October 2006 — News
Print this article | Email this articleClick here to receive your FREE subscription to T.H.E. Journal
News + Briefs
Thursday, Nov. 9
Valdosta Adopts PDExpress-Based Programs
The Valdosta City School District in Georgia has implemented Lucid Data's PDExpress, a professional development and information management system for educators and staff. According to Lucid, the district is using the technology to manage its professional learning programs and related activities.
More info:
Adobe Ships Creative Suite 2.3
11.09.2006—Following the rollout of Acrobat Pro 8, Adobe has released a new version of its Creative Suite software package. The new version adds in the latest release of Acrobat Pro and bundles Dreamweaver 8, a Web design and development tool. The new Creative Suite is available now for Mac OS X and Windows.
More info:
Comcourse Offers Exit Exam Help Online
11.09.2006—Comcourse Inc., Santa Cruz, Calif., has launched a new Web site called ExitExamHelp.com. The site offers free online test preparation for students taking high school exit exams, which are required in several states. According to the company, the initial course implementation will be for the CAHSEE, with other states "following shortly thereafter." Comcourse has been developing online courses for high schools and colleges for more than nine years and also offers a free online GED course.
More info:
Markzware Ships Q2ID 2 Quark to InDesign Conversion Tool
11.09.2006—Markzware has released a new version of its Q2ID utility for converting documents from QuarkXPress to Adobe InDesign. The new version 2.0 now supports QuarkXPress documents from version 3.3 to version 7.0. The plugin supports the conversion of font assignments and style sheets, linked images and graphics, color blends, linked and anchored text boxes, CMYK specifications, Pantone and other color models and page positioning. It works with Adobe InDesign CS and CS2 as a plugin on Mac OS X systems.
More info:
Wednesday, Nov. 8
Falls Church Schools Implement Online Registration
Infosnap reported today that Falls Church City Public Schools used its technologies to implement online registration for K-12 students. The company said the new procedure was implemented in response to "in response to parents' complaints about burdensome forms, long lines and inconvenient timing." Using the online registration process, parents registered their kids via the Internet; those without Internet access were invited to an open house where the system was demonstrated and explained. Infosnap's system is designed to work with a variety of database solutions used by schools, including SASI, Blackbaud, FileMaker, Access, Rediker, Power School, and other databases. Infosnap says that more than 250,000 families have used its technology to apply, register, and enroll their children in schools and summer programs.
More info:
America Can! Seeks President
Following the announced resignation of current head H. M. Motsinger, America Can! is now seeking a new president and CEO to lead the non-profit organization. America Can! operates in a network of 10 public schools, working with more than 7,000 "at risk" students per year in Texas to provide a "second chance" at earning a high school diploma. Application packets can be requested by calling 214-944-1948. Deadline for applications is Dec. 15, 2006.
More info:
ProCan Launches Scholastic Tracks
ProCan Software has launched Scholastic Tracks, a new education administration system tailored specifically for independent educators and small businesses with training departments. The subscription-based service provides a variety of administrative features and also allows educators to track courses, students, academic progress and enrollment and also provides utilities to assist with monitoring functions. Pricing begins at CDN$30, and packages range up to CDN$3,840.
More info:
CDC's 'Act Early' Campaign Enters New Phase
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has launched a new phase of its "Learn the Signs. Act Early" campaign. "Act Early" is an awareness program designed to help child care providers, including preschools, understand the importance of tracking the social and emotional development of children and identify potential early warning signs of developmental disabilities, including autism. In the latest phase, more than 407,000 child care facilities in the United States will be targeted by the campaign, and informational materials will be distributed, including a resource kit that contains a a CD-ROM, a growth chart that allows parents to track specific developmental milestones and educational posters. The kit is available in English and Spanish.
More info:
Tuesday, Nov. 7
Fantom Ships Network Drive: Up to 750 GB
MicroNet's Fantom Drives unit, Torrance, Calif., has started shipping a new network attached storage device: the Fantom Network Drive. The unit is designed for network storage (up to 750 GB) using either USB 2.0 or Ethernet without a dedicated network server. All setup and permissions are administered via a Web user interface, allowing access for Windows- and Mac OS X-based systems.The Fantom Network Drive is available now in three capacities: 250 GB for $149.95, 500 GB for $279.95 and 750 GB for $649.95.
More info:
Gluon Updates StudioPack, Slugger ID
Gluon has released updates to two of its print production tools: Slugger ID and StudioPack ID. Slugger is a document trafficking tool for Adobe InDesign CS2. It places stamps on each page with document information, including font lists, color lists, image lists and other data. The new 6.07 update fixes various minor issues, improves XML specification implementation for native custom slugs and adds better integration with preferences from Slugger for QuarkXPress. StudioPack is a suite of tools for Adobe InDesign. The latest release, version 3.07, adds InDesign CS2 compatibility and now includes the latest version of Slugger ID.
More info:
FileMaker To Be Featured at Technology & Learning Conference
Two cases studies will be presented tomorrow at the National School Boards Association's Technology + Learning Conference showcasing how FileMaker Pro has been used in two chool districts for assessment and education planning in two school districts. At 11 a.m., Bob Barboza, resource specialist for the Paramount Unified School District in California will hold a workshop entitled "The Complete Teaching Toolbox: From Lesson Planning to Improved Student Performance using FileMaker Pro." At 4:30 p.m., Greg Walker, data solutions administrator, Pinellas
County School District, Largo, Fla., will present a FileMaker Pro-based student information system that assesses and evaluates student performance for the No Child Left Behind Act. The Technology + Learning Conference runs Nov. 8 through 10 at the Dallas Convention Center.
More info:
Monday, Nov. 6
Sketchpad Math Software Goes Universal
Geometer has released an update to Sketchpad, a software tool for teaching and learning math. The new 4.07 update adds native compatibility for Intel-based Macs and continues to support PowerPC-based Macs and Windows systems as well.
More info:
Adobe Releases Acrobat Pro 8.0
Adobe has started shipping the final release of Acrobat Pro 8.0 for Mac OS X and Windows. The new software is Adobe's first full Universal Binary release of a major piece of software, and it adds a variety of productivity and creative enhancements for versions on both platforms.
More info:
Google Earth Gets Update for Mac
Google has released an update for its popular Google Earth for Mac OS X. Google Earth is, of course, a tool for locating places around the world, acting as a sort of interactive 3D globe. It allows users to point and zoom into any place on the earth and provides satellite images and various pieces of information about the location. It also allows users to search for specific addresses and zoom into those addresses.
More info:
Natomas USD Expands HOSTS Implementation
Natomas Unified School District in Sacramento, Calif. (11,200 students) is expanding its implementation of HOSTS learning solutions. According to HOSTS, Natomas has been using its system to help high school seniors pass the California High School Exit Exam. Based on the results with 57 seniors, Natomas will implement the complete HOSTS Learning Classroom Solution in all of its schools starting in January. The solution includes the HOSTS Instructional Management System, HOSTS Mentoring & Intervention, and HOSTS Professional Growth & Learning.
More info:
People: Martinez Named ‘Generation YES’ President
Sylvia Martinez has been named president of Generation YES (Youth and Educators Succeeding), an organization that works with schools to plan and implement technologies programs for students. Martinez has been an electrical engineer and was most recently vice president of development for Encore Software, a developer of console games.
More info:
NCTET Announces Reception to Celebrate E-rate's 10th Anniversary
The National Coalition for Technology in Education will host a reception Feb. 28, 2007 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of E-rate. The event will be held in the Botanic Gardens on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC and will include presentations honoring U.S. Senators Rockefeller, Snowe, Kerrey and Exon (posthumous). NCTET will follow up the event with a press conference March 1, presenting a report on the achievements of E-rate over the last 10 years. In addition, the organization, along with the Education and Libraries Coalition, will host a roundtable event that will focus on the future of E-rate and its reauthorization.
More info:
FamilyEducation.com Relaunches ‘Get Ready To Read’
11.06.2006—FamilyLearning.com has partnered with the National Center for Learning Disabilities to relaunch its Get Ready To Read program. FamilyLearning is an online publisher (launched by Pearson PLC in 1996) that provides guidance for parents of schoolchildren and information for children about school experiences. Get Ready To Read is once of the company's programs, tailored specifically for parents of 4-year-old children to help them determine their children's reading skill levels prior to starting kindergarten. Part of the relaunched program includes a 20-question test that determines the strength of a child's reading ability. There are also tools provided to help improve reading skills for kids going into kindergarten, including activities and various resources for parents. According to the company, the new version doubles the amount of activities and resources.
More info:
ScienceWorks Brings Mac OS X and Windows XP Compatibility to CatWorks
11.06.2006—ScienceWorks has released an update to CatWorks, the company's electronic dissection program designed to replace live lab requirements in high school classrooms. The new 1.5 release adds native compatibility for Mac OS X and Windows XP. (The company says Mac OS 9 and Windows 95/98/2000 versions will continue to be available as supplies last.) ScienceWorks says it's nw working on bringing all of its titles to Mac OS X and Windows XP. These include DissectionWorks, Rocks! & Minerals, Discover the Elements, SlideWorks and SkyWorks.
More info:
Thursday, Nov. 2
Toshiba, NSTA Kick Off ExploraVision Science Competition
Toshiba and the National Science Teachers’ Association have launched their annual ExploraVision student science competition. The program, now in its 15th year, is designed for K-12 students in the United States and Canada, offering prizes of up to U.S.$10,000 for the winners.More info:
Parallels Desktop Automates Windows Installations on the Mac
Parallels Inc. has released an update to its popular Parallels Desktop software. Parallels is a tool that allows Mac users to run Windows, Linux and other operating systems on their Intel-based Macs. Unlike Apple’s Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop does not require a restart to run Windows on the Mac.More info:
Fairfax Public Schools Implement 7,000 Wireless Access Points with AirWave
AirWave Wireless yesterday announced that Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia has implemented a wireless network with more than 7,000 access points using the company’s management and security technologies. FCPS comprises some 220 schools and 164,000 students—the 13th-largest district in the United States—and had set a goal to provide wireless access to every individual classroom in the district.More info:
Apple Updates Xcode, X11
Apple yesterday released updates for its X11 and Xcode software. X11 is Apple’s implementation of the X Window System. Based on the open-source XFree86 Project, it allows those familiar with Unix to run X11R6.6 applications concurrent with standard Mac OS X applications. Apple’s X11 includes the full distribution of XFree86 4.4 and is fully integrated with Mac OS X, including Aqua interface elements and Dock interaction, and Apple’s Quartz graphics system, including OpenGL rendering.More info:
