Section: LIFE & LEISURE
Page: D8

Wednesday, November 6, 1996

A DIGITAL LINK TO RUSSIA, WITH LOVE COMPUTERS OPEN UP TULA'S NEW WORLD

NORMAN KURLAND Special to the Times Union

Who's online in Tula?

Tula, remember, is Albany's sister city in Russia. Today the relationship, promoted by the Albany-Tula Alliance, is highly dependent on mail and occasional visits. But, with the help of the Internet, it could develop into daily interactions among schools and individuals who would have many reasons to be in continuing contact.

That, at least, is the dream of Laura Chodos and other members of the Alliance that is chaired by Charlotte Buchanan. They are seeking computers to send to Tula for use in teacher-preparation programs at Tula State Leo Tolstoy Pedagogic University.

Chodos is a former member of the state Board of Regents and was a member of the first Alliance delegation to Tula.

Thanks to the Alliance, two Tula University graduate teaching fellows, Ruslan Vorontsov and Yevgeny Belyayev, are spending a semester at the University at Albany School of Education. They completed five years at the Tula school, specializing in the teaching of English language and literature. Their command of American English is testimony to the success of their own education. Now, they want to be sure the next generation of teachers and students not only learn English, but do so while learning the new language of computers and the Internet.

``As they learned about the power of the Internet to connect people anywhere in the world,'' Chodos observed, ``Ruslan and Yevgeny have become excited about the possibility of using computers both to link schools in our two communities and at the same time help teachers and their students learn English and communicate with the world.''

There is a problem, however. The university in Tula does not have up-to-date computers. This condition was brought to the attention of the Alliance in March by an Alliance-sponsored visit by a professor from Tula, Dr. Alla Malchenko.

``The few computers we have in Russia are used exclusively for scientific and medical research,'' Malchenko said. ``Teachers in Tula have no experience with computers and little contact with the outside world.''

She stressed the importance of finding ways to give teachers access to computers and the Internet so they can help prepare their students and community for economic independence and participation in the world economy.

On Malchenko's initiative, Vorontsov and Belyayev have as part of their assignment in Albany to learn about the role of computers and the Internet in schools.

``Students and their teachers today have little understanding of modern technology,'' Vorontsov said. ``We want to put computers in the hands of teachers in training so they will demand them when they go out to teach.''

The status of computers in Russia today is similar to conditions in the U.S. 10 to 15 years ago -- limited to math and computer science departments and used primarily for computations.

``And even the math department has only primitive machines,'' Belyayev noted. ``Education students and, indeed, those in many disciplines have no access to computers, to say nothing of the Internet. Even to send e-mail to Tula is a problem because the only access point currently is on the office machine of one faculty member who does not regularly check for messages.''

Given the current dismal state of the Russian economy, there is little likelihood this situation will soon change. Whatever money is available to buy computers is going to be spent on upgrading those used for science and medicine. This is where the Albany-Tula Alliance comes in.

The Alliance began in 1991 when Soviet Communism collapsed and Russia was faced with the transition to free enterprise and a democratic form of government. At that time, a humanitarian effort in Albany resulted in the collection of more than eight tons of clothing, food and medical supplies, transported to Russia by the U.S. Air Force. The materials were welcome relief for many who were suddenly without employment.

Since then, the Alliance has established strong educational, cultural, medical and business programs between the two cities. Several delegations of professional and business people from Tula have visited Albany for meetings with counterparts. Ten businessmen and scientists spent several months here under an Alliance program called Special American Business Internship Training (SABIT). Two scientists are here now working on a major environmental health project.

The Alliance has provided financial and other assistance for Tulan graduate students to study at UAlbany and at the College of Saint Rose. Vorontsov and Belyayev are the current recipients of such assistance. Through their studies in the university's School of Education they have come to realize the potential of computers to enrich the teaching of English at home and to build bridges between teachers in Tula and Albany. When they shared their vision with members of the Alliance in Albany, the possibility of expanding it to include a community-to-community Internet link began to emerge.

As William Holstein, a member of the Alliance and professor in UAlbany's School of Business noted, ``The Internet is transforming the way business works. Why not use it to transform the way communities relate to each other?``

A major obstacle to the realization of this vision is the lack of computers, so the Alliance is asking local businesses, governments, and individuals to contribute usable computers that can be sent to the Russian city. The computers must be capable of graphical access to the Net and be in working condition, or require minimal work to make them usable. Printers and modems (minimum 14.4) also are being sought.

``Let's make this a model for how two communities and their schools on opposite sides of the world and speaking differing languages can come together through the power of modern communications technology,'' Chodos said.

Once the computers are in place in Tula, the next step will be creation of an Albany-Tula Web site. Included will be information about the two communities and links to relevant sites in Russia and the U.S., including, of course, links to schools and other local sites in Albany and Tula. Next, mailing lists will be created or a Net-based conferencing system will be instituted. Then, anyone with Net access in either community will be able to join in conversations on topics of mutual interest.

For example, teachers in Tula and Albany would be able to share curriculum materials and teaching techniques. Students in both areas would be able to share experiences as ``e-pen pals'' and do projects together. One project already under way, without the benefit of computers, focuses on cleaning up rivers in both countries.

``Imagine how exciting that project would be if students could share results over the Internet,'' said James Fleming, acting dean of UAlbany's School of Education and another Alliance member.

``The Internet will also enable us to share a distance education program,'' Fleming added. ``School and university students in Tula will be able to take courses that are not currently offered in Russia and we will be able to take advantage of their programs in areas where we are deficient. In addition, with the high cost of books, the Internet will give students, teachers and other professionals access to materials they would otherwise not have.''

Next month, Fleming will chair a symposium at which Vorontsov and Belyayev will share the results of their studies here with faculty, graduate students and local teachers. Norman Kurland recently retired as founding executive director of CRISNY, the Capital Region Information System -- New York.

FACTS:Care to chip in? Any individual or organization with computers to offer to the Tula project, or anyone seeking additional information about the Albany-Tula Alliance, may contact Laura Chodos at 371-9243 or by e-mail at

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