computerdisc-l: please respond about e-mail

[Cassandra Shidler <cas@olemiss.edu>]

I teach 8th Computer Discovery, and I am still relatively new in this
subject area.
Everyone, I really want/need YOUR advice and/or opinion....
E-MAIL:  cas@olemiss.edu

Currently, we use gaggle.net for student e-mail services.  This is the
second year we have used it.   Although our service with gaggle.net now
is relatively good, there are too many days that the gaggle.net server
is "down" in California.  In addition to this, I do not like the
addition of advertisement banners, and my school is not able/willing to
purchase the non-advertisement version of gaggle.net.  (However, I do
understand - gaggle.net has to have some type of financial support to
maintain their service.)  But I was curious to see if anyone has started
trying anything new, or looking for a new similar type of service with
better performance and/or less advertisement banners.  Also, how many
schools actually allow students daily or occasional e-mail access?  From
what I have heard, some schools do not have any internet/e-mail access
at all. Please e-mail me directly (cas@olemiss.edu) to help me make
decisions for our school and our students.

I would like to know:
1)	Does your lab have Internet access available to students?  If so, do
you have any monitoring software you use or recommend?  I have heard
some people talk about Net Nanny?  What do you think?
2)	Do you use any type of e-mail service that you make available to your
students?  If so, what and are you satisfied with the service and its
performance (or filtering capability).  If not, is there a particular
reason you who willing to share with me?

I tell our students that they are fortunate to have the opportunity for
e-mail access at all, because some schools/students do not have any
Internet access.  Currently, we don't "surf" the Web, we only access
gaggle.net to check e-mail 2-4 times a week at the end of class, usually
for approximately 5-10 minutes.  Sometimes, I send e-mail messages with
specific assignments, but usually I use this as just another opportunity
for students to communicate with me and other students.

I apologize for the length of this e-mail, but I would really appreciate
ANY and ALL opinions on this matter.

Sincerely,
Cassandra Shidler-Stevens - Computer Discovery Teacher
Oxford School District - Oxford Middle School
501 Martin Luther King Drive, Oxford, Mississippi 38655
e-mail - cas@olemiss.edu
Work: 	662-234-2288
Home:	662-236-3625
Fax:	663-234-0235


Currently, we use gaggle.net for student e-mail services.  This is the
second year we have used it.  Although our service with gaggle.net now
is relatively good, there are too many days that the gaggle.net server
is "down" in California.  In addition to this, I do not like the
addition of advertisement banners, and my school is not able/willing to
purchase the non-advertisement version of gaggle.net.  (However, I do
understand - gaggle.net has to have some type of financial support to
maintain their service.)  But I was curious to see if anyone has started
trying anything new, or looking for a new similar type of service with
better performance and/or less advertisement banners.  Also, how many
schools actually allow students daily or occasional e-mail access?  From
what I have heard, some schools do not have any internet/e-mail access
at all. Please e-mail me directly (cas@olemiss.edu) to help me make
decisions for our school and our students.

I would like to know:
1)	Does your lab have Internet access available to students?  If so, do
you have any monitoring software you use or recommend?  I have heard
some people talk about Net Nanny?  What do you think?
2)	Do you use any type of e-mail service that you make available to your
students?  If so, what and are you satisfied with the service and its
performance (or filtering capability).  If not, is there a particular
reason you who willing to share with me?

I tell our students that they are fortunate to have the opportunity for
e-mail access at all, because some schools/students do not have any
Internet access.  Currently, we don't "surf" the Web, we only access
gaggle.net to check e-mail 2-4 times a week at the end of class, usually
for approximately 5-10 minutes.  Sometimes, I send e-mail messages with
specific assignments, but usually I use this as just another opportunity
for students to communicate with me and other students.

I apologize for the length of this e-mail, but I would really appreciate
ANY and ALL opinions on this matter.

Sincerely,
Cassandra Shidler-Stevens - Computer Discovery Teacher
Oxford School District - Oxford Middle School
501 Martin Luther King Drive, Oxford, Mississippi 38655
e-mail - cas@olemiss.edu
Work: 	662-234-2288
Home:	662-236-3625
Fax:	663-234-0235