Educational News

PBS Launches Free Online Resource to Help Boost Student Achievement

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By SLJ Staff
October 11, 2011

There's a new online resource that provides educators with instant access to thousands of digital resources, including videos, audio, photos, in-depth lesson plans, and interactives perfect for the whiteboard. The goal? To help boost student achievement—and best of all, it's free.
PBS LearningMedia is a new public media education platform available to teachers and students across the country that brings together high-quality media from 1,500 public media producers and more than 350 local PBS stations. Brought to you by PBS and WGBH, along with other PBS member stations, the digital media platform is tied to curriculum standards and is geared toward PreK-12 classrooms to help transform teaching and more creatively engage students.
"It takes commitment from the entire nation to help build the classroom of tomorrow, and our member stations stand at the ready to partner in every community," says PBS president and CEO, Paula Kerger. "Digital media content—so pervasive in the lives of children—has the potential to dramatically change the way students learn and participate in a global society."
More than 60 percent of K-12 teachers use digital media in the classroom and are increasing their reliance on free resources due to school budget cuts. "Public television stations are assisting teachers with free access to carefully produced high-quality content," says Jon Abbott, president and CEO of WGBH, Boston. "We are maximizing the capacity of broadband technology to deliver a cost-effective education service for school districts and states that will increase student achievement."
PBS LearningMedia is available in two tiers from local PBS member stations: a free version available to every teacher and a premium service developed and distributed in partnership with state education departments or local school districts. Premium service options include additional features, such as bulk registrations, detailed analytics, integration with assessments, and credit-bearing professional development courses that enhances the free content.
This article originally appeared in the newsletter Extra Helping. Go here to subscribe.