ePALS Classroom Exchange, Inc., the world’s largest online classroom
community connecting over 3.5 million students and educators in 191
countries, will partner with NASA Langley Research Center’s Office of
Education.
As the lead center for distance learning programming and technology
integration, NASA’s Langley Research Center is working to promote excellence
in education by supporting mathematics, science, and technology programs and
activities for both students and teachers. This new partnership with ePALS
will give students and teachers, working with Langley’s Office of Education,
access to collaborative tools and education resources.
“Our partnership with ePALS provides educators with an instrument for
continuing and expanding educational experiences beyond the classroom,” says
Instructional Media Specialist, Robert M. Starr. “With ePALS, educators have
a model for technology integration and a means of connecting their
curriculum and students to NASA and the resource-rich world that resides
outside of the classroom.”
“ePALS is very pleased to be working with NASA’s Office of Education
who share our commitment to advancing the use of technology and education,”
says John Irving, Chief Executive Officer of ePALS Classroom Exchange. “We
are very excited to provide teachers and students with even more tools to
share knowledge and learn from their peers in the areas of science,
mathematics and technology.”
Through the ePALS website, students and teachers can find and speak
with their counterparts in NASA CONNECT. These tools include
teacher-monitored email with instant language translation, moderated
discussion boards and private chat rooms. CONNECT is a series of
instructional programs designed to enhance the teaching of math, science and
technology concepts in grades 5-8. This Emmy award-wining TV series
establishes the “connection” between the classroom and NASA research. Each
program includes a teacher guide, classroom experiments and web-based
activities that support the national standards in education.