Members of West Virginia Universitys College of Human Resources and Education (HR&E) and the West Virginia Department of Education will meet with representatives from 50 United Kingdom schools this Friday (Nov. 30).

The group will hear results of the West Virginia Reinventing Education Model to be presented by WVU Professor of Educational Theory and Practice Jim Rye and graduate assistant Greg Farris during a 9:30-10:30 a.m. teleconference in 414 Allen Hall. The model proposes new ways to use technology to improve the education process.

Organizers say the hook-up is made possible via a new videoconferencing system received through a grant from Verizon Communication.

“Originally, the teachers from the UK were supposed to come (to WVU ) in October, but after the tragedy of Sept. 11, we decided to host a teleconference instead,”said Donna Landin, coordinator of the Department of Education IBM Reinventing Education project.

“This was a great opportunity for usand for WVU because our teacher training coincided with the meeting the UK teachers already had planned. As one of our grant partners, WVU allowed us to use their new equipment,”she said.

The grant, Preparing Teachers to Use Technology, is part of a nationwide $2 million IBM program to upgrade teaching resources and technology. A 19 -member WVU team helped to develop online lessons to improve teaching and student achievement.

A UK panel of four, representing an audience from 50 different schools, plans to implement a program similar to the Reinventing Education Model.

Rye, Farris and Landin also will be available during the morning teleconference to answer questions about setting up and developing the program.