Bing for Schools Provides Ad-Free Web Searching and Surface Tablets Giveaways for Schools
ByThe Atlanta Public Schools system will be the first to experience a web searching experience tailored specifically to students, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The Bing for Schools pilot program will host advertisement-free web searching with blocks on adult content as well. The initiative also plans to upgrade technology in the classrooms by providing teachers with Surface RT tablets.
In addition to Atlanta Public Schools system, PC Magazine reported, the Los Angeles Unified School District, Fresno Unified School District and Detroit Country Day School will also receive the ad-free search service. The education based web tool will help enhance specialized learning capabilities without the distraction of ads and with privacy protection.
"We already know that search is an important tool for kids in school," Bing behavioral scientist Matt Wallaert wrote in a blog post.
According to a recent Pew Research Center poll, Wallaert said, more than 90 percent of educators believe the Internet has a "major impact" on their teaching.
Bing will also allow users to donate to these schools with their rewards program. Bing Rewards is a point system users get just for surfing the web and, when they accumulate a number of points, they can redeem them for various prizes. Now users will be able to donate money with those points to Bing for Schools.
Wallaert said if 60 people signed up for Bing Rewards, one school would receive a Microsoft tablet per month. For every 30,000 Bing Rewards points, a school receives a tablet, the points gained just from signing up, and then from using Bing, will help Microsoft distribute many tablets.
"Personally, I'll be using my credits for Territorial Elementary School, the tiny school in rural Oregon that I attended as a kid," Wallaert said. "Because with Bing for Schools and Bing Rewards, you don't have to be a parent or teacher to support digital literacy: anyone can help put technology in classrooms."
Bing for Schools recognized that technology does not automatically translate into learning. So they have set up a program for all grades to use the Bing homepage image of the day with a critical thinking question to be solved by using search tools.
Microsoft is taking requests for the program and administrators can sign their schools up well.