Author Archives: Education Talk Radio

DISCOVERY EDUCATION EXPANDS CURRICULUM AND CUSTOMER SUCCESS TEAMS TO FURTHER SUPPORT SCHOOL SYSTEMS CREATING DIGITAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

– New Silver Spring, Md.-based Staff Supports Educators Worldwide as they Transform Teaching and Learning –

Silver Spring, Md. (October 13, 2016) – Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, today announced three new appointments to its Curriculum and Customer Success teams.  These talented individuals, based in Discovery Education’s headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., will work with educators worldwide to develop and implement customized solutions that engage students and increase academic achievement.

Camsie McAdams, Discovery Education’s new Director of STEM Curriculum, contributes to the organization more than 15 years of experience in urban, public K-12 education.  An experienced STEM leader, McAdams is leading the development of new, comprehensive STEM instructional resources and curriculum that supports Discovery Education’s partners’ efforts to increase student achievement.

Prior to joining Discovery Education, McAdams was Partner of Academic Strategy at The New Teacher Project (TNTP). McAdams also served in the Obama Administration as the Deputy Director for STEM at the U.S. Department of Education from 2012-2015, and as the Director of STEM for District of Columbia Public Schools from 2011-12. With over a decade of experience teaching math, science and literacy in New York City Public Schools and in California’s Oakland Unified School District, she is a recipient of several teaching awards, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching for the state of New York. McAdams received a degree in general engineering and political science from the University of Denver, and a Masters of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Deanne Rotfeld joins Discovery Education as its new Vice President of Customer Success. In her new role, Rotfeld leads a team dedicated to meeting the continually evolving and varied needs of Discovery Education’s school-based partners as they integrate the organization’s best-in-class services and solutions into teaching and learning. In addition, Rotfeld oversees the entire customer lifecycle including onboarding, customer management and support, and more.

Rotfeld joins Discovery Education from Amplify, where she served as Executive Director of Account Management and was responsible for customer satisfaction and customer relationships. Prior to that role, she served as President and Founder of Progressive Educational Consulting Group, LLC, an educational consulting company created to support schools going through ISBE special education audits. Rotfeld has also served as a case manager and special education teacher for Chicago Public Schools, and as a special education graduate instructor for Northeastern Illinois University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and environmental studies from Bowling Green State University, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching Special Education from National-Louis University.

Jeremy Magid joins Discovery Education as Senior Manager of Customer Success. In this capacity, Magid leads a team providing exemplary user support to the approximately 3 million educators using Discovery Education’s services. Magid joins Discovery Education from AOL, where he served as Senior Call Center Tactical Operations Manager. In that capacity, he led the day-to-day management of a critical tactical operations team responsible for issue triage and resolution across entire the operational landscape. Prior to that role, Magid spent nine years at Digital Management, Inc., a global, end-to-end mobility company. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“We are thrilled to welcome Camsie, Deanne and Jeremy to the Discovery Education team,” said Senior Vice President of Education Partnerships Scott Kinney. “Collectively, their extensive experience will be a tremendous asset to the company as we continue to collaborate with school systems nationwide on our joint mission to support the success of all educators and students.”

For more information about Discovery Education’s programs, services, and initiatives, visit www.discoveryeducation.com.

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 3 million educators and over 30 million students, Discovery Education’s services are in half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries. Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

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PebbleGo Vote Introduces K–2 Students to Democracy by Letting Them Vote for the Next President

Capstone’s online learning platform is offering lessons about democracy and voting to teach the youngest students that their voices matter.

(Minneapolis, MN) October 13, 2016 — Capstone’s K–2 online learning platform PebbleGo today introduced PebbleGo Vote in conjunction with this year’s presidential election. PebbleGo Vote is a free election-season resource where children can research the presidential candidates, learn about the history of democracy, and cast their ballot for the candidate of their choice.

PebbleGo Vote invites students to learn the importance of making their voices heard—while learning about various elected offices and past presidents. PebbleGo Vote will keep a national tally of students’ votes, and schools that pre-registered between September 15 and September 30 can track which candidate wins at their individual school.

PebbleGo focuses on K–2 research, and includes interactive lessons about animals, biographies, and science. Younger students who want to independently use PebbleGo can have all content read aloud in recordings by professional voiceover artists—no robotic text-to-speech. Several of the lessons are also offered in Spanish.

“PebbleGo gets kids excited about learning with engaging facts from reliable sources,” said Matt Keller, Capstone’s Chief Marketing Officer. “PebbleGo Vote is a fun way for the youngest students to have a voice and learn about what is the first presidential election in their memory, which will encourage them to grow into civic-minded adults who understand that their voice can help make our country a better place.”

Participation in PebbleGo Vote is open to all, not just PebbleGo subscribers. Non-subscribers can sign up for free access to a selection of election-related content, including articles on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Students are invited to vote for their favorite candidate for President of the United States at PebbleGo.com/Vote. Voting opens on October 10 and runs through Election Day, November 8. The winner of PebbleGo Vote will be announced on November 9.

About Capstone

Capstone is a leading publisher of children’s books, digital solutions and services, literacy programs, and K–12 professional development resources. Capstone creates content in a variety of print, digital and media formats for school libraries, classrooms, and at home reading. For more information, visit myCapstone.com.

About PebbleGo

PebbleGo is an online learning platform focusing on K–2 research, and includes interactive lessons about animals, biographies, and science. Each database features expertly leveled text and navigation specifically designed for beginning researchers. Enriched with spoken-word audio, text highlighting, and audio/video media, PebbleGo builds a foundation of research skills for every learner. For more information, visit PebbleGo.com.

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Sun Prairie Area Schools in Wisconsin Join Districts in Pennsylvania and Ohio in Selecting itslearning to Support Digital Learning; Drive District Efficiencies

Districts consolidate disparate tools and integrate standards-aligned

curriculum and content while enabling teachers to share best practices

 Boston, MA – Oct. 13, 2016— Seeking a transformative yet efficient way to realize its curriculum and instructional goals, Sun Prairie Area School District (SPASD) in Wisconsin is implementing the itslearning learning management system (LMS).  The district joins South Western School District in Hanover, Pennsylvania and Hamilton County Educational Service Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, respectively in the single end-to-end enterprise teaching and learning platform. To date, more than seven million teachers, students, and parents worldwide use itslearning to provide a streamlined, user-friendly learning environment that simplifies student-centered learning.

The fastest growing district in Wisconsin, SPASD was using a host of systems like Google Classroom and Edmodo to organize their digital learning leaving teachers and students alike, confused on where to go for their educational resources. “We needed the confusion to give way to clarity,” said Anne Larson, digital learning manager for SPASD. “But for that to happen, we needed to first create a pedagogy and curriculum vision. ”

Michael Mades, director of technology, organized a host of district stakeholders including administrators, teachers, curriculum specialists, and students, to participate in the decision-making process. Larson, along with Nate Grundahl, technology integrator for the district, worked closely with Mades to coordinate, meet, and work with the team to choose the LMS that was right for our district — keeping two things in mind: the new LMS would be the foundation for its new 1:1 Chromebook program in grades 6-9 and unequivocally support its aptly named strategic plan — Future Ready Schools for Sun Prairie Students.

Designed specifically for the K-12 sector, itslearning is a leading, cloud-based learning management system that helps educators create innovative and personalized learning environments for students. Known as a best-in-class solution for curriculum management, content integration, and student rostering; itslearning also offers an easy-to-navigate, customizable standards-aligned planner. All stakeholders – administrators, teachers, students and parents  – can access, as appropriate, course materials, assignments, communities for collaboration, professional development tools, and student progress reports.

“Every district has to find the right fit for their school or district, and itslearning is the right fit for Sun Prairie,” said Grundahl. “The itslearning system meets all of our requirements…and in one place. From both an instructional and technology standpoint it will work extremely well with all the other programs and software we use. We expect that during our rollout our teachers will be impressed with its ease of use. They will be able to find and deliver content quickly and easily, and it will greatly facilitate the workflow of assigning tasks, reviewing student work, and providing instant feedback for improved learning.”

About itslearning

Established in 1999, itslearning is headquartered in Boston, MA and Bergen, Norway. With seven million global users, and a passion for improving teaching and learning through technology, itslearning lives at the heart of education.  For more information, visitwww.itslearning.net.

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DAVID SCHRADER NAMED CHAIR OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

WASHINGTON, DC (October 6, 2016)– The Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) has named David L. Schrader, AIA, LEED AP, Chair of its Board of Directors. David Schrader, Managing Partner of SCHRADERGROUP architecture, assumed the role at the recent LearningSCAPES Conference held in Philadelphia, PA.  Assuming new positions on the Executive Committee of the organization are William A. Stice, ALEP, as vice chair and Philip Idle, chair-elect.

As managing partner of SCHRADERGROUP architecture in Philadelphia, David Schrader is responsible for the firm’s leadership, including design, management and business development. For over two decades his professional experience has been focused on the design of facilities of public interest. His ability to create a vision with his clients specifically for children has fostered significant success for all involved including the client, the design team, the student and the public-at-large. David believes that partnership in design is a key element of creating a better designed environment for each client.

An active member of A4LE since 2002, David Schrader has served as Northeast Region president and has chaired several regional and international committees, contributing to many new association programs.  Actively involved with the development and growth of the SchoolsNEXT global competition since 2007, Schrader is committed to inspiring the next generation to build a solid foundation for a better future.

David Schrader has served on the International Board of Directors since 2012. In his new role as chair, he plans to elevate the status of the emerging professional within the Association and plans to work with the Organization to improve the technical platforms upon which all members communicate.

“Members of this association have served as mentors to me in my development.  I truly hope that we can continue that strong tradition of mentorship to those new to the organization and to the profession of learning environment planning and design as a whole. Thanks to the fantastic relationships that form between members, I consider many in this organization to be my greatest friends and colleagues!”

With over 23 years of construction management experience and coordination and supervision of all phases of building programs, William A. Stice, vice chair, honed his skills in the third largest school district in Texas.  Most importantly, Bill Stice has proven his ability to develop the team work needed to enable successful completion of any project.  An active member of the Association for Learning Environments since 1990, he has held several leadership roles including Southern Region president and director of the Gulf Coast chapter.

Chair-elect Philip Idle recently served as Australasian director on the international board and currently chairs the Global Organization Task Force, Philip is leading the organization’s efforts to develop a global mindset, enhancing and furthering the association’s influence locally as well as in other global locations.  Philip has encouraged the leadership to develop a more comprehensive way of viewing cultural and geographic differences as potential opportunities.

Welcome to new Southeast Region director, William S. Bradley and Australasian director, Andrew Pender.  Bill Bradley is the director of research and development for Grimm+Parker Architects. Twice recognized as the Virginia Chapter and Southeast Region Planner of the Year, Bill led both the chapter and region as president. Over his nearly 25-year career Dr. Bradley has served on faculty at the Curry School of Education and as a managing principal providing educational planning and design services to a broad range of clients across the southern United States.

A founding director of PMDL Architecture, Andrew Pender served as chair of the New South Wales chapter and chair of Association for Learning Environments Australasia.  Andrew Pender’s work in K-12 educational projects ranges from master planning and developing new greenfield facilities to the re-use and restoration of heritage facilities.

The Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) is the only professional organization whose primary purpose is improving the learning environment.  With approximately 4,500 members, the Association encompasses members across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK.  The Association embraces a collaborative network of professionals with one single goal – building healthy, safe, resilient and sustainable 21^st Century learning places that inspire transformation in education, enhance student and teacher performance, and support culture and community vitality. To learn more, visitwww.a4le.org or follow us on Twitter @A4LE2.

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Middle School Students’ Literacy Gains Surge Beyond Expectations After Less Than a Year with Achieve3000

Achieve3000, the Leader in Differentiated Instruction, and Ray D. Molo Middle School, a school in southern Louisiana, partnered to produce dramatic literacy gains and improved scores on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program.

LAKEWOOD, N.J. – Oct. 13, 2016 – Seven months into its partnership with Achieve3000, a Calcasieu Parish School in Lake Charles, La., saw greater than expected literacy gains on the Spring 2016 Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) for English language arts among middle school students regularly using one of Achieve3000’s differentiated literacy solutions. The goal of this long-term partnership, which started in late October 2015, is to accelerate learning and put Ray D. Molo Middle School students on track for college and career success.

Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School has 387 students in grades six through eight. The year before the school acquired Achieve3000 literacy solutions, the pass rate for incoming sixth graders was 44 percent. This year, with Achieve3000, approximately 60 percent of sixth graders passed at or above the basic proficiency level.

The students that were in the seventh grade cohort for the 2014-15 school year have also shown great literacy gains. That year, before using Achieve3000, they had a pass rate of 33 percent; after implementing Achieve3000 in the 2015-16 school year, those students had a pass rate of 48 percent. Additionally, this same group of students was able to move from 34 percent scoring at the “unsatisfactory” level on the state ELA test to just 18 percent being at that level the following year, a decrease of approximately 50 percent.

“This great growth in their ELA scores indicates that more Molo Middle School students are getting on track for college and career readiness after working with Achieve3000,” stated Saki Dodelson, CEO and founder of Achieve3000. “This proves what is possible with a strong partnership, phenomenal school and district leadership, and a focus on using differentiated instruction to give kids precisely what they need to reach their full potential and pursue their dreams.”

Molo Middle School has implemented Achieve3000’s TeenBiz3000^® for grades 6-8. The solution combines differentiated instruction, embedded assessment, and an innovative approach to blended learning to meet all students one-on-one, at their individual reading levels, and accelerate learning gains.

“We are so very proud of the English Language Arts growth of our students at Molo Middle School. Our emphasis on literacy as a true fundamental building block of educational success has surely been enhanced by our partnership with the Achieve3000 team,” said Karl Bruchhaus, Superintendent for Calcasieu Parish Public Schools. “The administrators and staff at Molo have worked extremely hard with the help of the program to ensure future academic success for all of their students.”

Molo Middle School principal, Shonna Anderson, added, “I am very enthusiastic about the school’s growth and hope to see even more improvement as the partnership continues.”

About Achieve3000, Inc.

Achieve3000 is the leader in online differentiated literacy instruction, serving over two million students worldwide. For nearly 15 years, the company has been reaching students at their individual reading levels to deliver significant learning gains, with many making double to triple the expected gains in a single school year. Based on decades of scientific research, Achieve3000’s solutions – Smarty Ants (for grades PreK-1), KidBiz3000 (for grades 2-5), TeenBiz3000 (for grades 6-8), Empower3000 (for grades 9-12), Spark3000 (for adult learners), and eScience3000 (for grades 6-8) – support core curriculum, Response to Intervention, English language learner, and special education instructional models as well as 21st-century education initiatives. From learning how to read to workforce readiness, Achieve3000 empowers all learners to develop the college and career literacy skills needed for academic, professional, and personal success. The company is based in Lakewood, N.J. Learn more about Achieve3000 online at www.achieve3000.com or by calling 888-968-6822.

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

Benchmark Education Company Launches Connected English and Spanish Comprehensive Literacy Programs  

Breakthrough digital and print literacy systems help English and Spanish-speaking students develop critical habits for college and career readiness

NEW ROCHELLE, NY, October 12, 2016 — Literacy publisher Benchmark Education released two new connected grades K-6 English language arts, English learner, and Spanish language arts programs—Benchmark Advance and Benchmark Adelante ®2018.Available now in print and digital hybrid formats, these literacy programs provide teachers with a forward-thinking, carefully-mapped instructional design, driven by the instructional shifts in literacy, and built to prepare today’s learners for college and careers. Parallel and equitable in content, resources, and access, the programs provide authentic literature and engaging informational text in both English and Spanish. A connected set of designated English learner instructional resources reflect the latest research, paving the way for an innovative and effective approach to English learner instruction.

Four 21^st Century educational thought leaders Adria Klein, Linda Hoyt, Peter Afflerbach, and Silvia Dorta-Duque de Reyes studied the needs of students and educators in diverse classrooms across the country. Their findings, research, and professional insight led to the development of Benchmark Advance and Benchmark Adelante, embodying the new shifts in literacy instruction and preparing children for college and careers.

“Benchmark Advance and Benchmark Adelante were built from the ground up to reflect the key shifts in English language arts,” explained Tom Reycraft, President of Benchmark Education Company. “The programs provide students with the tools to take apart complex texts and uncover layers of meaning while working with academic language. Students’ learning is grounded in finding and using text evidence when reading, writing, and speaking… preparing them for the types of reading, writing, and speaking they will do in college and careers. The programs’ topic-based organization helps students meet the expectation that they will build deep content knowledge through content-rich nonfiction.”

The unique instructional design of Benchmark Advance and Benchmark Adelante provide a synergy for learning and meaning-making experiences for children to read and write in context, corresponding to the reality of real-world expectations for college and career readiness. Vertically aligned topic-based units provide a structure for students to build rich content knowledge as they develop their literacy skills throughout their elementary school careers. Each unit is woven together using an essential question, as students explore each topic using both literary and informational texts. The topics are aligned to literary themes, social studies topics, and Next Generation Science Standards topics.

Focused English language learner resources pair with the English language arts and Spanish language arts instruction in a powerful way. The resources were built to amplify the on-level text. Instead of simplifying the level of language for English learners, the resources serve as a scaffold to the on-level text, providing visual support and “chunking” of the text to gain access to the text and accelerate their language skills.

“Benchmark Advance and Adelante were built to reflect new standards for literacy and language,” stated Adria Klein, Professor Emeritus, California State University, San Bernardino. “This support provides seamless integration of English and Spanish language arts in a variety of instructional settings. These programs reflect the effective strategies and rigorous expectations that can make a true difference for English learners.”

A variety of assessment options are available for teachers that provide data and insight into each child’s unique learning gaps. Students take assessments online via the programs’ rich digital platform where reports and prescriptive information is provided to support and accelerate instruction toward mastery. Tiered intervention tools are provided and address each of the Foundational Skills so that teachers can intervene and support students as needed.

“By addressing the key instructional shifts and taking a forward-thinking approach to English learner instruction, we are preparing all students for college, careers, and to be competitive in a global society,” said Tom Reycraft, President of Benchmark Education Company. “It is an exciting time in education and it thrills me to know that Benchmark Advance and Benchmark Adelante are helping teachers deliver instruction that will provide all students with the habits and skills required to succeed in their bright futures ahead.”

Both Benchmark Advance and Benchmark Adelante are available now through Benchmark Education. For more information or to request a live demonstration, educators can visit http://www.benchmarkeducation.com/find-a-rep.html.

About Benchmark Education Company

Headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, Benchmark Education Company is a leading publisher of grades PreK–12 core, supplemental, and intervention literacy resources in English and Spanish. These resources are supported by instructional technology solutions as well as on-site and online customized professional development training for teachers and administrators. Benchmark Education’s print and online resources are research-based and differentiated to support all learners in a wide variety of instructional settings. In addition to extensive educational use in the USA, Benchmark Education resources are also used in schools and training centers in the Middle East, Canada, South America, and Asia.

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Changing the Face of Education

SchoolsNEXT Winners Take the Lead at the Association for Learning Environment’s LearningSCAPES Conference

WASHINGTON, DC (October 12, 2016)  Seven  teams of middle school students from across the globe met at the Association for Learning Environments LearningSCAPES Conference in Philadelphia to compete in the final leg of the 2016 SchoolsNEXT competition.   With the intent to bring the student voice into the planning and design of exceptional learning environments, the students demonstrated their passion in rethinking the requisites of tomorrow’s 21st century learning environments, developing solutions to global design challenges that inspire transformation in education.

Challenged to plan and design sustainable and resilient learning spaces that encourage innovation, critical thinking and collaborative teamwork, these young designers have broadened the potential of a school by connecting excellence in design with excellence in education.  As the face of education around the world continues to evolve to better prepare students to succeed, educators strive to enhance learning opportunities that extend beyond the classroom, providing real-world learning experiences and opportunities for students to ask questions and problem solve, think critically and creatively, collaborate and gain experience in tactile, hands-on work while developing the eye for beauty and design.

Displaying remarkable enthusiasm, empathy, rigorous research and exceptional teamwork, their eco-friendly solutions not only meet the needs of students, but address the economy and society of the future, enabling them to master the skills they need to take on the challenges of a world defined by change.

Christina Lighthall, REFP, SchoolsNEXT chair, poignantly remarked, “These promising young designers demonstrated their ability to rethink education, affect change and create meaningful learning experiences for all learners and their communities.  Their passion and aspiration to make a difference was remarkable.”

Walking away with top honors, Lake Oswego Junior High, Lake Oswego, OR, received the Award of Excellence.  Earning the Award of Distinction was the engaging Sutter Middle School team from Folsom, CA.  The enthusiastic team from Neal Middle School, Durham, NC, won the Award of Merit.   Every team was a winner – the outstanding teams from Brecksville-Broadview Heights Middle School, Cleveland, OH; Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy, Dorset, UK; Null Middle School, Houston, TX and St. Michael’s Academy, Springfield, MA took home Awards of Commendation.

Donning their Philadelphia Freedom scarves and exhibiting great presentation skills, the Sailors of Lake Oswego Junior High welcomed us to the future!  Excellence and innovation meet in this eco-friendly student-centered 21^st century learning environment! Demonstrating great purpose and passion, the Team Sailors wouldn’t settle for anything less in the collaborative project based-spaces and maker spaces that comprise the Best of the Best school.  With their articulate division of labor and well-defined planning process, the students described their “needs” and “wants” and chose an innovative educational and green solutions program, including a Holodeck for virtual field trips and extended learning, vertical green walls for safety and security, CO2 sequestering concrete, a Tree of Knowledge observation deck and flexible classroom spaces.  New technologies were applied to ensure safety and a better traffic flow.   Tours with community members and the facilities bond committee, extensive google surveys for students and staff and meticulous research informed the learning areas and generated a school that not only utilizes green energy resources and technologies, inspires learning and fully supports the educational program but also forms a strong connection with the community.  Facilities are open to the community after school hours and energy collected from the solar panels in the summer is donated to the community.

What an exciting journey we had with the Sutter Middle School team as they led us into the future and its endless possibilities- Crecerus. A play on the Latin word to grow, the Crecerus Institute’s watchword became “with wisdom we grow.’ No idea is a bad idea at Creserus, rather learning from mistakes sows the seeds for curiosity and living an intelligent and useful life.  Gathering ideas from all the stakeholders, and applying their mantra of “rigor, relevance and relationships,” their design goal addressed the problems they found in their current learning environment.  With an eye to the connection between learning and the global community, Creserus challenges the traditional grade structure, offering an environment for self-paced learning, grouped by passion and interest in four dormitory houses:  Strexora for aspiring artists; Aulara for those who follow the path of technology and science; Cessna houses future leaders who strive to make this world a better place; and, Razelle for those who push themselves to their physical limits.  While core academies cover the basics during the day, the four houses offer opportunities to study in their areas of interest, strengthening a student’s career path. Each house manages an urban farming pod that produces energy as its contents are cultivated and nurtured.  Those who do not work in the field are responsible for cooking and cleaning and all are encouraged to provide community service.  Points are earned and may be used for the snack bar and to ride the Maglev train, a magnetic levitation train providing frictionless propulsion that enables a train to “float” above the track, capable of speeds in excess of 350 mph.

Neal Middle School’s Durham International Innovation Academy is for dreamers, believers, planners and creators.  It is the place to pursue bold ideas.  Demonstrating a very comprehensive planning process, the team utilized the DEAL engineering design procedure:  Define the problem | Explore ideas | Apply a solution | Look back and learn. They learned the importance of planning and redesign, noting how their initial ideas evolved and were realized in the Durham International Innovation Academy.   Demonstrating their passion for encouraging optimal student learning and conducting exceptional research of the needs of their community, the students focused on designing solutions to rebuild their East Durham community.  After several exploratory field trips, the team discovered that Research Triangle Park(RTP) offered the greatest opportunity.  Incorporating a STEM curriculum through a partnership with RTP, the students were introduced to groundbreaking research and future career paths. Replete with flexible and eco-friendly learning environments, opportunities for internships and engaging outdoor learning spaces, the Innovation Academy inspired change in the future of education for the entire community.  Turning dreams into reality, the Innovation Academy provided healthy organic food, unique educational resources including a dual language emergent program and affordable electricity produced at their solar farm to the community–indeed these students will make a difference!

Brain scanner headsets that determine what a student actually knows?  Three self-paced learning levels that match the values and learning styles of the student?  Minds that don’t wake up until 9:00 am?  The Intent on creating a better learning experience for all learners, the Brecksville-Broadview Heights team incorporated these exceptional features – welcome to the Huron School of Innovation.  Beginning the school day at 9:00am, students are placed in one of three learning levels allowing students to progress at their own pace. Fingerprint ID’s allow entry to the school as well as access to their account on any computer throughout the building.  A multi-use stadium accommodating all sports and events provided additional space for the Huron Farm and eco-friendly greenhouse.  Using aeroponics technologies similar to those used at NASA, they point with pride to their Tower Gardens, large pillars with plants grown with only water and nutrients.  While the plants and produce are used in all school meals, extra produce is sold at a monthly farmer’s market to provide funds for school programs.  Solar panels and wind turbines fuel their energy into a school generator and the small lake on their site provides hydropower.

“We’ve inherited our past…we are going to change our future,” remarked the engaging team from the Isle of Portland Aldridge Academy (IPACA).  Designing a STEM Center that reflected local needs with key design elements incorporating the unique features of their island in Portland, UK, they blended the land and sea through architecture.  Integrating biophilia, the sustainable domed science center inspired by a water droplet is constructed of algae powered glass sitting on the surface of the sea, half of the droplet underwater.  Small “barnacle” working pods surround the droplet, added an element of fun to marine biology studies.  Maker spaces provided the perfect environment for problem solving and a new way of learning.

Focusing on a healthy lifestyle, Kinected Academy harvests the energy of the students to power their school, converting kinetic energy of footsteps into renewable energy!  A great deal of thought went into their planning process. Utilizing survey results to inform their design, the team considered the impact of the education process, role of the learning environment and the different ways that students learn at their own pace.  Promoting movement in learning, students and community, their goal was to design collaborative and innovative spaces for personalized project based learning.  Sharing resources with the community, such as energy-producing biking and hiking trails, gardens and a greenhouse was at the top of their list to encourage healthy regimes. Extensive research on sustainable technologies was evident at Kinected Academy.

Opting to design a 21^st century literature classroom with a detailed budget of almost $2 million, the St. Michael’s Academy  prototype included a Narnia-themed library  and a wheelchair-accessible stage for performances.  Completing the project on time and under cost, the students donated monies back to the school for green projects.  Careful attention was given to ensure good indoor air quality and the use of “Big Ass” fans, high efficiency windows and repurposed materials. Moveable, stackable desks accommodate virtual writing.  An engaging color palette welcomes all—who wouldn’t want to take the opportunity to become a 21^st century Shakespeare in this inspiring setting?

What’s next for SchoolsNEXT?  Just when we  thought it couldn’t get better, we were fortunate to have  Frederick County Career & Technology Center, Frederick, MD design a pilot project for the impending high school component of SchoolsNEXT.  Their 21^st Century educational redesign addressed current overcrowding in magnet and special high schools, excluding many students from participating in these programs.  Concern over how renovations would affect the environment led to the inclusion of renewable technologies and a variety of sustainable design elements, such as semi-permeable pavement solar panels, green roofing and double glass layer walls.  The focus of the design was to maximize the space of the site and make learning for students more inclusive and positive. During an extensive planning process, the team decided to have three separate structures on the remodeled campus- the School of Design, the School of Service and the School of Fabrication.  In addition to a large outdoor gathering space for group work and social activities, two outdoor classrooms lent a breath of fresh air to the campus.  A system of Learning Stairs in the School of Design offers additional space for group projects, strengthening the bond of students at the school.

“Each year, I have the distinct pleasure of experiencing the best and the brightest from across the globe,” commented David Schrader, AIA, LEED AP, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Association for Learning Environments. “The students continue to raise the bar each year in the rigorous competition. Their desire to transform education, empower students and create true community is remarkable.  I am sure you will agree with me when I say, ‘our future is in good hands.’”

The Association for Learning Environments is the only professional organization whose primary purpose is improving the learning environment.  With approximately 4,500 members, the Association encompasses members across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK.  The Association embraces a collaborative network of professionals with one single goal – building healthy, safe, resilient and sustainable 21^st Century learning places that inspire transformation in education, enhance student and teacher performance, and support culture and community vitality.

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

SCHOOL SAFETY WEBINAR

In preparation for America’s Safe Schools Week, West Corporation is hosting a webinar for school and district leaders addressing school safety on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 12 p.m. ET. The webinar will feature Gary L. Sigrist, Jr., a nationally known speaker, consultant, author and expert on emergency preparedness, and Scott Poland, Ed.D., an internationally recognized school psychologist and crisis expert.

All webinar attendees will receive “Five Layers of School Safety,” a white paper that provides detailed information for schools and school districts on safety practices that address five specific areas of emergency response planning: plan administration, staff training, exercises, technology and culture. Co-authored by Sigrist and Poland, the paper will be available Oct. 18. To register for the Oct. 12 webinar, visit http://bit.ly/Oct2016SafetyWebinar

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MEDIA ALERT –

GLOBAL VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP WITH DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION ON THE OPIOID ADDICTION CRISIS

Held During Red Ribbon Week®, Panel of Leading Experts To Powerfully Address the Science of Addiction and Answer Questions LIVE in Virtual Town Hall Event on October 25, 2016

WHAT:                        “Operation Prevention Virtual Field Trip: The Science Behind Opioid Addiction” for middle school and high school classrooms by Discovery Education and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to help students understand the impacts of prescription opioids and       heroin.

WHEN:                       October 25, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. PT, held during Red Ribbon Week®, a week spanning from Oct 23-31 that raises awareness of the danger caused by drug misuse in America.  Advanced classroom signup available at:        http://operationprevention.com/virtual-field-trip.

WHY:                           Drug overdose is the #1 cause of accidental death in the U.S., with opioid addiction driving this epidemic.  It affects every type of person in a community – from the toughest neighborhoods, to the most affluent; from the soccer player, to the student government       president. This virtual field trip will:

• Raise awareness among students in grades 6-12 of the prescription opioids and heroin epidemic through science, statistics and compelling personal stories.
• Arm students with the unfiltered facts and tools they need to make smart, informed choices when they are prescribed or presented with the opportunity to experiment with prescription drugs.
• Dispel the myth that prescription drugs are safe to take occasionally without a prescription from a doctor because they are legal, created in a laboratory, and prescribed by health professionals.

WHO:                          Melvin Patterson, DEA Special Agent – to discuss the role of an agent as it relates to opioids in America, how it affects communities across the spectrum, and his personal connection to the issue.

Peggy Compton, Associate Dean at Georgetown University’s School of Nursing and Health Studies – to outline the science behind addiction and how the brain is affected (or “hijacked”) when people begin to misuse prescription drugs and heroin.

Jamie Lane, Assistant Principal, McLean High School – to discuss the important role the school community can play in fighting this epidemic and how her school has dealt with this issue personally.

Former teen user – to share his/her addiction story and lifetime of struggle with it, emphasizing how easily one can become addicted.

WHERE:                       Broadcast live in Town Hall Format from McLean High School in McLean, VA.  Classrooms nationwide may register and participate in the virtual event at: http://operationprevention.com/virtual-field-trip.

The DEA and Discovery Education have joined forces to combat a growing epidemic of prescription opioid misuse and heroin use nationwide. Operation Prevention’s mission is to educate students about the impacts of opioid use and kick-start lifesaving conversations in the home and classroom. To learn more, and perhaps save a life, go to: http://operationprevention.com.

About the Drug Enforcement Administration
The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction, those organizations and principal members of organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United States; and to recommend and support non-enforcement programs aimed at reducing the availability of illicit controlled substances on the domestic and international markets.

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 3 million educators and over 30 million students, Discovery Education’s services are in half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries. Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

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Pearson, Unizin Consortium Partner to Provide Affordable Digital Course Content to More Than 750,000 Students

Partnership brings students at 22 leading institutions digital materials at significant cost savings

NEW YORK – October 11, 2016 – Today, Pearson and Unizin, Ltd. announced a partnership to increase access to affordable digital course materials to college students on the first day of class. Utilizing Unizin’s All Students Acquire model and leveraging Pearson’s Digital Direct Access (DDA) model, Unizin can provide its member institutions with Pearson’s high-quality eTextbook catalog and proven adaptive learning products, such as MyLab™ and Mastering™, at significant cost savings. The partnership will also provide educators with valuable insights into students’ learning activity through data access, enabling instructors to monitor learners’ progress and intervene when needed to ensure they are on the path to success.

Unizin is a nonprofit consortium of 22 leading universities serving more than 750,000 learners. Unizin’s Engage digital learning platform along with publishers’ proprietary content, including Pearson content, have been used to deliver course materials as part of Indiana University’s eText initiative, saving students more than $15 million since 2009.

More than 80 institutions around the country have partnered with Pearson in 2016 to implement the DDA model, which enables schools to deliver high-quality digital course materials to their students on the first day of class at a more affordable cost.

“We are excited to provide these quality instructional materials from Pearson,” said Amin Qazi, CEO at Unizin, Ltd. “With the inclusion of interaction data from Pearson’s catalog, Unizin’s learner analytics strategy is better-positioned to provide the tools for instructors to derive insights and make meaningful interventions in a data-driven learning environment.”

With the addition of Pearson’s eTextbook catalog and adaptive learning products, Unizin makes available more options for leading commercial course materials and high-quality Open Educational Resources. Pearson supports Unizin’s efforts to provide a better learning experience for students at a lower cost. It also ensures that all students have access to digital course materials on the first day of class with the option to print the textbook, if desired. Unizin does not mark up the price of digital content, ensuring students pay the lowest price possible.

“Through our collaboration with Unizin, we are increasing access to pedagogically proven digital course materials at the most affordable price point, which positions more learners to achieve their higher education goals,” said Tom Malek, Senior Vice President of Partnerships at Pearson.

To learn more about the Unizin consortium working together to enhance learning experiences through technology, including more about course material delivery strategy and solutions, visit unizin.org.

About Pearson

Pearson is the world’s learning company, with expertise in educational courseware and assessment, and a range of teaching and learning services powered by technology. Our mission is to help people make progress through access to better learning. We believe that learning opens up opportunities, creating fulfilling careers and better lives. For more, visit www.Pearsoned.com.

About Unizin

Unizin, Ltd. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit consortium of 22 leading universities dedicated to promoting affordability, access, and learner success in digital education. Unizin’s interoperable technology ecosystem supports the diverse teaching and learning environments across its institutions. Unizin solutions promote technology standards, enable integrations, eliminate the learner analytics black box, ensure accessibility of content and data, preserve and promote faculty choice, and support institutional collaboration. Unizin is owned and operated by its member universities through a Board of Directors.  Unizin is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more on Unizin, visit www.unizin.org.

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New White Paper Analyzes How Creative Use of School Schedules and Instructional Space Fosters Successful Blended Learning Programs

Evergreen Education Group conducts in-depth analysis of Fuel Education^™ partner schools’ blended learning programs

Herndon, Virginia, October 12, 2016 — Schools across the nation have begun breaking away from the traditional school day schedule by implementing blended learning programs in order to better serve a diverse student population. To encourage school leaders to be innovative with instructional area design and creative with the use of the school day, Evergreen Education Group took a deep dive into the blended learning programs at three schools using online course content from Fuel Education™ (FuelEd™) to examine how their use of space and time contributes to their success. Evergreen Education Group, in collaboration with FuelEd, has published their findings in a new white paper titled,“How Top Performing Blended Learning Programs Use Time and Space Effectively.” To download the free white paper, visit:

getfueled.com/blendedtime&space.

In the white paper, Evergreen Education Group provides in-depth profiles of three schools that embody innovation. Poudre School District Global Academy is featured for their creative use of the school day schedule; Springs Studio for Academic Excellence is featured for their creative use of space; and Bend-La Pine Schools’ Summit High School is featured for its transformation from a traditional school into an innovative blended learning program by implementing small, but impactful changes.

Blended learning has proven to be beneficial for the students at these three schools. Poudre School District Global Academy reported it outperformed the average PARCC end-of-year assessment scores in math and English Language Arts in almost every grade level and the elementary and middle school students greatly surpassed the average typical growth in math and reading on the 2015 NWEA Measure of Academic Progress® (MAP®) Assessments. More than 80 percent of students at Springs Studio for Academic Excellence re-enroll for the next year, and almost every grade level has outperformed state averages in English Language Arts, according to the school. At Summit High School, students have the choice of working on in-class instruction or using online courses, which has improved students’ interest in the topic being covered and given them time management skills they may not have gained otherwise.

Although these schools have many differences, researchers found three common characteristics.

• The leaders and teachers at these schools are not afraid to rethink what school should look like and what practices will work best for their students.
• The three schools use online curriculum, which frees teachers from being the main source of instruction and allows them to try more alternative teaching methods like team teaching, block scheduling, personalized learning, project-based learning and more.
• Each of the schools embraces the change and realizes it is a process. By adopting a growth mindset, which they hope students will also adopt, the schools and their leadership were able to overcome any initial issues and are now reaping the rewards of blended learning.

“Along with online curriculum, there are many factors to consider when personalizing learning for each student,” said Gregg Levin, General Manager of FuelEd. “When schools have tools like online instruction; strong, supportive leadership; and creative use of learning spaces, they have the opportunity to break out of traditional practices and start to think differently about school and how it can serve students with different needs.”

About Fuel Education

Fuel Education™ partners with school districts to fuel personalized learning and transform the education experience inside and outside the classroom. The company provides innovative solutions for pre-K through 12th grade that empower districts to implement successful online and blended learning programs. Its open, easy-to-use Personalized Learning Platform, PEAK™, enables teachers to customize courses using their own content, FuelEd courses and titles, third-party content, and open educational resources. Fuel Education offers one of the industry’s largest catalogs of K–12 digital curriculum, certified instruction, professional development, and educational services. FuelEd has helped 2,000 school districts to improve student outcomes and better serve diverse student populations. To learn more, visit getfueled.com and Twitter.

©2016 Fuel Education LLC. All rights reserved. Fuel Education and FuelEd are trademarks of Fuel Education LLC or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

Accomplished Leader in Education Industry Joins Acumen Partners

Michael Campbell Named New Vice President of Client Development and Principal Advisor

Chicago, October 11, 2016 – Michael Campbell, a 25 – year veteran and leader in the educational technology and publishing industry has been appointed Principal Advisor and Vice President of Client Development for Acumen Partners, the company announced today.

A graduate of Southern Arkansas University and Duke University’s Executive Management Program, Campbell will be responsible for expanding Acumen’s databased solution to education companies for increased profitability.  The Acumen team works with companies at all points in their lifecycle from seed to start-up to growth and beyond. The Acumen Advisors are laser-focused on the ultimate goal: increased profitability. Acumen’s use of real-time data provides exclusivity to our clients, their products and their goals. The Acumen Advisors specialize in helping leaders accurately gauge market position, target key actions and achieve better-than-market results.

Most recently, Campbell was the Head of Sales and Marketing for Learning Bird, a differentiated learning start-up based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  Previously Campbell was the President of Forward Thinking EDU, a strategic marketing consulting company.  Earlier positions he held include Vice President of product marketing at ETA hand2mind; Director of Marketing, Follett Software Company; Vice President, Pearson Canada; Executive Marketing Manager, Prentice-Hall; Director of Channel Marketing, Brooks/Cole Publishing (Cengage); and Marketing Manager, McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

“Michael’s well known in the industry for his ability to relate to educators and industry colleagues in the K12, and Higher Education space,” said Steve Rowley, CEO of Acumen Partners. “Michael will bring the experience of his publishing background, business acumen and insights into the educational digital transition to help us provide our clients with the opportunity to focus on the innovative sales and marketing strategies happening the marketplace now, so they can take advantage and move forward profitably.”

Michael has attended the Executive Management program at Duke University and has been privileged to speak at many conferences and webinars.  Michael has also written for numerous blogs and publications during his career.

For more information about Acumen Partners, visit http://acumenpartnersllc.com.

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About Acumen Partners | http://acumenpartnersllc.com  Acumen Partners is a data-driven advisory firm committed to guiding leaders to more accurately gauge their market position, target key actions and achieve better-than-market results. Acumen works with companies at all points in their lifecycle, from seed to start-up to growth and beyond.  Acumen’s Dataslice® solution, using real-time, market data, enables our advisors and consultants to assess your company and provide a 90 day plan of action through a baseline index.  Acumen’s team of experienced advisors and consultants will insure your company is doing the right things in their day-to-day business operations, the right way and with the right people.  With Acumen Partners, companies are able to find their shortest path to strategic success.

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COLORADO’S ST. VRAIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTNERS WITH DISCOVERY EDUCATION TO SUPPORT LEARNING TECHNOLOGY PLAN

-Dynamic Digital Textbooks and Professional Development Support School System’s Efforts to Create Modern Science and Social Studies Learning Environments-

Silver Spring, Md. (October 10, 2016) – Colorado’s St. Vrain Valley School  District (SVVSD) today announced a new partnership withDiscovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms.

As part of this new relationship, Discovery Education is supporting the district’s continued transition to modern learning environments by empowering the district’s middle school educators to more deeply engage students in science instruction with its award-winningScience Techbook™. In addition, Discovery Education and SVVSD are commencing two year-long pilot review programs, bringing the Science Techbook to high school classrooms, as well as the Social Studies Techbook to middle school classrooms.

SVVD’s new partnership with Discovery Education directly supports the continued implementation of the district’s Learning Technology Plan (LTP).  The LTP, developed by a committee of 33 district teachers, principals, and other staff members, ensures the district’s investment in technology is aligned to instructional priorities and school needs.  The LTP also makes certain students and teachers have the tools they need to investigate, communicate, collaborate, create, model, and explore concepts and content in authentic contexts, andprovides all learners with devices they can take home and use to extend learning opportunities beyond the classroom to the entire family.

Discovery Education’s Techbooks are breakthrough digital textbooks that are aligned to rigorous standards, support a comprehensive curriculum, and are updated regularly at no cost.  The series encourages all learners through interactive features that change the reading level of text and enable text to be read aloud. The Techbook series saves teachers’ time with a comprehensive design that places model lessons, student activities and assessments at their fingertips. Techbooks are platform neutral and can be used in any classroom configuration or instructional environment.

The Social Studies Techbook series uses an inquiry-based instructional approach that emphasizes informational text literacy and the analytical writing and problem solving skills that students will apply in the classroom and beyond. Each subject area includes primary source documents and activities, digital investigations, a multimedia reference library, interactive maps and informational texts.  Utilizing an inquiry-based format built on the 5E model, the Science Techbook, through hands-on labs, digital explorations, an interactive glossary, and data analysis activities, helps teach students to read, write, and think like scientists.

To ensure each SVVSD teacher is fully supported in their transition to the Techbooks, Discovery Education experts will provide faculty high-quality professional development supporting the integration of the digital textbook into classroom practice.

“St. Vrain Valley School District is committed to creating technology-rich learning experiences that engage students and help them cultivate the critical skills they need for success beyond the classroom,” said Damon Brown, Executive Director of Communications, Human Resources and Risk Management at St. Vrain Valley Schools. “Discovery Education’s dynamic digital resources and professional development are incredibly important to our efforts to create the authentic digital learning environments districtwide that make teaching and learning more engaging and accessible for all.”

In addition, the Discovery Education Community will support SSVD’s educators’ efforts to transform students’ learning experiences with digital media. A global community of education professionals, the Discovery Education Community connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable networking, idea sharing and inspiration.

“Discovery Education is proud to be a part of St. Vrain Valley School District’s efforts to equip students with the digital tools and content they need to engage in dynamic learning experiences anytime, anywhere,” said Scott Burns, Manager of Partnerships at Discovery Education. “We are looking forward to supporting their talented team as they empower educators with rich, dynamic digital content they can use to enhance instruction.”

For more information about Discovery Education’s Techbook series, or other services and resources from Discovery Education, visitwww.discoveryeducation.com.

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 3 million educators and over 30 million students, Discovery Education’s services are in half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries. Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.    

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myON and Indiana Department of Education Partner to Improve Migrant Students’ Reading and Writing Skills

Access to thousands of digital books in myON’s literacy environment has helped improve reading achievement among Indiana’s migrant student population

(MINNEAPOLIS, MN) October 11, 2016 – myON, a business unit of Capstone and leading provider of personalized literacy solutions in the K-12 marketplace, and the Indiana Department of Education today announced their continued effort to give every student access to a high-quality education.

The Indiana Department of Education and myON first partnered in 2014 to offer all migrant students access to a literacy-based program. The goal was to provide students a unique learning experience including high-quality text at their individual reading levels, writing tools, and measurable performance outcomes.

“Our relationship with Indiana and its migrant education program is one we are extremely proud of,” said myON’s President Todd Brekhus. “As a complete literacy solution, we aim to serve students at all reading levels by meeting them where they are. By getting more books in the hands of migrant students, we have created a successful partnership. In the future we hope to continue our relationship with the Indiana Department of Education and help other migrant students around the country.”

A majority of Indiana’s migrant students travel with their parents and are in the state from April to October. To ensure high-quality instructional programming during the summer months, when many students do not have access to educational resources, Indiana’s six migrant regional centers provide summer programming to migrant students throughout the state. Since the start of the partnership, more than 1,222 migrant students have read more than 80,000 books, spending more than 15,000 hours reading.

“The Indiana Department of Education is committed to ensuring that all students have access to the resources they need to learn and achieve both in the classroom and in life,” said Glenda Ritz, Indiana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction. “Through our partnership with myON, migrant students are receiving high-quality support to maintain and often increase their literacy levels.  I am proud of the work we have done over the past few years to educate these students, and I look forward to a continued partnership with myON to ensure all Hoosier students are on track to succeed.”

Students use myON during the school year, in migrant summer programs, and at home. Most migrant students take advantage of the literacy environment during the summer months as part of summer school programming provided around the state. In order to provide continued educational services and to track overall reading growth, the state offers students continued access to myON even if they leave the state at the end of the farming season.

During the summer of 2016, Indiana’s migrant students spent approximately 2,700 hours reading more than 12,091 books. Within the first two summers, 85% of participating students experienced reading growth or maintained their reading level. During the 2016 summer programs, students averaged a growth of seven Lexile® points in only 4 to 8 weeks.

myON’s digital literacy environment provides students a wide range of text specifically designed to help English language learners and Spanish-speaking students. myON also tracks students’ reading growth online by providing embedded Lexile assessments used to fulfill the federal requirement for measurable program outcomes for reading proficiency.

As part of the largest 1:1 technology initiative for migrant students in the nation, each student in the Indiana Migrant Education Program is provided a personal learning device and unlimited access to more than 8,600 digital books. Titles range from picture books to first readers to novels, classic literature, and informative texts. Students also have offline access to books so they’re able to read even without Internet access.

Since implementing myON, leaders at the Indiana Department of Education have noticed an increase in the time migrant students have spent reading, and have seen corresponding growth in their Lexile levels.

The success of myON and the Hoosier Family of Readers program, starting in 2013, triggered the Indiana Department of Education to adopt myON for the migrant students. This year, myON and the Department teamed up for a statewide Bicentennial Challenge, giving Indiana students the goal of reading 2 million books before 2017.

About myON

myON, a business unit of Capstone, has created a personalized digital literacy environment that transforms learning. myON expands the classroom for teachers and students by providing unlimited access to the largest collection of more than 11,000 enhanced digital books with multimedia supports, real-time assessments, and a growing Literacy Toolkit that enhances the myON literacy ecosystem. myON empowers students and teachers with real-time, actionable data—number and type of books opened and read, time spent reading, results of regular benchmark assessments, and more—based on embedded Lexile® assessments that measure student reading and writing growth. With myON, every student experiences the benefits of personalized literacy instruction to propel them to new and unlimited learning opportunities. To learn more, visit myON.com.

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THE VIRTUAL HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY

Supports Students in Developing Independent Learning Skills, Preparing For College And Careers, Earning Credit, And Engaging With Their Peers In Global Classrooms

Boston — Oct. 10, 2016 — This year, The Virtual High School (VHS, Inc.), a nonprofit empowering schools with the industry’s most comprehensive online learning programs, will reach its 20-year milestone. The past two decades have seen the organization grow from a small operation funded by a U.S. Department of Education technology challenge grant to an international, non-profit e-learning provider. Today VHS delivers online instruction to middle and high school students at 639 schools in 33 countries; there were more than 18,000 student enrollments in VHS courses in the 2015-2016 school year.

“We’ve come a long way from the handful of schools that helped us pioneer our online learning program,” said Carol Ribeiro, President and CEO of VHS, referring to the 28 schools and 710 students who first partnered with the organization.

VHS began in October 1996 with a $7.8M grant to Hudson Public Schools and Concord Consortium from the U.S. Department of Education. By the following year it launched 30 courses including its very first Advanced Placement® course.

Two years later the organization established its first partnership with an international consortium. Recently schools from Turkey, Switzerland and Dubai joined the VHS family. All schools that partner with VHS have access to a wide range of core, elective, credit recovery and AP® courses that inspire, ignite and deepen learning. Currently the VHS offers more than 200 unique online courses including 23 AP® classes, one of the largest catalogs of online AP® courses anywhere.

In 2001, VHS transitioned to a non-profit organization and in 2004, was offering summer school courses. Its commitment to deliver exceptional results was recognized in 2008 when the highly esteemed United States Distance Learning Association honored the VHS for its 21^st Century Best Practices in Distance Learning award in 2008.

VHS launched its flexible credit recovery program in 2011 to help students at risk of falling behind or failing a course. In 2015, VHS developed and launched its Online Judaic Studies Consortium, funded through a grant from The AVI CHAI Foundation.

With each innovation, some things, including high levels of service and support, remained the same. Last year, 97% of schools working with the non-profit course provider continued their participation into the next academic year.

“Since our inception we’ve felt strongly that all education – not just online education – benefits from a supportive community working together to provide students with access to quality education, regardless of geographic location or resource constraints. Twenty years later, we continue to serve families, schools and educators; we know the work we do truly does make a difference. Moving forward, our long-term vision is to prepare students to be successful in college, careers, and life,” said Ribeiro.

About The Virtual High School

The Virtual High School (VHS Inc.) is an online learning pioneer. Since 1996, the nonprofit organization based in Massachusetts has set the standard for quality online education. VHS provides courses taught in global online classrooms for secondary school students and online professional development for educators.  The organization also meets the unique educational needs of schools through custom course development and individualized course offerings. VHS design and delivery standards are the model used by the National Education Association in their recommended standards for online learning. The organization has won numerous awards, including the Stockholm Challenge Award for Global Excellence in Information Technology, and is a three-time winner of the United States Distance Learning Association’s (USDLA) award for Excellence in Programming and Excellence in Best Practices. For more information, visit www.VHSLearning.org or call (978) 897-1900.

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Philip Idle Chosen Association for Learning Environments’ Chair-Elect

WASHINGTON, DC (October 6, 2016) Philip Idle, a director of EIW Architects from Perth, Australia, was elected as the chair-elect for the Association for Learning Environments’ Board of Directors.  Formerly the Australasia director on the international body, Philip Idle played a key role in the organization’s recent rebranding efforts.

Currently serving as chair for the Global Organization Task Force, Philip is leading the organization’s efforts to develop a global mindset, enhancing and furthering the association’s influence locally as well as in other global locations.  Philip has encouraged the leadership to develop a more comprehensive way of viewing cultural and geographic differences as potential opportunities.

Philip Idle’s work encompasses both the private and government sectors in Australia and has extended to service work in Tanzania, a country where he spent his formative childhood years. With expertise in the design and planning of educational facilities, Philip’s experience on educational projects in leading the consultation phases of projects has led to him developing great empathy for all learners.

“We are all learners being challenged and enriched by colleagues throughout our Association. To build on this heritage and begin to be truly global through exploring experiences from around the world and building a dialogue with other cultures is a natural step in our development,” Philip stated in accepting the position.

The Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) is the only professional organization whose primary purpose is improving the learning environment.  With approximately 4,500 members, the Association encompasses members across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK.  The Association embraces a collaborative network of professionals with one single goal – building healthy, safe, resilient and sustainable 21^st Century learning places that inspire transformation in education, enhance student and teacher performance, and support culture and community vitality. To learn more, visit www.a4le.org or follow us on Twitter @A4LE2.

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

Introducing a Powerful Strategy for Strengthening School-Family Partnerships
October 13, 2016, 3:00 p.m. eastern time (US)
Presented by Luz Santana and Agnes Bain

Register Now

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

Noodle Markets, K-12’s National Market Network, Launches Marketplace Beta

K-12 district administrators and school-level leaders finally have a place to research K-12 products and services that is tied to streamlined bid management tools.

NEW YORK Oct. 5, 2016 — Noodle Markets, K-12’s national market network, has launched the beta period of its marketplace and opened its doors to district and school-level leaders nationwide. The marketplace beta allows K-12 decision makers to research products in a defined number of categories and test a select number of platform features. These features are designed to pair seamlessly with Noodle Markets’ free bid management tools, which have been available to educators since May 2016, bringing discovery, bid creation and evaluation together in one platform for the first time.

When Noodle Markets officially launches to the broader K-12 community in winter 2016, it will include products and services from over 200 K-12 categories and provide a much-needed, robust toolkit that overhauls what is now an overly-complicated and laborious buying process.  The toolkit will include best in breed RFX templates, “unpacked” state procurement rules and regulations and collaborative features that make Noodle Markets K-12’s first national market network.

Noodle Markets is John Katzman’s latest venture aimed at simplifying the buying process with free, easy to use solicitation tools and helping K-12 educators find and attract more vendors thus increasing the effectiveness of competitive bidding.

Key features of the marketplace beta include providing K-12 educators:

• A searchable, comprehensive database of over 33,000 products and services

• Product list creation, i.e. the ability to “save” products and services for later review

• Access to thousands of vendors, allowing educators to easily tag them and add them to a bidders list, for invitation to quick quotes, bid requests or competitive solicitations

“Noodle Markets is the result of thousands of hours of research and conversations with educators on what makes K-12 purchasing so difficult,” said Nicole Neal Noodle Markets co-founder and CEO.  “The beta period allows us to fine tune the marketplace and listen intently to educator feedback. We want to ensure we are building a network that supports their efforts to be better stewards of public dollars and to find the right products and services for their teachers and students.”

District administrators and school-level leaders interested in participating in the Noodle Markets beta can register, for free, at noodlemarkets.com.

K-12 partners can register and add their products and services, for free, at noodlemarkets.com.

About Noodle Markets

Noodle Markets is exclusively focused on K-12 education and dedicated to dramatically transforming the way K-12 institutions buy products and services. The only K-12 purchasing solution of its kind, Noodle Markets simplifies buying processes for education institutions, helps vendors get found in a crowded marketplace, and enhances communication across all K-12 stakeholders. As a result, the right products and services get into the hands of the teachers and students that need them the most. Learn more at noodlemarkets.com.

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NOVELIS AND DISCOVERY EDUCATION LAUNCH A NEW RECYCLING EDUCATION PROGRAM, LIFE OF A CAN, TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF RECYCLERS

Program empowers students to make a positive environmental impact through standards-aligned lesson plans and interactive classroom activities focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

SILVER SPRING, Md. (October 5, 2016) – Novelis, the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, announced today the launch of an all-new aluminum recycling education program, “Life of a Can – A Never Ending Story.” Designed to reinforce the importance of aluminum recycling and empower students to be environmental stewards, this new program offers standards-aligned digital learning tools for classrooms and families nationwide that explore the never-ending lifecycle of a recycled aluminum can and encourage classrooms to implement recycling programs of their own.  The online tool also features national hockey league defenseman, Stanley Cup Champion, and “eco-athlete,” Andrew Ference, to drive home the importance of recycling and underscore our individual impact on the environment.

“Discovery Education is proud to partner with Novelis on this nationwide effort to engage students in the importance of our environment and the critical role they can each play to protect and preserve our planet,” said Lori McFarling, senior vice president, Discovery Education. “Life of a Can illuminates the core STEM applications utilized in the recycling process, and empowers educators with dynamic digital resources to inspire their students in the exploration of the earth’s natural resources.”

Beyond STEM skills, Life of a Can educates the future generation on key recycling facts such as the $1.5 billion total value of aluminum sent to landfills every year and the end-to-end recycling timeline for a can, while encouraging the development of students’ critical-thinking skills through a holistic look at the recycling process and real-world implications of our actions. Created by Discovery Education’s curriculum experts, this multi-year engagement program offers digital resources designed to stimulate insightful conversations and illustrate STEM at work throughout the aluminum recycling process.

Available at no cost, the new online platform offers the following:

• Interactive classroom activities – The program’s digital learning tools include a complete suite of standards-aligned free educator resources for upper elementary classrooms, which emphasize key STEM, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills for students focused on environmental subjects like sustainability, manufacturing and product lifecycles. Downloadable classroom activities are designed to complement teachers’ existing lesson plans and explore the unique properties of aluminum and its role in our everyday lives. Life of Can lessons ask students to reflect on their own contribution to trash, strategize how they can improve their current practices and understand the environmental benefits of aluminum recycling. A downloadable Recycling Toolkit allows classrooms to create their own classroom recycling programs. An engaging, hands-on digital interactive module designed to walk students through the recycling process will launch in spring 2017.
• At-home family resources – Life of a Can’s family extensions encourage students to share their classroom learnings with family members at home through STEM-based activities and family discussion starters that inspire insightful conversations about aluminum and the recycling process. Students will take home a scavenger hunt that illustrates how students’ homes can be powered by the energy saved from aluminum recycling.
• Video vignette – Featuring National Hockey League defenseman and Stanley Cup Champion Andrew Ference, a self-proclaimed “eco-athlete,” the What’s One Can video highlights how recycling saves energy, investigates everyone’s impact on the environment, and details how all students’ can be champions for the environment.

“Partnering with Discovery Education provides a fantastic opportunity for millions of teachers, students, and their families to understand the true value of aluminum as an infinitely recyclable material,” said David Gill, Vice President and General Manager, Can for Novelis North America. “As the world’s largest aluminum rolled products manufacturer and recycler, Novelis recycles more than 60 billion aluminum cans each year. Through Life of a Can, we are excited to help increase the number of cans recycled throughout the world by inspiring kids to be lifelong recyclers.”

Brandon Wislocki, a fifth grade teacher at Stonegate Elementary School of Irvine Unified School District, Calif. added: “As an educator, I’m thrilled to have these resources to engage my students in sustainability topics and give them an in-depth look at the aluminum recycling process. I look forward to integrating theLife of Can lesson plans and activities into my classroom instruction to reinforce STEM skills utilized in environmental careers, and creating a new recycling program for my classroom.”

Life of a Can is the first-of-its-kind recycling education program offered by Discovery Education. For more information on the program and to access the site’s free resources, visit: www.lifeofacan.com.

About Novelis
Novelis Inc. is the global leader in aluminum rolled products and the world’s largest recycler of aluminum. The company operates in 11 countries, has approximately 12,000 employees and reported $10 billion in revenue for its 2016 fiscal year. Novelis supplies premium aluminum sheet and foil products to transportation, packaging, construction, industrial and consumer electronics markets throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, an industry leader in aluminum and copper, and metals flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai, India. For more information, visit novelis.com and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/NovelisInc and Twitter at twitter.com/Novelis.

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 3 million educators and over 30 million students, Discovery Education’s services are in half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries. Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education atwww.discoveryeducation.com.

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Pearson to Host Professional Development Webinar Series for Mathematics and Statistics Educators

Webinars feature compelling presentations on educational trends, learning designs, and pedagogical approaches

NEW YORK – October 4, 2016 – This month, Pearson will host a complimentary Professional Development Webinar Series for mathematics and statistics educators. Featuring live webinars from October 4-27 and recorded webinars that are available on demand, this series is part of Pearson’s year-long “Learning Makes Us” Professional Development Webinar Series, which is designed to provide educators with the latest educational trends, learning designs, pedagogical approaches and research in higher education and the professional world.

Educators who register and attend a live webinar will have the opportunity to earn Acclaim professional development badges, a web-enabled version of a credential, certification, or learning outcome.

Examples of upcoming webinars and registration details can be found below:

-Title: Flip Your Liberal Arts Math Class Without Flipping Out

When: Tuesday, October 4, 3:30–4:30 p.m. ET

Presenter: Professor Denise Nunley, Scottsdale Community College

What: This webinar will walk through the benefits and implementation of a flipped classroom, and suggest solutions that can work well for liberal arts math courses. Click here to register.

-Title: New Developments in Developmental Math

When: Tuesday, October 11, 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET

Presenters: Professor Gary Rockswold, Minnesota State University and Professor Terry Krieger, Rochester Community and Technical College

What: This presentation discusses research, ideas, and philosophies for making math more accessible for a larger portion of our student body. In addition, a new Interactive Developmental Math (IDM) program will be discussed and demonstrated. IDM allows students to be guided interactively through an entire course similar to how a live tutor would teach. Click here to register.

-Title: Student Success for Non-STEM Students at Des Moines Area Community College Using a Pathways Approach

When: Wednesday, October 19, 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET

Presenter: Professor Dan Petrak, Des Moines Area Community College

What: Pathways is a national movement of offering alternative mathematics courses and curriculum for Non-STEM majors at the Community College level. This interactive webinar will present the rationale, methods, and outstanding results of this approach at Des Moines Area Community College. Click here to register.

-Title: Teach with Data: How GAISE, Technology, and Twitter Changed My Statistics Course

When: Tuesday, October 25, 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET

Presenter: Professor Rebecca Wong, West Valley College

What: Using the GAISE guidelines, this presentation looks at how technology and social media can help students make sense of, thrive in, and level the playing field in a data-rich world. Click here to register.

About Pearson

Pearson is the world’s learning company, with expertise in educational courseware and assessment, and a range of teaching and learning services powered by technology. Our mission is to help people make progress through access to better learning. We believe that learning opens up opportunities, creating fulfilling careers and better lives. For more, visit www.Pearsoned.com.

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Voyager Sopris Learning launches new edition

of powerful reading intervention program

REWARDS Plus: Social Studies designed for struggling readers in grades 6-12

DALLAS,Oct. 5, 2016 – Voyager Sopris Learning announced today it has released REWARDS Plus: Social Studies (3^rd Edition), a powerful, specialized reading program for struggling readers in middle and high school. With activities to help students learn to read with proficiency and confidence, the new edition places a significantly increased focus on vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking skills.

“This is a powerful and immediate intervention program that provides long-term results,” said Jeffrey A. Elliott, President, Voyager Sopris Learning. “Teachers love the fast-paced, engaging, direct instruction, while students are rewarded by building literacy skills in their social studies courses.”

With a focus on close reading of content area informational text, critical thinking, extended response items, and academic vocabulary in the content areas, REWARDS Plus: Social Studies offers an impactful and affordable solution that supports any core curriculum.

The program, Elliott said, is designed to be administered as a full-semester, 15-week course with 50- to 60-minute lessons delivered daily. Lessons build upon each other and assessment is interwoven to ensure mastery. Moreover, he said, the programs are easy for teachers to deliver, and offer districts and schools with flexible implementation options.

“We once believed struggling readers could not improve their literacy skills after fifth grade. Of course, this is not true,” said literacy expert Dr. Anita L. Archer, co-author of REWARDS Plus. “Growth in reading and writing can go forward in middle school and high school if the intervention is intense and focuses on the big secondary six: decoding, fluency, vocabulary, background knowledge, comprehension, and writing. This is exactly the purpose of REWARDS Plus: Social Studies.”

The program also:

• features a research-based and research-validated approach to deepen comprehension of content-area texts;
• builds on students’ progressive mastery of word-attack strategies (from earlier versions of REWARDS) and engages them in applying the strategies to authentic content-area texts; and
• helps students successfully transfer skills in fluency, comprehension, and critical thinking from ELA settings to content-area settings.

In addition to Dr. Archer, program authors are Dr. Mary Gleason and Dr. Vicky Vachon. The new edition provides a new video mini-course to guide instruction by Dr. Archer.

For more information on Voyager Sopris Learning, visit www.voyagersopris.com. For more information on REWARDS Plus: Social Studies, visit www.voyagersopris.com/info/rewards-plus/.

About Voyager Sopris Learning

Voyager Sopris Learning® is committed to partnering with school districts to meet and surpass their goals for student achievement. The suite of instructional and service solutions we provide is not only research based, but also evidence based—proven to increase student achievement and educator effectiveness. Our solutions have been fully tested in the classroom, ensuring that they are easy to implement and teacher friendly. They are innovative, both in overall instructional approach and in the strategic use of technology in blended and 100 percent online solutions, and they are supported by an unparalleled commitment to build local capacity for sustained success. With a comprehensive suite of instructional resources, we provide assessments, professional development and literacy and math instructional tools—both comprehensive intervention and supplemental—and resources to build a positive school climate. Voyager Sopris Learning is a business unit of Cambium Learning^® Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABCD), based in Dallas, Texas. For more information, visit www.voyagersopris.com.

For more information, visit www.voyagersopris.com, or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

EDUCATORS WORLDWIDE INVITED TO ATTEND DISCOVERY EDUCATION’S 2016 FALL VIRTCON

— No-cost virtual event provides teachers and administrators actionable strategies for deepening the integration of digital media into classroom instruction —

Silver Spring, Md. (October 4, 2016) – The Discovery Education Community invites teachers and administrators worldwide to participate in the 2016 Fall VirtCon on Saturday, October 22 from 9AM – 1PM EST. The Discovery Education Community is supported by Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content for K-12 classrooms.  A global community of education professionals, the Discovery Education Community connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable networking, idea sharing, and inspiration.

The 2016 Fall VirtCon provides a unique, flexible professional learning opportunity for educators at all levelsto improve their teaching practice and be inspired through thought-provoking presentations and engaging discussions with their peers around the globe.  Streamed live from Discovery Education’s headquarters in Maryland, VirtCon provides participants the opportunity to connect with their colleagues, share ideas and instructional tools, and discover new digital resources they can immediately integrate into teaching and learning. Last year, approximately 2,500 educators participated in the Fall VirtCon.

While the 2016 Fall VirtCon includes a variety of engaging online workshops and presentations, it also features a number of ongoing discussions facilitated by Discovery Education Community members on timely education topics, including:

• Literacy Through Digital Content. During this discussion, participants will explore best practices for using digital media and tools to help students become the skilled readers, writers, and thinkers needed in today’s world. In addition, they will learn about dynamic digital tools and resources to engage students in authentic literacy learning and to support their digital literacy development.
• Learner Agency and Student Ownership.  This discussion will provide attendees with new and creative ways to encourage students to become more self-directed in their education. Educators will leave this discussion with practical strategies for supporting independent learning and student ownership.
• Professional Learning Strategies. Participants in this dialogue will explore research-based professional development practices that leverage digital resources and proven instructional practices to enhance student learning.
• Collaborative STEM. Through this conversation, educators will focus on unique ways they can utilize collaborative STEM projects to grow their students’ creative, communication, collaboration and critical thinking skills.

Additional sessions will be led by Discovery Education experts including Lance Rougeux, Vice President of Learning Communities and Innovation; Hall Davidson, Senior Director of Global Learning Initiatives; and Dean Shareski, Community Engagement Manager.

“Discovery Education’s VirtCon is one of the most valuable professional learning events I attend each year,” said Jeannine Shields, Instructional Technology Facilitator in New York’s City School District of New Rochelle.  “Whether you are just beginning to use digital content for classroom instruction or an ed-tech expert, I encourage every educator to make time to participate in the Fall VirtCon.  It’s among the best opportunities I know of for learning new teaching and learning strategies and best practices you can immediately use.”

Discovery Education also encourages teachers and administrators to create local face-to-face events at which they can network with their peers, participate in the virtual events, and discuss and practice the online presentations. Virtual participants will have the opportunity to interact with others by joining the online chat. For more information about hosting a local viewing party, or to register for virtual and in-person events, visithttp://discoveryeducation.com/fallvirtcon. Use the hashtag #FallVirtCon to follow along with this event on Twitter.  At the conclusion of the 2016 Fall VirtCon, all sessions will be archived and available at the event website.

“Discovery Education is excited to once again offer the VirtCon as a professional learning opportunity for educators around the world,” said Lance Rougeux, Discovery Education Vice President of Learning Communities and Innovation.  “No matter your role or your familiarity with digital content and educational technologies, this will offer valuable insight on using those resources to support the success of all learners.”

To learn more about Discovery Education’s professional learning opportunities as well as other initiatives and services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com.

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 3 million educators and over 30 million students, Discovery Education’s services are in half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools the UK, and more than 50 countries. Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education atwww.discoveryeducation.com.

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ThinkCERCA Launches Online Resource for Teaching the Election

The web-based election center is designed to help teachers get students thinking critically
about the 2016 presidential election.

(CHICAGO) October 4, 2016 — ThinkCERCA, a leading provider of personalized literacy solutions, today announced the launch of Teach the Election, an online information hub that features everything educators need to get students thinking critically about the 2016 election. The site provides teachers with weekly prompts for helping students debate what the candidates are saying in the news, as well as curated differentiated lessons for educating students about the election issues.

In one convenient location, teachers can also access election resources, tips from fellow teachers, downloadable teaching resources (including graphic organizers for sparking classroom discussion and debate), and an election-focused argumentative writing poster.

“We designed Teach the Election to meet some key challenges educators are facing this year in regards to the election,” said Eileen Murphy Buckley, the founder and CEO of ThinkCERCA. “Teachers all over the country are struggling to find factual, age-appropriate material, and Teach the Election gives them that information in a format that they can use in the classroom right away.”

ThinkCERCA’s lessons focus on critical thinking and argumentation, two powerful skills needed for civic engagement. By reading authentic and appropriately leveled texts about economics, energy policy, criminal justice, immigration, and more, students engage with issues of national and global importance, evaluate the evidence presented, and argue their point of view through writing, discussion, and debate. By learning to make an effective, civil argument, students will be well prepared not just for college and career, but also for civic life.

About ThinkCERCA
ThinkCERCA’s personalized literacy platform helps educators teach critical thinking skills through argumentative writing. With students and teachers using its platform in all 50 states and 130 countries, the company has partnered with prominent leaders in education, including Follett Corporation, and has been featured by The Atlantic and EdSurge. A 2016 SIAA CODiE Awards finalist in the Best Learning Capacity-Building Solution and Best Reading/English/Language Arts Instructional Solution categories, ThinkCERCA has also been named one of the best tools in ed tech by Common Sense’s Graphite. In July 2013, ThinkCERCA was the recipient of a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Literacy Courseware Challenge grant, and in December 2012, graduated from the inaugural class of Impact Engine’s social impact accelerator. To learn more, please visit ThinkCERCA.com.

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Introducing Simbli by eBOARDsolutions

The Best Board Management Solution Just Got Better

October 3, 2016 – eBOARDsolutions announced today that its flagship, award-winning board management solution, eBOARD, now has a new name – Simbli. Simbli contains all of the features and functionality eBOARD users know and love, alongside a variety of new product enhancements, features, and an exciting long-term product roadmap.

Effective boards are strategic in their work. Board members and leaders need to feel confident in their ability to communicate effectively, follow streamlined processes, and keep their strategy in focus at all times. Unfortunately, without an integrated board management solution to keep it all together, these elements can quickly fall apart.

Simbli makes board management easy by providing school boards, governments, nonprofits and other decision-making bodies with the tools and resources they need to simply get more done. Simbli’s one-of-a-kind suite of six integrated modules for meetings, strategic plans, board policies and regulations, board/leader evaluations, communications, and documents brings all of the board’s key governing documents online in one easy-to-access, convenient location.

“At eBOARDsolutions we’re on a mission to provide boards and the people who work with them with the tools and resources they need to be successful,” said Mark Willis, Chief Operating Officer of eBOARDsolutions. This is a pivotal time in the history of eBOARDsolutions — for both our customers and our partners. Almost two decades in the making, Simbli represents both a celebration of what we’ve collectively accomplished and a launch pad for all of the exciting things we have yet to accomplish together.”

Visit www.eboardsolutions.com to learn more about Simbli.

About eBOARDsolutions

eBOARDsolutions is the leader in online board management tools for effective governance.  With a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing school boards, the Georgia School Boards Association began building these online tools nearly 20 years ago to help its member boards increase their efficiency and effectiveness. In 2007, eBOARDsolutions, Inc. was born, and has been making these tools available to school boards, nonprofits, and governments across the United States ever since. With an annual renewal rate of more than 98 percent, Simbli is helping boards and the people who work with them simply get more done. Learn more about eBOARDsolutions and Simbli at www.eboardsolutions.com.

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California Districts Select IO Education to Track and Report LCAP Progress

Covina-Valley, Pomona, Apple Valley, Orange, Azusa and Pasadena USD select IO Education to meet reporting and data visualizations requirements for the California standards

ATLANTA – Oct. 4, 2016 – California administrators continue to implement their Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) as required by the California Department of Education. As part of the effort to meet the state’s new accountability requirements, six California school districts representing 116,000 students, have selected IO Insights from IO Education to better gauge, track and report on LCAP progress.

Covina-Valley, Pomona, Apple Valley, Orange, Azusa and Pasadena Unified School Districts have chosen IO Education as the accountability platform to set goals, define measures, monitor progress and report on student achievement to improve educational outcomes.

For the full release, click here.

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Cincinnati, OH (October 4, 2016) — PublicSchoolWORKS’ Staff Training System, a part of the award-winningEmployeeSafe Suite, was awarded a Gold Stevie^® in the Safety Training Category in the 2016 Stevie Awards for Great Employers. More than 250 nominations from around the world were evaluated in this year’s competition. The winners were determined by the average scores of more than 50 professionals who acted as judges.

PublicSchoolWORKS’ Staff Training System helps education institutions provide a safe work environment for their employees. It contains the most up-to-date online course content and seamless automation to help districts improve school safety by creating training strategies that affect culture change. Once defined, the system automates the deployment, tracking and completion of safety training with little administrator involvement. PublicSchoolWORKS’ Research & Development Team continually tracks legislation and then creates new courses or updates existing courses to ensure schools are meeting new requirements.

The system automatically deploys course assignments and accompanying assessments to employees via email based on their job role, which can be completed at their convenience, thus freeing up scarce in-service days for other administrative needs. The system’s automation then reminds employees to complete their courses and sends non-compliance reports to administrators listing the employees who have not completed their courses. Each employee’s transcript is then stored online and can be easily access for reference if necessary.

“Our customers love the Staff Training System, but being recognized by this award program further shows that districts can benefit from technology if it makes their jobs more efficient and effective while helping to provide safer learning environments,” said Tom Strasburger, Vice President, Sales & Marketing of PublicSchoolWORKS. “We want to help districts stay in compliance with risk management mandates, but we also want to help them create, implement and sustain a safe learning environment.”

About The Stevie Awards

The Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: The American Business Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com, and follow the Stevie Awards on Twitter @TheStevieAwards.

About PublicSchoolWORKS

Since 2000, PublicSchoolWORKS safety compliance management solutions have focused on helping schools easily meet ever-changing compliance requirements, improve staff and student safety, cut costs associated with risk, and reduce administrator and staff time and effort. PublicSchoolWORKS is the only, complete K12 safety compliance management program created by and for schools, and is proud to provide districts with award-winning technology and support recognized by North American educators. For more information on how PublicSchoolWORKS can improve district safety programs, contact 1-877-779-6757 or sales@publicschoolworks.com.

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

DISCOVERY EDUCATION AND NUTRIENTS FOR LIFE FOUNDATION INVITE MIDDLE SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE TO ENTER THE 2016-2017 “LET IT GROW CONTEST” AS PART OF STANDARDS-BASED EARTH SCIENCE PROGRAM

— Now in its Second Year, the National Contest Engages Students in the Science Behind Agriculture; Awards up to $10,000 in Grants Available to Six Middle Schools Nationwide –

SILVER SPRING, Md. (September 28, 2016) – The Nutrients for Life Foundation, an educational non-profit that teaches students and the public about the vital role soil nutrients play in feeding our world, andDiscovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, today announced the launch of the 2016-2017 “Let it Grow Contest.” Returning a second year, this contest is part of the multi-year engagement program, From the Ground Up: The Science of Soil, which offers middle school students, educators and families nationwide a comprehensive suite of standards-aligned digital resources designed to deepen students’ understanding of the importance of soil science and nutrients in today’s agricultural practices.

The 2016-2017 Let It Grow Contest will award six schools nationwide that include grades 6-8 with agricultural grants. Open to educators and community adults nationwide, the Let It Grow Contest encourages entrants to visit http://www.thescienceofsoil.com/contest  to unlock the contest application by answering five soil-related questions, and vote daily for a school of their choice. One grand prize winning school will receive a $5,000 agricultural grant and introduction to a local agronomist and five runner-ups will each win a $1,000 agricultural grant. Runner-up schools will then submit a video explaining how they plan to utilize the grant prize, and a panel of judges will select one to receive a celebratory in-school winner assembly. The contest closes on March 14, 2017.

“I am excited to enter my school in the Let It Grow Contest, and look forward to incorporating digital resources offered through From the Ground Up: The Science of Soil into my classroom instruction,” said Cheryl Lykowski, Teacher, Bedford Public Schools, Michigan. “This learning opportunity will connect classroom concepts to real-world examples and showcase the relevance of science in our everyday lives.”

To support classrooms participating in the contest, From the Ground Up: The Science of Soil offers middle school students, educators and families an array of digital resources including standards-aligned interactive lesson plans, digital explorations, bilingual family activities and agricultural career profiles. Designed to engage students of all learning styles, these resources provide students with a rich understanding of the connection between soil and the food that they eat, and the important role science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) plays in modern agricultural practices.

“Hands-on learning is critical to students’ understanding of key concepts, and soil science certainly has many real world applications,” said Nutrients for Life Foundation Executive Director Harriet Wegmeyer. “Through our partnership with Discovery Education, these grants will enable classrooms to take their practical knowledge of plant nutrition needs to the next level.”

“Discovery Education is proud to continue our partnership with the Nutrients for Life Foundation and salutes the organization’s leadership in STEM education and commitment to introducing students to careers oftomorrow,” said Lori McFarling, senior vice president, Discovery Education. “From the Ground Up: The Science of Soil is an award-winning program that brings STEM to life through cutting-edge, interactive curriculum and resources that engage today’s learners and empower educators to increase student achievement.”

To learn more about the program or to access the free resources, please visit: http://www.thescienceofsoil.com/.

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content and professional development for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content that supports the implementation of Common Core, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 3 million educators and over 30 million students, Discovery Education’s services are in half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools the UK, and more than 50 countries. Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

About Nutrients for Life

The Nutrients for Life Foundation spearheads the mission to educate students and the public about the importance of responsible fertilizer use in growing healthy crops, increasing food production, and feeding a growing population. Since formation ten years ago, the Foundation has reached over 11 million students with resources such as Nourishing the Planet in the 21^st Century, the Smithsonian approved, STEM curriculum. Nutrients for Life’s 2013 partnership with Discovery Education has added a new dimension of innovative, interactive digital resources for the modern classroom. The Nutrients for Life Foundation is a tax-exempt status organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

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Promethean Planet Joins Forces With ClassFlowä
The world’s largest interactive whiteboard community for educators merges with free collaborative teaching and learning community

(ATLANTA) September 29, 2016 — Promethean is pleased to announce that Promethean Planet, the world’s largest interactive whiteboard community for educators, is now part of ClassFlow, the award-winning collaborative teaching and learning software community. With the merger, all lessons and resources designed to be presented on an interactive whiteboard can now be shared across a connected classroom and sent to students’ Chromebooksä, tablets, and laptops using ClassFlow.

“We’re extremely excited about what this integration means for the 2.5 million Promethean Planet members around the world,” said Vincent Young, the Chief Marketing Officer at Promethean. “By uniting the Promethean Planet and ClassFlow teacher communities, we can empower educators globally with thousands of high-quality interactive teaching resources that can ensure the active engagement and participation of every student in the classroom.”
ClassFlow is teacher-designed lesson delivery software that energizes the classroom learning experience by allowing teachers to showcase lessons on any interactive display, share digital lesson materials with students, administer quizzes and polls, and assign group learning activities using mobile devices.

With ClassFlow, Promethean Planet users can search among the library of thousands of teacher-created lessons and resources now available in the ClassFlow Marketplace. These free resources within the ClassFlow Marketplace support a wide range of file formats including PowerPoint presentations,  Microsoft Word documents, ActivInspire FlipCharts, Adobeâ PDF files, and more. As a part of the ClassFlow community, Promethean Planet users can now sell their lesson resources to other teachers in the Marketplace.

“As a teacher, ClassFlow is easy for me to use,” said Valerie Burton, a business teacher in New Orleans and a ClassFlow Ambassador. “ClassFlow gives me the freedom to customize my lessons. I can use either my own resources or some of the many resources within the Marketplace to customize my presentations and lessons. ClassFlow makes it easy to cater to my students. Whether it’s the great content in the ClassFlow Marketplace or the ability to create interactive assignments, ClassFlow allows me to send an interactive lesson to my students on their individual devices with just a few clicks of the mouse. This simplicity and efficiency really make a difference and save time.”

According to Sarah Wright, Senior Lecturer at Edge Hill University, UK, “ClassFlow can change the dynamic of the classroom. It gives learners the opportunity for interaction, engagement, and meaningful assessment with complete ease.  Planet joining this platform opens up huge potential for taking existing resources and elevating them to ensure high-quality, meaningful, and exciting learning in our classrooms.”
Educators can sign up for a free ClassFlow account by visiting ClassFlow.com. Promethean Planet users can learn more about the merging of Promethean Planet with ClassFlow by visiting the FAQs page on the ClassFlow website.

About Promethean

Promethean is a global education company that improves learning productivity by developing, integrating, and implementing innovative 21^st-century learning environments that help make everyone more engaged, empowered, and successful. Promethean’s main corporate offices are located in Blackburn, UK, and Atlanta, USA. Promethean is a member of the Net Dragon Websoft, Inc. (HKSE: 0777) group of companies.  For more information, please visit PrometheanWorld.com.

About NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited

NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0777) is a leading innovator and creative force in China’s mobile Internet industry. Established in 1999, NetDragon is a vertically integrated, cutting-edge R&D powerhouse with a highly successful track record which includes the development of flagship MMORPGs such as Eudemons Online and Conquer Online, China’s number one online gaming portal, 17173.com, and China’s most influential smartphone app store platform, 91 Wireless, which was sold to Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) in 2013 as the largest Internet M&A transaction in China at the time. Being China’s pioneer in overseas expansion, NetDragon also directly operates a number of game titles in over 10 languages internationally since 2003. In recent years, NetDragon has become a major player in global online and mobile learning space as it works to leverage its mobile Internet technologies and operational know-how to develop a game-changing learning ecosystem. For more information, please visit NetDragon.com.

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No Feedback Left Behind: New iPad App for Turnitin Feedback Studio Features Dedicated Student Access and Enhanced Instructor Tools
New features for iPad® app give students full access to Turnitin Feedback Studio and give faculty in higher ed and secondary grade teachers quick access to resources that help students improve their writing

OAKLAND, Calif. — September 22, 2016 — Turnitin’s Feedback Studio for iPad® app has merged the benefits of mobile technology with the power of learning and engagement through feedback. This release gives students the power to submit papers, analyze similarity reports (to check for originality), and review instructor feedback on the go. An enhanced interface for instructors offers streamlined grading on- and-offline. Click to Tweet.

More than ever, students use mobile devices to manage their assignments. With the Feedback Studio app for iPad, institutions can ensure that students are not only able to complete and submit assignments on their iPad, but they also have immediate access to their instructors’ comments, feedback, and grades where and when they need it.

Immediate access to feedback from instructors helps students develop their writing skills. Like many students today, Jacinta Lujano, who is attending Naval Postgraduate School, is always pressed for time. “Feedback Studio for iPad makes it really simple to submit my writings and to get on-the-go feedback,” said Lujano. “It’s really simple and intuitive to use, too. I love it.”

College instructors and secondary grade teachers can use the app to give feedback and make comments on student papers while they are on the go. The interface is cleaner and the process to view accounts and classes is simplified. “I can grade papers anywhere I want on my tablet with the Turnitin Feedback Studio app,” said Cheryl Ashbaugh, communications professor at Robert Morris University. “Not having to carry so much around with me has been great for my back!”

Key features include:

• Free App for Students: Students can now submit and view assignments from their iPad and then view Similarity Reports, instructor feedback, and grades.
• Updated Interface: An updated interface for instructors makes feedback easier to give and review with cleaner, clutter-free screens.
• Grade Offline: Assignments can by synced between iPad app and desktop grading on- or off-line.

More information and a live demo of Feedback Studio for iPad will be presented at a webcast on September 29, 2016 at 3:00pm PST.Register for the webcast, “No Feedback Left Behind: Feedback Studio for iPad.”
Users with an active Turnitin Classic or Feedback Studio account can download Feedback Studio for iPad from the App Store®. More information is at http://turnitin.com/en_us/what-we-offer/ipad.

About Turnitin
Turnitin is revolutionizing the experience of writing to learn. Turnitin’s formative feedback and originality checking services promote critical thinking, ensure academic integrity, and help students improve their writing. Turnitin provides instructors with the tools to engage students in the writing process, provide personalized feedback, and assess student progress over time. Turnitin is used by more than 30 million students at 15,000 institutions in 140 countries. Backed by Insight Venture Partners, GIC, Norwest Venture Partners, Lead Edge Capital and Georgian Partners, Turnitin is headquartered in Oakland, Calif., with international offices in Newcastle, U.K., Utrecht, Netherlands and Melbourne, Australia. @Turnitin

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SCHOOLSNEXT -CHANGING THE FACE OF EDUCATION

Inspiring transformation in education and empowering students to take

on the challenges of a world defined by change.

WHO:                   Association for Learning Environments SchoolsNEXT Design Competition

SchoolsNEXT highlights learning environments that inspire transformation in education, enhance student and teacher performance and contribute to community culture and vitality.  SchoolsNEXT program embraces a 21^st Century learning approach where students are enabled, engaged and empowered through a STEAM curriculum, including leadership and teamwork proficiencies, to master the skills they need to take on the challenges of a world defined by change.

WHAT:                 SchoolsNEXT International Jury

Seven middle school teams from across the globe meet for the final leg of the competition, demonstrating their passion in rethinking the requisites of tomorrow’s 21st century learning environments, developing solutions to global design challenges that inspire transformation in education for tomorrow’s leaders and learners.

Creating resilient and sustainable learning spaces that encourage innovation, critical thinking and collaborative teamwork, these young designers have broadened the potential of a school by connecting excellence in design with excellence in education. Displaying remarkable enthusiasm, empathy, rigorous research and exceptional teamwork, their eco-friendly solutions not only meet the needs of students, but address the economy and society of the future.

WHERE:                Philadelphia Center for Architecture

128 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA

WHEN:                 8:30am – 4:0Opm

The Association for Learning Environments (A4LE), formerly the Council of Educational Facility Planners (CEFPI), is the only professional organization whose primary purpose is improving the places where children learn.  With approximately 4,500 members, the association encompasses six geographic regions across the United States, and supports regional representation in Canada, Australasia, and the UK.  A4LE embraces a collaborative network of professionals with one single goal – building healthy, safe, resilient and sustainable 21^st Century learning places that inspire transformation in education, enhance student and teacher performance, and support culture and community vitality. To learn more, visitwww.a4le.org or follow us on Twitter @A4LE2.

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Carlow University Selects Schoology Learning Management System, Says it Matches Their Student-centered Approach to Learning

Schoology is central to Carlow University’s emphasis on the learner experience while encouraging collaboration among students and instructors

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – September 28, 2016 – Carlow University in Pittsburgh selected Schoology as its new learning management system for all faculty and students starting the 2016/17 academic year. University leadership stated that Schoology was the best platform to support and encourage student-centered, personalized learning for which Carlow University is well known. Schoology also easily handled the transition of existing courses and content so that courses were quickly up and running. Click to Tweet.

Carlow University launched Schoology with its Summer 2016 session. The LMS they selected needed to be highly student-centric and encourage collaborative learning, teaching, and communication. The University offers multidimensional courses including traditional, non-traditional, online, and on-ground programs for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees.

“Carlow University places the student learning experience at the heart of all our degree programs and Schoology matches that vision,” said Jeffrey Devlin, chief information officer at Carlow University. “We see Schoology’s great potential in being so much more than a content repository. Schoology is a collaboration platform where instructors and students engage in new ways and can have much richer learning interactions together.”

“We are pleased to be the learning management system selected by Carlow University because we know that university officials went through an exhaustive selection process and found that Schoology best fit their needs,” said Jeremy Friedman, CEO of Schoology. “It is always gratifying to be installed at a learning institution that values the individual learning experience as much as Carlow University because when students are at the focus, Schoology shines.”

Schoology connects all the people, content, and systems that fuel education in a platform that’s so easy to use, it’s second nature. The platform offers higher ed institutions time-saving course management, assessment management, in-depth analytics, and flexible standards-based integrations that make it simple to connect other systems. Schoology also provides native mobile apps so faculty can manage their classes on the go and students can stay connected on any device. The Schoology Assessment Management Platform also gives powerful assessment and reporting functions at the course or administration level.

About Carlow University

Carlow is a private, co-educational, Catholic university located in the heart of Pittsburgh’s “Tech, Ed, and Med” district. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy, Carlow’s graduates, curriculum, and partnerships reflect its strong commitment to social justice; ethical, forward-thinking and responsible leadership; and service to the community that has a meaningful impact. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in three colleges: Health and Wellness, Leadership and Social Change, and Learning and Innovation. Carlow graduates are in demand for their professional expertise, in fields ranging from nursing, the sciences, and perfusion technology to counseling, education, and forensic accounting; their entrepreneurial spirit and creative mindset; and their ability to manage change.  Carlow’s eleven athletic teams are known as the Celtics, a reflection of the university’s Irish heritage and roots.

About Schoology

Schoology is the education technology company putting collaboration at the heart of the learning experience. Schoology’s education cloud connects the people, content, and systems that fuel education, and provides all the tools needed including an integrated Assessment Management Platform (AMP) to personalize education and improve student outcomes. Nearly 18 million people from 60,000 K-12 schools and universities around the world use Schoology to transform how they teach and learn. Find us online, follow us on Twitter, or join us on Facebook.

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SchoolMint Streamlines Student Enrollment for a Growing Number of Charter School Networks in Texas

SchoolMint now serving more than 50,000 charter school students across the state

SAN FRANCISCO, September 28, 2016 – An increasing number of charter school networks across Texas have partnered with SchoolMint, the leading provider of cloud-based student enrollment and school choice systems for PreK-12 district, charter, and independent schools, to streamline student enrollment and provide a user-friendly experience for both staff and families. SchoolMint is currently serving more than 50,000 charter school students in Texas – or approximately 20 percent of the state’s entire charter school student population – by providing an automated system for schools to more efficiently and effectively complete the application, lottery, and registration processes.

“With approximately 280,000 students and 700-plus campuses, Texas is one of the largest charter school states in the nation,” said Jinal Jhaveri, SchoolMint CEO. “Leading charter school networks in Texas – and across the country – recognize the need to automate their enrollment processes to better serve families and are increasingly partnering with SchoolMint to do so. Our intuitive, technology-enabled solution saves them valuable time and resources so that they can better serve their growing student populations.”

KIPP San Antonio Public Schools, IDEA Public Schools, and YES Prep Public Schools are the latest Texas-based charter school networks to partner with SchoolMint. These networks join KIPP Dallas-Fort Worth Public Charter Schools, Life School, and Southwest Preparatory School District, among others, to implement the award-winning system.

“User friendliness was an important must-have when we were looking to implement a new system to manage our enrollment processes,” said Jaciel Castro, student recruitment manager for KIPP San Antonio Public Schools. “We conducted a rigorous review of various systems and time and time again were drawn to SchoolMint because of its unparalleled user experience – it was comprehensive and easy to use, and we could trust it would be the best fit for all of our stakeholders.”

SchoolMint’s comprehensive system makes the end-to-end enrollment experience easier to manage for both school staff and parents. Its four primary tools include Application and Lottery Management, Registration and Re-enrollment, Digital Forms and Documents, and School Choice and Unified Enrollment. These solutions provide a mobile and user-friendly option for parents as they navigate the enrollment process.

“SchoolMint’s overall functionality, especially its reporting and communication features, was a big draw for us,” added Javier Dimas, vice president of campus operations for IDEA Public Schools. “Having the ability to easily input and analyze student data and customize reports will allow us to make important data-driven enrollment and operational decisions. In addition, SchoolMint’s mobile solution allows us to more effectively communicate with parents and keep them updated about their child’s enrollment status via text messaging. This is especially important since many of our parents don’t have email addresses.”

To learn more about SchoolMint and its benefits for charter schools and school districts, visithttp://www.schoolmint.com.

About SchoolMint

SchoolMint provides a cloud-based student enrollment and school choice platform to PreK-12 independent, charter, and district schools. Since its founding in 2013, more than 3000 schools worldwide have chosen SchoolMint to streamline student registration and re-enrollment, application and lottery management, universal enrollment and school choice, and digital forms and document uploads. Available online and on mobile devices, SchoolMint’s seamless data integration with leading student information systems and its user friendly design transform the end-to-end enrollment experience for district staff and parents. Visit www.SchoolMint.com to learn more.

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

Former Special Education Teacher Joins the Apperson Team as Social Emotional Learning Consultant

Lisa-Anne Williams brings experience in SEL instruction and leadership

Charlotte N.C. – Sept. 26, 2016 – Assessment leader Apperson has hired former teacher Lisa-Anne Williams to join its team as a social and emotional learning consultant. Williams will support the Apperson team in its mission to provide wrap-around assessment and support to schools and out of school time organizations throughout the country.

“Apperson’s work in schools really resonates with me,” said Williams. “I have witnessed first-hand the positive impact that SEL instruction can have for students. Meaningful SEL data

plays a key role in this because teachers can use it to guide instruction and help students build the specific skills they need to succeed in school, and in life. I look forward to being part of the Apperson team as we continue this work and improve outcomes for students.”

Prior to joining Apperson, Williams worked for more than a decade as a teacher at Rock Hill Schools in South Carolina, the Ysleta Independent School District in Texas, and the Norwich Public Schools in Connecticut. Her experience includes teaching social emotional learning skills to elementary school children with special needs, emotional disabilities and conduct disorders.  Williams has also managed and trained educational teams on behavior management, social skills training, curriculum instruction and delivery, and Crisis Prevention Interventions. She has implemented and developed program guidelines, standards and assessments, and collaborated with teachers on differentiated instruction. Williams has bachelor’s degrees in child psychology and early childhood education and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction (applied behavior analysis).

“At Apperson we support teachers in their work to implement SEL programs and instruction,” said Bill Apperson, chairman of the board of Apperson. “Lisa-Anne brings insight, experience and a passion for social emotional learning and will be an asset for the Apperson team.”

Apperson offers a K-8 online assessment and intervention tool called Evo Social & Emotional which uses the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) to help educators measure students’ SEL skills and provides strategies for instruction and intervention.

About Apperson

Apperson’s Evo SEL is based on the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA), a standardized, strengths-based measure of SEL competencies such as self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills and decision-making. Apperson provides the online platform for administering the DESSA and DESSA Mini universal screeners to quickly identify students’ SEL competencies. It also provides resources and activities to address SEL gaps. Version 2.0, now available, provides the data needed to help SEL program administrators measure the impact of their programs and to help educators understand students’ SEL needs. For more information, go to http://www.apperson.com/sel.

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Promethean Partners with EdChat Interactive to Host STEM, Engagement & Robotics Professional Development Series
Three interactive, online PD sessions to be presented by distinguished educators

(ATLANTA) September 26, 2016 — ClassFlow™, free teacher-designed lesson delivery software that energizes the classroom learning experience, is partnering with EdChat Interactive to host the STEM, Engagement & Robotics webinar series. Delivered in an interactive format through Shindig video chat, EdChat Interactive replaces traditional “talking head” webinars with an awesome online professional development experience that engages and excites. Veteran educators and ClassFlow Ambassadors from around the country will share their experiences and practical tips they learned from launching technology programs built around a STEM curriculum, engaging assessments, robotics, and coding.

“We’re extremely excited to partner with EdChat Interactive to provide interactive PD sessions to educators across the nation,” said Bethany Beaudrie, Global Learning Community Manager at Promethean. “The topics of STEM, engaging assessment, and robotics are all extremely relevant to teaching today’s 21^st-century learner. During the interactive webinars, we have the opportunity to highlight the impressive work and best practices of experienced educators who are leaders in their schools and communities, and who are also familiar with how ClassFlow can support these initiatives.”

EdChat Interactive provides busy educators with interactive, 45-minute online PD sessions that use live video to enable peer-to-peer sharing of education best practices. “This is an exciting series,” said Mitch Weisburgh, the co-founder of EdChat Interactive. “These educators are all engaging their kids in learning and are going to share and refine their techniques with other educators. EdChat Interactive gives them a forum that is much more social than just a lecture or webinar.”

The interactive webinar series will include:

Growing A STEM Program from The Ground Up with Cindy Wallace

Wednesday, September 28, 2016, at 8:00 EST/5:00 PST

In this presentation, STEM Coordinator Cindy Wallace, along with colleagues from Marshall Independent School District in Texas, will detail how they designed a STEM program to develop future-ready students. Their program uses rigorous, standards-aligned projects that involve real-world problems, global connections, hands-on builds, and technology. Attendees will learn how to build their program’s framework and focus, as well as how to find resources, community partnerships, and funding sources.

To register for this webinar, click here.

Engaging Assessment with Kathy Perret

Thursday, October 13, 2016, at 8:00 EST/5:00 PST

Kathy Perret, an 18-year elementary school teaching veteran and instructional coach, will highlight how assessment can be leveraged in the learning process to excite and motivate learners. Her strategies include giving students the opportunity to address how they learn, guiding them to want to learn, and asking questions along the way to apply what they learn.

To register for this webinar, click here.

Today’s Classroom: Robotics, Programming, and Computer Science with Dave Blanchard

Wednesday, October 26, 2016, at 8:00 EST/5:00 PST

In today’s classroom, students no longer complete worksheets; instead, they explore problems and create solutions. During this EdChat Interactive, Dave Blanchard, 21^st-century skills and technology teacher at Cambridge-Isanti Schools (MN), will discuss popular tools for integrating robotics, programming, and computer science into your classroom, with a focus on content and tools for K-8 grades.

To register for this webinar, click here.

ClassFlow allows teachers to showcase lesson content on any interactive display, share digital lesson materials with students, administer quizzes and polls, and assign group learning activities using mobile devices. For more information on ClassFlow and to sign up for an account, visit ClassFlow.com. Participants that register for a free ClassFlow account prior to the webinars may find that it enriches their experience.

About Promethean

Promethean is a global education company that improves learning productivity by developing, integrating, and implementing innovative 21^st-century learning environments that help make everyone more engaged, empowered, and successful. Promethean’s main corporate offices are located in Blackburn, UK, and Atlanta, USA. Promethean is a member of the Net Dragon Websoft, Inc. (HKSE: 0777) group of companies.  For more information, please visit PrometheanWorld.com.

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Boxlight Releases “Get Out the Vote” 2016

Lessons and Activities

Updated series contains more lessons and includes MimioMobile collaborative activities, as well as suggestions for non-tech-enabled activities.

Lawrenceville, GA – Sept. 28, 2016 – The ongoing presidential campaign is a golden opportunity for social studies teachers to bring real-world events to lessons about the election process. To support those efforts,Boxlight has updated the popular Mimio lesson series “Get Out the Vote!,” hosted on the MimioConnect®website, with new subject matter about the nominees, voting, polling, political parties, state representatives,and more.

The series provides seven sets of lessons for three grade levels: K-2, 3-6, and 7-12. The lessons provide plenty of tips for increasing collaboration among students, whether or not a classroom is equipped with educational technology.

“We’ve designed these lessons to give teachers maximum flexibility in terms of their students, classroom, and teaching style,” said Travis Rink, training manager, Boxlight.

“Teachers can add content of their own, perform assessments to gauge learning, and incorporate any technology they have, if desired.”

The lessons in this series are as follows:

• Election Vocabulary lessons expose students to terms related to the election and their definitions. Those terms will reappear in many of the other lessons in the series.

• Meet the Candidates materials inform students about each of the nominees for president. In the lessons for grades 7-12, students will also learn about the vice presidential running mates.

• Polling activities show students how polling can affect the run for the presidency. Boxlight classrooms can use the MimioVote™ assessment system or the MimioMobile™ app with other devices to participate in a number of polls related to their lives or election topics.

• How Does the President Get Elected? These lessons explain the Electoral College. Students can be divided into different “states” to participate in a mock election, calculating electoral votes to decide on the winner. In the 7-12 grade lessons, students will also learn about swing states and their effect on the results of the election.

• Deciding Congress materials focus on the Senate and the House of Representatives. In the lessons for grades 7-12, students will also take a look at representatives and senators in their state, and the issues particular to their state.

• Who Can Vote? These lessons give students a closer look at who is eligible to vote and the history behind eligibility, and informs them about their responsibility to become a voter in the United States.

• Political Parties and Issues lessons present the characteristics of each political party and examine the national and global issues that are part of this election year.

For classrooms equipped with Boxlight technology, each lesson offers opportunities to use the MimioVote student response system, the MimioMobile app with mobile devices and other supported media, or traditional classroom tools. Teachers can also use the MimioStudio™ classroom software’s Collaborate feature to have students work individually or in small groups. The Boxlight interactive projectors or the Boxlight touch displays allow multiple students to work at the front of the room simultaneously.

About Boxlight Corp.

The merging of Mimio and Boxlight Corp. has resulted in an expansive selection of premier digital classroom technology solutions designed for every K-12 classroom. The company is integrating Boxlight’s manufacturing of patented, award-winning interactive classroom technology and Mimio’s advanced line of classroom hardware and software solutions to create the most complete line of progressive, integrated classroom technologies available on the market today.

For more information about the extensive product offerings of the companies, please visitwww.boxlight.com. You can also follow us on Twitter @boxlightinc or Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/boxlightusa.

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Science and STEM Teachers Share Success Stories on Probeware and Student Learning

Vernier to publish teacher success stories showing how probeware makes a measurable difference for teachers and students

BEAVERTON, Oregon, September 27, 2016 — To provide educators with innovative, real-world examples of how data-collection technology is being used to make a measurable difference for students and teachers, Vernier Software & Technology will release a of educator success stories featuring science and STEM teachers. This collection is the latest resource offered by Vernier for educators to support teaching students with technology.

“We are constantly impressed with the innovative ways our customers use data-collection technology to engage their students in hands-on learning,” said John Wheeler, CEO of Vernier Software & Technology. “Sharing these stories, which we hope will inspire fellow teachers to continue to use technology in new and exciting ways, is part of our overall commitment to provide the ongoing service, support, and resources educators need to succeed in the classroom.”

Each month a new story will be released on the Vernier Success Story page at http://www.vernier.com/company/success-stories/. For a chance to win a Vernier gift certificate, educators worldwide are encouraged to submit their own stories about an innovative use of Vernier technology or how Vernier has made a measurable difference in their teaching on Vernier’s Stellar Service page at http://www.vernier.com/stellar-service/. All stories must be submitted in English.

The Vernier Stellar Service page also includes links to Vernier’s compilation of free educator resources. These include:

·       Innovative Uses: Educators can discover unexpected and creative experiment ideas from fellow teachers using Vernier technology.

·       Experiments: The student version of investigations using probeware can be downloaded directly from the Vernier website. More than 1,000 sample experiments are available.

·       Supporting Research: Educators can read the research about the correlation between teaching with probeware and improved student learning.

·       Online Video Library: This collection of more than 180 videos provides helpful tutorials on using various Vernier data-collection technologies.

·       Technical Information Library (TIL): An extensive collection of technical information, troubleshooting advice, frequently asked questions, and more than 1,000 searchable technology tips are available 24/7. The Vernier TIL was honored with a Stellar Service Award from Tech & Learning magazine.

·       Webinars: These personalized, customized webinars provide an effective way for educators and their science departments to learn more about using Vernier technology.

The Vernier Stellar Service page also includes helpful links to Vernier’s grants, workshops, warranty, innovative technology, technical support team, and newsletter.

To learn more about Vernier’s free resources and how to submit a success story, visithttp://www.vernier.com/stellar-service/.

About Vernier Software & Technology

Vernier Software & Technology has led the innovation of scientific data-collection technology for 35 years. Vernier was founded by a former physics teacher and hires educators at all levels of the organization. The company is committed to teachers and developing creative ways to teach and learn science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) using hands-on science. Vernier creates easy-to-use and affordable science interfaces, sensors, and graphing/analysis software. With worldwide distribution to over 130 countries, Vernier data loggers are used by educators and students from elementary school to university. Vernier technology-based solutions enhance STEM education, increase learning, build students’ critical thinking skills, and support the science and engineering practices detailed in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The Vernier business culture is grounded in Earth-friendly policies and practices, and the company provides a family-friendly workplace. For more information, visit http://www.vernier.com.

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Epson iProjection App Now Available for Chromebooks 

Mutli-User Wireless Projection in the Class

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Sept. 27, 2016 – Epson, the number-one selling projector brand worldwide, today announced the availability of the Epson iProjection™ App for Chromebooks, enabling students and teachers to wirelessly display content from Chromebooks on Epson BrightLink^® interactive projectors and most PowerLite^® projectors. With the Epson Multi-PC Projection with Moderator function¹ and the Epson iProjection App for Chromebooks, the teacher has the ability to display up to four Chromebook notebook computers simultaneously from a maximum of 50 connected devices for an engaging collaborative classroom experience.

“Chromebooks are now the device of choice in the classroom and we worked directly with educators to ensure our app was meeting their needs for classroom collaboration,” said Jason Meyer, senior product manager, Epson America. “With the app, we developed a way to wirelessly mirror Chromebooks on Epson projectors so that it supports multiple Chromebook displays at the same time.”

For teachers and students, the Epson iProjection App for Chromebooks makes it easy to move about the room and effortlessly share content with the entire class by wirelessly sharing Chromebooks with the classroom projector. When used on its own, the Epson iProjection App for Chromebooks can display content from a single Chromebook on an Epson projector. When the app is used in conjunction with the Epson Multi-PC Projection with Moderator function, teachers can select and display content from up to four Chromebooks at one time.

Epson projectors expand the educational capabilities of flat surfaces, transforming any 2D surface, such as a whiteboard, into an educational work space. Epson 3LCD projectors deliver three times brighter colors than leading competitive projectors to deliver amazing, true-to-life color and detail for powerful, educational lessons². With genuine Epson lamps  lasting up to an estimated 10,000 hours depending on the projector model³, educators can engage students in seemingly endless learning opportunities by projecting directly from a variety of devices utilizing advanced connectivity options while supporting easy readability for everyone in the room.

About the Epson iProjection App

Leveraging the free Epson iProjection app, teachers can wirelessly display documents, photos and web pages from Chromebooks and most iOS Apple devices running iOS 4.2 or later, including the iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch®, and most Android^TM devices running Android 2.3 or later.

About the Epson Multi-PC Projection with Moderator function

Multi-PC projection with Moderator function is a free software program from Epson enabling teachers to wirelessly connect up to 50 devices and share students’ work from up to four device screens simultaneously, including computers and Chromebooks and iOS^® and Android^™ tablets and phones.

About Epson Education Products

Designed with educator input, Epson’s advanced interactive display and projector technologies make bright, collaborative learning environments a reality. Compatible with a wide range of devices and widely-used interactive software, Epson projectors make it easy for teachers to share content and engage students, no matter where they sit in the classroom. Epson’s unmatched technology, service and support ensures that educators have high quality, bright images and multimedia available in the classroom every day.

About Epson BrightLink Projectors

Epson’s award-winning line of BrightLink interactive projectors offers advanced connectivity options to project onto any existing whiteboard, wall or other smooth, light-colored, hard surface. BrightLink interactive projectors offer dual pen support and PC-free annotation with a range of devices including document cameras, DVD and Blu-ray players as well as tablets and mobile devices, or no source at all. The cost-effective BrightLink models deliver a large interactive learning area with variable image sizes and include HDMI connectivity. Epson BrightLink projectors utilize 3LCD, 3-chip technology for brilliant images with vivid color.

About Epson PowerLite Projectors

Epson’s extensive line of affordable short-throw and ultra short-throw projectors provide a reliable design for the connected K-12 classroom that minimizes glare and shadow interference to deliver brightness and resolution options to accommodate a diverse range of educational needs. With models that offer moderator functionality that allows a network of up to 50 personal devices to connect to the projectors, teachers can wirelessly control which personal devices are displayed, with up to four student screens shown simultaneously¹. In addition, many projectors feature two HDMI ports, one with MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) support for connecting multiple digital devices, including mobile phones, tablets and other portable devices, for enriched high definition viewing capabilities.

Epson iProjection is currently available for free download in Google Play™ or App Store™. For additional information about Epson projectors, visit www.epson.com/education. For more information on Epson iProjection, visit www.epson.com/iprojection.

About Epson

Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to connecting people, things and information with its original efficient, compact and precision technologies. With a lineup that ranges from inkjet printers and digital printing systems to 3LCD projectors, smart glasses, sensing systems and industrial robots, the company is focused on driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in inkjet, visual communications, wearables and robotics.

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises more than 67,000 employees in 90 companies around the world, and is proud of its contributions to the communities in which it operates and its ongoing efforts to reduce environmental impacts.

Epson America, Inc., based in Long Beach, Calif., is Epson’s regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/EpsonAmerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica).

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¹ Moderator feature is part of EasyMP Multi-PC Projection software.

²Color brightness (color light output) measured in accordance with IDMS 15.4. Color brightness will vary depending on usage conditions. The projectors used by a third-party lab for measuring color brightness were leading Epson 3LCD business and education projectors and leading 1-chip DLP projectors, based on NPD sales data for June 2013 through May 2014 and PMA Research sales data for Q1 through Q3 2013.

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‘[Tom Bennett is] the most influential teacher in the UK’ – US Senator Mike Johnston

About researchED

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EXO U and Samsung Partner to Make Classrooms More Collaborative

Millions of Samsung users gain access to Ormiboard for connected whiteboarding, collaboration, and device management.

(Montreal, Canada) September 23, 2016 — EXO U Inc. (“EXO U” or the “Corporation”) (TSXV: EXO), a software development company focused on effective collaboration and classroom management, today announced its agreement with Samsung Electronics America, Inc., to be an authorized referral partner to promote, bundle, and refer EXO U’s Ormiboard to new and current Samsung customers.

As part of the partnership announced today, Samsung will bundle Ormiboard with new and current educational packages, and also offer it as a standalone feature to current Samsung customers. Samsung will incorporate Ormiboard functionality on large-format displays, interactive displays, Chromebooks, Android devices, and more.

“All of us at EXO U are excited to provide Samsung users with a mobile collaboration tool that facilitates 21^st-century learning,” said Jim Kirchner, the CEO of EXO U. “Ormiboard can help schools make better use of the technology they have in classrooms to engage students today—and also grow with them as classroom technology evolves. Our partnership gives educators using Ormiboard on Samsung devices the freedom to incorporate whiteboarding into any lesson, creating a seamless teaching and learning experience in the classroom and beyond.”

Ormiboard is a first-of-its-kind, device-agnostic digital learning environment that transforms any device into an easy-to-use whiteboarding tool, extending collaboration beyond a board or panel on the wall to all 1:1 or BYOD devices.

“Samsung and EXO U share a commitment to delivering ed tech solutions that dramatically improve student outcomes and engagement in learning,” said Ted Brodheim, the Vice President of Vertical Business at Samsung Electronics America. “By equipping our classroom hardware with the power of Ormiboard, we look forward to helping teachers and students unlock the power of anytime, anywhere collaboration and whiteboarding in their classrooms.”

With Ormiboard, teachers can easily create and customize lessons and activities using a floating toolset to insert more than 500 vector clip art images, pictures, shapes, text, tiles, sounds, actions, and more. Teachers can instantly push content and activities to students’ devices, jump to external content, simultaneously view multiple student sessions on one screen, and select any student’s activity to appear on the front-of-class display. Ormibooard’s expanding library of templates and searchable content covers all subject areas and includes quick quizzes, click-and-drag assignments, and games.

Ormiboard also features a robust suite of device-management tools that have been customized for Samsung. Educators will be able to lock and unlock students’ Samsung devices, specific pages, and more—helping keep students on task during lessons while still personalizing their experiences with content and activities.

Ormiboard is also available directly to teachers worldwide. To sign up for a free trial or for more information, please visit Ormiboard.com.

About EXO U

At EXO U, we believe that people learn best with instructional technologies that support and don’t interrupt the momentum of teaching, learning, and collaboration—whether they are learning in person, remotely, or across an evolving device landscape. That’s why our web-based whiteboarding and classroom management solutions for educational institutions and corporations work on any device with any OS, anytime and anywhere, solving important mobility issues such as security, privacy, real-time collaboration, and management of application and content. EXO U’s shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol EXO.V. For more information about Ormiboard, visit Ormiboard.com and follow us on Twitter @ormiboard.

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Learning Magazine Names Primary Concepts’ HourGlass Classroom Timer and Noise Controller a Winner the 2017 Teachers’ Choice Award for the Classroom 

Berkeley, CA – September 26, 2016 – The HourGlass classroom timer and noise controller from early learning curriculum developer Primary Concepts recently won a coveted 2017 Teachers’ Choice Award for the Classroom from Learning Magazine. The Teachers’ Choice award puts classroom products through a rigorous evaluation process by educators and then chooses winners based on those evaluations.

HourGlass is a dual function classroom management system that can be used as a timer or a noise detector.  The large hourglass-shaped tool can sit on a desk or be mounted on a wall. The display is large enough to be easily seen by everyone in the classroom or even in an auditorium.

HourGlass received high remarks from all evaluators, including one who said, “The best aspect of this product is that the kids asked to use it! I would tell them they had ten minutes and forget to use it and one of the kids would turn it on.”

When used in “timer mode,” HourGlass offers a fun, visual way to time games, tests and other events. Green LED lights replicate grains of sand falling from the upper part of the hourglass timer to the bottom. As the time limit approaches, the lights turn red and a one-minute warning tone sounds.  When the time is up the display flashes and a sound plays to signal the end.

When used in “noise mode” HourGlass helps teachers manage classroom noise. The teacher uses the dial on HourGlass to set a “trigger point” volume level for the classroom. HourGlass monitors the noise level in the room and the rows of green lights rise and fall based on the volume of sound.  When the levels are loud enough to reach the trigger point, the lights turn red and a warning sound plays, alerting the class to quiet down.

“We designed HourGlass to be a companion for teachers to make it easier for them to do their jobs,” said Jim Whitney, president of Primary Concepts. “HourGlass is easy to use and presents a simple, dynamic, visual display that students immediately react to. We are honored to be chosen as a Teacher’s Choice Award winner.”

HourGlass is operated using four C-batteries or by purchasing an optional AC adapter. HourGlass can be purchased for $99.95 at www.primaryconcepts.com. The AC adapter is $14.95.

About Primary Concepts

At Primary Concepts, we believe the early years are a unique part of a child’s development.  We focus on the essentials of the preschool and primary curriculum, emphasizing engaging, motivational, hands-on learning to build a foundation for academic success.  We translate the most current educational research and best practices, as recommended by the Common Core State Standards initiative, the International Literacy Association, and the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics, into developmentally appropriate learning materials that offer ease of use for teachers and effective outcomes for your children.

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Credo Upgrades InfoLit Modules With New Content, New Platform

Content can now be customized to meet students’ needs

BOSTON, Sept. 27, 2016 – Credo, the industry leader for information literacy, critical thinking, and research solutions,  announced today it has introduced new content for its InfoLit Modules, as well as a dramatically upgraded platform that enables instructional customization. Credo’s InfoLit Modules – a mix of videos, tutorials, and assessments – are a library of ready-to-use instructional assets to support librarians in teaching information literacy and research skills.

The upgraded InfoLit Modules are Credo’s answer to the growing need for libraries to conduct formalized information literacy instruction, both in-person and online, that is aligned with Information Literacy Frameworks and Rubrics from ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries) and AAC&U (Association of American Colleges & Universities), explained Ian Singer, Chief Content Officer for Credo.

Singer added InfoLit Modules are ideal for supplementing one-shot library instruction, embedded librarian models, point of need instruction, and for addressing gaps in classroom or online teaching. Moreover, now the content can easily be customized to individually meet students’ needs.

“Whether the research instruction is provided in-person or online, students who use our InfoLit Modules become more proficient with research,” Singer said. “While the library is often responsible for preparing students for research, creating high-quality, standards-driven instructional materials requires time, staff and technical expertise. The Modules extend librarians’ reach beyond in-person instruction, and help an institution’s library become a leader in information literacy instruction.”

The InfoLit Modules are also simple for students to access, either through their online classroom (LMS integration), LibGuides or library website, or via a Credo-hosted platform. For instructors, the featured guides provide documented learning outcomes, related information literacy standards, discussion topics, and activity ideas.

Credo has partnered with more than 2,500 libraries over the last 16 years to drive more effective and efficient student research activities. Since 2014, Credo has been developing instructional content while working with librarians to improve student research outcomes.

For more information about Credo, visit credoreference.com.

About Credo | www.credoreference.com

Credo is an information skills solutions provider that serves educational institutions worldwide. It enables the flexible configuration of content, technology and services for the purpose of connecting learners, faculty and teachers, librarians and publishers. Credo promotes knowledge building, problem solving and critical thinking to give people the information skills necessary for success throughout their academic, professional and personal lives. Founded in the U.K. under the name of Xrefer, Credo has helped colleges, universities and public libraries successfully educate students and patrons since 1999. Credo is headquartered in Boston, Mass., and maintains an office in the U.K.

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Dr. Brandon Wiley Named Chief Program Officer at Buck Institute for Education Part of Strategy to Increase Use of Project Based Learning NOVATO, California, Sept. 26, 2016—

Dr. Brandon Wiley has been named Chief Program Officer at Buck Institute for Education (BIE). Brandon will be heading up initiatives to partner with schools and districts and offer multiple entry points for teachers and leaders to learn about Project Based Learning (PBL), including flexible in-person, digital and online options for professional development. Brandon brings his experience as a classroom teacher, professional development leader, district administrator, and international education consultant to this new role. Brandon has extensive experience leading local, state, and national initiatives focused on school and district reform and the implementation of innovative programs. He has previously served as the Executive Director of Asia Society’s International Studies Schools Network and as Senior Director of School Development for Springpoint.

The key priorities for this new role reflect strategic organizational priorities for BIE: x To create access to high quality PBL for all students; x To help build a stronger evidence and research base around the impact of quality PBL on student learning; x To evaluate and redesign BIE’s service offerings to produce even greater student outcomes through its work with districts, schools and individual teachers; and x To encourage the development of 21st century success skills through PBL

. Bob Lenz, Executive Director of BIE, said, “As BIE looks to deepen and expand our work across the country, Brandon’s experience developing and delivering deeper learning professional services to schools and districts across the country makes him uniquely and extremely qualified for this new role.” “I hope to bring greater coherence to our work and help envision new services, resources and learning opportunities for the field,” said Brandon. “I would love to build networks and partnerships to position BIE as the globally recognized leader in supporting teachers and leaders in the development and implementation of PBL.” Brandon is available for interviews to discuss his new role, high quality PBL initiatives and the global perspective he brings to BIE. If you want to meet Brandon in person, he will be at the EdLeader21 conference in Denver on September 28-30 and the Global Education Forum in Philadelphia October 13-15. Email him at bwiley@bie.org and reach out to congratulate him on

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STEVENS POINT, Wis. (Sept. 27, 2016) ­– Skyward, an industry leading K-12 school administrative software provider, is accepting entries for its third annual Leader in Excellence Awards. The program recognizes K-12 districts and individuals using Skyward’s solution to enhance education and inspire innovative ideas and initiatives.

“Last year’s second annual Leader in Excellence Awards saw a terrific response from our district clients across the country,” said Ray Ackerlund, chief marketing officer at Skyward. “This year, we expect to receive great participation again from districts and individuals who are using our School Management System’s SIS or ERP to empower their staff with the tools to create a better learning environment that promotes student success.”

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