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National Semiconductor
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National Semiconductor Trains Colorado Teachers to Use Internet Effectively in Classrooms

Company Provides Free Internet Training To Teachers in St. Vrain Valley District

January 22, 2002 - National Semiconductor Corporation announced it will provide free Internet training to teachers in the St. Vrain Valley School District.  The two-day workshops, "Global Connections," begin today with a focus on showing teachers the best practices for using the Internet to enhance their curriculum.

National, which has a semiconductor design center in Longmont, created Global Connections several years ago to offset a common problem in today's classrooms: teachers, despite having adequate hardware, software and Internet connections at their schools, say they are not adequately trained to use the equipment.

"We often hear about the incredible need for teacher training in technology, an area where we can help make a difference," said Megan Loeb, Manager of National's Education Initiatives.  "We hired former teachers who are experts in education technology as Global Connections trainers since they know effective ways to use technology, understand teachers' needs firsthand and can incorporate their own experiences into what works best in the classroom."

Several studies point to the important impact the Internet is having on the classroom and to the immediate need for more universal teacher training on the Internet.  For example, according to Quality Education Data's (QED) Internet in U.S. Public Schools: Usage and Trends 2001-2002 survey, 97 percent of America's public schools are connected to the Internet.  However, research conducted by the U.S. Department of Education indicates 66 percent of teachers do not feel well prepared to use computers and the Internet.

"The group of Colorado teachers who will receive the Global Connections training look forward to learning how they can integrate the power of the Internet into their curriculum," said Jerry Ohrt, Coordinator of Instructional Technology for St. Vrain.  "We're anticipating the hands-on experience and practical ideas that will benefit students in our district."

To date, National has provided training to 5,000 teachers in Calif., Texas and Maine, states where the company has a major presence.  The Global Connections workshops include modules adapted for K-12 teachers including:

• Internet Basics (history, glossary of terms, technology crash course and the Internet in education)    
• Using the World Wide Web (navigating, searching, organizing bookmarks and off-line browsing)
  
• Issues to Consider (issues faced by teachers using the Internet in the classroom)
  
• Developing an Internet-rich Lesson Plan
  
• Designing and Building a Web Page (advantages, loopholes and "how-to's")

In addition to the leader-led training, National created a Web-based version of the course, "Global Connections Online."  Available any time, anywhere, the online training is designed to help teachers integrate the Internet in their curricula and enhance their knowledge of this powerful resource regardless of their Internet competency.  So far, over 12,000 teachers from around the world have taken the course including educators from Brazil, Great Britain and Hong Kong.

Accessible at www.nsglobalonline.com, the site also features a chat room and bulletin board where trainers and teachers provide participants with additional support as they go through the training modules.  National built the support feature into the program to ensure teachers received the assistance they needed as they progressed through the course.

Global Connections and Global Connections Online were developed in collaboration with PCC, Inc. (People's Computer Company) of Berkeley, Calif., a company internationally recognized for its expertise in the use of technology in education.

More information about National's Internet Training Initiative for teachers can be found at www.national.com/training.

About National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor is the premier analog company driving the information age. Combining real-world analog and state-of-the-art digital technology, the company is focused on the fast growing markets for wireless handsets; displays; information appliances; and information infrastructure. With headquarters in Santa Clara, California, National reported sales of $2.1 billion for its last fiscal year and has about 9,800 employees worldwide. Additional company and product information is available on the World Wide Web at www.national.com.

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