History of IKN

Begun as a project meant to give students a larger audience for their writing, its first Web site, started in 1994, was called GOATzine (Global Observation And Telecommunications), an ambitious name for an on-line (Web-based) journal by and for year nine (grade 8) students.  Back then we were hosted by Don at Clearlight Communications on his HP Unix.
 
ITeachNet.org was founded as "TIPS," or the "Teachers' Internet Pages" in 1995.  It was motivated by the realization that we needed teachers to get involved if we wanted students to work together via the Web.  TIPS grew to be a large site for teachers working or interested in international education.  While teaching at the New International School of Thailand, we developed the Webzine and, I believe, we achieved a few "firsts" including the first on-line art gallery in cooperation with Seth Ruef at the International School of Luxembourg who was a co-editor of TIPS with Laura Forish at The American School of Paris.
 
In 1998, due to work-demands, it went into a slow update cycle with rotating, volunteer editors from among Web-Coordinators at international schools. 
 
In 2000, The International Education Webzine project was begun.  We had a number of successful, interesting issues that drew in participants from international schools and those assisting them -- from around the world.  It was a lot of fun.
 
In 2000, we also founded OpenSourceSchools.org  to complement iteachnet.org.  A Webzine by and for those interested in free and open source software (and content) was published with considerable success in terms of community involvement.  At the same time, we were involved in the morphing of SEUL's Linux for education mailing list to school-discuss at Schoolforge.net, and of course, the Web site, Schoolforge.net, a domain name we contributed to the cause and still support.
 
By 2004, mostly due to work-demands at schools, both of those projects went into a slower cycle being updated only occasionally.  This pause was lengthened by various changes in the lives of those of us involved, and only in 2008 did we begin to climb back into the present.
 
Today, we have a steady list of 20+ clients for Web sites and support.  Our bread and butter (or rice and fish sauce, if you prefer) is building Web sites.  Our experience and expertise in identifying and supporting the best of class projects for international and local schools is unsurpassed.  We have been participants in this community from its beginning and continue contribute.