Jones Knowledge, McREL bring online learning to teachers in the Arctic
September 30, 2007
Denver
—
Leading provider of quality interactive online education, Jones Knowledge Group® (JK) has signed a contract to bring online professional development courses to K-12 teachers in one of the most remote places in the world: the North Slope Borough district in Barrow, Alaska.
The online course, Classroom Instruction That Works (CITW), is based on the popular manual of the same name from Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), a Denver based non-profit education research organization. Jones Knowledge holds the exclusive rights to deliver CITW curriculum in an online format, making it available to teachers who wouldn't otherwise have access.
The 12-week course will be delivered to more than 90 teachers scattered across eight villages, covering 89,000 square miles of the district. Located 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle, North Slope is the northernmost community in the U.S. and has a population of approximately 4,200. About 90 percent of residents are Inupiaq Eskimo.
School Superintendent Trent Blankenship, who moved to Alaska from Wyoming in 2005, recognizes that providing high-quality professional development to teachers in remote, rural districts is challenging but critical.
"Teachers and students deserve access to the same benefits as those in the lower 48," he said. "Creating a network of teachers across such a vast area and providing them with practices and proven strategies that work in the classroom helps them feel less isolated and more supported. Stronger teachers also improve student retention. This is a win-win for our entire community."
Classroom Instruction that Works, which is published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), guides teachers in the use of research-based strategies that positively impact student achievement. The online course includes interactive activities, reflective journaling, and discussion boards that help participants develop deep yet practical understanding of the strategies.
Teachers who complete the online CITW course can earn three graduate-level credits toward a Master of Education degree at JK subsidiary, Jones International University® (JIU®), an accredited* fully online university.
Terry Erdle, president of Jones Knowledge, said that, by bringing Classroom Instruction that Works to its teachers, the North Slope Borough school district is demonstrating the true value of educational technology. "Schools often acquire technology, but then don't figure out how to use it effectively for years," Erdle said. "Superintendent Blankenship and the teachers in Barrow are showing the world that, even in the most difficult of circumstances, technology can be used to access the best possible teaching and learning opportunities."
Nearly a million copies of Classroom Instruction that Works have been sold to educators around the world, and it has been translated into a variety of languages including Dutch, Mandarin, and Thai.
This JK online course is just one of the many innovative ways the North Slope is boosting teaching quality and student morale; the Barrow Whalers football team garnered national headlines in the last year for being the first high school team north of the Arctic Circle.
About Jones Knowledge Group, Inc.
Jones Knowledge Group (JKG) (formerly known as Jones Knowledge, Inc.) is one of the foremost architects and leading innovators in online learning solutions, offering media-rich interactive learning programs and a proprietary methodology that helps your employees and students learn faster, more accurately, and with greater retention. We deftly bridge the gap between training, higher education and new technologies to create a full suite of results-oriented learning options for our clients in Corporate, K–12, Government and Higher Education.
Delivering some of the most innovative, customized and flexible solutions to meet your training and education challenges, the JKG companies, including Jones International University (JIU) and Jones/NCTI™, offer an incomparable blend of training, education and delivery channels uniquely suited to meet your business needs. To learn more about the Jones Knowledge companies, visit www.jonesknowledge.com.
*JIU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association. Contact them at www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org or at 30 North La Salle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602. The HLC is a United States regional accrediting agency.
About McREL
McREL is a Denver-based, nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization that is dedicated to improving education for all students through applied research, product development and service. In 2006, McREL provided guidance to educators and policymakers in 42 states and three foreign countries.
