March 29, 2006

  • 03/29/06
T.H.E. Newsletter: March 29, 2006
March 29, 2006
WEEKLY SECTIONS

  • Chicago Public Schools Selects SAFARI Montage for VoD Solution

    Chicago Public Schools recently selected SAFARI Montage from Library Video Co. as its enterprise video-on-demand solution in order to improve visual learning in the classroom via digital technology. SAFARI Montage now provides Chicago's 182 elementary, middle, and high school classes with digital access to a range of choice content for their visual instruction needs. SAFARI Montage is an affordable, broadcast-quality, video-on-demand server that comes preloaded with more than 1,000 titles of the very best educational programs from the world's most preeminent publishers.

    For the full story, visit
    http://www.safarimontage.com/News/press/press03162006.aspx

  • Pixarra Introduces K-12 Site License to Help Schools Bring Digital Art into the Classroom

    Pixarra (http://www.pixarra.com) has introduced a new K-12 site license designed to give schools improved, affordable access to digital painting software with the award-winning TwistedBrush graphics program. Three different license lengths are available from six months to the most affordable three-year license. Regardless of the license length, there are no additional costs for upgrades or maintenance during the license term, and no reporting or tracking of seats is required. Schools participating in Pixrra’s new K-12 program will receive electronic access to the latest version of TwistedBrush, access to electronic upgrades, and a master key that is used to activate TwistedBrush on every computer in the facility and provide faculty and staff free home and laptop usage. Pricing: a six-month license is $350, a one-year license is $500, and the three-year license is $1,000. For one fixed price, each school is able to deploy TwistedBrush software on every computer and provide faculty and staff with free home and laptop usage.

    For the full story, visit
    http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/3/prweb361985.htm

  • LearningSoft Awarded Patent for Adaptive Assessment System

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted LearningSoft LLC (http://www.learningsoft.net) a patent titled “Adaptive Content Delivery System and Method,” which covers the company’s proprietary Learningtrac adaptive assessment system. Learningtrac uses artificial intelligence to optimize assessment and test preparation for individual students’ strengths and weaknesses. The system uses a student’s own knowledge base, learning patterns, and measures of attention to the material to continually adapt curriculum content to the student’s needs and spur skill development. Educators are then able to monitor individual student assessments as well as track classroom progress. Later this year, Learningtrac will be integrated into LearningSoft’s Indigo Learning System, which is debuting at the 2006 Florida Educational Technology Conference.

  • Smithsonian Implements Wireless Video Conferencing

    IVCi LLC, a leading integrator of enterprise collaboration solutions, has successfully implemented a unique, wireless video conferencing solution for the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, MD, which will allow the center to deliver its on-site educational experience directly into the classroom. Key among SERC's long list of research programs are those that examine shoreline habitats, local fish, and blue crabs. IVCi implemented the wireless solution, called the Mobile Video Interactive Companion II (MVIC II), which combines a Polycom video codec and the CIT Wireless product. Since its inception, video conferencing has traditionally been conducted in a designated conferencing room. However, the MVIC II system allows meetings to be held in a variety of places, while providing two-way, high-end group system quality and performance in a compact wireless mobile solution.

    For the full story, visit
    http://www.ivci.com/international_videoconferencing_news_press_release_032106.html

  • Atomic Learning Offers Tutorials on SMART Interactive Whiteboard FeaturesAtomic Learning

    • (http://www.atomiclearning.com) is now offering 45 two-minute tutorials on various features of the SMART Board interactive whiteboard and its whiteboarding application, SMART Board software. The SMART Board interactive whiteboard tutorials cover many basic functions--everything from using your finger as a control tool to navigating with the Page Sorter tool. The Atomic Learning offering supplements SMART’s own selection of free two-minute tutorials on all of its products at http://www.smarttech.com


MDR and RedRock Reports have introduced the School Funding Services solution (http://www.schoolfundingservices.com), an online database of federal, state, local, and private funding programs and updates that also provides informative tips, analysis, and consulting services for K-12 education companies and educators. Subscribers to the School Funding Services comprehensive collection can choose from one of three subscription levels: Standard, Pro, or Enterprise Edition. The Standard Edition subscription includes access to the information database with five individual logins, the Pro Edition provides eight individual logins, and the Enterprise Edition is a unique package for larger organizations. All School Funding Services’ subscribers also have on-request access to RedRock Reports’ highly qualified education market consultants who offer a host of funding support services. Additionally, RedRock Reports will work to customize business sales and marketing programs, as well as customer assistance programs, to maximize federal, state, and private funding opportunities. Pricing varies.


Riverdeep (http://www.riverdeep.net) has announced its Destination Success courseware can now be hosted on Apple's Mac OS X Server versions 10.4 "Tiger," giving educators a fast and cost-effective learning solution. This is the first time the Web-based Destination Success interactive learning, assessment, and curriculum management software has been available for Mac OS X Server and Apple's Xserve G5 server. Riverdeep's Destination Success courseware combined with Mac OS X Server and Xserve offers schools and districts an integrated digital learning environment that delivers individualized instruction to help students succeed. Built on open standards, one of the key features of Mac OS X Server is its ability to integrate seamlessly with other operating systems, allowing education customers to leverage their existing technology platforms and IT budgets. Pricing varies.



http://www.cosmeo.com
COSMEO is a revolutionary new homework help tool and comprehensive digital library from Discovery Communications that provides simple homework help, interactive learning games, and more than 30,000 video clips that are correlated to grade level and state curriculum standards. It lets K-12 students instantly reference video clips and other learning tools for any required assignment in all key subject areas.


http://www.studentnest.com
StudentNest.com provides live, one-on-one tutoring, as well as resources that include scholarship information, job posting and job search listings, a buy/sell area, college search, and other benefits for students.

For a complete listing of up-to-date conference information, visit T.H.E. Conference Calendar, T.H.E. Journal 's comprehensive conference database, at: http://www.theconferencecalendar.com

Call for Papers!!!

THE Journal is currently looking for the following types of articles as we prepare for our 2006 issues:

  • School Perspectives —discuss a specific topic, trend, or concern about education technology.

  • Wishlist/Shortlist —a simple list of the technology (e.g., wireless, laptops, etc.) you're looking at to solve a challenge in your school/district, and an accompanying “shortlist” of vendors you're looking at to solve those challenges.

If you have a potential article, or questions about the above topics, please e-mail [email protected]

THE Institute and AOL @ SCHOOL Offer New Online Course for Educators
“Internet Literacy – Making the Most of the Web,” is a new online course for educators interested in using the World Wide Web in teaching and learning. Designed for elementary and secondary school teachers, the course provides tools for educators to integrate technology into their curricula to improve student achievement and meet NCLB requirements. The cost is $79 per person; course moderation and graduate credit are additional options. “Internet Literacy – Making the Most of the Web," is designed to be useful both for educators new to using technology in teaching and learning and for tech-savvy veterans.
For complete course details and to register, go to http://www.thejournal.com/institute/course510.cfm.

Four Integrating Technology Courses from T.H.E. Institute
 T.H.E. Institute is offering four online professional development courses to help educators comply with NCLB requirements and use technology more successfully in the classroom. The cost is $149 per course, which includes a $10 per person per course administration fee for documentation of clock hours and a certificate of completion. Course moderation and graduate credit are additional options; volume discounts are available. Anyone who enrolls in a course will receive individual access to the netTrekker site, as well as free individual access to United Learning's unitedstreaming site. In addition, special pricing is available for educators in districts that have purchased Glencoe/McGraw-Hill's TechCONNECT.

Integrating Technology in the Classroom Courses: Social Studies — Available Now; Science — Available Now; English/Language Arts— Available Now; Mathematics — Available Now

For more information, log on to http://www.thejournal.com/institute/IntegratingTech.cfm.

Awesome Clipart for Educators offers educators FREE clipart, coloring pages, backgrounds, banners, fonts, icons, worksheets, wallpaper, and more. Choose from categories such as animals, creatures, education, holidays, just to name a few. We have thousands of graphics organized in a simple, easy to use format - categorized by type and keyword. Next time you need clipart - come to Awesome Clipart for Educators and see how easy finding clipart can be!
http://www.AwesomeClipartForEducators.com


THE Newsletter is a bulletin comprised of recent announcements that affect the education community. Our goal is to keep our readers well informed with the most up to date news. In addition, we hope our audience will share with us their opinions regarding educational technology issues so we may be certain we are covering the topics that are of most interest to them. Please direct any questions or comments about THE Newsletter to [email protected]

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