Say 'YES' to Telephone Lines in the Classroom. ERIC Digest.

In June 1994, the Texas Center for Educational Technology (TCET) posted a survey on several educational listservs and conference groups on the Internet requesting comments, observations, and opinions from educators having experience with telephones in classrooms. Most of the respondents agreed on the need to equip K-12 classrooms with modern communications tools including telephone lines to be used predominately for voice and computer communications. They indicated that the advantages of voice communications are improved parent/teacher and intra-and inter-campus communication, better discipline management, and increased teacher and student morale. Computer communications is beneficial because it allows teachers and students access to information for conducting research in almost any area of K-12 curriculum via e-mail, e-mail lists, newsgroups and the exchange of documents and data files. Potential negatives of voice and computer communications include abuse of the telephone line, disruptive phone ringing, that the telephone line is not the best access to the Internet, and that "garbage" is accessible through the Internet. FAX machines are another mode of communication via telephone lines, and can be used to send and receive information. The principal deterrent to the installation of telephone lines in the classroom is the cost. (MAS/DGM)