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Through Reinventing Education, IBM and the Department of Education & Science are working together to accomplish three goals: improve literacy, enhance teacher professional development, and strengthen community links. To achieve these goals, the partnership is implementing Riverdeep Learning Village in primary and post-primary schools across Dublin, Cork and Louth. Using the technology, parents and teachers are communicating together online on student work and learning. Because communication is asynchronous, parents can ask teachers questions about their children's progress at any time and from anywhere, and teachers can respond back in a timely and convenient manner. Community experts are serving as online mentors, providing information to students and teachers on special projects. Teachers also are using the technology to collaborate online, sharing effective practices to improve their instruction.
In September 2003, an independent evaluation documented a number of positive impacts of the project, including improved teacher confidence and competence in the use and integration of technology, improvements in the overall learning environment for students, better classroom management, improved teacher communication and collaboration, and the strengthening of home, school, and community links.
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