THE Journal — eLearning/Web
California Superintendent: Parents Have Right To Homeschool
Saying that public schools might not be a good fit for every student in California, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell released a statement this week supporting the rights of parents to homeschool their children, despite the Feb. 28 Second District Court of Appeals ruling to the contrary. The statement comes on the heels of a pledge by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to support homeschooling by fighting against the court ruling either through the courts or through other political means.
(3/13/2008)
Video Surveillance Joins Blackboard Commerce Suite
Ed tech developer Blackboard this week launched a new video surveillance solution for its campus management system called Blackboard Video Surveillance. The new tool, announced at BbWorld Commerce conference in Phoenix, AZ March 10, will become part of the Blackboard Commerce Suite, a payment and security management system designed for education.
(3/12/2008)
Fast ForWord Makes Gains in Florida, Texas
Florida's Department of Education has approved Scientific Learning's Fast ForWord family of reading improvement software for use as K-12 supplemental intervention reading programs in schools throughout the state. Fast ForWord has also made gains in Texas, where the Dallas Independent School District recently released a study showing improvements on state tests after using the tool.
(3/12/2008)
5 New Schools, Districts Adopt 'Web Lockers'
Five school groups have signed on for School Web Lockers, a file sharing and storage provider. The new customers include the Roman Catholic Diocese Schools of Albany, NY; Clarkstown Central School District in New City, NY; De La Salle Institute in Chicago, IL; New Urban High School in Milwaukie, OR; and Pierson Vocational High School, in Nogales, AZ.
(3/10/2008)
Gov. Schwarzenegger Promises Reprieve to California Homeschoolers
In late February, California's Second District Court of Appeals issued a ruling that effectively banned every form of homeschooling in the state--whether coordinated through a public school district, combined with online schooling, or otherwise administered in a way that does not include full-time, in-person instruction from a credentialed teacher. It was a ruling with widespread implications for every homeschooling parent in the state, and one that is now being challenged on two fronts: by homeschool advocates and by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger himself.
(3/10/2008)
Kidspiration 3 Adds Visual Math Tools
Education developer Inspiration Software this week released an update to Kidspiration, a K-5 visual learning software suite. The new version 3.0 includes expanded math tools, as well as features for boosting vocabulary and reading comprehension.
(3/7/2008)
ExploraVision Science Competition Regional Winners Named
More than 4,500 student teams submitted projects for the 2008 Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards Program, an annual K-12 science competition. Twenty-four of them were named regional winners in the science competition this week.
(3/7/2008)
Stoneware Integrates Virtual Desktop with iTunes U
Stoneware announced the integration of Apple's iTunes U with its virtualized Web desktop solution, WebOS. iTunes U allows colleges and universities a way to let students search, download and play education content just like they do music, movies, and TV shows. With the integration of iTunes U into the user's virtualized WebOS desktop, students can access applications, files, documents, educational podcasts and other content from a Web desktop that is accessible from anywhere.
(3/5/2008)
Microsoft Expands Office Live Workspace Beta Worldwide
After nearly three months of private beta testing involving about 100,000 users, Microsoft Office Live Workspace (OLW) is being rolled out worldwide as a full public beta. Previously, participants had to be qualified by Microsoft for the beta; now, as of today, it's open to all comers who wish to create workspaces. Coinciding with the public beta, Microsoft has also revved OLW with new features and enhancements and has kicked off a sweepstakes to build awareness for the service.
(3/4/2008)
PBS Launches Professional Development for PreK Literacy
PBS Teacherline and PBS Kids have combined forces to launch a new preschool literacy professional development program. Dubbed "Raising Readers: Preparing Preschoolers for Success," the program includes one asynchronous online course, available now, with two more courses slated to roll out later in the year.
(3/4/2008)
Wimba Unveils New Collaborative Messaging Tool
At the inaugural Wimba Connect 2008 user conference Tuesday, Wimba unveiled its new Wimba Pronto, a collaborative instant messaging tool geared specifically toward education.
(3/4/2008)
Festival To Bring Hands-on Science to Northern California Students
In an effort to spark interest in science among elementary and middle school students--particularly girls--Sally Ride Science is holding a festival March 29 at Santa Clara University in Northern California that will feature hands-on science, workshops, and socialization opportunities for students and teachers alike.
(3/3/2008)
Chicago Adopts Gaming for After School Math Programs
As part of an initiative to extend math activities for its students into the "immersive learning" arena, Chicago Public Schools has rolled out videogames in four of its after school centers. The rollout includes algebra and pre-algebra gaming software from Tabula Digita, called DimensionM.
(3/3/2008)
Chicago Public Schools Partners with Freedom Center for Distance Learning
As part of a new electronic learning initiative, Chicago Public Schools has partnered with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center for an educational program that combines distance learning technologies with digital media. The program, funded by Ariel Mutual Funds, offers a history curriculum that focuses on slavery in the United States and around the world.
(2/29/2008)
Phat Math Debuts Math-Focused Social Network
Miami-based Phat Math has launched a new online social network designed to promote math and financial literacy among students. Billed as a "math edutainment social network," phatmath.com incorporates activities and chat features to provide help with math homework free for students.
(2/28/2008)
STEM Education: High School Students Network with the Community
A senior center in Leetsdale, PA now has both wired and wireless computer connections, along with the computers themselves, thanks to students from nearby Quaker Valley High School. The students found funding for the project themselves, including computers, since the senior center had no computers previously. As part of the project, they also wired the building and offered classes to seniors on how to use the new systems.
(2/28/2008)
Brief: Teacher Forum Spotlights Classroom Technologies
Audio-visual tech provider AVerMedia Technologies this week launched a new forum for educators focusing specifically on classroom technologies. The site, called Teacher Forum, includes general teacher resources, discussions, and links to promotions and events.
(2/28/2008)
'Foundations' Series Aims To Boost Elementary Reading Comprehension
Education developer Dynamic Literacy has released Foundations, the latest series in its WordBuild Vocabulary Development System. Foundations teaches "morphics," a term the company uses to differentiate its morphological instruction from phonics-based approaches. The system is targeted toward students in grades 3 through 5, though it can also be used in interventions for students in grades 6 and up.
(2/28/2008)
Ohio Districts Extend SchoolNet Contracts
Two Ohio districts--the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Columbus City Public Schools--have renewed their contracts with SchoolNet, according to information released by the company Monday. SchoolNet provides data, assessment, and curriculum management services and technologies through its SchoolNet Instructional Management Solution. The new deal renews SchoolNet's contract as the provider of Cleveland's curriculum and instructional management system for five more years and Columbus' for three more.
(2/27/2008)
ePals To Provide Education Software for Classmate PCs
Ed tech developer ePals this week announced that it's developing education tool's for the Classmate PC, Intel's low-cost, ruggedized laptops designed for elementary and middle school students. It's also part of Intel's World Ahead Program for bringing technology to students around the world, particularly students in "emerging" cultures.
(2/26/2008)
Learning Site Taps Social Media To Share Educational Resources
A new site launched in beta Thursday that combines educational resources with social media. The site, Flashcard Friends, uses Web 2.0 technologies to allow students (and teachers) to create skill practice materials (i.e. electronic flashcards) and share them with other users.
(2/25/2008)
South Carolina Implements Web-Based Training for Teachers, Students
The South Carolina Department of Education, through its Office of eLearning, has partnered with Atomic Learning to deploy a Web-based instruction system for teacher training and online instruction for students. Through the partnership, Atomic will deliver training in various software applications, along with lesson plans and other technology-based support systems.
(2/25/2008)
IBM Launches Free 3D Multiplayer Virtual Science Game To Push Engineering
IBM is launching a free multiplayer online game, challenging teenagers to help save the planet "Helios" from ecological disaster. PowerUp, which can be played alone or together, is intended to interest students in studying engineering. The game features a planet in near ecological ruin, where three missions for solar, wind, and water power must be solved before sandstorms, floods or SmogGobs thwart the rescue.
(2/21/2008)
Improving Instruction with Interactive Whiteboards (on the Cheap)
The Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District in South Yarmouth, MA faces obstacles not uncommon to many school districts: poor state testing scores, declining enrollment, and a diminishing budget for classroom resources. But that hasn't stopped Lory Stewart, director of instructional technology, from doing everything she can to squeeze out the money necessary for bringing interactive whiteboards into as many classrooms as possible.
(2/21/2008)
Social Media: How to 'Sell It' to Your Team
Social media is something that many younger teachers will have a familiarity with outside of the classroom. Ask any colleague under the age of, say, 30, and it's fairly likely that he or she will have a profile on a social network like Facebook or MySpace. Business-facing social networks like LinkedIn have also seen explosive growth from educators in the last year.
(2/20/2008)
