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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - June 4, 2001 - The University of Washington
and the Pacific Northwest-Gigapop are pleased to announce that Washington's
statewide K-20 network is now fully connected to Internet2 (I2),
the national next-generation research and education network. (Click
here to see diagram.) The K-20 network, which was designed and
is operated by the UW, connects all of Washington's K-12 school
districts, community colleges, and public baccalaureate institutions.
With the new connection to I2 all teachers, faculty, and students
-- in all parts of the state, and across all of public education
-- will now have the opportunity to use and participate in developing
the next generation of Internet resources, applications, and tools,
opportunities that were previously only available at major university
and corporate research labs.
"Connecting the K-20 Network to Internet2 will keep Washington
at the cutting edge in our efforts to bring students the highest
quality, most diverse curriculum and learning tools that can be
made available over the Internet," said Governor Gary Locke.
This "will literally open whole new worlds to Washington's school
children," says Susannah Malarkey, executive director, the Technology
Alliance. "We are incredibly lucky to be able to participate
in this cutting edge technology. All of Washington's students can
now be part of designing the future." Now when students and
teachers use the K-20 network for their work they will be learning
and using tomorrows, rather than yesterdays, technologies. "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
understanding and helping to build the next generation of content
and tools," says Louis Fox, UW vice provost for Educational
Partnerships and Learning Technologies, and recently named co-leader
of the national Internet2-K20 Initiative.
Even more important than ground floor connectivity to the next
generation Internet, now Washington's innovators can participate
in I2 initiatives. Typical of the first wave of the tools, materials,
content and program opportunities included in the Washington I2-K20
initiative are:
- Special Interest Groups (SIGs) across Washington K-20 and trainings
around specific technologies and content interests, workshops
for K20 in Internet2 tools and content, an annual Washington conference
for innovators from Washington's schools and colleges
- Linking Washington groups to national conversations, special
interest and workgroups, and international collaboration efforts,
particularly among Pacific Rim and southern African countries
- Connecting Washington educators to rich, often multimedia content
repositories (this is the theme of some special interest and and
working groups), coupled with advanced middleware intellectual
property management mechanisms, enabling broad use and shared
licensing; K20 versions of Catalyst, the national award-winning
teaching and learning toolkit; mySchool, a sophisticated
Web-based, middleware-enabled portal, creating the capacity for
true "mass customization" and personalization of the Web, with
complete control over content and transactions for every teacher,
class, and student
- Projects to enhance and extend learning through advanced information
and network technologies and content
- Educational opportunities and collaborations like Virtual
UW in the High School, which offers UW college-level credit
classes to schools and communities with little or no access to
such opportunities, including new, cutting edge, national model
classes and materials like the UW Department of Computer Science's
and the UW Information School's Fluency in Information Technology
(FIT)
- Network access to scientific apparatus and live data from weather
radar, seismic sensors, telescopes, satellites, and ocean probes
- Participation in testbeds for the next generation of broadband
and narrowband digital video, multicast, and interactive video
Just as the UW brought the original Internet to the Northwest,
and along with the Pacific Northwest Gigapop more recently played
a major role in creating I2, they are committed to help bring the
resources and benefits of I2 to all of Washington's schools and
colleges.
For more information or to get involved please contact:
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| Internet2 Network and Participants
Bringing the Opportunities of Next Generation Technology
to the Region
K20 Designed by UW as "I2 Ready"
Connecting All Public K12, Community Colleges, and
Bacalaureates
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Marty Smith, chair, Technology Alliance Education
Task Force; partner, Preston Gates & Ellis; member K-20
Network Board: "This development is a tribute to the partnership
created a decade ago involving the Technology Alliance, higher
education, government and industry."
Joseph Olchefske, Superintendent of Seattle Public
Schools: "Expanding access to this cutting edge technology
will go a long way toward bridging the digital divide and
preparing our students for the extraordinary opportunities
that await them."
Earl Hale, executive director of the State Board for
Community and Technical Colleges: "Access to this high-performance
network will allow the community and technical colleges to
enrich our educational opportunities for students across the
state. The colleges have been using the K-20 network to deliver
Internet-based courses, but this means we can expand training
in technical fields, enhance collaboration among faculty working
at different colleges, and customize courses to better meet
the diverse needs of the students we serve."
Terry Bergeson, Superintendent of Public Instruction:
"The K-12 community in Washington will make great use of
the advanced educational and collaborative tools enabled by
our partnership with the University of Washington. Washington's
K-20 network provides each of our schools the opportunity
to be involved in the evolving Internet2 environment. Taking
advantage of the I2 offerings immediately, as well as preparing
our schools and their infrastructures for the advanced programs
to follow, means a bright future for teaching & learning
across our state."
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