Construction of a Educational Weather Information Network by Telecommunication

在日本，9岁到10岁的学生学习每日气温随天气的变化以及天气变化的规律。此外，13至14岁的学生学习日本天气变化和季节变化的机制。天文台已建立一个天气信息网络，为学校提供天气信息，供学校在课堂上进行学前气象教育之用。已收集卫星图像、气象要素数据和天气图。实时和典型的数据通过电话线与数据调制解调器提供。在获得对网络的访问之后，用户可以将文件服务器视为他或她的计算机上的虚拟驱动器，而无需了解电信协议，并且从服务器下载数据的文件。下载400千字节的红外卫星图像需要80至120秒。根据用户的要求，还可以通过光盘提供大量的数据。开发了一个软件包，使远程用户能够将卫星图像用作教学材料。设计该软件的基本目的是让学前班的学生能够自己学习天气。在教室中使用的主要功能如下：1）显示日本周围的红外图像和可见光图像; 2）显示地球的红外图像; 3）图像的动画; 4）图像的放大; 5）对指定温度或反射率范围的区域着色; 6）在红外图像上叠加可见光图像; 7）显示立体图像; 8）输出到打印机或图形软件。为学前教师举办了一个短期课程，以促进使用我们的网络进行课堂教学。24名教师参加了培训班。

In Japan, students who are 9 going on 10 years old learn daily temperature change with the weather and a rule of the weather changes. Also, those aged of 13 to 14 learn a mechanism of the weather change and the seasonal variation of the weather in Japan. A weather information network was constructed to provide weather information to schools for using in precollege meteorological education in the classroom. Satellite images, meteorological element data and weather charts have been collected. Real-time and typical data are provided through a telephone line with a data modem. After gaining access to the network, the user can regard the file server as a virtual drive on his or her computer without knowledge of telecommunication protocols, and download files of the data from the server. It took 80 to 120 seconds to download an infrared satellite image having 400 Kbytes. A large quantity of data can also be provided by a CD-ROM according to user's request. A software package, which allows remote users to use the satellite images as teaching materials, was developed. The basic aim in designing the software was that precollege students can study the weather by themselves. The main functions for using in classrooms are as follows : 1) displaying an infrared image and a visible image around Japan ; 2) displaying a infrared image of the earth ; 3) animation of images ; 4) magnifications of the image ; 5) coloring area of a specified range of temperature or reflectivity ; 6) superimposing a visible image on an infrared image ; 7) displaying of a stereoscopic image ; 8) outputting to a printer or a graphic software. A short course for precollege teachers to promote the use of our network for classroom teaching was held. 24 teachers attended the course.