Steve Spengler :: Blog :: Impact of Internet2

Internet2 from MAGPI but more importantly, they also develop and research content. What's unique about this group is that they are a group consisting of both K12s and highereds. It's through these partnerships that collaborations have been formed and are continually being built. I'm in many consortia, both individually and through the district, but this has truly been one of the most rewarding opportunities for me and for my district. Being new to Pocono Mountain School District, one of my goals as director of instructional technology was to build collaborations and seek opportunities beyond the boundaries of the classrooms. My teachers have stepped up this year! The connection here for Internet2 has been live for just about two years. Last year the district was involved in maybe 20 (at best) student opportunities via Internet2. This year, as of beginning of November, we've been involved in almsot 40!
The best thing about Internet2...is opportunity. What the projects that we've been involved in has done is open more collaborations beyond Internet2. We're working on a collaboration with CERMUSA to reach out to St. Francis University and have our teachers connect with their professors for staff development and for student opportunities. We have joined the Internet2 K20 social networking too, MUSE to reach out and find other opportunities. We've also had our teachers join CILC for the same reason. We've created a staff development program here at Pocono Moutain called the PMSD Internet2 Pioneers. This program takes small groups of teachers from all of our 13 buildings and we provide them staff development on I2 through MAGPI. We also provide professional learning communities where we, as administrators, sit down and plan/collaborate on how Internet2 can impact their classrooms. We assist them in researching and finding collaborations and opportunites for their students. It has been an overwhelming success here in Pocono Mountain. Times are changing and we value Internet2 and see it as something necessary...especially when it costs more money to take a group of kids across the street than it does to connect half-way around the world.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!