Adventist University of Health Sciences (ADU), Pearson Address Healthcare Employment Demand with New Online Master of Health Administration Degree Programs

Master of healthcare administration in strategy and innovation, and executive master of

healthcare administration programs provide accelerated pathways for experienced professionals

NEW YORK – June 7, 2016 – Today, Pearson announced an expanded partnership with Adventist University of Health Sciences (ADU) Online to address the surge in demand for qualified employees in the healthcare industry. To prepare students for careers in this important field, two new master of health administration (MHA) degree programs designed for healthcare professionals seeking to advance their management and leadership capabilities will launch in fall 2016. Pearson is the exclusive partner for ADU Online, providing marketing, recruitment, retention, student support, 24/7/365 helpdesk, and course development for graduate and undergraduate programs.

“At ADU, we’re devoted to improving healthcare leadership. Through our successful, long-standing partnership with Pearson, we’re offering two graduate online programs that help transform today’s healthcare professionals into tomorrow’s purpose-driven leaders,” said David Greenlaw, D.Min., President of Adventist University of Health Sciences. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Pearson, as part of our ongoing commitment to produce healthcare professionals that will provide exceptional care.”

“More than 2.3 million new healthcare jobs are expected to be created between 2014 and 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics,” said Todd Hitchcock, Senior Vice President, Online Learning Services, Pearson. “Through our continued, successful collaboration with ADU, we’re helping learners to increase their employability with stackable credential degree programs that provide multiple entry points for candidates of different experience levels, education levels, and backgrounds. When they complete these master’s programs, they’ll be poised to advance their careers in the growing healthcare field.”

The online master of healthcare administration in strategy and innovation program increases the capacity of leaders for strategic innovation in the healthcare industry. The program offers entry points from the associate and bachelor’s level, and it can be completed in as few as 24 months. The online executive master of healthcare administration (EMHA) is designed for healthcare managers with a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of three years’ experience. The EMHA is a two-year program taught entirely online, and the degree develops leaders who possess the values, knowledge, and skills needed to work in a highly-competitive, market-driven environment. The program can be completed in as few as 19 months. Both degree programs are designed to prepare learners for healthcare positions, such as hospital administrator, medical and health services manager, administrative services manager, and emergency management director.

ADU has been a Pearson partner since 2001, resulting in more than 3,600 bachelor degree graduates from ADU Online. Undergraduate programs include the bachelor of science in nursing, bachelor of science in diagnostic medical sonography, and bachelor of science in radiologic sciences. Pearson provides comprehensive Online Program Management (OPM) services for fully online degree programs, including market research, recruitment, marketing, student support and retention services, course and curriculum design and development, and faculty support. Pearson partners with over 40 higher education institutions across the country to implement and sustain nearly 300 undergraduate and graduate programs, which have produced more than 30,000 graduates.

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, visitwww.Pearsoned.com.

About ADU

Adventist University of Health Sciences (ADU) is a Seventh-day Adventist institution that specializes in healthcare education. ADU offers undergraduate and graduate programs including: Biomedical Sciences, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Health Sciences, Radiography, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Nursing (BSN), Nurse Anesthesia, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Master of Healthcare Administration, Master of Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant and Physical Therapy. The University is associated with Florida Hospital and Adventist Health System.

About ADU Online

ADU Online offers a suite of programs that afford maximum flexibility, making it possible for students to meet commitments in all areas of their lives and design an educational plan around their lifestyle. By providing superior instruction, practicing spiritual values, and encouraging a continuing zeal for knowledge and service, our instructors give students the tools to achieve the highest level of professional practice in nursing, radiography, and sonography. Fully accredited, a degree from ADU Online represents an education for your future.

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Indianapolis Public School System focuses on student academic success by selecting Schoology as its Learning Management System

Selected for learner-centric design, ability to seamlessly integrate with its current gradebook platform and support the diversity of its students’ and families’ needs

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.–June 7, 2016– Schoology, the education technology company that puts collaboration at the heart of the learning experience, today announced that Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) has chosen Schoology as its new Learning Management System (LMS).  The contract will make Schoology available to more than 26,000 students among the 60 schools within its district.

In search of an LMS partner who could serve their needs, IPS initiated a competitive request for proposal (RFP) in August, 2015.  After narrowing the field, Schoology proved the unmatched choice to aid the institution in its effort to streamline workflows and create new efficiencies.  Schoology’s automation of routine tasks will allow teachers to focus on creating engaging curriculum, helping students achieve their academic goals.

“While researching various LMS platforms, we knew that we needed to find atechnologically sophisticated partner that could meet the demands of all IPS stakeholders for a collaborative learning interface,” said Laura Larimer, IPS Information Technology Officer. “In Schoology, we have a partner that can address our needs, today, as well as our evolving demands.”

Schoology’s CEO, Jeremy Friedman said, “As a company dedicated to continuously advancing what is possible in education, we often find that people select Schoology for its ease of use, advanced communication and collaboration offering that aid in a holistic learning experience. We are excited to partner with Indianapolis Public Schools and we welcome them to the rapidly growing list of Schoology clients.”

Schoology connects the people, content, and systems that fuel education in a platform that’s so easy to use, it’s second nature. The platform offers educational 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 that faculty can manage their classes on the go, students can stay connected on any device and parents can stay engaged and connected to their students’ progress.

For more on Schoology’s K-12 offerings, visit: schoology.com/k-12.

About Indianapolis Public Schools

Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) strives to be the flagship in innovative urban education, preparing all students to be successful in the global economy. IPS is committed to creating individualized, relationship-based learning opportunities for nearly 30,000 students. As the educational landscape evolves to include more school choice, IPS continues to expand the scope of options available to families. IPS is the pilot district for Indiana’s Innovation Network Schools; these autonomous programs operate in partnership with the district to provide a variety of unique educational opportunities for IPS students and families. IPS advocated for state legislation allowing districts to provide more options for families, including Innovation Network Schools and Transformation Zones. IPS’ Transformation Zone schools will serve as the Midwest pilot cohort for Opportunity Culture, a strategic staffing model empowering teachers to take on additional accountability and responsibility while earning a stipend of up to $18,000 above their salary. IPS is proud to provide personalized opportunities for students, and proud to be public! Learn more about IPS by visiting myips.org.

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 to personalize education and improve student outcomes. More than 12 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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Odysseyware Approved as GED Certified Publisher

Odysseyware’s Test Prep provides adult learners and high school students with flexible courses that include instruction, practice, and assessments

(CHANDLER, AZ) June 9, 2016 — Odysseyware, a leading provider of dynamic and customizable online courses for K-12 education, today announced their induction into the General Education Development (GED®) Publisher Program, certifying the alignment of content and test preparation through the GED Testing Service.

The nationally known GED Publisher Program recognizes GED test-aligned content from publishers who develop curriculum materials for the GED test. To ensure materials meet test objectives, a professional content-review organization has evaluated each product’s alignment to GED test objectives. Each subject is evaluated individually to ensure complete compliance.

With a user-friendly interface, Odysseyware’s Test Prep provides adult learners and high school students with flexible courses that include the instruction, practice, and assessments to prepare them to succeed on high school equivalency tests and the ACT®. Courses include embedded review and practice opportunities, as well as study tips and concept review videos.

“We are honored to be certified and recognized by the GED as a certified publisher,” said Beth TeGrotenhuis, Odysseyware’s president and the CEO of its parent company, Glynlyon. “Our mission to provide the highest quality education includes youth and adults working towards their GED. With our content-aligned tests and preparation, we hope to help adult learners nationwide complete the next steps of their educational journey.”

About Odysseyware

Headquartered in Chandler, AZ, Odysseyware is an innovative, multimedia-enriched online curriculum. Completely web-based, Odysseyware provides 21^st-century educational solutions by offering the core subjects of history and geography, math, language arts, and science along with enriching electives, CTE, placement testing, diagnostics, and professional development. This curriculum is sold directly through regional education specialists.

To learn more, visit Odysseyware.com or call (877) 795-8904.

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National Conference Aims to Graduate 10,000 Black Engineers Annually
Leaders of the National Society of Black Engineers to Convene at University of Michigan, June 9–12

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) will host its annual National Leadership Conference (NLC) on June 9–12, 2016. Approximately 200 black engineering students and professionals from across the country will convene for the event, which will be held at the College of Engineering on the campus of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. This year marks the third consecutive NLC at the college, continuing a partnership that was forged between NSBE and the university. NSBE, with more than 31,000 members, is one of the largest student-governed organizations based in the United States.

The purpose of the NLC is to provide NSBE’s volunteer officers with training to develop their skills in leadership and other areas, such as accounting, fundraising, marketing, program development/evaluation and strategy. These skills are critical as NSBE moves toward attaining its ambitious primary goal, which is to increase the number of African-American bachelor’s degree recipients in engineering from roughly 3,500 to 10,000 annually, by 2025.

This conference places a spotlight on an extraordinary confluence of events. For the first time in history, the University of Michigan (U-M) College of Engineering will be helmed by an African American. On July 1, Alec D. Gallimore, Ph.D. — associate dean for academic affairs, Richard F. and Eleanor A. Towner professor of engineering and an Arthur F. Thurnau professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at U-M — will become one of only a few African-American deans of engineering at predominately white colleges and universities in the United States, and the first at U-M. It was Gallimore who garnered support from the U-M administration to have the university host the NLC: a substantial commitment over three years. Dr. Gallimore will address the NSBE leaders during a special session of the conference on Saturday, June 11.

“When I received the invitation to address student leaders of NSBE, I knew I could not pass up the opportunity,” Dr. Gallimore says. “I am humbled and energized to inspire the future engineers who will contribute to achieving NSBE’s all-important aspirational goal.”

Increasing the number of African-American engineering deans and faculty across the country is an important component of graduating more black engineers, because of a concept known as “self-efficacy”: an individual’s belief in his or her capacity to reach a goal or complete a task. NSBE Executive Director Karl W. Reid, Ed.D., a trained engineer, studied the topic as a doctoral student at Harvard University. His research suggests that seeing people to whom you can relate succeed in a chosen area of study or endeavor significantly increases one’s confidence in achievement.

“As a country, we need to increase math proficiency rates at the 4th grade, 8th grade and collegiate levels, especially for African Americans, as these rates are indicators for success in attaining engineering degrees,” Dr. Reid says. “And we also need to have many more African-American youth able to envision engineering as a career for themselves. NSBE is working to make that possible.”

This year’s conference also brings about historic symmetry. NSBE National Chair Matthew Nelson earned his B.S.E. in industrial and operations engineering (IOE) from the University of Michigan in 2015 and is returning in the fall to a master’s program in design science at U-M. As the oldest national chair in NSBE’s history, Nelson serves as a story of perseverance and overcoming obstacles. After struggling with academic and health challenges, he left the University of Michigan in 2005 and spent several years working to return to higher education in 2012. He subsequently made the dean’s list and earned University Honors. In 2015, the Center for Engineering Diversity and Outreach of U-M’s College of Engineering honored Nelson with its first-ever Legacy Award, for his work in diversity and his advocacy for nontraditional students.

“My story is a testimony that black students of all ages can earn engineering degrees and become leaders of their community, even in the midst of significant challenges,” says Nelson, who is the third U-M alumnus to serve as NSBE’s highest-ranking officer. Damaune Journey, a 2000 U-M IOE graduate, served as national chair for 2000–01, and Delano White, a 2000 U-M graduate in chemical engineering, served in the post from 2001 to 2003.

Later this month, Nelson will sign a contract to bring the NSBE Annual Convention to his hometown of Detroit in 2019, a decision that will bring additional revenue to the city and expose its constituents to more than 12,000 aspiring and current black engineers.

ABOUT NSBE
Founded in 1975, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is one of the largest student- governed organizations based in the United States. With more than 31,000 members and more than 300 chapters in the U.S. and abroad, NSBE supports and promotes the aspirations of collegiate and pre-collegiate students and technical professionals in engineering and technology. NSBE’s mission is “to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professional and positively impact the community.” For more information, visit www.nsbe.org.

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Madison, Wis. (June 8, 2016) – C. Blohm & Associates, Inc. (CB&A), the premier PR and digital marketing agency for the education and special needs industries, announces the promotion of Emily Embury to Vice President. In her new role, Embury will assist the President in managing the client family and account teams to achieve optimal campaign results for clients.

“For more than a decade, Emily has cultivated her industry knowledge and refined her skills in leadership and business strategy,” said CB&A Founder and President Charlene Blohm. “This promotion reflects the value Emily brings to our team as we strive to exceed our clients’ visibility goals. I’m excited about the contributions Emily will make to the business as Vice President.”

To read the full news release, click here.

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New Global Citizens relaunches as part of VIF

VIF will enhance offerings by adopting New Global Citizens’ after-school and community-based programs and curricular resources to expand educator reach and student engagement beyond the classroom.

Chapel Hill, NC – VIF International Education, a global education partner of K-12 schools and districts, has announced that it will relaunch New Global Citizens, an organization that provides the resources educators need to increase global competency in the classroom and kickstart after-school programs. The relaunch positions VIF to expand educator reach and student engagement beyond the classroom, allowing the organization to strengthen its ability to provide quality, equitable global education.

New Global Citizens selected VIF due to the organizations mutual alignment of vision, as well as quality and reputation of VIF’s curricular resources. VIF will own all of New Global Citizens’ programs, intellectual property and brand identity.

“Much like us, New Global Citizens has set out to support the development of knowledge, skills and expertise necessary for students to become mindful, global citizens,” said VIF CEO David Young. “We look forward to relaunching their complementary curricular programs which will enrich our offerings, enabling us to equip teachers with what they need to successfully introduce after-school programs.”

In today’s connected economic climate, VIF understands the power of education to change lives and empower global leaders. Viewing teachers as force multipliers of quality education for all, the organization supports educators by providing engaging, measurable and affordable global education programs and peer-to-peer collaborations.

“We are thrilled that New Global Citizens mission and programs will continue to live and thrive as a part of VIF,” said Jennifer Vollmann, former head of NGC. “Combining New Global Citizens resources and partner network with VIF’s experience and programs will accelerate our mission and increase the number of teachers and students that can be activated as global citizens.”

For the latest updates on the relaunch or quality, equitable global education, follow @vifglobaled.

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About VIF International Education

VIF International Education partners with districts and schools to prepare global-ready teachers and students. For more than 25 years, educators have used VIF’s professional development and curriculum, language acquisition and cultural exchange teacher programs to create engaging learning environments that integrate technology, cultural literacy and other 21st century skills into classroom instruction. VIF is a certified B Corp and ‘Best for the World’ honoree headquartered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. For more information visit www.viflearn.com.

About New Global Citizens

New Global Citizens’ mission is to activate individuals to use their knowledge and skills to make a positive impact within the global community. New Global Citizens provides afterschool programs, classroom curriculum, and professional development trainings that integrate global issues into learning. Through their involvement in New Global Citizens, youth develop the knowledge and skills they need to make a positive impact and thrive in higher education and future careers.

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

Fifty Top Educators Selected for 2016 ASCD Emerging Leaders Class

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2016

Contact: Ross Romano, 703.575.5607, ross.romano@ascd.org

ALEXANDRIA, VA—ASCD has announced the selection of 50 educators for its 2016 class of emerging leaders. The Emerging Leaders program recognizes and prepares young, promising educators to influence education programs, policy, and practice on both the local and national levels. To view the entire list of the 2016 emerging leaders, visit the Emerging Leaders directory.

“This year’s group of emerging leaders are the education rock stars of tomorrow,” said Ronn Nozoe, ASCD Associate Executive Director. “Each of these educators brings a special passion and commitment to ensuring all kids succeed.  We look forward to learning from each of these extraordinary leaders and giving them a platform to increase the positive change they bring to the profession and to the lives of students.”

The 2016 class is the largest since the program’s inception in 2005, surpassing last year’s previous record total of 46 class members. The class is geographically diverse―the emerging leaders hail from 20 states, the District of Columbia, Bermuda, and Taiwan―and New Jersey leads the way with seven emerging leaders. The class includes superintendents, assistant principals and principals, teachers, literacy coaches, professional learning specialists, and a digital learning specialist, among other roles and titles.

All emerging leaders are enrolled in the program for two years and help to shape education policy, advocate for the whole child, and explore multiple ASCD leadership pathways. Alumni from the program―including Steven Anderson, Fred Ende, Tony Frontier, and Pete Hall―have become ASCD authors, while others have become ASCD Faculty members and Board members. While in the program, educators have the opportunity to take advantage of numerous opportunities, such as the following:

• Attending the invitation-only Leader to Leader (L2L) conference in July, where leaders of various ASCD constituent groups convene to learn, share, and lay the groundwork for further collaboration
• Presenting at ASCD conferences and events
• Writing for ASCD publications, including the Inservice blog, and contributing blogs and articles to other outlets
• Facilitating the #ASCDL2L Twitter chat, which occurs on the first Tuesday of each month
• Hosting episodes of ASCD Learn Teach Lead Radio, a weekly program produced in partnership with BAM! Radio Network

“I look forward to meeting the 2016 emerging leaders at the L2L conference in July,” said Rachael George, a 2015 ASCD Emerging Leader. “In my first year in the program, I’ve taken advantage of many great opportunities that I otherwise would not have had, and I look forward to sharing my experiences with the new class and learning from these impressive educators.”

Educators selected for the Emerging Leaders program have been in the education profession for 5 to 15 years; demonstrate a passion for learning, teaching, and leading; come from a diverse range of positions, locations, cultural backgrounds, and perspectives; hold promise as leaders; and are committed to ASCD’s beliefs and to pursuing leadership opportunities.

For more information on ASCD’s Emerging Leaders program, visitwww.ascd.org/emergingleaders. To learn more about ASCD’s other programs, products, services, and memberships, visit www.ascd.org.

ASCD is a global community advancing student achievement by supporting the whole child. ASCD supports learning, teaching, and leading across the global education community, with 125,000 members—superintendents, principals, teachers, professors, and advocates—from more than 138 countries. To learn more about how ASCD supports educators, visit www.ascd.org.

If you would rather not receive future communications from ASCD, let us know by clicking here.
ASCD, 1703 N BEAUREGARD ST, Alexandria, VA 22311 United States

Explore layers of learning at the ASCD Conference on Teaching Excellence, July 8-10, 2016 in New Orleans. Get career-empowering knowledge, practices, networking and practical teaching solutions. Register at www.ascd.org/cte.

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Higher Ed Institutions Can Improve Career Preparation Strategies with New Offering From Keypath Education and Huron Consulting Group

CHICAGO – (June 5, 2016) Career preparation has been the primary driver of college students’ enrollment decisions since 2013.[1] To help higher education institutions apply their resources to high-impact career preparation strategies, Keypath Education and Huron Consulting Group have introduced a Student Lifecycle Career Diagnostic and Survey.

Through this joint offering, Keypath and Huron will evaluate an institution’s practices and strategies against industry standards and apply the proprietary knowledge both companies have developed through their work for institutions in the areas of program management, marketing and career engagement. Keypath and Huron will provide institutions industry best practices and conduct proprietary surveys with students and alumni to better understand perceptions of the institutions’ career strategies. The end results give leaders actionable programs to maximize career ROI for students.

In addition to four years of direct experience in career engagement through Seelio, Keypath Education brings a history of conducting over 100 online institutional reviews to help institutions launch thriving online programs.  Huron has advised more than 95 of the nation’s top 100 research universities in improving their performance.

“We see many institutions shifting to increase focus on student outcomes and career preparation, but they do not know their gaps,” said Steve Fireng, CEO of Keypath Education. “Our perspective is that a critical first step in that process is to truly understand the lay of the land. This solution will help schools get that viewpoint along with recommendations about how to improve the career ROI for their students.”

Respected leaders in career preparation have concluded that the future of career preparation will look very different than it does today. Institutions need expert guidance in evaluating current practices to understand how they can unify their departments to help prepare students for success after graduation.

“Most college and university leaders know they’re doing something right when it comes to their graduates’ college-to-career transition, but lack the metrics to know which programs and services are having the greatest or least impact. As a result, it’s difficult for students to move among organizational silos — from first-year experience programs to academic advising to career services — in an effective way,” said Peter Stokes, managing director at Huron Consulting Group. “We believe this diagnostic and survey solution can help schools get more from their program investments, identify gaps and map a way forward to a stronger career preparation offering.”

To learn more about this joint diagnostic and survey offering, please visitinfo.seelio.com/diagnostic.

For more information, please contact Chris Williams, director of marketing, atchris.williams@keypathedu.com or 913.254.6771.

About Keypath Education

Keypath Education provides solutions across the student journey, including online program management, enrollment marketing and career preparation. In the ever-evolving world of higher education, Keypath leverages data and proprietary technology, like Seelio, to innovate every aspect of the student experience. As a result, its partner schools are better able to attract, connect with and graduate the world’s most prepared students. Learn more at keypathedu.com.

About Huron Education

Huron Education is the premier provider serving the unique needs of the higher education industry. Our team of professionals, each with extensive knowledge and experience in the business of higher education and academic medical centers, delivers comprehensive services to the industry and partners with institutions to improve business performance across the enterprise. Our professionals draw from their experience working in the strategic, financial, operational, technology, and regulatory aspects of higher education to provide the most effective consulting and software solutions. Huron Education has helped more than 95 of the nation’s top 100 research universities improve their performance so they can continue their traditions of extraordinary achievement. Learn more at www.huronconsultinggroup.com/highereducation or follow us on Twitter: @Huron.

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America’s Educator Ron Clark to Appear as a Hologram Through Promethean and ARHT Media Partnership

-Companies to combine efforts to deliver augmented reality HumaGrams^TM to education for the first time-

(CYPRESS, Texas – June 6, 2016) Promethean and ARHT Media Inc. (TSX.V: ART OTCQB: ARHTF) are pleased to announce that Texas teachers and administrators attending the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District’s Rigor, Relevance and Relationships (RRR) Conference on June 7-10 will experience what they have only seen in sci-fi movies – a keynote address delivered by a hologram. Teacher, author and innovative school founder Ron Clark will speak to over 1,300 Texas-based teachers and administrators gathered at the Richard E. Berry Center as a HumaGram^TM, a 3D human hologram. Using a revolutionary new augmented reality technology, Mr. Clark will offer educators from across Texas creative practices for motivating students, parents and colleagues throughout the learning process.

Made possible through a partnership between global education technology leader Promethean and ARHT Media, Inc., the Ron Clark HumaGram at the RRR Conference marks the first time that this augmented holographic technology is being used to deliver teacher and administrator training in an educational setting.

HumaGrams^TM are ultra-enhanced holograms that “beam” a speaker or presenter to anywhere in the world and to multiple places at the same time – in real time and brilliant 3D. Having made its way into the entertainment, healthcare and retail industries, this augmented reality holographic technology from ARHT Media has profound implications for education. According to Goldman Sachs, VR/AR technology in education represents a $700 million market by 2025.

“We like to say that HumaGrams bring the best in the world to the rest of the world,” said Paul Duffy, CEO of ARHT Media, Inc. “With our smARHT education solution, we can bring the best educators and subject-matter experts into any teaching environment from anywhere in the world. Now, an expert scientist on the other side of the globe could beam into a school in Texas and teach students about her research. Students are drawn into real-world cases that apply to what they are learning in school and show them future career possibilities.”

Vincent Young, Chief Marketing Officer for Promethean, said, “Over time, Promethean’s vision is to work with ARHT Media to bring augmented reality technology to mass audiences in education. We envision the best experts and educators in the world beaming into schools on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis. In today’s modern learning environment, augmented reality technology eliminates learning boundaries and connects students to top experts. We’re thrilled to launch this exciting technology into education with the support of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD and demonstrate the opportunities it holds for educator training and student learning.”

The Rigor, Relevance and Relationships Conference is hosted annually by Cypress-Fairbanks ISD to provide education leaders with dynamic tools and resources that can be taken back to their work places or classrooms.  On average, more than 1,300 educators from across Texas participate in the conference. They will be the first group of educators in the country to be trained by a fellow educator appearing as a HumaGram.

Disney’s American Teacher of the Year in 2000, Ron Clark will share his best practices for getting the most out of challenging and hard to reach students during his session. With vivid examples from his personal experiences, he will discuss award-winning projects he conducted that successfully motivated and inspired even the most disinterested students. Mr. Clark will also focus on how to create the ideal classroom and school environment where everyone is respected, appreciated and motivated to perform to the best of their ability.

“We’re elated that Promethean is one of our Best Practices partners for the 8^th annual Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships Teacher and Leadership Conferences,” said Linda Macias, Associate Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction and Accountability for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. “Participants from over 90 districts will join us for the RRR conference this year, and one of the highlights will be Ron Clark’s presentation as a HumaGram.  It’s the first time we will feature an augmented reality technology experience for our conference participants, and it presents exciting opportunities. They will receive exceptional training and advice from an innovative educator while also seeing cutting-edge technology in action. We hope it will spark ideas about how new technology can enhance instruction in their schools and classrooms.”

Mr. Clark will appear as a pre-recorded HumaGram during both the RRR Teacher Conference on June 7, 2016 and during the RRR Leadership Conference from June 8-10, 2016 at the Richard E. Berry Center in Cypress, Texas.

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 About Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District

The CFISD is the third largest school district in Texas and the 25^th largest in the nation, representing 127,000 students and staff, 100 campuses and 186 square miles of land. The district’s vision is to LEAD (Learn, Empower, Achieve, Dream). Its mission is to maximize every student’s potential through rigorous and relevant learning experiences, preparing students to be 21^st Century global leaders. The district supports technological innovation through its Vision 2020 initiative, which includes the development of a state-of-the-art private, high-speed network connecting all campuses to support mission-critical data back-up, cloud-based learning initiatives and the adoption of a Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) digital device policy for students and staff. For more information about CFISD, please visitwww.cfisd.net.

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Media Contact

Stephanie Migl, Director for Communications
Stephanie.Migl@cfisd.net
281-897-4053

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 NetDragon Websoft, Inc. (HKSE: 0777) group of companies.  For more information, please visit PrometheanWorld.com.

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National Society of Black Engineers Develops
Partnership with MindEdge

Alexandria, Va. — National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), an organization dedicated to increasing the number of black graduates and professionals in engineering, has developed a partnership with MindEdge, an online learning and development platform. The partnership enables NSBE members to receive discounts on tuition for online courses, on topics such as Project Management, Six Sigma, Lean, and Sustainable Management. MindEdge provides a variety of leadership, management, communication and educational solutions for organizations, to help them meet their objectives.

“NSBE is a firm supporter of development. And by bringing the MindEdge opportunity to our members, they are able to continuously grow and improve their knowledge base, which will positively impact their professional performance,” said NSBE National Chair Matthew Nelson.

MindEdge is a component of the integrated talent development suite NSBE has created, in support of the professional and technical development of its membership. MindEdge courses are open to professional and collegiate members of NSBE.

“This is an amazing opportunity for our members to continue to grow outside of their engineering degree,” said NSBE Professionals National Chair Richard White. “Our vision in this partnership is that we are leveraging this technology tool for the benefit of our professional members and our highly successful community of professional engineers.”

About NSBE
Founded in 1975, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is one of the largest student-governed organizations based in the United States. With more than 31,000 members and more than 300 chapters in the U.S. and abroad, NSBE supports and promotes the aspirations of collegiate and pre-collegiate students and technical professionals in engineering and technology. NSBE’s mission is “to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.” For more information, visit www.nsbe.org.

About MindEdge
MindEdge, a learning company based in Waltham, Mass., provides leadership, management, communication and educational solutions for organizations to help them meet their objectives.The company was founded by Harvard and MIT educators in 1998 and has served more than half a million learners. To learn more about MindEdge, go towww.mindedge.com.

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STEVENS POINT, Wis. (June 7, 2016) ­– Skyward, a leader in K-12 school administrative software, has been selected to receive the SAVE Student Information System Bid, awarded by the REMC Association of Michigan. The awarded partnership will allow districts throughout the state to forgo the standard bidding process required for selecting an SIS, saving Michigan districts valuable time and money.

“This relationship offers a remarkable benefit to our 175 clients in the state and a great opportunity for districts in Michigan looking to take advantage of our SIS solution,” said Scott Glinski, president of Skyward. “We are honored that REMC Association of Michigan has recognized the value we bring to the state’s education system and look forward to improving operational efficiencies and learning outcomes in districts for years to come.”

To view the full news release, click here.

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Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

 More Than 30 Colleges and Universities Partner With Pearson to Put Digital Learning Resources at Students’ Fingertips on the First Day of Class

University of California, Davis, Utah Valley University, Brigham Young University-Provo, and Brigham Young University-Idaho among institutions committed to increasing access to high-quality, affordable digital learning content

NEW YORK – June 1, 2016 – Pearson today announced partnerships with more than 30 colleges and universities to deliver digital course materials to students through a variety of delivery models, most working through campus bookstores. Through these digital delivery models, Pearson is collaborating with institutions that are committed to providing students with access to high-quality, affordable content on the first day of class that improves educators’ insights into students’ instructional needs through better access to learning data.

The University of California (UC), Davis partnered with Pearson in 2015 to provide students with direct access to digital course materials through the campus bookstore. Since launching the program, the university has digitally delivered required course materials for more than 150 courses. UC Davis typically delivers required course content for 40 or more courses per quarter using this model, a number that continues to grow.

On the value that students and faculty are seeing in this model, Jason Lorgan, Executive Director of UC Davis Stores said, “Delivering content digitally to our students before the first day of class, without a visit to the bookstore, has been game-changing for our campus. Faculty and students greatly appreciate the day-one access for everyone enrolled in the course. Students are reporting significant levels of satisfaction with this delivery method and find the adaptive digital content to be superior to static print content in our student surveys. Seventeen thousand of our students have engaged with this program since it began and we expect its rapid growth to continue. We consider this program an important part of our course material affordability initiatives.”

Students at the Utah Valley University, Brigham Young University-Provo, and Brigham Young University-Idaho can purchase digital course materials from their schools’ bookstores, beginning in spring 2016. The State University of New York at Oswego is launching five to 10 courses in the fall of 2016.

“We’re collaborating with an increasing number of institutions to establish an effective and sustainable affordability model that helps control the overall cost of education and delivers equitable, immediate access to learning materials for all students,” said Tom Malek, Senior Vice President of Partnerships, Pearson. “What’s also of great interest to our institutional partners is the meaningful real-time learning data available to faculty and institutions when all students in a course are able to use a common digital product. This data can be used to help faculty identify and intervene with at-risk students, focus instruction on the areas where students are struggling most, and document that course learning outcomes are being measured effectively.”

According to the Campus Computing Project research findings from a fall 2015/winter 2016 survey, 45 percent of faculty respondents believe that digital materials provide significant added-value content not available in print. Pearson’s long-standing partners that have successfully implemented the digital direct access models, including Indiana University, Cincinnati State Community College, and Eastern Gateway Community College, are now seeing the positive impact that day-one access to digital course materials can have on student engagement and achievement.

Indiana University will share the latest findings on a research study investigating the impact of their eText Initiative at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities 2016 Academic Affairs Summer Meeting. The presentation, “eText that Empowers: Leading the way to greater affordability and achievement with digital course materials” will be delivered Saturday, July 23 at 8:45 a.m. at the Denver Marriott City Center, Denver. Presenters include Anastasia Morrone, Ph.D., Associate Vice President of Learning Technologies at Indiana University, Dean of Information Technology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, and Tom Malek, Senior Vice President of Partnerships, Pearson.

To learn more about how the transition to digital delivery of course materials and solutions can improve access, affordability and achievement in higher education, visit this website.

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 http://www.pearsoned.com/.

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Turnitin Integrates Formative Writing Tools into College Board Programs to Support Student Practice

Turnitin and College Board will partner to provide students with productive writing practice opportunities and help develop college ready skills

OAKLAND, Calif. — June 2, 2016 — Today Turnitin announced a multi-year extension of its work with the College Board® that will connect its formative writing tools to College Board programs like SpringBoard® in an effort to expand and promote productive student writing practice. The addition of Turnitin’s writing instruction technology, Revision Assistant, will give students more ways to practice and receive instruction that will help them develop the knowledge, skills and understanding that are critical to college and career success. Click to Tweet

This announcement marks the culmination of three years of collaborative research between Turnitin and the College Board that demonstrates the value of Turnitin’s Revision Assistant technology in evaluating and improving student writing. Turnitin Revision Assistant extends the reach of teachers by providing immediate, actionable feedback to students as they write. Our work together shows that Revision Assistant provides appropriate and helpful feedback on student writing across prompt types and writing styles, including the argumentative, explanatory, expository, and narrative genres.

“The ability to write well is fundamental to college and career success,” said Trevor Packer, senior vice president, AP® and Instruction at the College Board. “Combining the College Board and Turnitin’s learning tools helps students to become better writers through thoughtful, focused, and useful practice.”

“Turnitin’s partnership with College Board demonstrates the importance of formative writing tools in helping students to improve their writing and to think more critically,” said Chris Caren, CEO of Turnitin. “The broad collaboration with College Board furthers Turnitin’s mission to support 100 million learners with our formative writing solutions.”

The College Board’s AP and SpringBoard Digital programs are the first programs to feature Revision Assistant integration. SpringBoard Digital includes a version of Revision Assistant that is trained to provide feedback on SpringBoard’s proprietary end-of-unit embedded assessments. Additionally, the College Board has made six AP World History and AP English Language and Composition prompts available within the full version of Turnitin Revision Assistant that is available to school districts nationwide.

In the near future, Turnitin will continue the integration of its education technology into other College Board programs, including Official SAT Practice on KHAN ACADEMY® . By the end of 2016, students will be able to use a free, publicly available version of Revision Assistant to help them prepare for the new SAT Essay section.

About the College Board
The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of over 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success — including the SAT® and the Advanced Placement Program®. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators, and schools. For further information, visit www.collegeboard.org.

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

Advanced Placement Program, SpringBoard, SAT, AP and the College Board are registered trademarks of the College Board.

KHAN ACADEMY is a registered trademark of Khan Academy, Inc. All Khan Academy content is available for free at www.khanacademy.org.

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ALEXANDRIA, VA — ASCD applauds the introduction of a bipartisan resolution (pdf) by U.S. Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL), expressing Congress’ support for a whole child approach to education. ASCD, a mission-driven nonprofit dedicated to excellence in learning, teaching, and leading, has been a national education leader for nearly a decade in advocating for a whole child approach to education that promotes the development of children who are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

“Focusing on the whole child is the golden ticket to transforming America’s education system,” said Deb Delisle, ASCD CEO and Executive Director. “This resolution is an important step in informing policies that promote students’ long-term learning, development and success, and I thank Congresswoman Bonamici and Congressman Davis for their unwavering commitment to addressing the comprehensive needs of all students in school.”

The resolution introduced this week would:

• Encourage the federal government to coordinate services among agencies that support the education, health, and safety of our youth
• Encourage parents, educators, and community members to support a whole child approach to education for each student; and
• Affirm that the U.S. House of Representatives recognizes the benefit of ensuring students are challenged, supported, healthy, safe, and engaged.

ASCD’s Whole Child approach, launched in 2007, is an effort to transition from a focus on narrowly defined academic achievement to one that promotes the long-term development and success of all children. Through this approach, ASCD supports educators, families, community members, and policymakers as they move from a vision about educating the whole child to sustainable, collaborative actions.

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Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

Gryphon House Releases STEM Play

Full-color book looks at preschool learning centers through STEM lens

Lewisville, N.C. – A new Gryphon House book merges the hot topics of play-based learning and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in early childhood classrooms. STEM Play: Integrating Inquiry into Learning Centers offers early childhood educators easy, fun, and hands-on activities to incorporate into their classrooms.

With beautiful, full-color photos throughout the book, teachers and caregivers will see real preschool students interacting with scales, anatomy models, microscopes, and more, turning preschool learning centers into creative STEM stations.

“Play has been established as a major avenue of learning for young children, and learning centers provide opportunities for engaging, educational play time,” says Deirdre Englehart, EdD, coauthor of the book. “Although integrating STEM into learning centers is relatively new, we find that it exposes young children to a problem-solving approach to learning that aligns with their own curiosity and prepares them for future STEM learning.”

STEM Play offers activities to create common learning centers through the lens of developmentally appropriate STEM lessons. Teachers can easily use the book’s ideas immediately in their curriculum, and expand on the STEM focus with a “how-to” section with activities for each learning center: art, blocks, dramatic play, literacy, math, science, music and movement.

STEM Play will be released in September from Gryphon House, Inc., the leading publisher of educational resources for parents and teachers.

Pre-orders are available now. 

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Breaking the Barrier to Provide Free Digital World Language 

Course Materials to Schools 

Award-winning series available free of charge for one year

Groton, MA—June 1, 2016—Breaking the Barrier, Inc., a global leader in print and digital language learning, today announced that it will provide its entire award-winning world language series free of charge for one year to Copia Class™ subscribers.

The series, which currently includes Spanish, French, and English, is designed to help learners read, write, and speak the target language fluently while developing a deep understanding and appreciation of the various cultures and traditions associated with each language.

Developed by Groton School teacher and Dean of Faculty, John Conner, the Breaking the Barrier World Language Series gives learners everywhere access to the same rigorous and effective language learning experience found in one of America’s top schools.

“Breaking the Barrier is more than just a name. Everything we do is focused on breaking barriers: language and cultural barriers as well as barriers that impede access to high-quality instructional materials. I believe we have the best materials available to help learners master a new language, and we are proud to partner with Copia Interactive to make these materials available free of charge to schools everywhere,” said John Conner, Breaking the Barrier CEO and Series Editor.

For more information about this offer, contact info@thecopia.com.

About Breaking the Barrier, Inc.

Founded in 1997 by educators, Breaking the Barrier is a global leader in print and digital language learning. Featuring instruction in Spanish, French, and English, Breaking the Barrier offers students the fastest path to true language fluency. For more information, visit www.tobreak.com.

About Copia Interactive, LLC

Copia Interactive, LLC is transforming digital learning by changing the way students and educators engage with content—and each other. Copia delivers best-in-class educational content in a cloud-based, socially-driven environment rich with cutting-edge collaboration, personalization, and assessment tools. For more information, visit www.edu.thecopia.com.

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K-12 Educators from Across New Jersey Convene for Innovation Summit at Monmouth University

More than 300 attendees shared best practices for transforming education by using mobile devices and digital curriculum

(West Long Branch, NJ) June 1, 2016 — On May 20, education leaders from across the state convened at Monmouth University’s Multipurpose Activity Center (MAC) for the New Jersey Innovation Summit. The annual event was sponsored by the state’s innovateNJ office and is hosted by the Learning Counsel, a national K-12 research, events, and news media organization.

“It was a pleasure to co-host the second annual Innovation Summit, bringing together New Jersey educators to support the creative, innovative work they are doing daily in their schools and districts,” said Kimberley Harrington, the chief academic officer of the New Jersey Department of Education. “Our educators are working to implement a vast array of new tools, platforms, and instructional best practices. The Innovation Summit gave them an opportunity to collaborate through peer discussions and to hear from the Learning Counsel and other professionals on solutions during this time of transformation.”

More than 300 educators and leaders in the education space attended the summit, including more than 20 superintendents, as well as chief technology officers, innovation officers, academic and curriculum directors, principals, and teachers. You can see a photo gallery from the Summit here, and a video here.

LeiLani Cauthen, the CEO of the Learning Counsel, delivered the Summit’s keynote. Her summary view of the national education space brought home to all that one of the key challenges for educators is keeping up with ever-changing technology. “Leaders today are more and more becoming knowledgeable in software and the equivalent of digital learning objects, standards, and assessment. They need to be czars of digital understanding. They need to know all aspects of what these different tools and platforms are and how they work, so they can support their instructors and administrators.”

Mackey Pendergrast, the superintendent of Morris School District, spoke about his district’s steps to achieve transformation by using devices and digital curriculum. “You have to ask yourself, ‘How do you organize your data, select platforms, support teachers and students, integrate technology and curriculum?’ You must develop a system and culture that supports students to continually ascend within our school systems and demonstrate academic and emotional growth.”

Throughout the day, there were whole-group, boot-camp-style sessions from local New Jersey executives as well as breakout rooms for small-group discussions and exercises. These presentations included “Scaling Blended Learning for Success,” “Minecraft in Education,” and “Augmented/Virtual Reality.”

A student panel in the afternoon revealed what kids today need and want as far as technology, content, and the student/teacher relationship in a personalized and learner-centered classroom. “We live with these devices and our social networks every minute outside of school,” one of the students said (and all nodded in agreement). “It’s not like it’s something else, separate. It’s how we interact with the world and it will be part of how we work. So why take it away from us or limit it when we study and collaborate with each other and the teachers?”

The day ended with a leadership panel discussion, followed by final words of thanks and aspirations for an innovative and successful next year from Laurence Cocco, the director of education technology for the New Jersey Department of Education.

About The Learning Counsel

The Learning Counsel is a research institute and news media hub, focused on providing context for the shift in education to digital curriculum. Our membership is comprised of over 150,000 executive rank educators and thousands of publishers. We are also the home of Knowstory.com, the first special-interest-free and grass-roots social media hub for education with functions for students, teachers, schools and publishers. For more information, visit LearningCounsel.com.

About The New Jersey Department of Education’s Office of School Innovation  

The New Jersey Department of Education’s (NJDOE) Office of School Innovation (OSI) seeks to foster innovative school and classroom models and instructional practices that incorporate hands-on instruction, integrate technology, enhance critical thinking and entrepreneurial skills, increase student engagement and achievement, and support NJDOE’s mission to ensure all students are college- and career-ready, regardless of zip code. Through its innovateNJ initiative, the office supports innovation and practice by fostering sharing and collaboration, cultivating projects, and convening practitioners and partners. For more information, visit NJ.gov/education.

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

School District Leadership Takes Step Forward with Announcement of  
AASA-USC Urban Superintendents Academy Graduates

Alexandria, Va. – May 31, 2016 – In an effort to strengthen public school district leadership in some of the nation’s most challenged school districts, AASA, The School Superintendents Association, is pleased to announce the first-ever cohort of educators to successfully complete the AASA-University of Southern California Urban Superintendents Academy.

More than a dozen educators recently graduated from the nearly yearlong program created to prepare superintendents for the demands of the country’s most challenged school districts.

“Children need champions, which is why we are pleased to partner with USC’s Rossier School of Education on this critical initiative,” said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA. “We commend the first cohort of graduates for the work they have accomplished. Creating a pathway for urban school leadership is one solution in our effort to confront the issue of equity in this country.”

“Fostering effective learning environments in urban education on local, national and global levels is at the heart of USC Rossier’s mission,” said Karen Symms Gallagher, dean, USC Rossier School of Education. “The graduates of the AASA-USC Urban Superintendents Academy are positioned to changing the culture of learning in the school districts in which they will serve—which is why this announcement is so important.”

Launched in 2015, The AASA-USC Rossier program features:

• A small cohort of superintendents who will learn through an online approach;
• Content designed specifically for the existing and emerging urban environments across the United States;
• Mentors and program facilitators; and
• An AASA/USC Rossier certificate following successful completion of a capstone project.

Maria Ott, professor of clinical education, is serving as USC’s lead faculty member for the AASA/USC Rossier Urban Superintendents Academy. For more information about the Academy, visit the AASA website. For questions, contact Mort Sherman, AASA associate executive director at msherman@aasa.org / 703-875-0726 or Bernadine Futrell, AASA director, awards and collaborations at bfutrell@aasa.org / 703-875-0717.

The 2015-16 AASA/USC Urban Superintendents Academy cohort is comprised of:

• Darryl S. Adams, superintendent Coachella Valley Unified School District (Calif.)
• Maria Covarrubias, founding principal, Renuevo Schools (Calif.)
• Ben Drati, assistant superintendent Santa Barbara School District (Calif.)
• Nisha Dugal, senior director, secondary schools, Torrance Unified School District (Calif.)
• Angel Gallardo, director, administrative services, Montebello Unified School District (Calif.)
• Stella M. Kemp, assistant superintendent, Educational Services, Franklin – McKinley School District (Calif.)
• Kym LeBlanc-Esparza, superintendent Newberg School District (Ore.)
• Elida MacArthur, assistant superintendent, Mt. Pleasant Elementary School District (Calif.)
• Kimberly M. MacKinney, chief academic officer, Oro Grande School District (Calif.)
• Angelica M. Ramsey, associate superintendent, Santa Clara County Office of Education (Calif.) (Recently accepted the position as superintendent of the Pleasant Valley School District (Calif.)
• Marion J. Smith, Jr., regional director, student and school success, Puget Sound Educational Service District (Wash.)
• Frank Wells, director, education leadership, Santa Clara County Office of Education (Calif.)
• Shawn K. Wightman, superintendent Marysville Public School District (Mich.)

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About AASA
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to the highest quality public education for all children. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.

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Achieve3000 and Virginia Beach City Public Schools Launch New Summer Kindergarten Readiness Initiative

The Smarty Summer: Diving into Early Literacy Initiative is the Result of a Special Partnership to Prepare Children for Kindergarten Reading Success

LAKEWOOD, N.J. – May 31, 2016 – Achieve3000^® and Virginia Beach City Public Schools have partnered to create Smarty Summer: Diving into Early Literacy, a new kindergarten reading readiness initiative exclusively for Virginia Beach students. Under this initiative, children who will be starting kindergarten in fall 2016 will receive a free summer subscription to Smarty Ants^®, an effective, research-based literacy program designed specifically for young learners.

Achieve3000 is the leading literacy solution in blended learning programs today, specializing in cloud-based, differentiated learning solutions for school-aged youth as well as adult learners. It has helped millions of students worldwide to improve their reading and writing skills, master increasingly rigorous academic standards, and prepare for high-stakes assessments.

“We are looking forward to building on our partnership of success with Virginia Beach City Public Schools and supporting their goal of ensuring that every student can achieve a high standard of academic performance and growth,” said Saki Dodelson, CEO and founder of Achieve3000. “We share their commitment to providing engaging, student-centered programs that reach kids at their precise learning levels and accelerate their literacy gains. Our differentiated instruction solutions will give these kindergarteners-to-be the right start on the road to college and career success. We are looking forward to supporting Virginia Beach’s students and parents, as well as their dedicated educators, with this new initiative.”

Virginia Beach City Public Schools is the second-largest school division in Virginia, with 55 elementary schools, 15 middle schools, 12 high schools, and a number of secondary/post-secondary specialty centers. In 2014, the division superintendent, Dr. Aaron Spence, spearheaded a five-year strategic plan to prepare and empower every student to become a life-long 21st-century learner, which includes implementing a personalized learning approach at all school levels.

Smarty Ants is a cutting-edge foundational literacy program for grades PreK-1 that teaches children how to read in an engaging, online environment. The adaptive content system automatically evaluates each student’s skills and preferences to deliver the “just-right” level of instruction to maximize learning gains. As students engage with the program through their unique, customizable avatar, their success is recognized and rewarded with virtual awards and mini-games. At the same time, Smarty Ants’ systematic scope and sequence builds the phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills children need to become confident, capable readers.

Virginia Beach already started using Smarty Ants for PALS-identified students in its elementary schools as of February 2016. As a blended learning program, Smarty Ants is designed to be used both in school and outside of the classroom – in fact, the program’s “anytime, anywhere, any-device access” and easy-to-use dashboard are what makes it ideal for home use during the summer.

Smarty Ants is not the only Achieve3000 solution currently implemented at Virginia Beach. In the 2015-2016 school year, the school division started a three-year partnership with the company to implement the Achieve3000 Pro Virginia Edition, which is designed for mixed-ability English language arts, social studies, and science classrooms in grades two through 12. In Virginia Beach, grades three through five use Pro for guided reading, while grades six through 12 use the solution for content-area literacy in both language arts and social studies courses.

The Virginia Edition of Achieve3000’s eScience3000^® – an experiential, differentiated core science program – is also being used in the division’s middle school science classrooms. Both the Pro and eScience3000 solutions have been customized by Achieve3000’s instructional experts to align with the Virginia Beach’s learning objectives for the each grade level and subject area.

Achieve3000 also announced that it plans to partner with several other school districts this summer to launch similar kindergarten readiness programs. For more information about Achieve3000 or its learning solutions, please visit www.achieve3000.com.

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 atwww.achieve3000.com or by calling 888-968-6822.

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

CEV Multimedia Releases Health Science Curriculum

Online iCEV platform offers new courses to educate students on rapidly growing industry 

LUBBOCK, Texas (May 25, 2016) – The healthcare industry is expected to grow 19 percent by 2024, adding 2.3 million jobs, which is the most of any occupation field according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As this industry continues to offer job opportunities for high school and college graduates, CEV Multimedia announces the release of a new Health Sciences curriculum that will help prepare students to enter a wide variety of careers in the healthcare and health sciences industries.

“The need for well-educated, passionate students in the healthcare industry has never been greater, as the general population continues to become age,” said Ainsley Nelson, regional director for marketing and communications at Covenant Health. “By working with CEV Multimedia to create this new curriculum, students can start out well-versed in the healthcare industry and become leading candidates for employment.”

You can read the full release here.

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Follett Launches New Makerspace Bundles for K-12 Libraries

New Kits Make it Easy for Schools to Partially—or Completely—Transition to a Makerspace

MCHENRY, Ill.,May 25, 2016 – As makerspaces continue to gain momentum in the K-12 library world to encourage students’ inquiry and exploration through hands-on production, Follett has answered by offeringMakerspace Bundles. The age level-specific bundles are individually tailored for elementary, middle and high school grades, and include a variety of diverse materials, including books, building supplies, and robotic kits.

The bundles, designed to save time and take the guesswork out of starting a makerspace, allow librarians to get started in the makerspace concept without doing all of the curation work themselves. The resources for the bundles are conveniently grouped together by elementary, middle, and high school and were curated by Follett’s curriculum staff. Also, in a special “Makerspace Mania” section within Titlewave, guest librarians who operate their own makerspaces have created resource lists for Follett based on their experiences with students across K-12.

“So many of our library customers are intrigued by the makerspace movement, and some are diving in head first while others are just getting their feet wet,” said Nader Qaimari, President, Follett School Solutions. “At whatever stage the schools are, we want to help them promote creativity and 21st-century learning. These diverse bundles, with components from top vendors, are the perfect way to give students a chance to explore their own interests.”

Longtime educator Dottie Smay said her school’s library in Florida was an early adopter of the makerspace movement but still needed many supplies and materials to keep students engaged and learning. Her school piloted Follett’s Makerspace Bundles.

“Our makerspace is an exciting place where creativity and the joy in learning is evident in every student,” said Smay, Maker Media Specialist, Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg, Fla. “We started with the bare bones – pipe cleaners and toilet paper rolls – and we’ve grown so much. These makerspace kits from Follett, however, make it simple to give kids new hands-on opportunities and tools they can use to explore and learn. Now, our cutting-edge makerspace is even better equipped for critical thinking and project-based learning.”

The affordable, pre-packaged Makerspace Bundles start at $450 and are available for purchase on Follett’s Titlewave.com.

Qaimari said Follett has plans to add more products to support the maker movement. In addition, after-school and summer Maker Solutions are under development.

For more information about Follett, visit www.FollettLearning.com.

About Follett’s PreK-12 Business| follettlearning.com
Follett is the largest provider of educational materials and technology solutions to PreK-12 libraries, classrooms, learning centers and school districts in the United States, and a major supplier to educational institutions worldwide. Follett distributes books, reference materials, digital resources, ebooks and audiovisual materials, as well as pre-owned textbooks. Follett also is one of the leading providers of integrated educational technology for the management of physical and digital assets, the tracking, storing and analyzing of academic data, and digital learning environment tools for the classroom focusing on student achievement.

About Follett Corporation | follett.com

For more than 140 years, Follett has been a trusted partner to pre-K and K-12 schools, districts, and college campuses, taking care of the critical details that make it easier for schools to run, teachers to teach and students to learn. Every day, Follett serves more than half of the students in the United States, and works with 70,000 schools as a leading provider of education technology, services and print and digital content. Follett is higher education’s largest campus retailer and a hub for school spirit and community, operating more than 1,250 local campus stores and 1,700 virtual stores across the continent. Headquartered in Westchester, Illinois, Follett is a $2.6 billion privately held company.

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 Lightspeed Technologies Expands its Leadership Team

The experienced executives will focus on core values and sustainable growth in the education market

 TUALATIN, Oregon (May 26, 2016)­­ — Lightspeed Technologies, the provider of classroom audio technology that inspires powerful communication, collaboration and classroom insight, today announced the expansion of its executive leadership team. The company promoted David Solomon to Executive VP & General Manager, Shaun Fagan to Director of Product Marketing, Tony Zeikle to VP of US Sales, Reid Hansen to Regional Sales Manager, Steve Mefford to Regional Sales Manager for the Central Region, and Carolyn Hollowell to Director of International Markets and E-Commerce Sales.

Since 1994, Lightspeed has invested in research and development to provide groundbreaking technology specifically designed to support education. With the 21^st-century classroom in mind, Lightspeed creates instructional solutions for better listening and sharing so students hear every word and have equitable equal access to learning. Lightspeed’s solutions also give today’s teachers critical insights into individual progress for real-time assessments.

“We are extremely fortunate to have these five Lightspeed team members setting the direction for Lightspeed Technologies,” said Jerry Ramey, the CEO of Lightspeed. “Preserving our unique culture and core values while building sustainable growth is critical to fulfilling our long-term vision as an employee-owned company.”

Solomon and Fagan have each grown with the company for more than 10 years. Zeikle has been a successful sales consultant and regional manager with the company since 2007. Hansen, Mefford, and Hollowell are more recent additions and have quickly proven their ability to make a difference, bringing new skills and insights to the sales and marketing teams.

As Executive VP & General Manager, Solomon is responsible for strategic direction, product development, customer relations, increased sales, and overall success of the business. Fagan will partner with VP of engineering Tom Koller in leading product development efforts in research and development to ensure that Lightspeed provides 21^st-century learners is the best technology and most reliable solutions in the industry. Koller is a co-founder of Lightspeed and has been the catalyst for the engineering team since 1990.

Zeikle will lead the U.S. direct sales team and manage Lightspeed relationships with architects, engineers, and systems integrators. Hansen will assume the role of Regional Sales Manager for the West, while Mefford will become Regional Sales Manager of the Midwest.

Hollowell will continue to manage international partner relationships and will also assume responsibility for customer engagement marketing, inside sales development, and e-commerce. Jerry Ramey remains CEO and will devote his time to new market development and financial management. He will remain active in product development and mentoring the leadership team.

“Lightspeed is a special company where we all work together to make a positive difference in peoples’ lives,” said Solomon. “I am grateful to have a role in leading our company into the future.”

About Lightspeed Technologies

Established in 1990, Lightspeed Technologies is the trusted provider in classroom audio solutions. Our passion is to improve the listening and learning environment for every child. We believe strengthening the connection between teachers and students is at the heart of learning.

Lightspeed classroom audio systems allow teachers to speak in normal conversational tones while being assured that every child has an equal opportunity to hear all of the instruction. The no-installation, easy-to-use Redcat provides clear, low-volume, highly intelligible sound that is evenly distributed throughout the classroom so every child hears every word. The company’s audio system for small group instruction, Flexcat, gives teachers the ability to gain insights into small group interactions and learning. The Topcat has become the premier solution for new construction and renovations due to its ease of installation, wireless connectivity, and remarkable audio quality. For more information about Lightspeed classroom audio products, visit Lightspeed-tek.com

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National KidWind Challenge Champions Announced in New Orleans

A total of 192 students competed in the National KidWind Challenge during the 2016 AWEA WINDPOWER 2016 Conference & Exhibition

(New Orleans, LA) May 25, 2016 – To inspire students in grades 4-12 to explore their passion for renewable energy and engineering, KidWind, the international leader of clean energy education, hosted the National KidWind Challenge at the 2016 AWEA WINDPOWER 2016 Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans this week. A total of 49 teams of students competed for the chance to win the grand prize of $1,500 cash and Vernier Software & Technology lab equipment for their school, second place prizes of $750 in cash and equipment and third place prizes of $400 in cash and equipment. The 2016 National KidWind Challenge Champions are:

·        High School Division:

o   First Place – It’s Electrifying from Raisbeck Aviation High School in Tukwila, WA

o   Second Place – Catch My Drift from Raisbeck Aviation High School in Tukwila, WA

o   Third Place – 404 Name not Found  from The Hutchins School in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

·        Middle School Division:

o   First Place – Team Alpha Eagle from Minnetonka Middle School West in Chanhassen, MN

o   Second Place – High Voltage  from Jack Jouett Middle School in Charlottesville, VA

o   Third Place – The Turbinators from Broadalbin-Perth Middle School in Amsterdam, NY

The teams competed by building handcrafted wind turbines, testing the energy output of their turbines, presenting their design to judges and performing several “Instant Challenges” – short, problem-solving engineering tasks that are unknown to each team prior to the National Challenge.

“We want students to strive for their best in the spirit of competition, but our true goal is to foster interest in renewable energy and to have students consider this area of science for a career,” said Michael Arquin, Founder of KidWind. “Renewable energy is a growing industry and will be a huge part of our future. We hope these students will have a role in that.”

The National KidWind Challenge was made possible through the leadership and generous contributions from GE Renewable Energy and AWEA. Other Regional KidWind Challenges and other local supporting events were sponsored by Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Dominion, the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, Siemens and Vernier Software & Technology.

For more information about the KidWind Challenge, visit: kidwindchallenge.org.

About AWEA
AWEA is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry, with over 800 member companies, including global leaders in wind power and energy development, wind turbine manufacturing, component and service suppliers, and the Western Hemisphere’s largest wind power trade show, the AWEA WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition, which takes place next in New Orleans, May 23-26, 2016. AWEA is the voice of wind energy in the U.S., promoting renewable energy to power a cleaner, stronger America. Look up information on wind energy at the AWEA website. Find insight on industry issues at AWEA’s blog Into the Wind. Join AWEA on Facebook. Follow AWEA on Twitter.

About the KidWind Challenge
The KidWind Challenge is the ultimate wind energy learning experience. Students discover the promise and limitations of wind energy technology while designing, building, and testing a functional wind turbine and competing with their peers in a supportive environment. The KidWind Challenge was developed in 2009 by the KidWind Project, an international leader in wind energy education, and has been embraced and supported by leading energy industry companies since its start. For information on how to get involved, go to kidwindchallenge.org.

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

Public School Leadership Makes Critical Gain with Announcement of 
Urban Superintendents Academy Graduates

Alexandria, Va. – May 24, 2016 – Efforts to improve the leadership in our public schools took a major step forward when the first-ever cohort of educators successfully completed the AASA-Howard University Urban Superintendents Academy.

Today’s announcement follows this past weekend’s celebration when nearly 30 participants graduated from the nearly yearlong program created to develop thought leaders who will represent the vast number of children in urban communities across the country.

“With roughly half of America’s children living in low-income households, it is critical that our nation provides solutions to ensure that each and every child receive a quality education. Our Urban Superintendents Academy is one solution,” said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA, The School Superintendents Association. “We congratulate the 2015-16 graduates who will represent the next generation of effective urban district leadership. The partnership between AASA and Howard University is a formidable step to bolster urban school systems.”

“The members of our inaugural cohort are to be commended for their dedication to become impactful superintendents,” said Leslie T. Fenwick, dean, Howard University School of Education. “We are grateful to partner with the nation’s premier superintendents association in an effort to provide the best possible learning experiences for those striving to become urban superintendents. There is a yawning diversity gap between our students and the school personnel serving them. Our Academy will help narrow that gap.”

Launched in 2015, the Urban Superintendents Academy prepares individuals for certification and success in urban and increasingly diverse suburban settings. The AASA-Howard University partnership is also designed to expand the pool of underrepresented superintendent groups.

Key aspects throughout the Academy included:

• A consistent emphasis upon “problems of practice,” enabling the two participating cohorts to investigate together potential solutions for universal and site-specific problems, issues and dilemmas facing urban superintendents today.
• Engaging coursework options at Howard University.

The Academy also offered prospective and in-service superintendents a revolutionary new approach to ensuring success in urban settings.

Six Academy participants have recently accepted administrative positions.

• Anthony Hamlet, superintendent, Pittsburgh Public Schools (Pa.)
• Jessica Huizenga, receiver, Southbridge Public Schools (Mass.)
• Essie McKoy, executive director, Winston-Salem Forsyth County School District (N.C.)
• Gwendolyn Page, superintendent, Southampton County Public Schools (Va.)
• Eric J. Rosser, assistant superintendent, Buffalo Public Schools (N.Y.)
• Andrae Townsel, principal, Southbridge Public Schools (Mass.)

For more information about the AASA/Howard University Urban Superintendents Academy, visit the AASA website. For questions, contact Mort Sherman, AASA associate executive director, at msherman@aasa.org / 703-875-0726 or Bernadine Futrell, AASA director, awards and collaborations, at bfutrell@aasa.org / 703-875-0717.

The 2015-16 AASA/Howard University Urban Superintendents Academy cohort is comprised of:

Cohort 1:

• Joycelyn Hughes, Howard University
• Walter Lundy, Howard University
• Miriam Lynch, Howard University
• Diane Abbie Martin, Howard University
• Mykia Olive, Howard University

Cohort 2:

• Rosa Cabrera, principal, Houston Independent School District (Texas)
• Traci Davis, superintendent, Washoe County School District (Nev.)
• Lendozia Edwards, campus dean, Strayer University (Ga.)
• Christine Fowler-Mack, chief portfolio officer, Cleveland Metropolitan School (Ohio)
• Eric Gallien, deputy superintendent, Racine Unified School District (Wis.)
• Anthony Hamlet, Area superintendent, Palm Beach County School District (Fla.)
• Lisa M. Hathaway, account general manager, Pearson (Md.)
• Jessica Huizenga, assistant superintendent, Cambridge Public School District (Mass.)
• Martha James-Hassan, commissioner, Baltimore City Public School District (Md.)
• Essie McKoy, principal, Winston-Salem Forsyth County School District (N.C.)
• Michael Merriman, teacher, Garland Independent School District (Texas)
• Gwendolyn Page, superintendent, East Jasper School District (Miss.)
• Thomas Parker, superintendent, Ecorse Public School District (Mich.)
• Joseph Prisinzano, assistant to the superintendent, Jericho Union Free School District (N.Y.)
• Eric J. Rosser, assistant superintendent, Buffalo Public Schools (N.Y.)
• Rose Skepple, assistant professor, Eastern Kentucky University (Ky.)
• Anthony W. Smith, superintendent, Clayton County Public Schools (Ga.)
• Inger H. Swimpson, director, Human Resources and Development, Montgomery County Public Schools (Md.)
• Rod K. Thompson, superintendent, Shakopee School District 720 (Minn.)
• Andrae L. Townsel, vice principal, Washington D.C. Public Schools (D.C.)
• Milton Walters, assistant superintendent, Youngstown City School District (Ohio)
• Douglas J. Ward, principal, Fulton Leadership Academy (Ga.)
• Sherrod D. Willaford, principal, Fulton County Schools (Ga.)
• Jonathan Woods, chief leadership and operations officer, Provost Academy (Ga.)

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About AASA
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to the highest quality public education for all children. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.

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Bloomz Secures $2.3 Million in Capital Investment 

The new funding will go towards further innovation on its app and to expand its user base, which already includes teachers and parents in more than 10,000 schools

(Seattle, WA) May 24, 2016 — The fast growing PreK-8 community and messaging app Bloomz announced today that it has secured $2.3 million in capital investment. Investors in this round include 8VC, ff Venture Capital, Founder’s Co-op, CorrelationVC, Wisemont Capital, Acequia Capital and individuals such as Chris Liddell and Charlie Songhurst.

The new capital will go towards further innovation on Bloomz and to expand the user base of the award-winning app, which is already being used by teachers and parents in more than 10,000 schools.

“Bloomz is uniquely positioned to engage today’s young parents in the same way those parents are used to engaging with their personal and professional worlds on Facebook or LinkedIn. It will become the central point for everything around their children for parents,” said Jake Medwell of 8VC (founded by Joe Lonsdale). “It is a must-have app for every community that engages parents with kids in the pre-K–8 grades.”

John Frankel, partner at ff Venture Capital, said that his company was impressed by the strong engagement metrics and continued growth of Bloomz, adding, “Within its first year of launch, Bloomz captured the imagination of both teachers and parents. We look forward to fueling further growth to help Bloomz become the dominant force in parent engagement.”

Rudy Gadre of Founder’s Co-op, who was also the first General Counsel at Facebook, jumped on the Bloomz opportunity very early on and the group made a follow-on investment in this round. “Bloomz is addressing a need in a space that is ripe for disruption, thanks to the new generation of mobile and social savvy parents entering the school system.”

The app’s rich set of tools include real-time updates, photo-sharing, event and volunteer coordination, parent-teacher conference signups, among other community-building tools to engage today’s mobile and social parents. Bloomz is the only comprehensive app positioned to connect not only parents and educators, but also PTAs, church groups, Girl/Boy Scouts, and daycares. Bloomz recently won EdTech Digest 2016 Best New Product award and is featured by Apple’s AppStore as “Perfect for Every Classroom”.

“We are thrilled to have the backing of these renowned investors to make the Bloomz vision of connecting parents to teachers, and to the world around their children, a reality,” said Chaks Appalabattula, the CEO of Bloomz. “With rave reviews, strong word-of-mouth and more than 95% of the teachers surveyed ‘loving’ the app, it is clear we built an app that is intuitive, easy-to-use, and powerful in connecting pre-K–8 communities. Our team is looking forward to seeing Bloomz in the hands of every teacher and parent.”

About Bloomz

Bloomz is the free mobile and web app that connects educators with parents in a secure, social, private environment. In Bloomz, parents feel more connected than they ever have to their children’s world, and teachers have more time than ever before, because they have everything they need in one simple-to-use tool. Learn more at Bloomz.net.

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Award-Winning Learning Management System from itslearning to be Used in Miami-Dade County Public Schools Pilot Program

10 middle and high schools are using the system’s digital curriculum management and delivery tools to support and optimize personalized learning

Boston, MA – May 24, 2016 — The nation’s fourth largest public school district,Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS), is running a semester-long pilot program utilizing the itslearning learning management system (LMS) to select, deliver and manage the instructional components for secondary level social science courses in 10 schools. Designed specifically for the K-12 sector, itslearning is a cloud-based LMS that enables teachers to engage today’s “digitally wired” students anytime, anywhere and on any device. The MDCPS pilot will run through May, after which teacher feedback and input will be solicited.

In 2014 Miami-Dade Public Schools launched the “Digital Convergence” initiative, a program to provide wireless access in all its schools and put digital learning devices such as laptops and tablets in the hands of all students. According to Brazofsky, the itslearning pilot is a great opportunity for teachers to maximize the potential of the initiative through the use of an LMS.

“Because the itslearning platform consolidates and automates the curriculum management process, teachers participating in the pilot are able to infuse digital tools and content into their lessons,” said Brazofsky. “Thus far the teachers report that the system has helped facilitate communication, collaboration and interaction between them and students. They also say that by using digital tools they’re so familiar with, students are far more engaged in their learning.”

“The streaming videos is a favorite for me and the students. I don’t have to spend time searching online for proper educational videos because the itslearning system has already vetted them and matched them to our standards. I simply add a link to the video on the assignment and students can watch it from home,” said Jaela Vazquez, a world history and geography teacher at Coral Reef Senior High School. “The Bulletin Board is another incredible tool. I write out agenda on it and attach all the PowerPoints and handouts for students who were absent, or for students to reference later when they’re studying.”

Teachers participating in the pilot receive personalized professional development and training from itslearning, including formal face-to-face biweekly digital meetings, and on-demand tutorials that support digital and blended learning via the itslearning platform.

The high schools selected to participate in the pilot are: Coral Gables, Coral Reef, Miami Southridge and Miami Southwest. The middle schools include: Ponce de Leon, Country Club, Herbert Ammons, and Jorge Mas Canosa. One school, Miami Arts Studio @ Zelda Glazer Middle School serves students in grades 6-12.

About itslearning

Designed for teachers and how they want to teach, itslearning is a cloud-based learning platform used by millions of teachers, students, administration staff and parents around the world. It can be found at all levels of education, from primary schools to universities, helping teachers make education more inspiring and valuable for today’s students. Established in 1999, itslearning is headquartered in Bergen, Norway, and has offices in multiple locations around the world. For more information, visit http://www.itslearning.net.

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Edgenuity Introduces New Suite of Career and Elective Courses to Enhance Student Learning Experiences

Wider Course Offerings Drive Overall Student Engagement

Scottsdale, AZ – May 23, 2016 – Edgenuity, a leading provider of online and blended learning solutions, today announced a new suite of career and elective courses that help keep students motivated and excited about learning. Available as part of Edgenuity’s Instructional Services, students can take greater control of their learning experience by pursuing their unique areas of interest – from archeology to social media.

“With a greater variety of career and elective courses we can personalize the learning experience even further, supporting every student’s unique needs and interests while keeping them engaged in school,” said Edgenuity CEO Sari Factor. “It’s more important than ever to prepare today’s students for career and lifelong success. Through this type of instruction, students can take the first step towards their futures at a pace and style that works best for them.”

These courses give students access to subjects not available in many traditional high school settings. Students of Edgenuity schools and districts can now access a full suite of courses including:

• Archaeology: Explore the relationship of material items to culture and what we can learn about past societies from these items.
• Culinary Arts: Hone cooking skills and get the opportunity to explore careers in the culinary industry.
• Forensic Science: Follow evidence trails and examine how various elements of the crime scene are analyzed and processed.
• Personal & Family Finance: Learn more about topics such as taxation, financial institutions, credit, and money management.
• Public Speaking: Learn what makes a truly successful speech and put that knowledge to practical use.
• Social Media: Learn the ins and outs of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+, which can be essential the age of digital communication.
• World Religions: Trace the major developments in these religions and explore their relationships with social institutions and culture.

About Edgenuity

Edgenuity is a leading provider of online curriculum and services with implementations in 8 of the top 10 school districts in the U.S.  Our rigorous, standards-aligned digital content is fully flexible for use in any online or blended learning model to support a personalized learning environment, from NCAA-approved virtual courses to honors and Advanced Placement offerings to test preparation, credit recovery, and intervention.  Edgenuity’s Blended Learning Services, Instructional Services and Professional Development offerings, as well as supplemental programs such as Edgenuity MyPath, help students, educators and districts achieve success in their online learning programs.  For more information, visit Edgenuity.com.

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New White Paper from West’s Education group

Outlines Best Practices for School and Student Data Privacy

Trusted provider of SchoolMessenger communications solutions to host complimentary privacy webinar

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif., May 24, 2016 — West Corporation, a leading provider of technology-enabled communication services, today announced a white paper addressing school and student data privacy. “School and Student Data Privacy: Nine Considerations for Community Engagement” provides an overview of school data privacy best practices with a focus on technology, family involvement and communication.

Authored by West’s Education group Vice President of Government Affairs Mark Schneiderman, the white paper references nine best practices for school and student data privacy from developing a governance and accountability framework, to staff and student education.

Prior to joining West, Schneiderman served as the senior director of education policy at the Software & Information Industry Association for 15 years. He helped develop the Student Privacy Pledge signed by West’s SchoolMessenger and other school service providers.

“Data-enabled technology use in schools has increased exponentially over the past decade, helping inform teacher instruction and enterprise decisions and making student privacy and data security more important than ever,” Schneiderman said. “Maintaining student confidentiality requires a comprehensive set of school data policies and practices. It is crucial that everyone in the school community—educators, parents and students—understands the importance of data security and privacy.”

West’s Education group will host a webinar for school and district leaders addressing school and student data privacy Thursday, June 9, at 11 a.m. Pacific /2 p.m. Eastern. Schneiderman will lead the webinar and will be joined by Linnette Attai, an expert on privacy compliance and best practices as president of PlayWell, LLC and project director for the Consortium for School Network’s (CoSN) Privacy Initiative.

All webinar attendees will receive the “School and Student Data Privacy: Nine Considerations for Community Engagement” white paper, and it will be available for download on the SchoolMessenger website following the webinar.

To register for the webinar, visit http://bitly.com/DataPrivacyJune2016 .

The white paper and webinar are not intended to and do not provide legal advice. School leaders should consult legal counsel to best understand their district’s risks and options under the law.

About West’s Education Group

West’s Education group, part of West Corporation, is the trusted provider of SchoolMessenger solutions. Thousands of schools and other educational institutions in all 50 U.S. states and Canada depend on SchoolMessenger products and services. From notifications and websites to custom mobile apps and social media, school leaders have relied on the SchoolMessenger platform since 1999 to engage with their communities in multiple languages and on any device. To learn more about SchoolMessenger products, visit www.schoolmessenger.com or call 888.527.5225.

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Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

Schoology Wins CODiE Award for Best K12 Course/Learning Management Solution
SIIA named Schoology a CODiE winner for fourth consecutive year and seventh time overall

NEW YORK – May 18, 2016 — Today, Schoology, the education technology company that puts collaboration at the heart of the learning experience, won Best K-12 Course/Learning Management Solution in the 2016 SIIA CODiE Awards, which is the pinnacle of awards programs in the edtech industry. Education technology solutions compete in the CODiEs for recognition as being leading technology products in their respective categories. Schoology has won the Best K-12 Course/Learning Management Solution now for three consecutive years, winning in 2016, 2015, and 2014. Schoology has won a CODiE award every year since 2013, for a total of seven wins in four years. Click to Tweet.

“Winning the top award in the CODiEs is a great honor, and it provides continued validation that Schoology is making a difference and helping to educate millions of people worldwide,” said Jeremy Friedman, CEO of Schoology.

Schoology puts collaboration at the heart of the learning experience by connecting people, content and systems in powerful, meaningful ways. Schoology is widely used around the world in K-12 classrooms where teachers enliven their classrooms with shared content and make connections to other teachers and their students who might be right next door or on the other side of the globe. Schoology connects applications and tools into a platform that simplifies educators’ lives.

In higher ed, Schoology has been selected by campuses like Wheaton College andCSU-Global Campus where – in buildings or online – professors manage their courses and interact and engage with students. Schoology is the communications and course management platform tying instructors and higher education students together.

See all the CODiE 2016 winners: http://www.siia.net/codie/2016-Winners

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 to personalize education and improve student outcomes. More than 12 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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AASA Expands Women in School Leadership Awards to
Recognize and Support Aspiring Female Leaders

Alexandria, Va. – May 19, 2016 – According to AASA’s The Study of the American Superintendent: 2015 Mid-Decade Update, there has only been a modest increase in the leadership positions held by women in our nation’s school districts over the last decade. For years, The School Superintendents Association has been working to increase the number of females in leadership roles and celebrating their achievements with the Women in School Leadership Awards.

The awards continue a longstanding tradition of AASA honoring exceptional female superintendents, district level administrators and principals whose talent, creativity and vision are exemplary. AASA is pleased to announce that this year’s awards have been expanded to include a new category for aspiring female leaders in public education.

This new category—the School Based Award—expands the depth of the AASA Women in School Leadership Awards program and provides a pathway for AASA to support more women educators in developing leadership skills and advancing their careers. With this new awards category, AASA can now recognize the leadership skills of talented teachers, coaches and other school-based employees seeking leadership positions.

“There are scores of talented women educators across the country making a positive difference in their communities on behalf of the students they serve,” said Daniel A. Domenech, AASA executive director. “We are pleased to partner with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to create opportunities for these outstanding female school system leaders and those who wish to climb career ladders as we work to strengthen public education.”

The AASA Women in School Leadership Awards program is designed to recognize the exceptional leadership of active, front-line female leaders who are making a difference in the lives of students every day.

Each candidate is judged on the following criteria:

• Leadership for Learning – creativity in successfully meeting the needs of students in her school or district.
• Communication – strength in both personal and organizational communication.
• Professionalism – constant improvement of administrative knowledge and skills, while providing motivation to others on the education team.
• Community Involvement – active participation in local community activities and an understanding of regional, national and international issues.

Any female superintendent, central office staff, school principal, classroom teacher or school-based specialist may be nominated or apply for the Women in School Leadership Awards online at http://womensleadership.aasa.org/. The application deadline is June 15, 2016.

The AASA Women in School Leadership Awards are made possible by the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The awards are presented annually at the AASA National Conference on Education. AASA’s next national conference will be held in New Orleans, March 2-4, 2017.

To nominate an exceptional leader or apply for the AASA Women in School Leadership Awards, visit the AASA website.

For additional information about AASA’s awards program, contact Bernadine Futrell, director, awards and collaborations, at bfutrell@aasa.org.

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About AASA
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to the highest quality public education for all children. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.

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Edthena Takes Teacher PD Triple Crown, Wins CODiE Award for Best Professional Learning Solution

SAN FRANCISCO (May 19, 2016) – On Wednesday, Edthena, a video classroom observation platform for teacher development, was named the best Professional Learning Solution for K-20 Faculty and Administrative Staff as part of the 2016 CODiE Awards, organized by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA). 

This comes on the heels of recognition as Top Product by District Administration magazine and Best Professional Development Learning Solution 2016 by EdTech Digest.

“It’s exciting to win awards that mirror teachers’ own enthusiasm for Edthena as a tool that supports their professional learning,” said Adam Geller, founder and CEO of Edthena. “It’s a true honor to receive recognition from our peers in the education industry as a CODiE winner.”

Teachers using Edthena can analyze teaching videos online using collaboration and commenting tools. They upload videos of classroom instruction and share with colleagues who provide timestamped comments.

Launched in 2011, Edthena works with schools, districts, and teacher education programs in more than 30 states; their footprint stretches from Washington state to Washington, D.C. Organizations use Edthena to implement video observation in many scenarios including teacher induction, teacher mentoring, professional learning communities (PLCs), and peer observation.

“We’ve been working really hard to tackle even bigger technical challenges while still keeping a focus on strong design and good usability. I think these new product offerings make us an even more complete professional development solution,” said Geller.

Since the start of the academic year, Edthena has released an iOS app for mobile uploading, interactive dashboards for tracking teacher growth against professional standards, an integration with the Gates Foundation METX Video Library, web-based video trimming, a portfolio building tool, and organization-level activity reporting.

An SIIA CODiE Award win is a prestigious honor, as each award winner was reviewed by a field of industry experts whose evaluations determined the finalists. SIIA members then reviewed the finalists and their votes were combined with the scores from the industry experts’ to select this year’s CODiE Awards winners.

“SIIA’s 2016 Education Technology CODiE Award winners were phenomenal this year, and showed how supportive and impactful these technologies are for students, faculty and administration.” said Karen Billings, vice president and managing director of the Education Technology Industry Network (ETIN) of SIIA. “Each honoree deserves accolades and we are pleased to add our congratulations to all of this year’s CODiE Award winners.”

The winner announcement was made by the SIIA, the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries, to an audience of over 300 education, software, information and business technology leaders. The Best Professional Learning Solution award was one among the 29 total awards for products and services deployed specifically for education and learning professionals.

This is the second nomination and first CODiE win for Edthena.

About Edthena
Edthena is the leading classroom observation platform for using teaching videos as part of professional development. Teachers upload classroom videos and share to colleagues who leave time stamped comments. Edthena also offers specialized collaboration tools to help organizations implement best practices for video learning. For more information, visitwww.edthena.com. For more news about Edthena, visit blog.edthena.com.

About the SIIA CODiE Awards

The SIIA CODiE Awards is the only peer-reviewed program to showcase business and education technology’s finest products and services. Since 1986, thousands of products, services and solutions have been recognized for achieving excellence.  For more information, visit siia.net/CODiE.

About ETIN
ETIN (the Education Technology Industry Network of SIIA) is the leading voice for 200+ companies that provide software applications, digital content, online learning services and related technologies across the PK-20 sector. ETIN drives growth and innovation within the industry by providing leadership, advocacy, business development opportunities, government relations and critical ed tech market information. For more information, visit siia.net/etin.

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WASHINGTON (May 19, 2016) – The Education Industry Symposium (EIS), hosted by the Education Technology Industry Network (ETIN) of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), will be held July 25-27 at The Marriott Hotel City Center in Denver, Colorado. This conference will bring together 250-300 representatives from ed tech companies, publishers, start-ups, the financial community, professional associations, K-20 education institutions and the federal and state governments. It will also bring together member companies from ETIN and the former Education Industry Association (EIA).

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized

YMCA Discusses How Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs Can Close the Achievement Gap during June 16, 2016 Webinar

Free webinar by Apperson offers SEL strategies and examples of national efforts to help high-needs students succeed

Charlotte N.C. – May 17, 2016 – Assessment leader Apperson will host a free webinar at 2 p.m. EST, June 16, 2016 to showcase the work being done by the YMCA of the USA to improve social and emotional skills among its highest needs students.

The “Effective Use of SEL Assessment: A National Effort” webinar will feature Maria Guzman, Program Evaluation Specialist for Afterschool Programs at the YMCA of the USA, and representatives from the Devereux Center for Resilient Children.

To register for the webinar, visit http://goo.gl/Ezn0Ez or click here.

To help address one of the biggest challenges high-needs students face, the achievement gap, the YMCA of the USA has implemented an after-school program through its local branches that aims to improve the academic performance of high-needs students by helping them develop social and emotional skills. Webinar participants will learn more about this work on a local and national level.

In addition to Guzman, the webinar will feature representatives from Devereux and Apperson who will share how the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (the DESSA), is used to measure, improve and develop students’ social and emotional skills. The DESSA is a strengths-based assessment system designed to screen students for social and emotional competencies.Apperson offers an online assessment and intervention tool called Evo Social & Emotional, which features the DESSA to help educators measure students’ SEL skills and provide strategies for instruction and intervention.

The webinar is part of Apperson’s ongoing work to support educators, administrators and out-of-school-time organizations in implementing social and emotional learning programs within their organizations. Webinar attendees will receive a free 60-day trial of Apperson’s Evo SEL featuring the DESSA.

About Apperson

Apperson’s K-16 assessment solutions help educators develop a 360° panorama of the student and his or her strengths, as well as areas of opportunities, that can inform curriculum decision-making and create positive learning outcomes. Whether it’s DataLink scanners, or the Evo assessment platform, Apperson’s products support and encourage a holistic learning and development approach by helping educators turn assessment data into actionable information.  For more information, visit Apperson.com.

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Readability Study Finds that more than Half of Students Unable to Read Content Displayed on 70-inch Flat Panel

Research Findings Align with InfoComm DISCAS Draft Standard on Optimal Display Size and Relative Viewing Position

LONG BEACH, Calif. – May 17, 2016 – Epson today announced new findings from a recent study conducted by Radius Global Market Research that evaluated the readability of content displayed on a 70-inch flat panel in an average-sized classroom. According to the new research, 58 percent of students in an average classroom can’t read content displayed on a 70-inch flat panel.

The study was conducted with 106 students ages 12-to-22 in groups of approximately 30 at a time. Students were asked to read typical education content including charts and text-based information displayed on a top-selling 70-inch flat panel in a traditional 30-foot-by-30-foot classroom, and then write down six short items of information from what they saw. The students sat in five rows 22-feet wide (six seats per row) with the first row approximately eight feet from the display, and the last row about 27 feet from the display.

The overall results indicated that, on average, 17 out of 30 students per classroom were not able to read the content on the 70-inch flat panel, defined as writing down at least one item incorrectly.

“The majority of students evaluated in the study clearly had difficulty reading the content displayed on the 70-inch flat panel,” said Shira Horn, vice president, Radius Global Market Research.

The research findings support the 4/6/8 Rule for display size recommendations. The 4/6/8 Rule is a long-standing guideline commonly used by AV integrators and installers for determining the appropriate sized displays for different environments including classrooms, conference rooms and large venues.

Further, the results of the study are also consistent with the InfoComm DISCASdraft standard published by InfoComm International, the trade association representing the professional audio/visual and information communications industries worldwide. Using the DISCAS draft standard to calculate the Farthest Viewing Distance for Basic Decision Making –a 70-inch display would not be recommended for viewing text based educational content at distances of approximately 18 feet and beyond.

“Display size in the typical classroom has a direct impact on a student’s ability to read and comprehend the information presented – no matter where they are in the room,” said Jason Meyer, education product manager, Epson America. “This research shows that if the classroom display image size is too small, student comprehension is at risk. With the ability to display bright, high-quality images much larger than 70”, projectors continue to be the best and most affordable display technology for schools today.”

“When we decided to upgrade all of our 6,100 classrooms with new projection technology, we did our research and found that interactive flat panels tended to cost much more than interactive projectors for the same viewing space. We also looked at non-interactive flat panels, however we felt it was important to have finger-touch interactivity to allow students to interact with the projected content,” said Timothy Dunn, Director of Operational Information Technology Program Management at Fulton County Schools. “We chose the Epson BrightLink® 595Wi interactive projector because it met our needs for brightness, image size, interactivity, compatibility with popular software and price.”

For additional information about the research findings, visit www.epson.com/classroomdisplaysize.

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 to engage students, no matter where they sit in the classroom. Epson’s unmatched technology, service and support ensure educators are confident that high quality, bright images and multimedia are available in the classroom every day. For additional information about Epson education projection solutions, visit www.epson.com/education.

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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Considering a Universal Design for Learning Approach With Your Students? A New Playbook from itslearning Provides Tips for School Districts to Facilitate Personalized Learning

New guide explains benefits of UDL as a framework for creating learning-driven

environments and how districts’ can successfully put theory into practice

BOSTON — May 17, 2016 — The new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for K-12 education specifically endorses Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a set of principles that require teachers and students to shift roles as they collaborate around student-driven learning paths. It’s a significant departure from the traditional classroom approach, and transforming a learning environment doesn’t happen overnight.

To help schools navigate the sea of change to more personalized learning, itslearning, developer of the award-winning itslearning learning management system, has published a new guide titled “How To Make Personalized Learning a Reality in Your District.”  The 18-page PDF explains the stages and steps to creating a learner-driven environment powered by the UDL approach, how technology can support the integration, and questions to ask when considering which learning platform to choose. It likewise includes examples and tips from school districts that have successfully implemented a comprehensive plan to transition to student-driven learning.

“How To Make Personalized Learning a Reality in Your District” begins by explaining the distinction between “personalized” and “individualized” learning, and the benefits of encouraging students to be co-designers of their own learning paths and curriculum. It discusses the ULD model of “access, engage, express,” and provides educators with a framework for understanding how to create curricula that meet the needs of all learners. Finally, it provides tips to transition UDL from theory to practice, and examples of how learning management systems such as itslearning can be used to provide a streamlined, user-friendly learning environment that simplifies student-centered learning.

“We started our journey with universal design for learning because we felt it provided the best possible way for us to reach our students to improve their performance as well as make sure they were engaged in their learning,” said Mike Jamerson, director of technology at Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation in Columbus, Indiana. “With itslearning, we saw a platform where we could truly implement the three principles of UDL. It helps ensure all teaching objects across our district are aligned, which enables teachers to accurately measure and compare student progress and performance. As a result, they can personalize their teaching by selecting resources that cater to their students’ differing needs.”

A complimentary copy of “How To Make Personalized Learning a Reality in Your District” can be downloaded at http://info.itslearning.net/US-1604-UDL-eBook.html

About itslearning

Designed for teachers and how they want to teach, itslearning is a cloud-based learning platform used by millions of teachers, students, administration staff and parents around the world. It can be found at all levels of education, from primary schools to universities, helping teachers make education more inspiring and valuable for today’s students. Established in 1999, itslearning is headquartered in Bergen, Norway, and has offices in Boston, Atlanta and multiple locations around the world. For more information, visit http://www.itslearning.net.                  

Posted by Education Talk Radio in Uncategorized