Cisco Systems, Inc.

Cisco over the past decade has had an outstanding track record in delivering practical solutions to complex education challenges—including how to network education environments (the 21S program), how to bring IT and networking skills to millions (Networking Academy), and how to raise standards through systemic reform (Jordan Education Initiative). But there comes a time in any organization’s history when there is enough collective experience to both adopt a thought leadership position and move from localized to replicable implementations. Cisco has chosen to do that through the creation of the Cisco Global Education group (GE).

Cisco Global Education vision is to transform education so that it is relevant to the needs of the 21st century. In order to accomplish this, change must occur at multiple levels, if not simultaneously at least in tight sequence. We see a shift in the way teachers teach, leaders lead, and students learn. Developing new curriculums and meaningful assessments, and understanding the role technology plays are critical. The workforce of the future will require individuals to have the ability to think critically, solve complex problems, and understand how to work in collaborative environments.

Cisco is proud to sponsor the development of GETideas.org as a:

• Platform for an informed dialog among education thought leaders and practitioners on the path to the next generation of education transformation.
• Hub of information and a central point of connection for the exchange of ideas and knowledge on transforming education systems.
• Catalyst for holistic education transformation through 21st century learning and collaborative technologies.