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Computer industry

Public-Private Alliances Infuse Technology into K-12 Education in North Carolina

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

North Carolina State University's Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, in collaboration with leading technology companies SAS, Cisco, IBM, and Nortel, is revolutionizing K-12 education through innovative teaching and learning tools and practices. The four technology giants are contributing software, hardware, and expertise to develop new educational tools and practices, with a focus on enhancing teaching and learning, and inspiring students to compete in the 21st century global economy.

Key Takeaways:

  • The collaboration between the Friday Institute and the four technology companies aims to bring innovation into classrooms to enhance teaching and learning, and to inspire students at all grade levels to compete in the 21st century global economy.
  • The companies are contributing software, hardware, and expertise to develop new educational tools and practices, with a focus on enriching education in North Carolina K-12 schools.
  • SAS will sponsor communities of practice, innovation grants, and large-scale projects on the use of analytics in education, while IBM will sponsor research projects with the Friday Institute to develop and deliver educational material to several North Carolina K-12 school systems.
  • The alliances are enabling the creation and delivery of a new breed of educational tools and resources for classrooms throughout North Carolina and beyond using a next-generation technology service delivery platform.
  • The public-private alliances will integrate technology that professionals use for business and children use for entertainment with educational content designed for the classroom.
  • Technology typically used in company and university research labs, including scientific modeling, computer visualization, and advanced analytical tools, will be infused into educational tools for K-12 schools.
  • The technology platform will enable sharing of information and computing resources among teachers and students throughout the state using a service-oriented architecture.
  • The platform will deliver services based on a utility model, allowing teachers and students to tap into a grid of new services, just like using electricity.
  • Educators and researchers will be able to share best practices, collaborate with other educators, and participate in the development of innovative teaching and learning initiatives.
  • The partnerships aim to transform education, cultivate a passion for learning, and inspire innovation in children, preparing them for the 21st century global economy.

Statistics:

  • The alliance involves four leading technology companies: SAS, Cisco, IBM, and Nortel.
  • The collaboration aims to enhance teaching and learning, and inspire students at all grade levels to compete in the 21st century global economy.
  • 250,000 students in North Carolina are set to benefit from the technology platform (estimated).
  • The Friday Institute is a unique public-private partnership to integrate research, technology, and cross-sector collaboration to enhance education and support economic development.
  • The Virtual Computing Lab, initiated through an IBM research grant in 2004, has been expanded through the development of a technology service platform to serve schools throughout North Carolina.
  • The technology platform will deliver services based on a utility model, allowing teachers and students to tap into a grid of new services.

Sources:

  • Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, "Public-Private Alliances Infuse Technology into K-12 Education in North Carolina"
  • SAS, "SAS to Sponsor Communities of Practice, Innovation Grants, and Large-Scale Projects on the Use of Analytics in Education"
  • IBM, "IBM to Sponsor Research Projects with the Friday Institute to Develop and Deliver Educational Material to Several North Carolina K-12 School Systems"
  • Cisco Systems, "Cisco to Provide High-Speed Wired and Wireless Network Infrastructure for the Technology Platform"
  • Nortel, "Nortel to Provide Real-Time, Multimedia Collaboration Services through the Technology Platform"

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