Samsung and Khan Academy Partner to Bring Innovative Tablet-Based Educational Training Tool to Mountain View Whisman School District

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Samsung Media Solutions Center America (MSCA) today announced a partnership with Khan Academy, a not-for-profit organization committed to bringing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere, with the intent of fostering deeper educational engagement through use of new classroom technologies for teachers and students. The partnership commences with a pilot program, in which Samsung provides the Mountain View Whisman School District (MVWSD) with Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablets, preloaded with a new Khan Academy application developed by Samsung MSCA, which enable students to search and view Khan Academy's extensive library of instructional videos.

"Khan Academy is excited to partner with Samsung and MVWSD to enable students in elementary and middle schools to have access to technology that can bring self-paced, personalized and mastery-based learning into the classroom. We are also excited that Samsung is helping increase access to technology, demonstrating a great way for corporations to get involved in public education," said Sundar Subbarayan, Khan Academy School Implementation Lead.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 tablets enhances engagement by enabling students to draw, write, and take notes with Samsung's intuitive S-Pen, while simultaneously viewing instructional videos and exercises. The devices also come with Meraki's solution for unified management of the devices from a centralized dashboard. Training on the devices and the Khan application will be provided to teachers and students by Samsung MSCA.

"Thanks to a grant from Google and collaborative power of leading organizations like Samsung and Khan Academy, we are elated to offer resources that help our teachers personalize their approach to educating students and enhance the learning environment. Our district, with its cultural and socioeconomic diversity, is ideal for testing and evaluating programs like this," said Mountain View Whisman School District Superintendent, Craig Goldman.

According to MVWSD, the pilot program will include participation of nine teachers representing three schools – Crittenden Middle School, Stevenson Elementary School and Huff Elementary School. The pilot program is yet another example of how Samsung has been working with school districts to improve student engagement and empower teachers. Samsung is the catalyst to bring new and immersive digital learning experiences into the classroom that combines easy-to-use devices and dynamic content together to drive results.

The program follows other Samsung initiatives promoting the use of technology in the classroom. In September, the company launched a GALAXY Note 10.1 tablet program with the Memphis school district. The company is also conducting the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Education Contest, which will award public schools with a total of $1,000,000 (estimated retail value) in technology.

"Samsung MSCA is committed to defining the best combination of software, services and hardware solutions for stronger, more personalized educational experiences.  The Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet provides a more natural way for students to not only access content, but also to take notes and capture their ideas using the innovative S-Pen.  We are excited to participate and also learn from the teachers and students on how their experience and engagement is augmented," said, Curtis Sasaki, Senior Vice President of Samsung MSCA.

The pilot is scheduled to begin on Thursday, October 18, 2012 and will continue throughout the school year.

About Mountain View Whisman School District

The Mountain View Whisman School District's mission is to "demonstrate, daily, a relentless commitment to the success of every child. Although the school district has been under resourced, the district encourages the use of technology to enhance the learning experience of the student.

About Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a not- for -profit organization with the focus of providing education to all at no cost. They provide an extensive video library, interactive challenges, and assessments via their website. The site's resources are available to anyone and often used by students, teachers, home-schoolers, principal, and adult's continuing education.

About Samsung Media Solutions Center America

Samsung Media Solutions Center America (MSCA) delivers content and services across Samsung's mobile and digital ecosystem. Based in the heart of Silicon Valley, San Jose, CA, MSCA develops content partnerships, distribution strategies and cloud-based services to deliver a converged Samsung experience on smartphones, tablets, Smart TVs, media players, and other connected devices. MSCA is pioneering innovative technologies and services that enable consumers to seamlessly experience and share content across devices, while opening new business opportunities on the Samsung platform for content providers and advertisers.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 206,000 people in 197 offices across 72 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LED. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world's most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

SOURCE Samsung Media Solutions Center America