IBM Systems Magazine, Mainframe - July/August 2016 - 10
TECHBITS PHOTOGRAPH: JOHN O'BOYLE/FEATURE PHOTO SERVICE FOR IBM Harriet Green, IBM general manager of Watson Internet of Things, Commerce and Education, is pictured here with Elmo. 'W' Is for 'Watson' Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that produces "Sesame Street," announced a three-year agreement with IBM Watson* to develop educational products. These products aim to adapt to the learning styles and aptitudes of preschoolers using Watson's cognitive computing technology and Sesame's early childhood expertise. By combing through more than 1,000 studies on how young children learn best and picking up on patterns, Watson can create highly personalized learning experiences, which complement the role parents and teachers play in a child's development. Watson will continuously hone and improve educational activities by studying and adapting to the aggregate experiences of anonymized groups of students. "We believe that bringing education together with technology is a key to improving early learning in this country and around the world," says Jeffrey D. Dunn, CEO of Sesame Workshop. "A generation ago, 'Sesame Street' used the ubiquitous presence of television to reach vulnerable children who did not have access to the learning opportunities that affluent and middle-class kids did. It worked very well. Now, through this collaboration with IBM and Watson, we expect to develop the next generation of tailored learning tools. Ultimately, the goal is to provide children from all socio-economic backgrounds with the opportunity for meaningful, personalized education in their most formative years." To find out more, visit the Watson Internet of Things website (ibm.co/1QCbIY6). SOURCE: IBM.COM 10 // JULY/AUGUST 2016 ibmsystemsmag.com