9)The model of the new becoming information-oriented - The creation from "Harima multi-media school" -
"Harima multi-media school" is a great project for the becoming information-oriented western Harima in the future with having a lot of participation fortunately, too.
However, it was important that the result should be evaluated with not only the contents which have done but also the process and progress of the project.
In summarize, through this activity it was shown that the new model of the district as becoming information-oriented with the partner-ship of public and government.
This project is not the one that Hyogo Prefecture made such a plan at the beginning. There are many proposals from the citizen and the groups with various situations and it had been discussed and examined by them.
It will be a good reference for other area where will be proceed information-oriented not only western Harima.
We will report the task and over-view for the becoming information-oriented area with the summary of the activity "Harima multi-media school" which was supported by the connection of the power with various people and organizations.
1. Aiming to build network for the integration of Commerce, Government, School and Public.
(1) The concept of "Harima multi-media school"
Hyogo Prefectural Government Public Enterprise Agency which produced Harima Science Garden City project had a plan "Multi-media experimental corner" which was display multi-media peripherals as a part of the city opening festival at beginning.
That plan was handled by Prefectural Governor councilman (in charging of information communication) and he was facing some problems which were the difficulty of gathering corporation of the companies because of long term display and lack of power to be the initiator to promote the becoming information-oriented of the area.
(The information communication taking charge)
Therefore, getting the corporation of Harima Internet Research Association, the plan was re-considered with Mr. Wasaki; General Secretary of the Association and others.
The plan had been "multi-media Experimental Corner" which would be opening freely to try Internet and the seminars in which various people can study delightfully the utilization of the information network and "Harima Local history by kids`" which will be held to support sending information by children who will support next generation of the area.
All of these activity were named "Harima multi-media school" (Link: http//www.harima.or.jp/) and the goal of this project was establishment of the network between Commerce, Government, School and Public to promote becoming information-oriented.
(2) The integration of Public, Government and Association
a) "Harima Internet Research Association"
The training curriculum of the various seminar and the plan of "Harima local history by kids`" were proposed by Mr. Wasaki; General Secretary of Harima Internet Research Association and it carried forward to concrete.
This Harima Internet Research Association〔Link: http://www.memenet.or.jp/ 〕is the organization which make-up various citizens stand on company, Government, university and so on.
The association have been just started on April, 1996 and it is doing voluntary activities helping each other. This time the association played an indispensable role for this project.
b) "Harima local history by kids` ~Kids reporter group~ "
"Harima local history by kids`" was the event which had been recruiting to all elementary schools (about 170 schools) of the west Harima area to support 50 schools to be information-oriented.
From the view point of the prefecture Government, it was worthy if it is possible to implement. However, there was concern whether 50 schools were able to participate or not because Internet was not communized yet at schools and also whether or not teachers were able to use a digital camera and to make homepage .
Another hand, local 5JC including Himeji Young Men Chamber (JC) were going to join the city opening event together. As a result, the organization was established to take "Harima local history by kids`" as a 5JC joint event.
5JC was in charge of sending information and invitation to schools and gathering participate schools and the Internet Research Association would be in charge of supporting the seminar for digital camera and making homepage as a volunteer organization.
Finally, the time of CD-ROM making , the idea came up to do English translation of homepage by volunteers. So Mr. Yasumasa Shioaki member of association and many volunteers cooperating each other had been made English version of homepage.
c)Broad range ISDN (B-ISDN) experimental use
Prefectural Government had the experience which was the B-ISDN usage trial at Harima Science Garden City and they had been studied to use it for the remote seminar which had the both-way communication with picture.
Therefore, this experimental use would be one of the school project in which the remote seminar from Osaka Industrial University was held and Children of Sonobe Elementary School (Kyoto)and Harima-kogen east Elementary School (in the garden city) had a remote communication.These experiment main constituent is a Hyogo B-ISDN Experimental Conference (The secretary : prefecture councilman (the information communication taking charge)).
And there were a lot of cooperation and support received from the project of the education system of New Generation Communication Network Experiment Conference (BBCC) (Link http://www.bbcc.or.jp/) and the persons of the Sonobe-cho.
4) The Hyogo New-media Promotion Conference
Hyogo New-media Promotion Conference ( link: http //www.hyogo-iic.ne.jp/-newmedia/ ) which is the promotion group of the becoming information-oriented in the prefecture had the becoming information-oriented for the area planning specialty section and it proceed research and study for becoming information oriented with the governments and the associations in the western Harima area.
This section, continuing from last year, were studying how the becoming information-oriented will be proceed with the governments, commerce and associations.
It cooperates with the group which is and the corporation and it is carrying forward the investigation study activity of the promotion means of the becoming information-oriented.
For the school entry ceremony and the culture festival of this school project, they were discussed from the various view about the becoming information-oriented.
5) The over-all co-ordination and control for the project.
Hyogo Prefecture had made announcement for invitation of participation, invitation for corporation and public information, also it had taken the entry ceremony / the culuture festival, B-ISDN use experiment as a overall event and total control of business expenses.
Hyogo Prefecture had a role which was taking responsibility for the total control of this project.
2 The network which support "Harima multi-media school"(1) Mailing list
There is a mailing list which is one of the functions of Internet. This is a system in which a mail be send to a specific address will be transfer to registered members at once automatically.
Like this project, there must be the system the participants who are living in wide area can contact each other no matter when and where in order to carry forward a plan and management with corporation.
In Harima Internet Research Association, the mailing list was taken advantage for exchanging informations. For this project, a mailing list "mms" was provided with the corporation of Info me-me co. was great help for smooth operation of the project.
(2) The communication of the person and the person
In this "mms", many people were attended, like related persons of Internet research association and prefecture Government, cooperated persons of west Harima education office, BBCC and NTT, volunteers who was corpelate to making homepage and Translation and teachers who participated in "Harima local history by kids`" too.
Such people share opinions and proposals each other and and demanding aid and cooperation each other or exchanging an encouragement and criticism and so on, too. It was the communication towards the same common goal.We were started this project with focused in the importance of the network integration between commerce, Government, school and public to reach the becoming information-oriented. This "mms" is the model of this kind of the network.
3 What is "Harima local history by kids`"
It has been reported regards "Harima local history by kids`" which is the main event of this project however there are some concern raised by the teachers. So it will be explain the intention and progress of the activity again.
(1) The problem of the information educationOne problem is pointed out like " It doesn't carry concept without exception and there is some homepage Which does not have the local information but the introduction of the school." Surely, it might be not enough explain about "Local information distribution by children" and it might be not enough time for working at the school.
However, we want to emphasize here beforehand is that we were very focused in the freely activity of the children shown the concept in the sub title "Kid reporter group" rather than the content itself.
Of course, whatever work it is, there should be what would like to tell and to whom would like to tell. However, if there is one which does not seem to have the discovery and the excitement of the children but it should be thinking by the children and the teacher themselves.
In the children "It might be good if doing such an expression", in the teacher " for the children to teach that it might do good ", if doing such a guide is the important theme of the information education.
On the other hand, we got the comments, "Its becoming studying variously to be reference seeing home-pages of the other schools. I would like make it more better. To do so,I thought that we should know our school district more well.", "I thought that who will read this page, what should be in the contents and what should not be in." and those comments indicate very important suggestions for the next activity.
(2) The information transmission and the protection of the individual information1) The transmission of the home page
It was explained to the schools that the making of a home page would be about 5 digital pictures because of the manpower and the schedule supporting by the volunteers. But there was a lot of differences for the number of the pictures in between schools when it was completed. Some teachers were complained to not being fair.
I was came up with the zest of the schools and the higher motivation of the volunteers during the homepage making and finally few school kept the original request .
In other words, it had been shown the voluntality of the school and the volunteers.
We had asked to the schools to understand the situation but it would be better to show the direction by the prefectural goverment with checking the progress of schools during the homepage making.
2) The protection of the individual informationSome self-governing body does not allow the individual information transmission by Internet with the individual information protection regulation. This time, there are opinions from the schools that it should be consider the some arrangement to the individual information protection regulation.
In the prefecture, it puts an individual information protection regulation from 1997 into operation and it is to transmit the individual information by the Internet should be approved by the council. Therefore the member of a school board of the prefecture made a policy which said that the information transmission from the prefectural school will be limited to only mandatory basis with the agreement of the individual and the policy was approved by the council in January, 1998. This kind of subject is going to big concern for the information-oriented society in the future.
4 At the end
"Harima multi-media school" is spreading toward to cover the supporting for becoming information-oriented of the school.
It is not to have expected at all at the time of the beginning. This activity has appealed how valuable to start from practical area for the becoming information-oriented of the area and it has shown that the corporation of the citizen and the Government can make great possibility.
According to the teacher of Fukuzaki Elementary School, an Internet was introduced into the school with a chance made by the participation of this "Harima local history by kids`". It is also unexpected good result.
In the future, the country Government and the self-governing body are going to be requested to proceed the becoming information-oriented of the school which is like that all of schools will be provided the use environment of the Internet.
It is not that this thing merely stops at the becoming information-oriented in the school. When Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake happened, we have learned that it is important schools should take roles of the protection against disasters and the community of the area. From the becoming information-oriented of the school to the information-oriented of the area. It is just started.
We thank all of the person participated to this project, cooperators proceeding the project and the volunteers deeply.