Earth To Serve as Living Lab in K-12 Digital Learning Platform
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 09/23/15
By fall 2016 a new digital learning platform will be introduced that sets up the Earth as a "living laboratory." Students will be immersed in
games that use data from NASA, NOAA and other research sources to learn real-world science that meshes with the
Next Generation Science Standards. Planet3, the company developing that software, has just received a $10 million round of funding from the founder of
Switch, a Nevada-based company that runs data centers.
According to the founders, Planet3 will encourage students to gather evidence and craft conclusions through the use of data analytics and
visualization. Along the way they'll also explore and contribute to real science.
Principals in Planet3 include CEO Tim Kelly, former president of the National
Geographic Society during a time when the print-oriented publishing company shifted into a digital strategy, and Rob Roy, CEO of Switch.
Albert Yu-Min Lin, a researcher at the University of California, San Diego, will serve as chief
science officer. Kelly McGrath, a science and mathematics educator with a design engineering background, will act as chief learning officer
responsible for managing development of curriculum and content.
"We all depend entirely on this Earth — 'Planet3' — to sustain life as we know it. The challenges of a rapidly changing environment are
matched by the lightning-fast evolution of science and technology. Our biggest opportunity is to improve the way we engage future generations
to innovate solutions," said Kelly in a press release. "Fortunately, we live in a moment in time when we can use astonishing digital tools and
immersive technology to connect students and teachers to our changing planet. This exploration-based learning approach is what Planet3 will
deliver."
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.