Council of the Great City Schools Collaborates With Microsoft, Compaq And Computer Curriculum Corp. to Offer Integrate ’98 Technology Workshops to Teachers

Council of the Great City Schools Collaborates With Microsoft, Compaq And Computer Curriculum Corp. to Offer Integrate ’98 Technology Workshops to Teachers

REDMOND, Wash., April 7, 1998 — Continuing their commitments to increase professional development opportunities in technology for educators, Microsoft Corp., Compaq Computer Corp., Computer Curriculum Corp. (CCC) and the Council of the Great City Schools today announced a national teacher-training initiative, Integrate ’98. As part of Integrate ’98, nearly 4,000 educators in 25 cities will participate in free, hands-on workshops to help them discover how to use technology in classroom activities to enrich learning.

Helping school districts show teachers how to use technology in the classroom is a key focus for the Council of the Great City Schools, an organization of the nation’s largest urban public school systems, according to Michael Casserly, executive director.

“Integrate ’98 is offering urban educators access to exceptional tools for making the promise of technology come alive,” Casserly said. “With these outstanding workshops, training materials and technology books at their fingertips, teachers will be better able to ‘integrate’ technology into teaching.”

Council of the Great City Schools member districts can sign up for the free professional development workshops in 25 pilot programs across the country. The half-day workshops, which begin this month, will be presented by current and former classroom teachers at school-district locations and will include hands-on lessons in fundamental computer skills with examples that emphasize real-world classroom activities. All attendees will receive materials to help them practice and share new skills with colleagues.

“Great teachers are key to the effective use of technology in the classroom,” said Kathryn Yates, director of Microsoft K-12 programs. “Microsoft is committed to working with other education technology leaders to offer teachers the professional development and information they need to make PCs, great software and the Internet part of every aspect of the curriculum.”

As the primary sponsors of Integrate ’98, Microsoft and Compaq are providing software and PCs for the hands-on workshops as well as the educator-instructors and take-away materials. CCC is sponsoring the Internet-focused breakout session, providing educator-instructors for these workshops and helping to design the reference materials.

“Compaq recognizes the challenges teachers face in maximizing the benefits of technology in their classes. It’s important teachers receive training on how to use these new tools as well as how to teach with them,” said Don Weatherson, vice president, government and education, Compaq Computer. “Integrate ’98 is one example of how Compaq is leading the charge in providing teachers with quality staff development. Through our collaboration with Microsoft, Computer Curriculum Corp. and the Council of the Great City Schools, teachers now have a forum to learn how to incorporate technology in teaching and learning.”

Integrate ’98 Helps Teachers Develop Technology Strategies for the Classroom

At the Toledo School District in Ohio, 300 to 400 teachers participate in the district’s quarterly technology workshops, but educators are always clamoring for more. The Integrate ’98 workshops presented an opportunity for the district to reach even more teachers.

“We are particularly excited about Integrate ’98 because it focuses on developing strategies to enhance the curriculum, rather than just how to use the software,” said Richard Brunt, executive director of instructional technology, Toledo School District. “Getting our teachers to use technology in every aspect of instruction is a high priority for our school district, and Integrate ’98 will help us achieve that goal.”

Integrate ’98 Helps Educators Make Internet Connections

When administrators in the El Paso Independent School District in Texas learned about Integrate ’98, they saw a unique opportunity to expand the district’s Internet training for teachers and signed up to participate. This district is currently upgrading its Internet access with T1 lines, so teachers need to learn how to use the Internet in the classroom to reap the educational benefits of these new connections. One of the Integrate ’98 breakout sessions is an interactive presentation that teaches attendees how to tap into the unique instructional features of the World Wide Web by allowing them to practice basic Internet browsing skills and demonstrating techniques for using Web resources in classroom activities.

“In addition to overall technology and curriculum software training, educators need professional development that specifically addresses the instructional application of the Internet,” said Lori McBride, vice president of new media markets for CCC. “CCC is pleased to be contributing to the Integrate ’98 series in this area and helping teachers tap into the many unique learning opportunities the Web offers through online resources, communication, collaboration and publishing.”

During the pilot program, participation in Integrate ’98 is open to Council of Great City Schools member districts only. For more information about Integrate ’98, send e-mail to [email protected].

About the Sponsors

The Council of the Great City Schools

The Council of the Great City Schools, an organization of the nation’s largest urban public school systems, represents K-12 education in inner-city schools. The Council serves as the voice for urban educators and students, and provides a forum for sharing ideas and resources among urban school leaders. Visit the Council of the Great City Schools Web site at (http://www.cgcs.org/) .

Compaq Computer Corp.

Founded in 1982, Compaq Computer Corp., a Fortune Global 200 company, is a worldwide information technology company. Compaq is the fifth-largest computer company in the world and the largest global supplier of personal computers. With worldwide sales of $24.6 billion in 1997, Compaq develops and markets hardware, software, solutions and services, including industry-leading enterprise computing solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, networking and communications products, commercial desktop and portable products, and consumer PCs. Compaq is a leading provider of PCs and servers to the education marketplace, offering a broad suite of technology solutions and services. For more information about Compaq’s education products, partnerships and programs, please call (800) 88-TEACH (888-3224) or visit Compaq’s Web site at (http://www.compaq.com/education/) .

Computer Curriculum Corp.

Computer Curriculum Corp. is a leading provider of educational software and services to K-12 schools and a unit of Simon & Schuster. CCC software is installed in more than 16,000 schools and has been used by more than 10 million students worldwide. The company provides a comprehensive line of educational software, as well as interactive projects for students on its award-winning Web site, CCCnet, at (http://www.cccnet.com/) . CCC is committed to professional development and to helping teachers integrate technology in the classroom. Simon & Schuster, the world’s largest educational publisher, is the publishing operation of Viacom Inc.

Microsoft Corp.

Microsoft’s participation in Integrate ’98 and its overall commitment to helping teachers use technology to improve teaching and learning are part of continuing efforts to help create a global “Connected Learning Community” in which all students and educators have access to technology and information online to support learning today and for a lifetime. For more information about Microsoft in K-12 education, visit http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/ .

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Computer Curriculum Corporation and the CCC logo are registered trademarks of Computer Curriculum Corp.

Compaq is a registered trademark of Compaq Computer Corp.

Microsoft is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Other product and company names herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.

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