We wanted to expand our AP offerings, so that more students have the opportunity to earn college credits early and experience more of the rigor they will face in post-secondary studies.
McLEAN, Virginia (PRWEB) June 22, 2015
Kajeet, the only wireless service provider dedicated solely to providing safe, mobile connectivity for students, will participate with Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) this week as the district launches its Advanced Placement (AP) Blended Learning program. The district is hosting two week-long “Boot Camps,” one at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and one at University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio, to introduce students to the academic challenges of AP courses. The sessions will guide students in how to best work in this setting—one with a state-of-the-art learning platform where teachers will facilitate student engagement with online course materials.
CPS began offering AP Blended Learning courses last school year to offer advanced academic experiences to students who do not have, or have limited access, to AP courses in their schools. The district provides the students with a digital curriculum, mobile devices and a safe, high-speed Internet connection—Kajeet Education Broadband™—to allow them to work at home.
“At Cincinnati Public Schools, we encourage our students to think beyond graduation, and take steps toward identifying and transitioning into meaningful careers,” said Laura Mitchell, deputy superintendent and chief academic officer. “We wanted to expand our AP offerings, so that more students have the opportunity to earn college credits early and experience more of the rigor they will face in post-secondary studies.”
Because of its growing interest, CPS will expand the program for the 2015-16 school year to five AP courses—including Human Geography, Psychology, English Literature, Statistics and Environmental Science—for approximately 520 students taught by six teachers at 10 schools. Bringing technology into the classroom in this manner allows the district to teach more students with fewer instructors, as much of the coursework can be done online and collaboratively with peers.
“With Cincinnati Public Schools, we are seeing enormous possibilities for technology to enhance student learning and expand the curriculum,” said Kajeet CEO and Founder Daniel Neal. “Students who previously didn’t have access to advanced courses now have that opportunity. This is an innovative approach to leveling the playing field and expanding opportunities for their students.”
During the week-long boot camp, students will receive laptops with cases, the Kajeet SmartSpot®—a managed mobile hotspot—and SmartSpot cases. Throughout the week, students will use their laptops to learn skills such as using Blackboard® and Google Apps, time management, writing for success, self advocating, and collaboration. Classes will include an introduction to AP coursework, a glimpse into a college school day, as well as what it means to be an AP student.
As part of the program, Kajeet will provide CPS with its Education Broadband solution to ensure the students are accessing safe, filtered broadband for educational purposes using their Wi-Fi hotspots. Since the devices are provided by the school district, CPS wants to ensure the broadband being provided is filtered for educational purposes to keep them on task and to reduce costs.
Currently partnering with more than 70 districts in 24 states, Kajeet is keeping students connected on multiple national 4G LTE wireless broadband networks to ensure that students have a level playing field for academic success, improved test scores, and college and career readiness.
About Kajeet®
Kajeet, the only wireless service provider dedicated solely to providing safe, mobile connectivity for students, is bridging the digital divide in school districts across the country. Kajeet provides an affordable mobile broadband solution that connects disadvantaged students to the resources they need to complete required assignments and projects outside of school. The Kajeet SmartSpot® solution, a portable Wi-Fi hotspot combined with the innovative Sentinel® cloud portal, enables administrators and teachers to provide CIPA-compliant, customizable filtered Internet access that keeps students focused on school work and provides off-campus Internet connectivity without worry of data abuse. Kajeet products and services, which operates on both the Sprint and Verizon network, are protected by the following issued U.S. patents 8,995,952; 8,929,857; 8,918,080; 8,774,755; 8,774,754; 8,755,768; 8,731,517; 8,725,109; 8,712,371; 8,706,079; 8,667,559; 8,644,796; 8,639,216; 8,634,803; 8,634,802; 8,634,801; 8,630,612; 8,611,885; 8,600,348; 8,594,619; 8,588,735; 8,285,249; 8,078,140; 7,945,238; 7,899,438; 7,881,697. Other patents are pending. For more information, please visit us at kajeet.net.
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