October 12, 2005

  • 10/12/05
T.H.E. Newsletter: October 12, 2005
October 12, 2005
WEEKLY SECTIONS

  • LearningStation Provides Practice-Test Creation Tool for Kansas Department of Education

    When the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) needed to provide the ability for teachers in the state to deliver practice tests for their annual reading and math tests, it turned to LearningStation to create the KSDE Formative Test Builder. Delivered through the Empowered Desktop, a customized Web portal available for free to all Kansas schools through a partnership between LearningStation and Kan-Ed, KSDE Formative Test Builder is an online application that allows teachers to create standards-based, formative practice tests for reading and math in grades 3-12.

    For the full story, visit
    http://www.learningstation.com/about_us/press_room/learningstation_creates_kansas_state_department_of.html

  • First Inabeth Miller Learning & Technology Award Announced at Education Summit

    Bette Manchester has been named the first recipient of the Inabeth Miller Learning and Technology Award, honoring the late Dr. Inabeth Miller, a nationally known leader, advisor, and instructor in the use of technology to foster learning in children and adults. Manchester, director of special projects with the Maine Department of Education, as well as a former teacher and principal, was honored at last week's CELT National Education Summit (http://www.celt.org) in Cape Cod, MA. The nominating committee selected Manchester because of her work with the Maine Laptop Initiative.

  • Borders, Waldenbooks Declare Oct. 14-18 ‘Educator Savings Days'

    Borders Books & Music and Waldenbooks across the country will be hosting “Educator Savings Days” from Oct. 14-18 to honor teachers, homeschoolers, school administrators, librarians, and others for their commitment to sharing knowledge and encouraging life-long learning.

    Throughout the five-day event, educators will receive a 25 percent discount on most regularly priced items in Borders and Waldenbooks stores. In addition, educators will receive free gifts and resource materials, as well as the opportunity to attend a host of special events in a variety of Borders stores nationwide, featuring celebrity authors, musicians, artists and performers such as singer Gloria Estefan, actor/author John Lithgow, and football legend Bill Romanowski.

    For the full story, and a list of events, visit http://www.bgimediacenter.com/cgi-bin/browse.pl?action=news&path=1&item=557

  • Qwest Brings Multimedia Instruction to Mesa Public Schools

    Qwest Communications International Inc. has won a $15 million, five-year agreement with Mesa Unified School District, the largest school district in Arizona. Qwest will provide Mesa Public Schools with high-bandwidth data-networking services that will enable the schools to use multimedia instructional applications such as video conferencing and virtual reality in classrooms. One exciting example of how Mesa Public Schools will use the Qwest solution is by partnering with a teaching hospital to allow students to attend an operating room via virtual reality.

    For the full story, visit http://www.qwest.com/about/media/pressroom/1,1281,1770_archive,00.html

  • Best Buy Announces Relief Package, Emergency Program for Hurricane-Ravaged Schools

    Best Buy has announced an $8 million relief package to help K-12 schools damaged or destroyed by recent hurricanes, as well as schools that have enrolled displaced students.

    Working with appropriate state and local officials in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, Best Buy will donate $5 million in computer equipment, networks, and Geek Squad services (the company's 24-hour computer-support task force) to help rebuild damaged or destroyed facilities.

    In addition, Oct. 1 marked the launch of a special te@ch emergency response program for K-12 schools with increased enrollment of students displaced by the recent hurricanes. The program awards schools Best Buy gift cards that can be applied toward improving the classroom experience this year for all students. Gift cards will be awarded in amounts up to $5,000 per school. Principals and teachers of schools with displaced students may apply online for a special te@ch award at http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat52100050011&type=category. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 4, 2005, with gift cards awarded to schools by Nov. 21, 2005.

    For the full story, visit http://bestbuymedia.tekgroup.com/article_text/092905%2DNR%2DHurricaneRelief%20%5F2%5F%2Epdf

SMART Technologies Inc. (http://www.smarttech.com) has launched its new SMART Board 600 interactive whiteboard series, which ships with SMART Board software 9.1 and immediately replaces the 500 series. The 600 series offers larger screen sizes (48-, 64-, or 77-inch), sophisticated styling, an easily accessible Help button that provides quick access to SMART's online training and support materials, a hardware expansion slot, and other new accessories. The new interactive whiteboards also retain popular older features, including finger-touch control, the SMART Pen Tray and its award-winning whiteboarding software, with models ranging in price from $999-$1,999. In addition, SMART is shipping new and improved floor stands ($429-$499); the SMART Board Audio System ($299), which includes a pair of 15-watt speakers that can either be mounted on the whiteboard or to the wall; the SystemOn function kit ($99), which provides a one-touch start-up of the computer, projector, and SMART Board interactive whiteboard simultaneously; and a wireless module ($199) that operates on the Bluetooth wireless standard and integrates with AirLiner wireless slates.


Fortres Grand Corp. (http://www.fortres.com) has released the first disk-protection snap-in for the Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit (SCT), aiding libraries and schools in maintaining properly functioning shared computers for patrons and students. The Clean Slate Snap-in for Microsoft SCT provides an easy way to protect shared computers from malicious users by restricting access to particular applications and files, while cleaning up any changes users make to files, the registry, or system configuration. As a complete replacement for the disk-protection shipped with SCT, the immediate benefit for administrators is that they no longer have to waste time dealing with disk partitioning, which is required by the Toolkit. Clean Slate Snap-in is an integration of the award-winning technologies found in the full versions of Fortres Grand's Clean Slate and Fortres 101 products, and can be configured to accommodate other anti-virus programs. Pricing starts at $59 for a single CPU license.


Epson America Inc. (http://www.epson.com) has launched the Epson PowerLite 750c and the PC-free/wireless PowerLite 755c. Both sub-four-pound models feature Epson's three-chip LCD technology for superior image quality and color performance, as well as a proprietary lamp technology that enables Epson's exclusive “Instant Off” feature. Both projectors feature native-XGA resolution, 2,000 ANSI lumens of brightness, and sleek, travel-friendly designs (7.6”D x 10.9”W x 2.7”H). The PowerLite 750c (3.8 lbs.) and PowerLite 755c (3.9 lbs.), respectively replace Epson's PowerLite 732c and PowerLite 737c. The Epson PowerLite 750c is priced at $1,499, while the 755c is priced at $1,699.

 



http://www.defendyourchild.com
Panda Software has created the Children and the Internet: Don't Let Them Talk to Strangers campaign to make parents and teachers aware of the risks and people children may encounter when surfing the Web without adult supervision. The site includes useful tips for protecting children while on the Internet such as establishing firm rules and installing a good security program. There is also a Spanish-language version of the site at http://www.menorenlared.com


http://www.tcmpub.com/free
Teacher Created Materials has a variety of free, downloadable resources that teaches can use in the classroom, including Fun Fact Challenges that correlate to historic events, sample K-5 activities from Teacher Created Materials' products, and two Halloween-oriented borders. While on the site, teachers will also find research reports, information on how to submit a manuscript for publication, and a wide selection of awarding-winning educational products.


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!!!
Please take a second to look at some of the topics we'll be covering in our fall issues:

  • Kids on Technology: Student-written articles on animation and/or simulation tools in the classroom
  • Building Wireless Schools and Classrooms
  • Student Information Systems and Administrative Technologies

If you have a good story that is related to any of the above topics, please e-mail an abstract to mailto:[email protected]

T.H.E. Offers Educators Individual netTrekker Subscriptions
T.H.E. Journal has announced an exclusive partnership with Thinkronize, developers of netTrekker, the trusted search engine for schools, which allows educators worldwide to purchase individual (single-user) subscriptions to netTrekker, which previously was available only on a site license basis to schools and districts. With this initiative, T.H.E. and Thinkronize have combined to better serve their customer's needs by personalizing the way educators use the Internet. Educators can purchase individual subscriptions for netTrekker through the T.H.E. Journal's Web site at http://www.thejournal.com/netTrekker. The suggested list price for a one-year subscription is $49.95.

Four New Integrating Technology Courses From T.H.E. Institute
T.H.E. Institute is offering four new online professional development courses to help educators comply with NCLB requirements and use technology more successfully in the classroom. The cost is $209 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. For extra value, with registration for one of the above courses, participants will have access to an additional five courses - all five for only $100 - plus a $10 per person per course administration fee. In addition, special pricing is available for educators in district 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

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