THE Journal — eLearning/Web
Vernier Updates Science Content, Launches Free Workshops
Vernier Software & Technology has announced that all of its science activity books are now available in digital form for use with the company's LabQuest handheld device used for data collection. The announcement was made at last week's FETC 2008 conference in Orlando, FL.
(1/30/2008)
Site Executive 4 Expands Platform Support
Content management system developer Systems Alliance Tuesday launched a new version of its flagship Web CMS SiteExecutive. The latest release, version 4, includes expanded support for mobile devices for content delivery and multiple platforms for content authoring and also adds new optimization features.
(1/29/2008)
IBM Debuts Web 2.0, Collaborative Technologies
IBM has unveiled several new collaboration tools and Web 2.0 technologies, including IBM Lotus Mashups, a forthcoming commercial mashup maker designed to allow "non-technical users to easily create enterprise mashups." At the Lotusphere conference in Florida last Wednesday, the company also introduced new versions of Lotus Connections and Lotus Quickr, a rich collaboration tool.
(1/29/2008)
Adobe Throttles Up Flash Media Server
Adobe has released two new full version upgrades in its Flash Media Server line: Flash Media Streaming Server 3 and Flash Media Interactive Server 3. The latest versions, released Jan. 25, both include "major" performance gains and additional security enhancements for content delivery. They also add MPEG-4 support in the form of H.264 video and High-Efficiency AAC (HE-AAC) audio.
(1/28/2008)
Internet Security: Getting Involved To Keep Kids Safe
"What has the Internet brought?" That was the opening question posed to the audience Friday at FETC 2008 by speaker William Piotrowski during a session on Internet safety. Piotrowski, along with main presenter, Jonathan King, addressed issues related to the increase of available online technologies and their implications on the safety and security of today's children.
(1/28/2008)
FETC 2008: It's All About Community
Education technology took center stage in Florida last week as teachers, administrators and district technology experts gathered at FETC 2008 in Orlando. Podcasting, digital collaboration and Web 2.0 dominated much of the discussion, but security, new and emerging technologies, and environmental education were also major themes.
(1/28/2008)
AEC Releases Science Content, Expands Courseware
American Education Corp. (AEC) has released several new science curricula for both K-8 and high school. At the FETC 2008 conference in Florida last week, the company was also on hand to show off a new suite of content for its A+ VIP Bundle e-learning instruction courseware program.
(1/28/2008)
Newfoundland Adopts Sweeping LMS Change in All Public Education
The province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada has announced a new initiative that will impact all public education within its borders, from kindergarten to higher ed. It's adopted a single LMS solution for al of its schools, colleges, and universities--the Desire2Learn Learning Environment--in an effort to unify and enhance collaborative learning.
(1/25/2008)
Web 2.0: Helping Reinvent Education
The evolution in education has created a gap between "Classic learning and knowing" and "Web 2.0 learning and knowing," said Chris Dede, Timothy E. Wirth professor in Learning Technologies at Harvard's Graduate School of Education, speaking at the FETC 2008 conference Thursday. "Thinking is now distributed across minds, tools and media, groups of people, and space and time."
(1/25/2008)
MIND Expansion: Ed Publisher Moves into Southeast
At the FETC 2008 conference in Orlando, FL, non-profit education research and publishing organization MIND Research Institute announced Thursday that it's expanding its operations into the southeastern United States. The move allows the firm to offer its visual math courseware programs in Florida and eight other southeastern states.
(1/25/2008)
Teachers Do Battle (and Math) at FETC Gaming Tournament
Teachers from around the country battled it out in the first-ever multi-state, multi-player educational gaming tournament at this year's FETC show in Florida. Friday's championship round pitted 11 educators from 10 states against one another in a contest of math skills in the immersive 3D environment of Tabula Digita's DimensionM. In the end, of course, there could be only one.
(1/25/2008)
Adaptive Curriculum Launches Math and Science Activities
Sebit this week launched a new online educational resource focused on math and science: Adaptive Curriculum. The resource provides a library of math and science activities aligned to state and national standards. It's on display at the FETC show in Orlando, FL.
(1/24/2008)
Learn360 Brings Streaming Media to K-12 Education
School Specialty Media has launched a new streaming media service targeted specifically toward K-12 education. Dubbed Learn360, the service provides streaming video and audio, as well as still images, including premium content from National Geographic. The service was tested in New Jersey over the fall semester and is now available nationally.
(1/24/2008)
iTunes U--Educators Do 'Cool Stuff' with Technology
Speaking to a standing-room only crowd at FETC 2008 in Orlando, FL Thursday, presenters Ann Barron, James Welsh, James Takacs and Luis Perez--all from the University of South Florida (USF)--shared their insights on planning, producing, and administering the university's educational podcasts, hosted through Apple's service, iTunes U.
(1/24/2008)
FETC Brief: Pearson Expands Online Math Remediation
At the FETC show in Orlando, FL Tuesday, Pearson announced that it's expanded its online math remediation tool, Pearson Perspective, to include video tutorials from Video Math Tutor.
(1/23/2008)
Pearson Debuts enVisionMATH Elementary Curriculum
Pearson has launched a new math curriculum targeted specifically toward elementary students. Dubbed enVisionMATH, the program combines traditional (print) curriculum elements with elements aimed at technologically oriented students, including animations and online visual learning tools. It's being demonstrated this week at the FETC show in Orlando, FL.
(1/23/2008)
Renaissance, Pearson Partner for Classroom Response System
Education publisher Pearson Wednesday unveiled a new student response system for K-12 and higher ed at the FETC conference in Orlando, FL. The system, developed in partnership with technology provider Renaissance Learning, is designed to be integrated with Pearson's Prosper assessment system.
(1/23/2008)
FETC Brief: BrainPOP Shows Off Animated Educational Series
At the FETC conference in Orlando, FL this week, BrainPOP will demonstrate its animated robot character Moby, which stars in the company's online animated educational series BrainPOP, BrainPOP Jr., and BrainPOP Español.
(1/22/2008)
FETC Brief: Angel To Showcase LMS in K-12 Schools
At the FETC conference in Orlando, FL this week, Angel Learning will showcase several K-12 schools and school districts that have adopted its learning management system, Angel LMS. The case studies will focus on a variety of aspects of learning management systems in K-12, from professional development to credit recovery to enhancements to classroom-based learning.
(1/22/2008)
Discovery Launches Media Management for Schools
Discovery Education is launching a new media management service for educators and school administrators. Dubbed MediaShare, the service, being shown off for the first time this week at the FETC conference in Orlando, FL, allows schools to upload, manage, and distribute licensed or user-generated content through a Web interface.
(1/22/2008)
Smart Adds Leopard Support to Whiteboard Software
Smart Technologies has released an update to its whiteboard software, Smart Board 9.7. The update comes on the heels of a full-version upgrade for the company's Notebook software, announced last week at the Macworld expo in San Francisco. Smart Board software powers Smart's line of interactive whiteboards (Smart Boards), its Sympodium interactive pen display, and its AirLiner wireless slate.
(1/21/2008)
Web Technology Boosts Writing Performance at Alhambra USD
Can a computer really grade a composition? Ask the initially skeptical teachers at Alhambra Unified School District just east of Los Angeles. Coordinator of Instructional Technology Linda Benafel introduced Vantage Learning's online writing program MY Access! in the 2005/2006 school year. Seventh-grade test scores on the California Standards Test writing assessment immediately zoomed nearly 50 percentage points, from 22 percent of students scoring proficient or above in 2005/2006 to 70 percent in 2006/2007.
(1/17/2008)
Discovery Launches 'Science for Elementary' Service
Expanding on its science education tools for middle school students, Discovery Education this week launched a digital science service targeted specifically toward elementary students: Discovery Education Science for Elementary. The new service, which will be shown off at the FETC conference in Orlando, FL next week, is designed to build foundational knowledge in science while bolstering math and literacy skills.
(1/17/2008)
Newsgator Declares RSS Readers Free
Newsgator, one of the earliest entrants into the RSS and aggregated content reader business, has decided to offer its latest generation of client tools for free. That includes NetNewsWire 3.1, a Mac reader; FeedDemon 2.6, a PC reader; and NewsGator Go! for Windows Mobile 2.0, a mobile reader. The company is also offering a free version of NewsGator Inbox, which delivers RSS feeds to Microsoft Outlook folders.
(1/16/2008)
UK Agency Funds New Approach to Use of Digital Media
A UK government and corporate consortium has announced a project to develop the next generation of digital learning software for schools. The £1.9 million R&D initiative, titled Project SILVER, will research the visualization of knowledge in the collaborative e-learning environment and develop a toolkit for educational use. The software platform will be independent of any specific subject domain and will allow teachers to add their own content.
(1/16/2008)
