As the U-S Senate considers a huge spending plan for education, Iowa Senator Tom Harkin hopes to find out about school needs directly from the source. Harkin is conducting a series of “live chats” over the Internet with students in several Iowa cities, including Waterloo.Jo Dorhout is technology coordinator for the Waterloo School District. Students from Waterloo’s Hoover Middle School and East and West High Schools will be zapping messages back and forth today with the democrat Senator. Dorhout says the discussions will likely revolve around school programs, class sizes, technology and the condition of buildings.President Clinton will be in Davenport later today to tour the near-century old Central High School and to speak about school infrastructure needs. Dorhout says that visit will provide a great chance for students to get close to the nation’s chief executive.Senator Harkin plans to offer an amendment to the education bill to provide federal funds to modernize public schools — supporting the President’s one-point-three BILLION dollar proposal. Harkin is also planning to chat with students from Norwalk High today and from Sioux City East, West and North Highs tomorrow.