State to help bring Internet2 access to K-12
By Bob Roseth
News & Information
Washington is one of five states selected to be a pioneer in developing and bringing the next generation of Internet materials, applications, and tools to K-12 schools and colleges.
The Washington K-20 Education Network will have direct access to the Internet2, the high-performance, next generation Internet (called “Abilene”), and more importantly, faculty and teachers in Washington’s schools will have opportunities to develop the next generation of Internet resources, applications, and tools - opportunities that were previously only available to faculty at major research institutions like the UW.
In addition, schools and classroom teachers will have access to the latest in high-tech teaching tools. There will be access to tools for developing, organizing, and bringing into the classroom customized Web-based learning materials, computer-based learning tools, and multi-media content. Organizations such as the Smithsonian Institution and NASA will provide the multimedia content. Access to the network will also give educators the ability to cost-effectively employ high-quality interactive and streamed video across the state’s classrooms, and to classrooms around the nation and the world.
The University has been the lead institution in bringing Internet2 capabilities to the region, and also has been a key partner in the development of the K-20 network. The UW designed, is the network operations center for, and serves as the Internet Service Provider and Internet engineering group for Washington’s K-20 network.
Among the many tools that K-12 and community-college teachers will be able to use as part of this partnership is Catalyst, a national award-winning teaching and learning toolkit developed at the UW. Using Catalyst, teachers can quickly and easily place complex content on the Web and create online learning activities to fit specific teaching needs - without hiring a programmer or undergoing extensive training. Students can easily be given quizzes and surveys, participate in discussions, submit homework and review each other’s work.
myUW is a sophisticated Web-based “middleware” that enables the “mass customization” of Web materials, allowing each teacher, class, and even every student to have fingertip access to a highly personalized workspace with private information and the necessary tools for easily accessing, sharing and publishing materials, collaborating, teaching, and learning more effectively.
Together, Catalyst and myUW provide a powerful combination: access to a wealth of information and tools; and the ability to easily assemble and tailor this information to the needs of individual students, teachers, and classes.
Participation in the next generation Internet fabric also enables broad K-12 access to the new Virtual UW in the High School program, which provides UW college-level credit classes, including the new Fluency in Information Technology (FIT) program, to students in high schools throughout the state.
“Not only will this development put the teachers, students and schools of Washington State at the forefront in using the educational tools that are currently available, it will put them in the position of helping to build the next generation of Internet content and tools,” says Louis Fox, UW vice provost for Educational Partnerships and Learning Technologies.
According to Doug Van Houweling, president and CEO of the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development, which leads the Internet2 effort, “With UW leadership, the state of Washington continues to be a national pacesetter in successful K-20 networking; in working together across K-12 and higher education to help use technology and networks to improve teaching and learning; and in developing award winning state-of-the-art programs for helping teachers and administrators understand and make the best uses of new technologies.”