Photos by Jana Kleitsch
On Friday (April 17), top executives from The Boeing Company, Alaska Airlines, and Syntonic visited Chinook Middle School to see and experience digital learning tools that their companies are supporting. Ray Conner, President & CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes; Brad Tilden, President & CEO of Alaska Airlines; and Gary Greenbaum, President & CEO of Syntonic participated in a student-led lesson on math apps and programs used in class by students every day. In partnership with the Highline Schools Foundation, Boeing, Alaska Airlines, and Syntonic have made significant contributions to Highline Public Schools in an effort to provide equitable access to technology for all students. Boeing has given Highline a technology grant that allows every student at Chinook Middle School to have a Chromebook tablet, connected to the internet. Students access learning programs that allow them to personalize their learning to their individual levels in a variety of subject areas. Syntonic is providing approved, secure web access over a high-speed cellular network to students at Chinook and other schools. Syntonic On-Ramp Education Services allow students to connect to school-selected learning apps without access to potentially inappropriate internet sites. It also gives teachers access to real-time reports and analytics that show students’ usage and academic progress. Alaska Airlines has partnered with Highline Schools Foundation on a grant to increase the number of female students in computer science classes and experiences. The goal is to spark girl’s interest in technology-related education and careers. “All students must have access technology for learning in schools today,†said Highline Superintendent Susan Enfield. “We are grateful to Boeing, Alaska Airlines and Syntonic for their generous support. Their partnership is helping us reach our goal of ensuring that Highline students graduate tech-savvy and tech-literate.â€]]>Since 2007, The B-Town Blog is Burien’s multiple award-winning hyperlocal news/events website dedicated to independent journalism. More by B-Town Blog Staff