EDUCATION PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND EVENTS

Education Talk Radio — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:51:54 +0000

FundingFactory Boosts School and Nonprofit Fundraisers Through

Business Recycling Programs

Contest Encourages Everyone to “Just Ask” Their Employer Where its Electronic Waste Goes

ERIE, Pa. (Feb. 23, 2012) – FundingFactory^®, the nation’s largest fundraising-by-recycling program for schools and nonprofits, is sponsoring the “Just Ask” Campaign to foster business participation in community recycling projects and heighten awareness about electronic waste. The campaign encourages individuals to spur companies into action by asking a simple question. Individuals who pledge support earn a chance to win a trip.

To participate in the campaign, anyone can pledge at FundingFactory.com/Disney to ”Just Ask” their employer, “What happens to the company’s used printer cartridges and electronics?” Upon pledging, contributors are automatically entered to win a Walt Disney World Resort vacation for four in Orlando, Fla., and $500 for the FundingFactory participant of their choice. Through the simple step of asking, individuals can help prompt companies to start an electronic waste recycling program to donate items on behalf of an educational or nonprofit organization.

Free to participate, Business Supporters serve as a lifeline for FundingFactory participants in raising funds to augment tight budgets. FundingFactory reports that schools and nonprofits with business supporters collect more recyclables, earning them as much as three times more cash and rewards than organizations without the support. The “Just Ask” Campaign encourages participants to build environmental awareness within their communities and foster greater local recycling efforts among businesses and individuals.

“One of the greatest obstacles to recycling programs is that people don’t know how to recycle,” said Sean Michaels, president of FundingFactory and co-president of its parent company, Environmental Reclamation Services. “FundingFactory makes it easy for schools and nonprofits to start their own recycling program, and for businesses to support them. The “Just Ask” Campaign encourages businesses to support noteworthy green organizations within their community.”

The FundingFactory program is free and enables schools and nonprofit organizations to exchange electronic waste for cash or points redeemable for new technology and other equipment. Recyclable items eligible for funding include ink and laser cartridges, cell phones, digital cameras, MP3 players, and GPS units. FundingFactory is one of the most effective, most favored recycling programs of its kind. FundingFactory has been used by more than 50,000 organizations to earn cash and rewards while preventing waste from being landfilled, as well as preserving natural resources. Schools, nonprofit organizations, and businesses can register for free at fundingfactory.com/register.

About Funding Factory

Since 1997, schools and nonprofit organizations across the United States have earned more than $26 million in funding through FundingFactory, a 100-percent free fundraising-by-recycling program. Together, FundingFactory and its participants have kept 21 million pounds of electronic waste, such as used ink and laser cartridges and cell phones, out of landfills. FundingFactory is a program of Environmental Reclamation Services LLC, part of the Clover Technologies Group. Headquartered in Erie, Pa., ERS is an ISO Certified, Zero Landfill Initiative company with more than 97 percent of its incoming material reused or recycled. Learn more at FundingFactory.com.

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ASCD and the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) Partner to Launch New PD Online® Course

Alexandria, VA (02/23/12)—ASCD, the global leader in providing programs, products, and services that empower educators to support the success of each learner, and the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the premier professional association for school district technology leaders, have launched a new PD Online course titled From Vision to Action: The 21st Century Teaching and Learning Plan.

The new course outlines 21st century teaching and learning and empowers educators with the tools and concepts needed to develop a vision of 21st century education in their school or district and translate it into actionable practice.

“We’re excited to enter into this first-ever partnership with ASCD to bring this course to all educators,” said CoSN chief executive officer Keith Krueger. “By offering a highly interactive program, school and district leaders, and particularly those that want to work in collaboration with their peers, will be able to truly envision and implement a teaching and learning plan for the 21st century. Such an undertaking is the core of our organizations’ joint mission to create learning environments that enable students to maximize their potential.”

Course topics include

Drafting a vision plan to help schools adopt 21st century teaching and learning practices and skills;
Using key data from schools or districts to assess what must be done to support 21st century learning;
Selecting the right approach for turning a vision for 21st century learning into an effective action plan;
Monitoring and assessing the implementation of an action plan; and
Reflecting on implementation for a better understanding of the plan’s successes and challenges as well as to facilitate future refinements and improvements.

Each module of From Vision to Action: The 21st Century Teaching and Learning Plan contains readings, videos, or presentations conveying the course’s objectives. The modules also contain “Check for Understanding” questions, which provide immediate feedback on learning, and an application exercise that offers opportunities to work with and practice the concepts and skills taught in the course. In addition, each module contains customizable tools that may be downloaded.

Since 1996, ASCD has provided innovative and award-winning PD Online courses to educators across the world. The PD Online series incorporates multimedia and high-quality, digital content that fits the need of almost any type and size of learning group—ranging from individual learners to entire districts and university programs. With the PD Online series, districts and schools can personalize and monitor professional development for individual educators and groups seeking to earn college or professional development credits.

“Today’s educational technologies, when leveraged correctly, have the power to transform learning and take students beyond the four walls of their classrooms,” said ASCD executive director and chief executive officer Dr. Gene R. Carter. “Through this new PD Online course, built in partnership with our colleagues at CoSN, we are providing school leaders with the framework and resources they need to leverage technology to its fullest potential.”

For more information on CoSN’s initiatives, products, and services or to become a CoSN member, please visit www.cosn.org. For more information on ASCD’s other programs, products, and services or to join ASCD, visit www.ascd.org.

Contact:

Stephen Wakefield, ASCD communications director, stephen.wakefield@ascd.org, 1-703-575-5764
Jennifer Cummings, CoSN, 1-202-496-2131 or jcummings@cosn.org.

About the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN)

CoSN is the premier professional association for school system technology leaders. The mission of CoSN is to empower educational leaders to leverage technology to realize engaging learning environments. Visit www.cosn.org or phone 1-866-267-8747 to find out more about CoSN’s Leadership Initiatives, annual conference and other events, policy and advocacy, membership, and resources.

About ASCD

ASCD is the global leader in developing and delivering innovative programs, products, and services that empower educators to support the success of each learner. Comprising 150,000 members—superintendents, principals, teachers, professors, and advocates from more than 145 countries—the ASCD community also includes 58 affiliate organizations. The nonprofit’s diverse, nonpartisan membership is its greatest strength, projecting a powerful, unified voice to decision makers around the world. To learn more about how ASCD supports educators as they learn, teach, and lead, visitwww.ascd.org.

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Time To Know Releases Software Update for Apple Products

DTP 6.1 now available for Macintosh operating system

NEW YORK (February 21, 2012) Time To Know, a complete online teaching and learning solution, is now available for the Mac.

The updated platform, DTP 6.1, supports Windows Internet Explorer 9, Apple Safari 5.1, Apple Mac OS X 10.6 and 10.7 operating systems, and all related models.

The new version also offers Time To Know educators co-teaching interface capabilities, an updated lesson-planning interface, additional benchmark reports, and improved report navigation. DTP 6.1 includes reports that display student answers within lesson context, allowing teachers to correlate student performance data with classroom content.

“The availability of the Time To Know platform for the Macintosh environment has been a key development objective for us, since Macs are widely used in schools, and teachers and students are well-versed in their operation,” said Arik Shahar, Time To Know product manager.

In addition, compatibility with Macintosh computers makes it easier for schools implementing “bring your own device” initiatives to accomplish their technology integration goals.

“About a third of our students using the Time To Know program use their own computers through our BYOD initiative,” said Barbara Rudolph, principal of Davis Intermediate School in Wylie, Texas. “Availability of the Mac version will help us achieve our goal of expanding use of Time To Know in our school.”

DTP 6.1 is now available to all Time To Know U.S. schools, and additional enhancements will be made in the coming weeks. The next platform update will be released mid-2012 in time for the 2012-2013 school year.

About Time To Know

The Digital Teaching Platform from Time To Know is a complete cloud-based learning and teaching solution including core curriculum. In addition to the Digital Teaching Platform, Time To Know includes comprehensive professional learning and technology support to maximize teacher effectiveness and student achievement. The Time To Know math and language arts curriculum is fully aligned to the Common Core Standards as well as the New York State and Texas standards. Time To Know is implemented in 150 classrooms in Texas and New York, with additional international installations. It is also used in New York City’s Innovation Zone (iZone) program. For more information, please visit http://www.timetoknow.com or call 888.559.6560. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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Kaplan K12 Learning Services Sponsors Call for Teachers’ Best Practices in Digital and Blended Instruction

Teachers’ Winning Ideas to be Published in Next Edition of Kaplan’s Best Selling e-Book

“First Year Teacher”

NEW YORK (Feb. 21, 2012) – In celebration of Digital Learning Day – a national campaign launched earlier this month to celebrate innovative teaching and learning through digital media and technology – Kaplan K12 Learning Services is seeking collaborative input from teachers across the United States to share ideas and best practices on incorporating digital and blended learning into the classroom. Teachers can submit their innovative ideas and inspiring stories to: Kaplan’s First Year Teacher e-Book Contest. The most creative submissions will be published as a new chapter of the revised edition of Kaplan’s top-selling book “First Year Teacher,” and educators whose ideas are published will win gift card prizes. The new e-book edition will be released during Teacher Appreciation Week in May.

Blended instruction includes incorporating the use of different learning environments. Frequently, this means combining traditional face-to-face classroom methods with digital-based activities. The practice of blended learning reinforces concepts through multiple modalities, creating a more integrated approach for both teachers and students. Increasingly, technology is playing a critical role in this process. Research on blended learning indicates that the combination of live and online learning can be engaging and effective, as outlined in a recent white paper, “Online and Blended Learning: What the Research Says,” by Marcella Bullmaster-Day, Ed.D.

“We know that today’s teachers are entrepreneurs of innovative ideas inside the classroom, particularly as technology becomes a growing part of classroom instruction. We’d like to give creative-thinking teachers a platform for sharing their ideas about how they are using digital media, to recognize their efforts, and to help others who are navigating the changes that technology is bringing to the learning process,” said Justin Serrano, president of Kaplan K12 Learning Services. “We are looking forward to hearing about how they incorporate digital learning into the classroom, what online tools they find most valuable, how they use technology to help students learn, and anything else they’d like to share.”

All ideas and stories must be submitted by midnight EST, March 9, 2012.

Also in celebration of Digital Learning Day, during February only, the current Kindle edition of “First Year Teacher” is available for free on Amazon.com.

For more information about best practices in blended and online learning, go to http://www.kaplank12.com/us/resources/. For more on Kaplan’s participation in Digital Learning Day, contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.543.7538.

About Kaplan K12 Learning Services

Kaplan K12 Learning Services (www.kaplank12.com), a unit of Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com), partners with schools to measurably propel student achievement. Kaplan K12 offers state test readiness programs to help students meet and exceed state standards, and college preparation solutions that support students as they prepare for college entrance exams and the admissions process. Its solutions also provide teachers with robust Kaplan K12 resources and professional development support to impact achievement in their classrooms. Kaplan Test Prep is a division of Kaplan Inc. (www.kaplan.com), a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

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DYSLEXIA – LITERACY CONFERENCE

On Friday, March 16th, and Saturday, March 17th, 2012, The Hutson School, in Indianapolis, Indiana will be hosting the annual conference of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators. The Academy is unique in being the only organization established and authorized expressly to set and maintain professional and ethical standards for the practice of the Orton-Gillingham Approach and to certify teachers and to accredit instructional programs that meet these standards. The Huston School, an independent First-12 school whose program provides Orton-Gillingham instruction accredited by the Academy, began working with children with learning differences (including dyslexia) in 2000.

Experts in the field of dyslexia will present sessions for parents, teachers and other educational professionals on the topics of phonology, vocabulary, reading comprehension, writing and math concepts. Testing students with dyslexia along with how to teach using the Orton-Gillingham Approach in a public school setting will also be part of this exciting event.

The Orton-Gillingham Approach rests on the foundational and seminal ideas from Samuel T. Orton, Anna Gillingham, and other early pioneers who provided strength in neurobiological science, medical evaluation and in the psychology and pedagogy of education. Over the last 70 years, the approach has met the test of time and the validation of reading research. In the hands of a well-trained and experienced practitioner, it is a tool of immense power.

The conference is taking place at the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre. It is open to members of the Academy, teachers, educators, administrators, health professionals, speech pathologists, psychologists, parents, persons with dyslexia, and all interested in the Orton-Gillingham Approach.

For the conference program and to register for this conference, please visit HYPERLINK “http://www.ortonacademy.org/“www.ortonacademy.org.

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iNACOL Webinar To Explore Online Learning for Extending Learning Opportunities in the Community

(VIENNA, Va.) – The International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) will host a webinar on Wednesday, February 22 to explore how online learning can support extended learning opportunities and after-school programs in community-based organizations. The webinar, called “Digital Learning in Class and Beyond,” is based on a report by The After School Corporation (TASC). The webinar will describe the reports findings on how out-of-school programs can use online learning resources to expand educational opportunities. It will highlight examples of after-school programs actively utilizing digital learning to expand learning opportunities for students

“Online learning provides students with access to personalized, anytime, anyplace instruction, and ‘after school’ programs in the community play an important role in supporting students,” said Susan Patrick, president and CEO of iNACOL. “This webinar will describe how digital learning can help educators in informal settings use the out-of-school hours to extend and enrich students’ learning experiences.”

Presenters will include Jennifer Siaca Curry of TASC; Barry Joseph of Global Kids; David Lowenstein of Public Broadcasting Service and Pam Johnson of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, February 22 at 2:00 PM Eastern. To register, please visit: http://www.inacol.org/events/webinar/index.php

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About iNACOL

iNACOL is the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, a non-profit 501(c)(3) membership association based in the Washington, DC area with more than 3,800 members. iNACOL is unique in that its members represent a diverse cross-section of K-12 education from school districts, charter schools, state education agencies, non-profit organizations, colleges, universities and research institutions, corporate entities and other content and technology providers (www.inacol.org). iNACOL is host to the annual Virtual School Symposium (VSS). VSS 2012 is scheduled for Oct. 21-24, 2012, in New Orleans, LA (www.virtualschoolsymposium.org)

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2012 UNESCO & CoSN International Symposium to Explore Potential Mobile Learning Holds to Transform Education

Irish Rock Star and Philanthropist Sir Bob Geldof to be a

Guest Speaker

Washington, DC (February 16, 2012) – As of last year, there were more than five billion mobile phone subscriptions in the world, including most, if not all, educators in developed and developing countries. However, many schools still forbid mobile phone use, citing it as a disruptive and distracting tool in the classroom. The 2012 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) International Symposium, themed mLearning: Exploring the Power of Mobility to Transform Learning, will explore key questions educators and policymakers need to confront on the issue of mobile learning (or mLearning), including: Why, when and how can or should mobile devices be used in education? The Symposium will take place on Monday, March 5, 2012, from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC, one day before the official kickoff of CoSN’s 2012 Annual Conference.

“mLearning is still a fairly new phenomenon across the globe, which has made some school leaders, policymakers and parents apprehensive about integrating it into K-12 classrooms,” said CoSN CEO Keith Krueger. “By bringing together education stakeholders and thought leaders from around the world, the Symposium will uncover perspectives, policies and practices that can connect all classrooms to mLearning into a cohesive learning environment for young people and help reimagine teaching and learning.”

The event will provide attendees with the opportunity to hear compelling examples of mLearning, participate in discussions and work to develop recommendations to educators, policymakers and non-governmental organizations on the potential opportunities and risks surrounding mLearning in schools. Among the guest speakers will be renowned Irish musician and philanthropist Sir Bob Geldof.

Panel discussions will center on the following topics:

Why Mobiles in Learning?
Empowering Learners Through Mobile Devices: Examples from Schools Around the World
Can You Learn with Mobile Devices?: Industry Perspectives
Teacher Support and Professional Development Through Mobile Devices
Proclamation of mLearning
Visions for mLearning

The more than 20 speakers, panelists and moderators include:

David Atchoarena, Director, Division for Planning and Development of Education Systems, UNESCO
Kristin Atkins, Director, Wireless Reach, Qualcomm, Inc.
Anthony Bloome, Education Technology Specialist, USAID
Chris Dede, Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University
Mark Nieker, President, Pearson Foundation
Jon Traxler, Professor of Mobile Learning and Director of the Learning Lab, University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
Michael Trucano, Sr. ICT & Education Specialist, The World Bank

“UNESCO recognizes the potential of mobile learning to support the Education for All goals of improving education access, quality and equity,” said Atchoarena. “Engaging with the benefits, and the challenges, of mobile learning is therefore of strategic importance. Symposia such as this provide an opportunity for that joint engagement.”

The Symposium is sponsored by UNESCO, Adobe, the Pearson Foundation, GroupCall and the Goethe-Institut.

For additional information on the Symposium, including the full agenda, please click here.

About the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN)

CoSN is the premier professional association for school, district, and educational service agency technology leaders. CoSN’s members are a unique blend of education and technology leaders and decision makers from the public and private sectors. The mission of CoSN is to empower educational leaders to leverage technology to realize engaging learning environments.CoSN provides leadership, community, and advocacy essential for the success of these leaders. Visit www.cosn.org or phone 866.267.8747 to find out more about CoSN’s Leadership Initiatives, annual conference and events, policy and advocacy, membership, and resources supporting and promoting leadership development to ensure that technology is used strategically for the improvement of teaching and learning in elementary and secondary schools.

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New Exhibitors and Exciting Sessions Among the Highlights of Upcoming ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit Show

Alexandria, VA (2/16/2012)—ASCD’s 67th Annual Conference and Exhibit Show, “A Collective Call to Action,” now features more than 80 new exhibitors, a new and expanded ASCD Center, and a new generation of speakers and sessions addressing timely topics of interest to educators of every level. ASCD’s 2012 Annual Conference and Exhibit Show is being held in Philadelphia, Pa., March 24–26.

“ASCD is thrilled to welcome these new exhibitors to our 2012 Annual Conference and Exhibit Show,” said ASCD Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Gene R. Carter. “We are proud to offer one of the most comprehensive professional development events in education, where attendees can not only learn about the latest educational advancements, but also experience the newest generation of services and products for the classroom.”

Each year, the conference’s exhibit show displays the newest products and services for educators. This year, 80 of the conference’s more than 270 exhibitors are new, ensuring that all attendees see the latest resources available to support the success of each learner. The exhibit show is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. starting with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, March 24; from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 25; and from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Monday, March 26.

Anchoring the exhibit hall is the all-new ASCD Center, where educators can explore the association’s latest resources, programs, advocacy efforts, and strategies for supporting the whole child. Within the ASCD Center, attendees can take advantage of free PD In Focus® and ASCD EDge® demonstrations, session evaluations, speaker Q&As, and more.

In addition to guiding educators to explore the crucial trends and issues reshaping teaching and schools, ASCD has created expert-driven sessions focused on the most timely and important topics in education. Examples include

Common Core State Standards
Help for New Teachers and Administrators
Exploring New Pathways to Teacher Effectiveness
Mapping Out New Directions in Curriculum
Learning for the 21st Century
Effective Intervention Strategies
Help for Educating English Learners
The Whole Child

To help participants plan their conference experience, ASCD is again making available its popular You Are Here interactive web, mobile, and on-site map directory. Using this unique tool, attendees can plan their conference experience, search and download session and presenter information, and access show maps and exhibitor information. Visit www.ascd.org/youarehere to get started now, or use the mobile version at www.ascd.org/youareheremobile.

ASCD also invites attendees to the 2012 Annual Conference Tweet Up hosted by ASCD EDge® and sponsored by Scientific Learning with additional support from Edutopia. The tweet up will allow educators engaged in social media to meet face-to-face with ASCD authors, important leaders of the online education revolution, the @ASCD Twitter team, and fellow conference attendees. The official Twitter hashtag of ASCD’s 2012 Annual Conference is #ASCD12.

ASCD’s 2012 Annual Conference and Exhibit Show is supported by lead partners Discovery Educationand GlobalScholar.

For more information or to register, visit the Annual Conference and Exhibit Show website. For more information or to register for the ASCD 2012 Virtual Conference, visit the Virtual Conference website. To learn more about ASCD and membership benefits, visit www.ascd.org.

Contact Information

Katie Test, communications specialist, 1-703-575-5608 or by e-mail.
Stephen Wakefield, communications director, 1-703-575-5764 or by e-mail.

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Sublime Learning and The Visual Leap Partner to Deliver Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Professional Development to Philadelphia Schools

Portland, OR February 15, 2012- Sublime Learning, Inc, the educational leader in providing professional learning products and services surrounding the effective use and integration of technology is proud to announce its partnership with the Visual Leap. Stemming from this partnership comes “SublimeDesign”, a blended Professional Learning approach to UDL and technology integration.

Through this partnership, 1500 School District of Philadelphia Special Education teachers are receiving subscriptions to Sublime Learning eTeachables and extensive training, follow up and support provided by The Visual Leap.

The Visual Leap is a unique visual learning company located in Philadelphia and led by Jesse Berg, MSIT, MEd that utilizes visual, technology-rich strategies to improve teacher effectiveness and student learning. Berg, creator of “The Visual Leap Program in Visual Thinking” works with school districts to create research-based, professional learning solutions rooted in effective technology integration, cognitive learning theories and Universal Design for Learning.

“SublimeDesign supports teachers in an effective and efficient way. This is by far the most satisfying professional learning solution I have been a part of,” states Berg.

This blended solution is effective because The Visual Leap provides teachers with face-to-face training and follow-up. This ongoing support is needed for teachers to adopt the teaching strategies and resources embedded in the Sublime Learning portal. It is efficient because the online portal provides just-in-time learning that lets teachers search, find and use the specific resources that they need precisely when they need them.

Sublime Learning and The Visual Leap are overjoyed with the successes being realized in Philadelphia Schools following the rollout of SublimeDesign. Sublime Learning CEO Jonathan Mann comments on the success of the partnership, “We are thrilled to have found such a complimentary partner in The Visual Leap. Our products and their services are a perfect fit.”

About The Visual Leap

Founded in 2007, The Visual Leap is a visual learning company dedicated to professional development for teachers. They are experts in training teachers to utilize visual thinking strategies and software to promote teacher effectiveness and student learning. By creating practical, research-based professional learning solutions rooted in Cognitive Learning Theory, Universal Design for Learning and instructional technology, The Visual Leap is committed to becoming an industry leader in transforming K-12 teaching practice.

Visit The Visual Leap at: www.thevisualleap.com

About Sublime Learning

Sublime Learning delivers professional development focused on empowering teachers to use of technology more effectively to meet K‐12 instructional goals. Integrating best practices of professional learning and effective teaching strategies, they offer just‐in‐time eTeachables, in‐depth seminar bundles, and a portal to manage teacher-learning resources. To find out more please contact Jonathan Mann atjonathan@sublimelearning.com .

Visit Sublime Learning at: www.sublimelearning.com

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EMPOWERING WRITERS: COMMON CORE WRITING

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDES: MEETING DEMANDS OF CCSS WRITING

MONROE, CT February 15, 2012- Empowering Writers, leader in K-8 professional development for the instruction of writing proudly announces the upcoming release of its newest resources, The Essential Guides to Writing for grades 2, 3, 4, and 5. Dedicated to the ever-changing needs of teachers, Empowering Writers has responded to the concerns of how to “do it all” when meeting the comprehensive writing demands of the Common Core.

Enhancing their existing Comprehensive Writing Guides, The Essential Guides to Writing covers all the CCSS requirements and more. Using a month-to-month format, each resource provides everything needed to address standards-based requirements designed in a practical, more manageable way. These newest Guides present the “big picture” in a way that scaffolds the CCSS so that children can learn foundational skills through consistent instruction and basic assured experiences over time. In keeping with the rigor of its other guides, Empowering Writers has emphasized the reading/writing connection to empower strategic readers and informed writers alike.

The Essential Guides to Writing dive deeper into a wide range of grade-level appropriate genre lessons, allowing educators the opportunity for more focused instruction. Each monthly unit weaves instruction in all genres thematically, throughout the school year, instead of through isolated units of study that are often practiced and promptly forgotten. Narrative writing, expository/informative writing, opinion/persuasive writing, poetry, basic research skills, response to text and more, are addressed in each grade specific Essential Guide to Writing as required by the Common Core.

Learn more by visiting Empowering Writers online at:

http://info.empoweringwriters.com/

About Empowering Writers, LLC:

Stemming from real world experience, the methodology and techniques behind Empowering Writers have been developed by veteran classroom teachers, Barbara Mariconda and Dea Paoletta Auray while teaching at Mill Hill School in CT. Over a five-year period at Mill Hill, their efforts to bring a consistent, effective approach to the instruction of writing was fine-tuned and perfected. After realizing a 45-point increase in narrative writing scores with their 4^th graders, Mariconda and Auray co-founded Empowering Writers, LLC in order to share their high impact methodologies on a larger scale. http://info.empoweringwriters.com/www.empoweringwriters.com

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Partnership for Los Angeles Schools Teams Up With Revolution K12 to Help Spur School Turnaround

Sixteen Partnership schools to benefit from Revolution K12’s academic improvement programs through organization’s largest collaboration

Santa Monica, CA – February 1, 2012 – Revolution K12, a rapidly growing web-based adaptive software division of Revolution Prep, has joined with the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools to help sixteen of its middle and high schools improve student outcomes in math and English Language Arts. The Partnership is the first school system to implement Revolution K12’s full product line, a $1 million dollar investment over two years. The program includes access to Algebra Readiness, Algebra I, Algebra Support, Geometry, College Readiness, English Language Arts, CAHSEE 380 and CAHSEE Intervention, as part of a blended learning approach to supplement curriculum and support teachers.

“We are grateful Revolution Prep has joined with the Partnership in our effort to bring technology into historically low-income, high-need schools,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. ”The math and English software programs Revolution Prep is providing will allow our teachers to better support the differentiated learning needs of their students and bridge the digital divide that separates so many low income students from their wealthier peers.”

“The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools is completely committed to helping students learn the skills they will need to graduate and get accepted into college,” said Jake Neuberg, co-founder of Revolution Prep. “Through use of our proven, adaptive programs, we will better support the Partnership’s educators by providing tools to help them understand student academic deficiencies, enhance their teaching methods to efficiently and effectively focus on individual student’s needs and ultimately improve academic outcomes.”

“We evaluated many programs and schools’ successes with each when deciding who to partner with and Revolution K12 showed great gains with some individual schools in our service area,” said Partnership for Los Angeles Schools’ CEO Marshall Tuck. “This partnership marks the first time we have taken on an outside vendor to make significant change in our teaching and learning. By incorporating online assessments and instruction, our teachers will have the tools to offer a blended learning approach to student achievement.”

The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools is a collaboration between the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District to turn around LA’s lowest performing public schools and to create a model for doing so district-wide. Today it is one of the largest public school turnaround projects in the nation, serving nearly 17,000 students across 22 schools in some of the city’s underserved communities.

One of the first Partnership schools to pilot Revolution K12’s programs in Spring 2011, Mendez Math and Science, has already shown remarkable results. An additional 15% of 10^th grade students passed both the Math and ELA sections of the CAHSEE, with an overall pass rate increase from 45% to 60%. As a result, Mendez’s Math and Science Center now ranks sixth in terms of CAHSEE pass rate improvement among all LAUSD comprehensive high schools. Results similar to Mendez’s are expected to be mirrored in all Partnership middle and high schools, which implemented Revolution K12’s programs in October 2011.

The Partnership’s middle and high schools have committed to working with Revolution K12’s programs through 2013 and 2014, respectively. The organization has also furthered their commitment to using the programs with fidelity by hiring a full-time Revolution K12 program manager who will work exclusively with the Partnership to provide professional development and support.

Revolution K12 representatives will be on hand to support the Partnership’s February 1^st Digital Learning Day (www.digitallearningday.org) celebration, which will showcase the Partnership’s blended learning classrooms and technologies, including Revolution K12’s adaptive software.

To learn more about Revolution K12, go to revolutionk12.com or call (877) 463-8951. To learn more about the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, go to partnershipla.org.

About Revolution Prep

Revolution Prep is an educational software and services provider that, since 2002, has helped more than 100,000 students improve college readiness academic skills and score higher on the SAT, ACT, GMAT and other high-stakes exams. The company’s rapidly-growing web-based adaptive software division, Revolution K12, helps students prepare for entrance into college by improving Mathematics and English Language Arts skills. Revolution K12 software is used by several of the nation’s largest school districts with documented success in boosting student achievement. From world-class test prep to online and in-person academic tutoring to software enabling educators to provide differentiated instruction, Revolution Prep is committed to its mission of transforming education by leveraging technology. For more information, visit revolutionprep.com and revolutionk12.com.

About Partnership for Los Angeles Schools

The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools was founded in 2007 as the cornerstone of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s strategy to improve education in Los Angeles. It is a unique collaboration between the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District to turn around LA’s lowest performing schools and to create a model for doing so district wide. The largest non-district school operator in Los Angeles, the Partnership today manages 22 schools with nearly 17,000 students and 1,500 employees. The Partnership is a 501(c) 3 non-profit education management organization with nearly 37 full-time employees. For more information, go to PartnershipLA.org.

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Bullyproofing the Elementary Classroom:

Responsive Classroom Offers Teachers New Workshop

Turners Falls, MA—Teachers can learn how to prevent bullying behavior in their classrooms with the help of a new professional development workshop based on the practices and strategies of the Responsive Classroom® approach to teaching. The one-day Bullyproof Your Classroom workshop will be offered to the public for the first time this summer in: Chicago, IL; New York, NY; Charlotte, NC; and Avon, CT. Registration for this, and other Responsive Classroom workshops, is now open at their website.

The one-day workshop will introduce participants to current research on how to prevent bullying, practical strategies they can immediately use in their elementary classrooms, “gateway behaviors” to address before they become bullying behaviors, how to deal with bullying when it happens and, most important, how to create a classroom culture where bullying is unlikely to occur. The workshop is equally useful for Responsive Classroom veterans and those unfamiliar with the approach.

“When teachers know how to teach social-emotional skills along with academic content, they can create and maintain safe, caring, and joyful classrooms,” says Caltha Crowe, the workshop’s lead developer and a long-timeResponsive Classroom teacher and consultant. “In those classrooms, kind behaviors flourish, mean behaviors wither, and children are free to concentrate on learning.”

All participants in the workshop will receive a copy of Crowe’s forthcoming book, How to Bullyproof Your Classroom,which is due out in June. Crowe is also the author of Sammy and His Behavior Problems: Stories and Strategies from a Teacher’s Year and Solving Thorny Behavior Problems: How Teachers and Students Can Work Together.

“I’m really looking forward to sharing the ideas in this workshop and new book with teachers,” Crowe says. “Teachers have an important opportunity—and an obligation—to curb bullying. Children spend many hours a day in school and the elementary school years are a period where adults can make a big difference.”

About Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. and the Responsive Classroom approach

Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (NEFC), a not-for-profit organization, was established in 1981 by elementary school educators who envisioned a way of teaching that would bring together academic and social learning throughout the school day. That way of teaching, called the Responsive Classroom^® approach, is now being used in schools across the country. For more information, visit www.responsiveclassroom.org.

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SIIA Issues Call for Innovators in Education Technology

Selected applicants will be invited to participate in annual Ed Tech Industry Summit, May 6-8

Washington, D.C. (February 15, 2012) – The Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is now seeking applications for its Innovation Incubator Program. Developers of innovative K‐12 and postsecondary, technology‐based educational products or services will be reviewed, and ten participants (along with one alternate) will be selected to participate in the annual SIIA Ed Tech Industry Summit this spring. The deadline for applications is March 9, 2012.

The Innovation Incubator Program connects developers of promising new technologies with industry leaders, potential investors, and established companies seeking partnerships or acquisition candidates. The program is open to applicants from academic and non‐profit institutions, pre‐revenue and early‐stage companies, and long‐ standing companies with newly developed educational technologies.

While prototypes and very early‐stage innovations will be considered, products or services submitted must be past the conceptual phase. Applicants will be assessed on a broad range of selection criteria.

“Since our first program was launched in November of 2007, we have increased the number of applicants, creating more competition for participating in the conference itself,” said Karen Billings, Vice President for the Education Division of SIIA. “We’re pleased to see the increased focus on innovation within the ed tech community and proud to have supported that growth over the past four and a half years.”

Participants selected for the program will present their innovations during the Business Profiles Presentations that open the Ed Tech Industry Summit in San Francisco on May 6. Immediately following these presentations, they will be on hand to provide product demonstrations during the Innovation Showcase & Welcome Reception. Throughout the Summit, Innovation Incubator participants will receive recognition, peer‐to‐peer mentorship, and access to hand‐selected prospects for partnership, acquisition, financing, and veteran advice.

SIIA is again partnering with Blackboard Inc., lead Innovation Incubator sponsor, to give elevated visibility and support to the finalist that best exemplifies technology innovation in service to education. “These are challenging and exciting times for education. Institutions are facing more demands than ever before, and user expectations for learning technology are at an all-time high,” said Ted Hopper, VP, Business Development. “At Blackboard we’re proud to be driving innovative technologies that enhance and enrich the education experience. The SIIA Innovation Incubator Program is a great way for talented developers of new technology to get exposure and visibility. We look forward to working with these companies to further improve the education technology industry.”

One Innovation Incubator participant will be selected by Blackboard to receive a year‐long membership as a Blackboard Building Blocks™ partner in the Blackboard Partnerships™ program*. Among the many benefits, partners have access to the thousands of clients using the Blackboard Learn™ platform. Program membership also includes a developer copy of the Blackboard Learn software, a product listing on the Blackboard Extensions online directory, personalized guidance on the partnership, and participation at members‐only events. Learn more about Blackboard Partnerships at www.blackboard.com/Partnerships.

For more information about the Innovation Incubator Program, which is also sponsored by Texthelp Systems, visit siia.net/etis/2012/incubator.asp.

About SIIA
The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education, and intellectual property protection to more than 500 leading software and information companies. The SIIA Education Division serves and represents more than 180 member companies that provide software, digital content and other technologies that address educational needs. The Division shapes and supports the industry by providing leadership, advocacy, business development opportunities and critical market information. For more information, visit www.siia.net/education.

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Virtual Nerd Partners with New York City’s School of One to Provide Personalized Online
Instruction:School of One Utilizes Virtual Nerd Playlists as Core Resources in Innovative Middle School
Math Program

St. Louis, MO: School of One (NYC DOE) has partnered with Virtual Nerd in its mission to
transform teaching and learning methods to meet the individual needs of today’s students.
A pioneer in the emerging field of customized learning, School of One utilizes multiple
instructional modalities to effectively differentiate and deliver personalized instruction based on
each student’s needs. Virtual Nerd offers an online instructional platform that allows students to
control both their learning pace and their learning path.
Virtual Nerd’s supplemental video solution is a key component of the School of One program
this year. “Virtual Nerd is honored to participate in School of One’s innovative program,” said
Josh Salcman, President and co-Founder of Virtual Nerd. “We share a belief that each student
learns differently, and that belief motivated us to create our Dynamic Whiteboard® instructional
platform to allow students to choose their own learning path and pace.”
Since incorporating Virtual Nerd into the School of One curriculum in the fall of 2011,
teachers have assigned over 8,000 Virtual Nerd playlists to students. “It is phenomenal to
see how effectively School of One is using our Playlist tool to deliver personalized instruction
to each student on a daily basis”, said Leo Shmuylovich, co-Founder and Vice President,
Instruction. “They really like that our content is engaging and relevant. Our playlists are tightly
aligned with School of One’s standards, making Virtual Nerd one of the top recommended
instructional modalities.”
About Virtual Nerd and Virtual Nerd School Edition
Virtual Nerd offers Web-based video tutorials in math for students in grades six through twelve,
providing the benefits of one-to-one tutoring at a fraction of the cost. Its patent-pending
Dynamic Whiteboard® instructional platform puts students in the driver’s seat to navigate
instructional content and drill down into prerequisite concepts. Virtual Nerd School Edition
combines Virtual Nerd’s video tutorial library with customizable playlist and reporting tools, so
educators can deliver more personalized instruction, gauge student performance and measure
improvements in real-time. Virtual Nerd videos are aligned to the Common Core so teachers can
develop personalized playlists to address their students’ specific instructional needs.
About School of One
School of One was established in 2009 and has received national recognition for its pioneering
approach to improve education. Time magazine listed School of One among the top 50
inventions of 2009. Currently the program offers full-time math curriculum for three New York
City middle schools serving 1,500 students combined, with plans to continue to evolve and
expand to meet the needs of more NYC students in the

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Executive Briefing from Awareity Helps Administrators Create Safe School Learning Environments

To help school leaders address alarming trends with student safety issues related to bullying, cyberbullying, violence, weapons, suicide, and other concerns, Awareity, a leading provider of award-winning risk management platforms, has released their latest Executive Briefing, 12 Tips for School Leaders in 2012. To download this free resource, visit www.awareity.com/public/briefingrequest.asp.

Understanding most school leaders do not have the time or resources to do extensive research into hundreds of lessons learned, incidents, lawsuits, settlements and reports, Awareity has commissioned multiple studies to help school leaders make better decisions sooner than later. Lessons learned from these studies reveal school administrators, teachers, staff, students, parents and other resources are not equipped to effectively address escalating and continuously changing risks in their schools and communities.

This free Executive Briefing delivers vital information for administrators to proactively prevent serious risks and expensive consequences that can have lifelong effects on students, families, school leaders/personnel and entire communities. The briefing discusses 12 areas administrators need to address to ensure effective prevention strategies within their schools.

“School leaders are struggling to address escalating student safety concerns due to limited budgets, resources and time,” says Awareity CEO, Rick Shaw. “By equipping our schools and communities with the right tools to effectively communicate with students, parents, staff, faculty, law enforcement, etc. and connect-all-the-dots ongoing, they can build safer school climates and eliminate significant costs related to status quo efforts that offer little or no value.”

Briefing highlights include:

1) How to build and sustain a safe learning environment to improve Student Achievement – do you know if or how many students and teachers fear coming to school?

2) Overview of the Office of Civil Rights Dear Colleague Letters – do all personnel understand their individual roles and responsibilities to ensure compliance and prevent a federal investigation?

3) Necessary actions and documentation to prevent lawsuits and deliberate indifference – can your school afford a $225,000 lawsuit/settlement?

4) Improved Incident Reporting – because statistics show only 1 or 2 out of every 10 incidents are being reported by students, how can your school’s Safety Team prevent threats they don’t know about?

5) Eliminating the status quo – is that once-a-year training or seminar educating your staff with an appropriate level of awareness and the tools to do the right thing?

School leaders may believe they are prepared to address these escalating challenges, but lessons learned clearly reveal schools are not “equipped” to connect the dots and prevent preventable incidents. This briefing discusses what schools can do to effectively train and empower their community to reduce bullying, cyberbullying, violence and other threatening behaviors.

About Awareity:

Awareity provides comprehensive web-based platforms, transforming status quo approaches to help organizations prevent the preventable and effectively connect the dots ongoing. Awareity is equipping organizations and individuals with tools to build and maintain safe learning and working environments, while preventing expensive regulatory failures, compliance fines, lawsuits, privacy breaches, ethical lapses, incident reporting failures, workplace violence and more. Awareity’s award-winning TIPS platform offers innovative, proven and more cost-effective ways to eliminate embarrassing gaps and achieve better bottom line results. For more information visit www.awareity.com or contact Awareity at info@awareity.com.

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Career and Technical Education leaders respond to President’s proposed FY 2013 budget

ACTE and NASDCTEc applaud level funding of Carl D. Perkins Act, investments in career and technical education

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) are pleased with the Administration’s focus on career and technical education (CTE) throughout its FY 2013 budget proposal.

The proposed $1.1 billion level funding of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins Act) is a solid beginning to this year’s appropriations process, and will hopefully jump start efforts to restore recent funding cuts to the program and ensure all students have access to high-quality CTE programs that prepare them for successful careers. The Perkins Act is the primary source of federal formula funding for CTE, delivered at both the secondary and postsecondary level, and a critical source of support for most school districts.

“Today, the President called for an education system that prepares students with the skills they need to fill today’s and tomorrow’s high-demand, highly-skilled jobs in areas such as health care and technology. Career and technical education is the solution to equipping individuals with those skills and federal funding is important to support colleges and high schools across the country to provide the training and skills needed for success in our economy,” said Jan Bray, Executive Director of ACTE.

ACTE and NASDCTEc commend the President for proposing $1 billion in new funding over the course of 3 years for creation and expansion of career academies, a highly successful CTE model currently implemented in several states, and investments in community colleges. The career academies initiative would be funded through the American Jobs Act and would require the approval of Congress in order to become a reality.

“President Obama’s FY13 budget indicates that the Administration recognizes the value of Career Technical Education in creating a pipeline for students from high school to college, and through to their careers,” said Kimberly Green, NASDCTEc Executive Director.

“Given the current economic environment that our nation is enduring, we are encouraged that the budget includes level funding for Perkins at $1.1 billion, which would support CTE programs that prepare students across the nation to be college and career ready, and succeed in the global economy. Further, the proposed new funding for career academies and college completion initiatives, underscores the Administration’s emphasis on programs that aim to meet our nation’s education and workforce goals.”

A new $8 billion initiative, also part of the American Jobs Act proposal, will go to the Departments of Education and Labor to support state and community college partnerships with businesses to build the skills of American workers over the course of 3 years. ACTE and NASDCTEc support such partnerships, which will target and address the skills gap referenced today by the president in his speech on the budget.

While more details are needed to determine the implications of these proposals, ACTE and NASDCTEc are optimistic about the Administration’s renewed focus on career and technical education. Both organizations look forward to working with the Administration and Congress to increase funding for CTE, a valuable education option for many student and adults.

ABOUT ACTE

The Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit education association dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. It provides advocacy, public awareness and access to information, professional development and tools that enable members to be successful and effective leaders. Founded in 1926, ACTE has more than 27,000 members including teachers, counselors and administrators at the middle school, high school and postsecondary levels.

ABOUT NASDCTEc

The National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education (NASDCTEc) was established in 1920 to represent the state and territory heads of secondary, postsecondary and adult career technical education (CTE) across the nation. NASDCTEc, through leadership, advocacy and partnerships, aims to support an innovative CTE system that prepares individuals to succeed in education and their careers, and poises the United States to flourish a global, dynamic economy.

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CoSN, SITE and SXSWedu Conferences Announce Collaboration with the First-Ever Joint Teleconference Spotlight Session

Austin, TX (February 13, 2012) – SXSWedu, CoSN and SITE conferences have teamed up for their first-ever joint teleconference uniting all three education-based communities on Tuesday, March 6, 2012. The session, “On The Horizon: Harnessing Emerging Technologies in Education,” featuring Larry Johnson, CEO of New Media Consortium.

“On the Horizon,” with the help of LifeSize Video Conference, will link technology leaders, innovative educators, along with cutting-edge education professionals, business, industry and policy leaders live and online at the CoSN Annual Conference in Washington, DC, and with SITE and SXSWedu, which will take place in Austin, TX.

“This interactive session will look back over a decade of findings from the highly influential Horizon Reports by the New Media Consortium,” said Larry Johnson, New Media Consortium CEO. “What can we learn from these annual reports on emerging technologies for learning, and how should they inform the actions of teachers, administrators, colleges of education, policymakers and the private sector?”

Each conference will additionally have respected thought-leaders on hand to discuss the Horizon Reports’ trend lines.

At CoSN, Superintendent Jack Dale from Fairfax Public Schools in Virginia will be responding. Moderating the session from CoSN will be Jean Tower, CoSN Board Member and Director of Technology, Public Schools of Northborough & Southborough, MA.
At SITE, Miri Shonfeld, Professor and Head, Center for Technology and Multiculturalism, Mofet; Head, Online College, Center for International Studies, Kibbutzim College of Education, Israel, will be responding.
At SXSWedu, Ken Kay, CEO of EdLeader 21, will provide reactions. Ken has been the leading voice for 21^st Century Education for the last decade. He co-founded the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills in 2002 and served as its President for eight years.

Q&A from each conference will further drive interaction between the three conferences.

Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN, says, “This historic partnership between these leading education/technology conferences demonstrates that our organizations are not just talking about the need for educators to work collaboratively, we are walking the walk.”

Ron Reed, Executive Producer of SXSWedu says, “CoSN, SITE and SXSWedu are all very excited to leverage technology to connect our respective communities and collectively collaborate in the search for powerful new directions and solutions to enhance teaching and learning.”

Paul Resta, Program Chair of SITE Conference notes that this tri-conference collaboration provides a model of how major communities and conferences, using technology, may share their collective expertise and resources for mutual benefit.

To attend one of the conferences, please visit: sxswedu.com, site.aace.org orcosn.org/conference2012. Additional information regarding the live stream will be available on all three websites.

About the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN)

CoSN provides leadership, community, and advocacy essential for the success of these leaders. Visit www.cosn.org or phone 866.267.8747 to find out more about CoSN’s Leadership Initiatives, annual conference and events, policy and advocacy, membership, and resources supporting and promoting leadership development to ensure that technology is used strategically for the improvement of teaching and learning in elementary and secondary schools.

For more details, visit: www.cosn.org/conference2012

About the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE)

SITE promotes the development and dissemination of theoretical knowledge, conceptual research, and professional practice knowledge through the SITE conference, books, collaborative projects with other organizations, and the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education.

SITE (founded in 1990) is a society of the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). AACE (founded in 1981) is an international, educational, and professional organization dedicated to the advancement of the knowledge, theory and quality of learning and teaching at all levels with information technology.

For more details, visit: http://site.aace.org/conf

About SXSWedu

SXSWedu seeks to converge the wide variety of stakeholders who share an interest in 21st Century education innovation and best practices. Our attendees represent not only education professionals including teachers, administrators and university professors, but also business, industry and policy leaders who all share a keen interest in modernizing teaching and learning.

Content strands at SXSWedu 2012 will range from early childhood to college and career readiness, and will include assessment, emerging trends, digital content, gaming and learning, higher ed, open education resources, research and evaluation, and statewide portals, including Texas’ Project Share. Join us March 6-8, 2012 for the educational experience that only SXSW can deliver.

For more details, visit: http://sxswedu.com

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iNACOL Webinar to Highlight Teachers Use of Open Educational Resources

(VIENNA, Va., Feb. 13) – The International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) will host a webinar on Thursday, February 16, guiding online teachers on how to implement open educational resources (OER) in the classroom.

The webinar, “Easy as 1,2,3: A Primer on Using Open Education Resources to Create Lessons, Activities and Courses,” will address best practices in using OER, which are learning materials that are produced and vetted by experts to be made available online for free through open licenses, allowing for the content to be easily accessed and shared for the purpose of personalizing instruction for students.

“In an iNACOL survey of institutional members, 100 percent of district online and blended learning programs responding used a combination of open educational resources and digital content to better individualize instruction for students,” said Susan Patrick, President and CEO of iNACOL. “Teachers are interested in personalizing instruction for student learning and expanding resources beyond traditional textbooks. States, districts and schools have successfully implemented OER and are finding significant benefits, including personalization of learning, creating engaging and relevant resources and building upon collaborative knowledge to help students succeed.”

“It is our hope that this webinar will serve as a useful resource for both new and experienced educators to gain a better understanding of OER as an important building block for curriculum,” said Patrick.

The webinar will provide online teachers with insights and lessons learned from their peers at Open High School of Utah, a 400-student public charter school, which has successfully developed and shared open courses over the past three years.

Open High School of Utah faculty sharing their OER experiences during the webinar will include: DeLaina Tonks, Director; Sarah Weston, Curriculum Director; Crystal Van Ausdal, geometry and precalculus teacher; and Sara Layton, English 12, AP English literature & composition and ACT/SAT prep teacher.

The webinar will be held Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 6:00 PM Eastern. To register, please visit:http://www.inacol.org/events/webinar/teacher_talk.php

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About iNACOL

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More Than 1 Million Flashcards Created on StudyBlue Every Week

Growth in Online Studying Generates Enormous Amounts of Shared Knowledge

MADISON, Wis. (Feb. 13, 2012) – StudyBlue®, a mobile and online study service for students, has experienced tremendous growth due to increasing demand from students to make their studying mobile and social. More than 1 million online flashcards, many with images and audio, are created every week on StudyBlue, and that number nearly doubles during peak exam times. “Flip,” a new video from StudyBlue, explores why flashcards have proven to be such effective study tools for students.

StudyBlue surpassed 1 million users in December 2011, and growth of the free online learning network continues to accelerate. “It’s a sign that the digital natives who populate our high schools and colleges crave quality digital study tools,” said Becky Splitt, CEO of StudyBlue. In total, students have logged more than 100 million study minutes since the site’s launch in 2009.

Mobile studying and mobile flashcard creation on the free StudyBlue iPhone and Android apps is part of what’s driving this phenomenon. Twenty percent of all new flashcards on StudyBlue are created on the StudyBlue mobile application. “It’s second nature for students to turn to their smartphones to manage their lives,” said Splitt. “Creating a seamless experience for users across their connected devices enables students to study anytime, anywhere.”

In addition to creating flashcards, students utilize StudyBlue to connect with their peers and learn from them. Altogether, 1 million StudyBlue users have created more than 40 million definitions of ideas that are public and accessible to all.

“Efficiency and collaboration are key factors for our users,” explained Splitt. “Students look at shared content to see how their definitions stack up against others, find out if they missed anything, or determine if someone else has a better explanation. We’re working on several new features for release in the near future that will expand students’ ability to connect with each other through content.”

About StudyBlue
StudyBlue delivers the mobile and online study service that helps students learn their stuff, for free. StudyBlue provides a Digital Backpack™ for students to store, study, share and ultimately master course material – working alone or together. Flashcards with images and audio, cloud storage for notes, personalized practice quizzes and free mobile apps are among the tools offered. For more information, visit www.studyblue.com.