Press Room
LearningStation and Kan-ed expand partnership in Kansas, introduce valuable tool for differentiated instruction
Charlotte, N.C.— June 24, 2005 LearningStation, the provider of custom web desktops for teaching and learning, announced today an expansion of their successful partnership with Kan-ed, a state-wide network in Kansas serving education, library and healthcare constituents. Through the partnership, all 750,000 Kan-ed members will have access to the Empowered Desktop, a custom web portal developed by LearningStation. The agreement also provides all Kansas educators and students with full access to P.E.T. Learning Styles Solution, an innovative tool that enables differentiated instruction in schools.
“We’re thrilled to support education and training in Kansas through the expansion of our strategic relationship with Kan-ed,” said Jim Kirchner, CEO of LearningStation. “Our partnership showcases how states can leverage the significant investments that have been made in network infrastructure to make a difference in the lives of both students and teachers.”
The partnership between LearningStation and Kan-ed began in 2004 with an initial deployment of the Empowered Desktop to 75,000 Kan-ed users. After a successful trial period, the Empowered Desktop will now be available to all 750,000 users — a ten-fold increase — in all four constituent groups. The expansion is due, in part, to a $300,000 “I will LEARN today!” service grant from LearningStation.
Hal Gardner, executive director of Kan-ed added, “Our partnership with LearningStation has been of immense value in enabling Kan-ed to successfully serve our community of constituents. We are pleased to expand the scope of the partnership and look forward to significantly impacting teaching and learning through innovative technologies.”
The partnership also provides Kansas educators with an innovative new tool for differentiated instruction. All 550,000 Kansas educators and students will have full access to P.E.T. Learning Styles Solution through the Empowered Desktop. P.E.T. (Personal Empowerment through Type) is an easy to use, Web-based teaching and learning style assessment and management tool that provides educators with information and resources to meet students’ specific learning style needs. In March 2005, LearningStation and Vital Knowledge Software, Inc. announced a strategic alliance through which LearningStation has exclusive U.S. distribution rights for P.E.T. In Kansas and across the U.S., P.E.T. Learning Styles Solution will be delivered through LearningStation custom web desktops.
About LearningStation
LearningStation, a leading provider of customized portal solutions, focuses on helping schools authentically engage students in learning through innovative applications and web-based learning tools. LearningStation has been honored as a 2005 and 2006 SIIA Codie Award finalist, a 2003 Media & Methods Magazine Awards Portfolio recipient and a recipient of the EdNET 2002 Pioneer Award for significant contributions to the growth of education technology.
About Kan-ed
Recognizing that every Kansan should have access to the global digital revolution in information technology, Kan-ed provides the tools to influence and expand the roles of education and health care in communities throughout the state. By connecting schools, libraries and hospitals to a private high-speed network, Kan-ed is creating an education/health-care coalition to vastly increase Kansans’ access to information, institutions and each other. Through aggregate purchasing, Kan-ed is able to negotiate rates for databases and services that will shape a marketplace where entities large and small can exchange resources. For more information, contact Hal Gardner, Kan-ed executive director, at 785-296-0843 or hgardner@ksbor.org.