Motorola, WorldCom, and APTE Launch Wireless Classroom Pilot Program
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), WorldCom (Nasdaq: WCOM) and APTE, Inc. announced today the launch of a pilot program to introduce wireless technology applications to the classroom. The Motorola Timeport™P935 personal interactive communicator, customized with Internet Coach® Learn Together™applications, and provided with wireless service by SkyTel, a WorldCom company, were assigned to each teacher and student in four third grade classrooms in two schools.
The Motorola Timeport model P935 two-way devices were presented to third grade students, teachers and a control group of parents as a result of the alliance between the companies. Stephen K. Hayt School in Chicago and St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Jackson, Miss., are the schools participating in this program. The students are introduced to receiving and transmitting information wirelessly through messages sent several times a day to their devices. The Learn Together applications include real time topics such as “Weather Watcher” and “News” and also provide reference material on traditional subjects – math, science and language arts – presented in a nontraditional way.
Internet Coach Learn Together applications – a series of 15 applications designed specifically for the Timeport P935 – were developed by APTE, Inc., a multimedia publisher and leading developer of Internet tutorials under the best-selling Internet Coach brand. These applications meet national curriculum standards for the third grade in math, science, language arts and social studies. Additionally, Learn Together applications include teacher guides and student workbooks to further support learning objectives.
The wireless interaction between the classroom and home is an unequaled experiment planned to stimulate curiosity about the technological world families live in and the Web that surrounds them. The Learn Together applications utilize the Timeport P935’s wireless features, which include communication with any e-mail address, access to current information, interactive learning, and access to Internet-based information. WorldCom and SkyTel secure this interaction through the most sophisticated wireless network in the world and are dedicated to advancing education through technology.
Student interaction with wireless technology, introducing new learning tools, creating an original home and school connection, and educating children and adults alike to a constantly advancing system of communication are goals of the pilot program.
The pilot program will end in mid-May when students from the two schools complete a project in which they work together on their wireless devices to protect the habitat of an endangered species. Findings will be presented in June in Chicago at the National Education Computing Conference (NECC), which is being sponsored in part by WorldCom, Motorola and APTE, Inc.
About Motorola
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) is a global leader in providing integrated communications solutions and embedded electronic solutions. These include: Software-enhanced wireless telephone, two-way radio, messaging and satellite communications products and systems, as well as networking and Internet-access products, for consumers, network operators, and commercial, government and industrial customers. Digital and analog systems and set-top terminals for broadband cable television operators. Embedded semiconductor solutions for customers in the networking and computing, transportation, wireless communications and imaging and entertainment industries. Embedded electronic systems for automotive, communications, imaging, manufacturing systems, computer, consumer and industrial markets. Sales in 2000 were $37.6 billion. For more information visit http://www.motorola.com.
About WorldCom
WorldCom (Nasdaq: WCOM) is a preeminent global communications company for the digital generation, operating in more than 65 countries with 2000 revenues of approximately $40 billion. WorldCom provides the innovative technologies and services that are the foundation for business in the 21st century. For more information, go to http://www.worldcom.com.
About SkyTel
SkyTel, a WorldCom Company, is the premiere provider of wireless two-way text and E-mail messaging, fixed-location wireless data telemetry solutions, Internet-based mobile wireless communications products and broadband data access services, on-demand information delivery, and traditional paging in the U.S. For more information go to http://www.skytel.com.
About APTE, Inc.
Affiliated with Northwestern University, APTE Inc. develops and publishes multimedia applications for home and school markets worldwide. APTE specializes in Internet learning products under the brand name Internet Coach(R). The first program in the Internet Coach series was created for the Executive Office of the President of the United States and its 3,000 employees to teach safe, effective Internet use. Today there are Internet Coach software programs and Web utilities for every age Internet user. Motorola made a strategic equity investment in APTE in June, 2000. APTE software has won numerous awards for education excellence and publishes printed materials and books to help educators and children become more Internet-savvy. For more information about APTE, visit http://www.internetcoach.com.
Contact Information
Jennifer Weyrauch of Motorola, Inc., 847-435-5320, jennifer.weyrauch@motorola.com; Hope Young of WorldCom, 601-985-6082, hope.young@worldcom.com; Carrie Herschman of APTE, Inc., 847-866-1872, carrie@apte.com
