New York Institute of Technology and Bell Atlantic Beam Real-Life Learning Experiences into the Classroom

New York Institute of Technology and Bell
Atlantic Beam Real-Life Learning Experiences
into the Classroom

Two-Way Video Technology Sparks Lively Discussion
between Students and Scientists, Musicians and Museum
Curators

June 23, 1999

NEW YORK -- Visitors to this week's annual convention of the National
Educational Computing Conference (NECC) in Atlantic City will get a
sneak preview of an exciting new approach to learning that goes well
beyond the classroom.

The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) and Bell Atlantic will
unveil a unique initiative that uses high-speed phone lines and two-way
interactive video technology to enable students to see and speak with
experts in art history, music and science.

"This program will pump new life into the learning experience by
bringing real-world experts into the classroom via advanced
communications technology," said Professor Stanley Silverman,
NYIT's director of technology-based learning. "Students who have
never had an opportunity to visit a museum, hear an acclaimed jazz
musician perform or explore the marine environment will now be able to
do so right from their classroom."

The programs -- to be launched this fall in grade schools on Long Island
and in Westchester County, Buffalo and Schenectady, as well as in
Monmouth County, New Jersey -- are made possible through the
Educational Enterprise Zone (EEZ). EEZ is a collaborative effort between
NYIT, Bell Atlantic, the Long Island Board of Cooperative Educational
Services (BOCES), and content providers such as museums, colleges and
research sites. The effort seeks to provide access to unique educational
experiences.

Bell Atlantic is a major corporate sponsor of the EEZ.

As part of the project, both video and voice will be carried over Bell
Atlantic's high-speed ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) lines,
linking the classroom with a remote location and enabling teachers and
students to tap resources never before available within the confines of
their school.

"This is a perfect example of how the education and business
communities can work together to expand the availability of technology
and enrich the learning experience of as many students as possible,"
said Steve Kohn, Bell Atlantic's director of educational initiatives.
"Bell Atlantic is delighted to be part of a project that is designed to
enliven the classroom and enlighten students through the use of advanced
technology."

Silverman said teachers have played a key role in working with the
content providers to shape the curriculum and ensure that it conforms to
state and national standards for English; language arts; social studies;
math, science and technology; and the arts.

"More than seventy teachers are working closely with the content
providers to create a meaningful and challenging program," said
Silverman. "Without the teachers, this initiative never would have
gotten off the ground. They have been and will continue to be an integral
part of this project."

NYIT is working with BOCES in New York to introduce the program to
other communities throughout the state.

The content providers taking part in the demonstration at NECC are: The
Museum of Modern Art; The Liberty Science Center; New York Hall of
Science; Albany Institute of History and Art; Philadelphia Museum of Art;
Polaroid Education; Young McDonald's Farm, Ocean of Know; National
Museum of Natural History; Smithsonian Institution; National Museum of
American History; The Jason Foundation; The Knitting Factory; New
York State Museum; Museum of Television & Radio; and PASCO
Scientific.

About New York Institute of Technology
New York Institute of Technology is a fully accredited, nonsectarian and
nonprofit institution of higher learning that provides career education,
undergraduate and graduate, for men and women of all ages and from all
walks of life in a variety of formats. Programs lead to associate,
bachelor's and master's degrees, and to the Doctor of Osteopathy. Courses
range from art and architecture to science, engineering and medicine.
New York Institute of Technology maintains campuses on Long Island
and in Manhattan.

About Bell Atlantic
Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and
information industry. With 43 million telephone access lines and nine
million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are
premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market
leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory
information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest
investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations
and investments in 23 countries.