CDW-G and Discovery Education Support 21st-Century Learning Through Sixth Annual Wireless Lab Sweepstakes
Five Schools Win a $45,000 21st-Century Classroom
VERNON HILLS, Ill., and SILVER SPRING, Md. - July 21, 2008 - CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G), a wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation and leading source of Information Technology (IT) solutions to educators and governments, and Discovery Education, the only provider of digital content scientifically proven to increase academic achievement, today announced the grand-prize winners of their sixth annual Win a Wireless Lab sweepstakes. The five winners are Springwood School, Lanett, Ala.; Dorseyville Middle School, Pittsburgh; Rector A. Jones Middle School, Florence, Ky.; St. Michael School, Cranford, N.J.; and Vermont Avenue Elementary School, Los Angeles. Each winning school will receive a 21st-century classroom, complete with wireless tablet PCs, an interactive whiteboard, a projector, a printer, digital cameras and video camcorders.
"With increased use of classroom technology, teachers and administrators consistently report heightened student engagement and enthusiasm for learning," said Bob Kirby, senior director for K-12 education, CDW-G. "Win a Wireless Lab gives students and teachers access to 21st-century classroom tools to foster creativity, collaboration and independent learning."
"Since 2003, Discovery Education has been a proud partner with CDW-G in the Win a Wireless Lab program, which has opened doors to new learning experiences at 18 schools with state-of-the-art technology," said Mary Rollins, director, Discovery Education. "In addition, this year Discovery Education is giving each grand prize winner a $5,000 digital technology grant, enabling the schools to select multimedia resources to help meet students' specific needs."
Each of the five grand prize winners will receive a 21st-century classroom valued at approximately $45,000, including:
- $5,000 Discovery Education software grant
- 20 tablet PCs from HP, Lenovo or Toshiba
- 3 wireless access points from D-Link, Linksys or NETGEAR
- 1 Bretford mobile cart
- 1 Promethean Activboard
- 20 Promethean Activote responders
- 1 video projector from Epson or NEC Solutions
- 1 AVerMedia document camera
- 2 Sony digital cameras
- 2 Sony camcorders
- 1 laser jet printer from Epson or HP
When CDW-G and Discovery Education notified the winning schools, teacher and student reactions ranged from disbelief and skepticism to pure merriment accompanied by loud cheers throughout the schools. "Adding new laptop computers and an interactive whiteboard will greatly expand our curriculum," noted Cari Mahan of Springwood School. "Our K-3 students will benefit the most from the technology upgrade, which will allow them to explore new topics and integrate technology into their lessons."
Twenty-year teaching veteran Susan Clark of R. A. Jones Middle School indicated, "No Child Left Behind laws require students with special needs to reach the same proficiency as other students. The wireless lab's advanced technology will help our special needs students meet their own educational goals as well as government standards."
"The wireless lab is the next step toward creating a more interactive and engaged learning environment," said Mike Wolinsky, sixth grade technology education teacher at Dorseyville Middle School. "The technology will help us meet the goals outlined in our ‘2008 Technology Framework,' designed to build students' 21st-century learning skills and to promote critical thinking and differentiated instruction."
"As the K-8 computer teacher, I am excited to work with the teachers to integrate new teaching methods and techniques with the technology lab," said Ann Oro at St. Michael School. "I am also looking forward to the Discovery Education technology grant and the opportunities available with the educational software."
A veteran teacher and alumna of Vermont Avenue Elementary School, Teodora Lopez-Valles is excited about winning the mobile classroom for her school. Lopez-Valles noted, "Currently, our students only have a chance to use the computer lab once a week. The new lab will increase students' access to technology and provide additional resources to help them grasp difficult and complex concepts."
CDW-G and Discovery Education will provide installation and onsite professional development to the schools this fall. Overall, this year's Win a Wireless Lab program awarded prizes to 25 schools nationwide, totaling over $300,000. For a full list of prizes, please visit http://cdwg.discoveryeducation.com/new/site/prizes.cfm?pgid=prizes. The full list of winners is available at http://cdwg.discoveryeducation.com.
About CDW-G
A wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation, ranked No. 39 on Forbes' list of America's Largest Private Companies, CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G) is a leading provider of technology solutions for federal, state and local government agencies, as well as educational institutions at all levels. The company features dedicated account managers who help customers choose the right technology products and services to meet their needs. The company's technology specialists and engineers offer expertise in designing customized solutions, while its advanced technology engineers can assist customers with the implementation and long-term management of those solutions. Areas of focus include notebooks, desktops, printers, servers and storage, unified communications, security, wireless, power and cooling, networking, software licensing and mobility solutions.
For more information about CDW-G product offerings, procurement options, service and solutions, call 1.800.808.4239, email cdwgsales@cdwg.com or visit the CDW-G Web site at CDWG.com.
About Discovery Education
Discovery Communications revolutionized television with the Discovery Channel and is now transforming classrooms through Discovery Education. Powered by the #1 non-fiction media company in the world, Discovery Education combines scientifically proven, standards-based digital media and a dynamic user community in order to empower teachers to improve student achievement. Already, more than half of all U.S. schools access Discovery Education digital services. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
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