A regional resource team like this has the potential to develop into an ongoing, sustainable resource for school systems. The beneficiaries of an Internet partnership between a college or university and K-12 schools include teachers, college faculty, college undergraduates, and students in the schools. The relationship between the University of Massachusetts and teachers throughout the region is illustrative of such a partnership. This resource, which was initially funded by the National Science Foundation, the University of Massachusetts, and Five Colleges, Incorporated, is now supported by subscriptions and workshop training fees and provides Internet access to over 2,000 teachers and their classrooms. Teachers in K-12 and college faculty alike gain skills and access to resources which can enhance their teaching.
Students benefit from their teachers' experience.
They learn about the Internet and gain an understanding of its uses. College faculty can also, in the process of participating in these partnerships, learn about how the Internet and pedagogical practices other teachers use can enhance their own teaching. Undergraduates, in their relationships with students, can increase their skills on the Internet, learn more science as mentors of others, expand their experiences with middle school students, and test their interest in entering the teaching profession. As Needs Change Internet partnerships have been designed to increase the number of teachers who have access to the Internet, as well as to provide sources of ideas for using the technology in the classroom. However, these models may become less important over time as Internet access in schools and in general becomes easier and more affordable, and as states and the federal government increase funds for Internet access in schools.