SMART Technologies has announced global sponsorship of www.skoool™.com, the online educational website from Intel® Performance Learning Solutions Ltd. and the Intel World Ahead program. SMART has been a lead sponsor of various regional skoool initiatives since the website’s inception in 2005 and funded development of high-quality interactive math and science materials for teachers and students in developing countries.
The new level of global sponsorship will help make these resources more broadly available and provide additional support for new skoool programs in other parts of the world. Among the most recognized online resources for teachers, skoool websites were accessed by more than three million visitors in 2007. Usage levels are increasing by more than 25 percent annually.
Today, skoool websites are available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Sri Lanka, South Africa and New South Wales Australia. Additional skoool programs will be ready to launch in the first half of 2008 in Latin America and Africa. Further developments in 2008 and 2009 will bring the online resource to more countries in the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe. Rich-media content on skoool includes video, audio, Adobe® Flash® and image files that reinforce learning, engage students and help them with their studies and exams. Resources are developed in conjunction with expert teachers and leading education authorities.
“This is a brilliant opportunity to stimulate greater use of quality technology-based learning resources across numerous schools throughout Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe,” said Peter Hamilton, head of education development at Intel IT Innovation. “Combining Intel skoool resources with the SMART Board™ interactive whiteboard is a wonderful means of bringing learning alive. Multimedia technology allows students to learn with animations, use complex learning tools, collect project data and conduct research on the Web. Interactive whiteboard technology has created a strong bridge between traditional teacher-facilitated models and the more interactive learning models that multimedia technology supports.”
“Education officials throughout the world are increasing their adoption of interactive education tools and content, and realizing their benefits,” said Nancy Knowlton, SMART’s CEO. “SMART’s global sponsorship of skoool helps ensure that quality digital resources for math and science are readily available for this new generation of students and teachers.”
About skoool
Intel continues to build its strong reputation for innovation in education through the development and deployment of award-winning skoool technologies for digital online learning. Developed by Intel IT Innovation Centre, skoool is a significant step in the promotion of advanced media learning resources for education worldwide. It dramatically extends the potential for learning by providing learning and teaching resources available on demand, 24 hours per day, seven days per week, at home and in school. Through the use of new media and mobile devices, a higher level of interest and engagement is created in learners and educators. Intel’s skoool also addresses the need for greater foundation skills, such as mathematics and science, which are vitally important in today’s global workforce. For more information visit www.skoool.com.
About SMART
SMART Technologies is an industry pioneer and global education market segment leader in user-friendly ICT products and group collaboration tools. The award-winning line of SMART Board interactive whiteboards is the most widely installed in the world because of its unsurpassed product quality, versatility and ease of use. The SMART Board interactive whiteboard is used to teach over 18 million students in more than 600,000 classrooms in more than 100 countries around the world.
SMART is a private company founded in 1987. Employing more than 1,000 people, SMART is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with assembly facilities in Ottawa, Ontario, and offices in Bonn, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, New York City, Chicago and Washington, DC. SMART has been issued and maintains a broad portfolio of patents, with numerous U.S., Canadian and other patents pending. In 1992 SMART formed a strategic alliance with Intel® Corporation that resulted in Intel’s equity ownership in the company. SMART products are sold through dealers across North America and distributors worldwide. To learn more about SMART, visit www.smarttech.com.
