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Apple to provide Pa. educational program
Published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, by Kathy Boccella
August 20, 2014
In an appearance at Concord Elementary School in Garnet Valley, Corbett called Pennsylvania Learns on iTunes U a "virtual one-stop shop of high quality information ... all at the fingertips of Pennsylvania students."
"To me, this is a game-changer," he said before a roomful of students and educators, as well as acting Education Secretary Carolyn Dumaresq, who witnessed a quick demonstration of the program.
The governor's office said the cyber program is the world's largest online catalog of free educational content, and includes courses, lectures, assignments, books, quizzes, and syllabi. Apple, which owns iTunes, is offering the program to four other states - Oregon, Texas, Florida, and Virginia.
A team of 60 educators worked with the Department of Education on the Pennsylvania content. The program will be available to all 2.1 million public school students.
Anthony Gabriele, the Garnet Valley School District's curriculum supervisor, showed visitors two of the courses: algebra 1 and English language arts. How the program is used, whether as an optional educational aid or a part of the classroom curriculum, will be up to each school district.
"Ideally every student will use it, but that's not the reality," he said.
(Kathy Boccella, " Apple to provide Pa. educational program," Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/20/14)
