THE Journal — eLearning/Web
Sakai Launches SCLE 2.4
The Sakai Foundation recently released version 2.4 of its Sakai Collaboration and Learning Environment (SCLE), an update six months in the making. SCLE is an open-source course management system targeted toward schools, colleges, and universities.
(5/30/2007)
iTunes U Debuts
Apple has launched a new iTunes feature called iTunes U, a new department in the iTunes Store that provides free education resources from American colleges and universities. The idea is to share resources from these campuses, such as lectures and research, free of charge. Some of the universities are also providing K-12 content.
(5/30/2007)
Ed Tech Groups Support ATTAIN Bill
The introduction this week of the Achievement Through Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) bill in the United States House of Representatives was met with enthusiasm by groups that support education technology. The bill seeks to revamp Part D of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to enhance professional development for teachers, improve technical proficiency in students, and otherwise support technology in various ways to advance student achievement.
(5/24/2007)
K-12 Instructional Software Sets Up for Online Access
Education technology company Curriculum Advantage recently announced its plans to make content for Classworks, a K-12 instructional tool, available on the Internet. The software is designed for teachers to assign and monitor progress for curriculum in English, language arts, and math.
(5/21/2007)
Fairfax County Gets Another Clue
Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia has extended its relationship with educational publisher FableVision, choosing the company's Get A Clue reading comprehension program for the fifth year in a row.
(5/18/2007)
Missouri To Launch Virtual Schools
Connections Academy, a virtual education company, recently announced that it has been selected by Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide Missouri's Virtual Instruction Program's (MoVIP) first K-5 virtual school, expected to open in 2007. The secondary education (grades 6-12) virtual school will be provided by Northwest Missouri State University. Both virtual campuses are intended to provide tuition-free education for more than 4,000 students in the state.
(5/18/2007)
Hybrid Learning: Challenges for Teachers
With the move to hybrid or "blended" course delivery that is taking place in many institutions, there is a challenge for teachers to think through the pedagogical implications of both methods and develop new designs for instruction and course delivery that maximizes both environments. The goal in the design of the instruction is to make the experience as "seamless" as possible for students, providing intentionality for each environment and the technology used. This intentionality must emerge from the learning outcomes of the course, as well as the engagement of the student throughout and the effective use of technology to heighten interaction and to support the production of learning.
(5/17/2007)
Schools Help Struggling Readers with Soliloquy
Over the last month, two schools and one district have reported improvements in student achievement in reading resulting from a reading program based around speech recognition technology, Soliloquy Reading Assistant from Soliloquy Learning.
(5/17/2007)
MS Math 3.0 Rolls Out This Month
Microsoft recently announced the launch of Math 3.0, a math and science educational tool for students in grade levels 6-12, as well as entry-level college students. The software is designed for use at home, to assist students with math and science concepts and homework, or for visual examples in the classroom.
(5/17/2007)
Interwrite Debuts Workspace, Cricket
Education technology developer Interwrite Learning has debuted two new technologies around its classroom tools: Interwrite Workspace, a software suite for working with digital media, and Interwrite Cricket, a new RF clicker for the company's student response system. Interwrite has also recently announced a partnership with MathMastery to integrate its math tools with the Interwrite Board, Pad, and Panel products.
(5/16/2007)
Pearson To Acquire eCollege
Pearson said this week that it plans to acquire eCollege, an online distance education provider. The deal will cost Pearson $477 million net, including the agreed $41 million sale of eCollege's Datamark division to a group of investors. The acquisition is expected to take place next quarter and has not yet been approved by shareholders.
(5/16/2007)
ICSAC Reinforces Bridges
The Iowa College Student Aid Commission (ICSAC) is expanding its relationship with developer Bridges Transitions to implement an online, statewide "career exploration" resource for middle schools, high schools, and post-secondary institutions.
(5/9/2007)
Angel Brings Podcasting, LOM to LMS
Angel Learning has released Angel LMS 7.2, an update to the company's learning management system. The latest update brings in native podcasting features and adds several new learning tools, including learning outcomes management (LOM) capabilities and native support for additional standards.
(5/8/2007)
Wimba Launches Live Classroom 5
Educational technology company Wimba has released Live Classroom version 5.0, the latest version of the virtual classroom suite for online courses and meetings. The upgrade adds new multimedia functionality and phone conferencing capabilities.
(5/7/2007)
Kennedy Middle School Stimulates Learning with Multimedia, Computing Power
Middle school students in Germantown, WI who are eager to learn about the latest technology have a fervent ally in their principal, Steve Bold. As principal of the 890-student Kennedy Middle School there for the last 11 years, he has been a passionate proponent of implementing computer training, presentation technology, and video production into the curriculum whenever he can. The result is more engaged, interested and involved students. We talked to him at his bustling middle school about how he uses tech to teach, experiments with new tools, and how he envisions the use of this technology in the future.
(5/3/2007)
Renzulli Releases Latest Online Learning Tool
Avon, CT-based Renzulli Learning Systems has released the latest version of its online learning tool, Renzulli Learning, which features more reporting and accountability features.
(5/3/2007)
Thinkfinity Kicks Off Asian-American Heritage Month
In observation of Asian-American Heritage Month, Thinkfinity.org has launched a website with free curriculum and educational resources about Asian history and culture. The website provides more than 50,000 lesson plans designed for K-12 students. Thinkfinity.org is a program operated through the Verizon Foundation.
(5/3/2007)
SchoolNet Launches Education Blog
Internet software developer SchoolNet has launched a new blog to support the EduStat Summit, an education conference that SchoolNet is co-hosting with the Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York.
(5/2/2007)
Angel LMS Integrates with Tegrity
Angel Learning this week rolled out enhancements to its Angel LMS (learning management system), bringing integration with Tegrity Campus 2.0, a widely used student achievement system.
(5/2/2007)
Kindergarten Site Teaches Basics of Books
A new online language arts course has been launched by e-Learning for Kids, a non-profit organization providing free online educational games for children ages 5 to 12, and ProtonMedia, a developer of communications and courseware solutions. The course, titled "About Printed Books," is the newest of the more than 80 courses available on the organization's website.
(5/1/2007)
Podcasting Grant Goes Online
For schools looking to explore the frontiers of podcasting, Olympus and education software developer Tool Factory have launched a new grant program specifically for teachers. The program supplies mixing and recording hardware and software valued at $3,000.
(4/26/2007)
WriteToLearn 3.0 Serves Up Writing, Reading Evaluation
Boulder, CO-based Pearson Knowledge Technologies has unveiled WriteToLearn 3.0, the latest update to its writing development and reading comprehension tool, which now gives students expanded feedback on their essays and helps teachers target students with reading passages geared for their individual abilities.
(4/25/2007)
Report: States Fill In for Feds in Ed Tech
Federal funding for technology in K-12 schools has declined drastically since 2002, but states are stepping in to cover the deficit, providing districts with line items within state budgets and offering alternatives for schools and districts to purchase technology. This according to a report released this month by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), "State Educational Technology Funding Report: State of the States."
(4/23/2007)
Thomson Gale Adds Grokker to Library Search Tools
Search technology Groxis (San Francisco, CA) and educational publisher Thomson Gale (Farmington Hills, MI) will provide enhanced search functions using Groxis' Grokker for Thomson Gale users at K-12 schools and at public and academic libraries.
(4/19/2007)
Beyond Curriculum Mapping: Using Technology To Delve Deeper into Inquiry Learning
Our elementary school staff decided to take an evaluative look at the use of technology in the classroom through a self-study process and a district technology initiative called Project 2000 over a two-year period. The faculty had the opportunity to determine a new direction relative to technology integration, and, to that aim, we determined that curriculum mapping, study groups, and an onsite technology coach would be a model for our professional development efforts.
(4/12/2007)
