When it was launched in October 1996, Harvard-Smithsonian distributed four hours of professional development programming in math and science four days per week through MCET, the Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications. The Channel's reach has grown at a pace surpassing even its own goals. By August 1998, the Channel was already in 23,000 schools, and it currently reaches nearly 29,000 schools, on the basis of licenses received. An additional 11.8 million households can view the Channel via local public broadcasters or cable outlets. Schools and other institutions tuned to technological advances have been eager to go digital, and we've been happy to be in the right place at the right time.
Educators find the professional development programming especially valuable.
It serves teachers of kindergarten through grade 12, examines new theories about how children learn, and presents hands-on approaches to teaching. The Interactive Workshop Series is a group of programs produced specifically for the Channel. The workshops focus on various areas of importance to educators' current needs, feature leading thinkers, and display innovative teaching methods. They also build in opportunities for workshop participants at sites around the country to interact live with the workshop leaders. Workshop participants register to use the series via the Channel's web site, which also includes descriptions of the various workshop series available and support materials for specific workshops.