Comcast Corp. says that Forsyth County Schools, one of the largest school systems in Georgia, is using Comcast Ethernet Services to enhance education for its students in 35 elementary, middle, and high schools across 181 districts.
The connectivity will support streaming video, interactive whiteboards, mobile devices, and other digital education tools, as part of the Forsyth County Schools’ technology initiatives to enhance teaching, expand learning and reduce costs. Forsyth County Schools believes that to compete globally, schools should expand access to content. To improve this access, Forsyth ensures that every student uses high-speed connectivity from Comcast.
Such initiatives can be bandwidth-intensive and require a high-performance network to be effective. Using Comcast’s Ethernet Services, Forsyth County Schools’ administrative offices and operations centers can now benefit from secure, point-to-point connectivity to ensure fast and efficient data transmission, as well as file sharing and document storage via the district’s central server.
The district is implementing technology-based learning plans to match each student’s specific needs, preferences, and performance. The customized delivery of learning resources takes into account learning interests and learning style in order to increase student engagement and academic performance. Students can learn at home on their own, or at school, using a high-speed Internet connection.
By investing in a flexible, scalable and high-capacity network infrastructure, Forsyth County Schools can ensure the adoption, use and effectiveness of digital learning. Initiatives such as “Bring Your Own Technology” (BYOT) and the NOBLE Virtual World project at Forsyth County Schools help facilitate collaboration and provide immersive learning environments that engage students in more authentic ways.
With BYOT growing at a rate of 80 percent at Forsyth County Schools, students are able to use their individual Internet-capable tablets, laptops, netbooks, and cell phones to work in classrooms in the way they like best.
The NOBLE Virtual World project allows students to interact with each other in a digitally created world, where anything they imagine can be created. As a result, students develop higher-order thinking skills such as creativity, data analysis and problem-solving by working in teams and coming up with plans and solutions for the project at hand.
“Bandwidth is the key. The only way to have access to all that digital content is to connect the technology and infrastructure in support of it,” said Bailey Mitchell, chief technology and information officer for Forsyth County Schools. “Our network infrastructure investment is a “return on learning” and Comcast gives me the ability to scale bandwidth as the demand presents itself. My view is that every time you increase the speed of the network, you are enabling incredible educational opportunities.”
Forsyth County Schools says it has also seen a return on its financial investment. Having spent $2.8 million on textbooks in 2008, the school has been able to cut down those costs to $400,000 with interactive online content in the form of streaming video, simulations and digital content.