letter. (This wipes out the old I-never-received-your-letter rejoinder; the sender knows exactly when the reader received the trans- mission.) Well, enough of my talk. Enjoy Chuck's letter:

Command? r since nov 7 Registered? Accept? y Posted: Fri. Nov. 8, 1985 7:08 AM EST From: C.Forsythe To: Admin/TechCentral, S.Tucker (REG) CC: C.Forsythe Subj: TechCentral article Susan, TechCentral has opened

channels of communications that previously have been only in our thoughts and dreams. Anyone who works in the area of technology knows that communications is of ut- most importance, We also know that our mailboxes and desks often are filled with paper. With TechCentral, we've been conquering some of these problems.

We had experimented with tele- communications with The Source and CompuServe when AECT start- ed TechNet, now TechCentral. The information available in the bulletin

board was valuable, but we could see an even greater value in the electronic mail.

I had just been elected president of NARMC, and my experience with organizations told me that communi- cating with a board of directors scat- tered all over the U.S. was going to be a prime problem. My solution was to set up a network within Tech- Central for NARMC. The board ap- proved the idea, even though I'm sure many had no conception of what I was talking about--not that that was unusual in this area of tele- communications.

Once I set this up, I thought I was home free. Wrong? Setting up the system was one thing, but getting people to use it was another. There were problems with modems, soft- ware, telephone lines, and of course, general training on the system. To- day, after eight months on the sys- tem, we have about 15 of our 31 board members actively telecom- municating. Not bad, huh?

In addition to our bulletin boards, I send all correspondence to board members electronically. I can have a decision on a specific issue the same day without spending time and mon- ey playing telephone tag.

As a result of establishing a net- work for NARMC, my state organi- zation in Pennsylvania (Pennsylva- nia Instructional Materials Serv- ices--PIMS) decided to set up its own TechCentral network. We im- mediately found several uses for the network. We maintain a central da- tabase of all film and video pur- chased in the state. All correspon- dence, including forms for entering new data into the system, now is done electronically. PIMS also has an AV, video, and microcomputer repair program that needed a good way to share information on com- mon problems and parts availability. Most of our 28 centers are online and actively using the network.

One of my staff members attended a conference this summer and met a

media specialist from Australia who also was involved in telecommunica- tions and was interested in exchang- ing information with U.S. schools. The schools in New South Wales, AustraLia, are on a network called TeleMemo. They 've given us a membership, and we've promised to give them a membership in Tech- Central. So far, we've only been telecommunicating with one school, but we both hope to expand.

Electronic telecommunications between Pennsylvania and Califor- nia is one thing--the time difference is only three hours. Our kids could call there while everyone is in class. But Australia is 14 hours time differ- ence. The concept is the same as the old pen-pal projects, except that us- ing computers to telecommunicate is much faster and more exciting.

Well, you probably can tell I 'm pretty excited about the possibilities of TechCentral. I 'm eager to share anything we have learned as well as some of the crazier ones I haven't touched on here. I can be reached at the address below or, preferably, electronically at C.Forsythe (Tech- Central).

Montgomery County Int. Unit Montgomery Ave. & Papermill Erdenheim, Pa. 19118 215/233-9560

Action? Command? bye This mail session is now complete. TeleMail Disconnected

I hope you enjoyed Chuck's ap- proach to using electronic mail and networking. In designing and operat- ing TechCentral, we have a great deal of flexibility and can create cus- tomized bulletin boards for special purposes, just as we did with PIMS. If you'd like to set up a network, a bulletin board, or a database--or even run a forum or user group---it's possible to be in operation within a month. Call me--electronically, preferably--using the ID: ADMIN/ TECHCENTRAL. Or call me at AECT at 202/466-4780. �9

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1985 27