• Millennium Group Partners With Project Adventure to Help Children Nationwide

  The Millennium Group has announced a partnership with Project Adventure Inc. to benefit children nationwide. Their focus will be to accelerate student achievement and school performance by providing solutions specifically designed to promote behavior modifications of students, team building for school personnel, and change of school climate.

  For the full story, visit http://www.the-m-group.com/pr020706.shtml

• MDR, RedRock Reports Announce Joint Venture
  
  MDR, a leading provider of sales and marketing solutions for the education industry, and RedRock Reports LLC, an expert on K-12 grants and funding, have announced the formation of an exclusive partnership. Effective immediately, the joint venture provides for the co-development and delivery of education funding information products and services for companies selling or marketing to districts and schools, as well as educators themselves. These tools will help businesses identify new and timely opportunities related to federal, state, and private funding for education initiatives. For educators, the combined effort will provide information on funding sources as well as the expertise to help write and pursue appropriate grant opportunities. The service is expected to be live this spring.

  For the full story, visit http://www.schooldata.com/mdr_rrr_news_2_23.htm

• Learn.com Launches $50 Million Software Grant Program to Support National Education Technology Plan

  Learn.com, a leader in creating and projecting power-on-demand eLearning, announced that the company is launching a $50 million software grant program in continued support of the National Education Technology Plan, announced in January of 2005 by the U.S. Department of Education. The 2006 Grant Program follows a very successful program in 2005 in which Learn.com donated $40 Million in software and services to academic institutions throughout the United States.

  For the full story, visit http://www.learn.com/learncenter.asp?id=178413&page=166

• Last Chance: Free Rooms Still Available for CoSN’s AYP Pre-Conference Workshop

  Complimentary hotel rooms are still available for this Sunday’s Consortium for School Networking’s (CoSN) pre-conference workshop, “An Integrated Approach to Increasing Student Performance: Focusing on Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Beyond,” which will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Crystal City Hyatt Hotel in Arlington, VA. The workshop occurs prior to the 2006 K-12 School Networking Conference and International Symposium that runs from March 6-9. The workshop will feature experts from the government, business, and K-12 sectors, including John Bailey and Dr. Michelle Klink, who will provide information about strategies for increasing student performance. Representatives from school districts nationwide, including Broward County Public Schools (FL) and Jersey City Public Schools (NJ), also will be on hand to share case studies on their best practices for achieving AYP. Attendees already registered for the 2006 K-12 School Networking Conference and International Symposium can register for this pre-conference at no additional cost. For more information, contact Wendy Weiler at [email protected], or via phone at (508) 398-4968.

  A full agenda of the pre-conference workshop can be found online at http://www.k12schoolnetworking.org/program/sunday.cfm
  

• SETDA: Eliminating EETT Funds Puts NCLB Requirements, America's
  Competitiveness at Risk
  

  The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA; http://www.setda.org) is calling on congressional leaders to fully restore the Bush administration's proposed elimination of NCLB's Title II, Part D-Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program. According to SETDA, the cuts could lead state agencies and schools to eliminate proven programs that promote the effective use of technology to utilize data systems measuring AYP; increase student achievement in math, science, and language arts with supplemental and online courseware; and provide access to quality content for rural students and teachers. The administration's proposed elimination of the EETT program will also have a devastating effect nationwide on the ability of schools to meet the requirements of NCLB and to prepare America's students to be competitive. "We urge Congress to listen to the teachers, parents and students who realize the important role technology plays in developing skills for 21st century workers," said Melinda George, executive director or SETDA. "It is hypocritical for President Bush to propose eliminating the only federal funding dedicated to promoting the effective and systemic use of technology in the classroom while at the same time setting goals for America's global competitiveness." In January, during SETDA's "Technology Impact in Education Month," more than 2,000 students and teachers from across the U.S. cited examples and shared anecdotes of how technology is critical at school, work, and home. It was clear that parents, students, and teachers understood the essential need for the effective use of technology in their classrooms, as well as in their daily lives. The resounding message was that schools will see the productivity gains modeled in the business community if there is a sufficient technology infrastructure in place to address each child's learning needs.
  
  For more information on this event, visit http://www.edtechimpact.com

Vernier Software & Technology (http://www.vernier.com/math/)has introduced a new Easy Math Deluxe Package, a data-collection kit for the math classroom featuring the EasyTemp temperature probe, the EasyLink sensor interface, and the Texas Instruments Calculator-Based Ranger 2. The new Easy Math Deluxe Package allows students to study mathematical relationships in real-world phenomena as recommended by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The package includes an array of sensors and will utilize the direct USB capabilities of the TI-84 Plus and TI-84 Plus Silver Edition graphing calculators from Texas Instruments. Pricing: $488.

Apple (http://www.apple.com/ipod/) recently unveiled a new 1GB iPod nano for just $149, offering the same features as the 2GB and 4GB iPod nano models and able to hold up to 240 songs or 15,000 photos. The new 1GB iPod nano’s ultra-portable design is thinner than a No. 2 pencil and features Apple’s patent-pending Click Wheel and the same color screen as the other iPod nano models. In addition, Apple announced that the iPod shuffle is now more affordable with the 512MB and 1GB models priced at $69 and $99, respectively.

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