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Hacienda School District Network Makes The Grade

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School lessons come alive on the computer screen through videoconferencing and the Internet. Los Angeles' Hacienda La Puente Unified School District is using the technology to make learning more exciting and enjoyable for kids of all ages through their computer network. Students from kindergarten through grade 12 are using computers, along with their textbooks, to study their lessons. Not only can they learn about dinosaurs, students can "see" the prehistoric reptiles move through desktop videoconferencing and the Internet.

"Our greatest challenge is keeping all services stable and working," says Michael Droe, Hacienda's director of networks and computer services. "If a teacher is basing the students' lesson on a network resource, it's mission-critical and must be fault tolerant and redundant. If it breaks down, how will we explain to parents that we didn't complete t heir child's lesson because of network failure?"

More than 33,000 students have network accounts and can access everything the computer network has to offer, including the Net and educational videos. Students can log onto an electronic encyclopedia for information on topics from birds to the periodic table. They also can watch lectures held in other district locations from the desktop.

Administrative and management departments utilize the network to communicate with staff members via videoconferencing, send e-mail, share files and printers and access the Internet. Employees use desktop videoconferencing for staff development and planning. For instance, staff members can access CD-ROM archives and legal information online. The Macintosh operating system's publish and subscribe feature lets users maintain a live link to important pieces of data.

For teachers visiting Los Angeles County correctional facilities for GED instruction and vocational training, the computer network extends to these location s for administrative support, such as file sharing and videoconferencing. Inmates use the computers for their studies, but on a very limited basis, particularly with Internet access. They use self-contained software for studies.

The network spans the district campus, extending to five different correctional facilities. The Newbridge Mainstreet 36150 ATMnet switch provides the ATM backbone for the Hacienda network, along with the Newbridge VIVID Workgroup ATM switch, according to Droe. The local school district network is mostly Ethernet and uses Madge Networks' Madge MultiNet LET-36, LET-20 and LET-10 hubs. Cisco 7000 series routers are being used until a full ATM network is deployed.

High school students gain broadcast journalism experience through their participation at the Lobo News Studio. Students direct, produce, write and anchor a morning news program on the local community cable channel. The broadcast signal runs through the ATM network and links with TCI Cable.