Back to School: The New Era of Broadband Education

The Internet is a relatively new phenomenon, and for many Americans, memories of their childhood classrooms do not include computers, much less the universe of opportunities broadband provides. Given the rapid rise of this technology and the significant benefits it holds, our latest Broadband Now video highlights the digital days of the modern education experience.

From connecting students with virtual tours of ancient cities to engaging younger generations with knowledge-enhancing videos and games, broadband brings students a wealth of educational content and communications. Here's a glimpse of the educational future broadband is bringing to life:

Digital Books. Students tired of lugging textbooks will be quick to embrace emerging educational e-books. Amazon's exceedingly popular Kindle electronic book reader will soon offer a textbook version, which is now being tested in college classrooms. Going digital can not only save school resources, e-books may also better engage visual learners with videos and other virtual, experiential offerings.

Virtual Classrooms. Online classes have become popular, but what about online public schools? Now, more than 22 states are offering virtual schools as an education option. The Georgia Virtual Academy, for example, boasts 4,400 students, which makes it the state's largest public school.

Educational Gaming. Playing video games is not pure entertainment anymore. Services such as "Dreambox" make interactive math games fun by inviting students to choose a character and theme that enhances their learning experience. Games respond to the individual child's progress, adjusting the level to advance their education.

With 95% of newly created jobs requiring computer skills, students well versed in broadband-driven technologies will have an important head start, and an opportunity to build their knowledge every step of the way. Interested in learning more about how broadband is enhancing education nationwide? Tune into our Broadband Now video to hear more online education trends.