Preparing for college tests is now more affordable than ever thanks to Shmoop’s new PSAT Test Prep service. The program costs $19 per student, and includes examples ranging from Mario Brothers to the history of Coca-Cola to “I am the Walrus.” In addition, Shmoop will donate 20 percent of the proceeds to student groups or Parent-Teacher Associations who promote its Online Test Prep services as a group fundraiser, in an effort to keep under-funded extra-curricular activities from being dropped.

Discovery Education invites teachers and administrators around the globe to attend the upcoming Fifth Annual streamathon and the Fall 2010 Virtual Conference. Focusing on how to integrate digital content and the latest educational technologies into classroom instruction, these free, virtual events offer educators of all skill levels insight into best practices and new techniques that participants can immediately apply to their classroom instruction to improve student academic achievement. Teachers and administrators interested in joining any portion of the Fifth Annual streamathon should register at links.discoveryeducation.com/streamathon2010. To register for the Fall Virtual Conference, visit links.discoveryeducation.com/FallVirtCon2010.

Shmoop announces the launch of 1,000 Android mobile device Apps and iPad™ eBooks. The more than 500 Android Apps offer students a helpful analysis of topics including poetry, U.S. history, literature, music, civics, and biographies. Each App also includes a quiz game based on its content. In addition, more than 500 Shmoop Learning Guides are now available to students via iBookstore on Apple’s iPad. Within this world-class reading environment, students are able to write notes, highlight and bookmark in their favorite Learning Guides.

ePals, Inc., and L.E.A.P. Global Learning Systems have partnered to provide students and educators throughout Thailand with access to a safe, online global collaboration environment. Through this partnership with ePals, L.E.A.P. offers its members access to millions of students and educators in the ePals Global Learning Community. ePals also allows L.E.A.P. to provide members secure school e-mail, as well as the latest Web 2.0 learning tools with ePals SchoolMail and ePals LearningSpace.

Inc. magazine today recognized Lightspeed Systems Inc., a leader in school network security and management, on its fourth annual Inc. 5000 list, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. This is the fourth consecutive year the company has earned a spot on the list, moving up in the ranking from 2,071 in 2009, to 1,957 in 2010. The company achieved a three-year sales growth of 137 percent. Lightspeed Systems' latest achievement is the result of its strong commitment to the education community, comprehensive training and support, and award-winning products. During the past year, Lightspeed Systems released several new offerings, including My Big Campus and High-Capacity Network Solutions.

Discovery Education announces a new agreement with The Jim Henson Company to bring all 40 episodes of Sid the Science Kid^® to Discovery Education Science for Elementary in the coming months. In addition, Discovery Education is adding 51 news segments from the award winning PBS NewsHour produced by MacNeil Lehrer Productions to Discovery Education streaming before year’s end, and also will add 16 new video resources to the STEM Connect area of Discovery Education streaming.

Allowing for enhanced student collaboration and learning, Califone International, Inc., has updated its USB digital microscope. Ideal for group settings, the microscope allows for real-time display on computer screens, enabling multiple students to view details at the same time. In addition, the new light adjustment and multiple filter choices allow educators to highlight different details, which can be captured in snapshots displayed on screen.

Helping to improve indoor and outdoor communication, Califone International, Inc., announces the launch of its new paging horn. With its rugged, all-weather design, the paging horn helps to ensure all messages are heard throughout the school year, and can be easily mounted on the exterior of any school building.

The Siemens Foundation, in conjunction with Discovery Education, Oak Ridge Associated Universities and the College Board, successfully completed the first annual Siemens Teachers as Researchers (STARs) program and the Siemens STEM Institute. Part of the Siemens STEM Academy, these programs engage educators from across the country through hands-on professional development opportunities. Early next year, teachers throughout the U.S. can apply for the 2011 STARs program or the 2011 STEM Institute by visiting www.siemensstemacademy.com.

Working to meet significant district-wide instructional and student achievement goals, Sanborn Regional School District (SAU #17) in New Hampshire has partnered with GlobalScholar to implement the company’s end-to-end solution, the Pinnacle Suite. In order to meet these goals, administrators in SAU #17 were looking for technology that would allow them to better assess students, and use that data to inform instructional decisions. SAU #17 has implemented three elements of the Pinnacle Suite – the student information system (Pinnacle SIS), the standards-based gradebook (Pinnacle Grade), and a curriculum and assessment management system (Pinnacle Instruction), and plans to incorporate professional development through Pinnacle PD throughout the 2010-2011 school year.

Discovery Education and Kentucky Educational Television (KET) have agreed to a multiyear extension of its five-year partnership providing Discovery Education content to all public schools in the state. KET delivers Discovery Education content through their KET EncycloMedia service. KET EncycloMedia, which is produced and delivered by KET and the Kentucky Department of Education, features Discovery Education content and offers teachers and students more than 125,000 digital learning objects, including videos, interactives, images, articles, and more, that integrate seamlessly into existing curriculum.

Shmoop announces the launch of its tenth subject area, Pre-Algebra. Shmoop's free online Pre-Algebra Learning Guides contain hundreds of topics with succinct explanations, diagrams, interactive examples, practice problems, and real-world applications. Pre-Algebra is Shmoop's first foray beyonds its core humanities offering and underscores Shmoop's continued expansion into middle school level curriculum. Shmoop Pre-Algebra is now available at: www.shmoop.com/pre-algebra/.

Discovery Education and 3M have announced 10 students from across the country as the top finalists in the 12th annual Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Each finalist will be awarded an all-expense paid trip to New York City to participate in the competition finals on Oct. 5, 2010, where students will demonstrate scientific innovation, creativity and communication skills in a series of individual challenges. The winner will receive $50,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds ($25,000 cash value), the title of "America's Top Young Scientist," and a trip to St. Paul, Minn., to work alongside 3M's top scientists at their world headquarters and visit the 3M Innovation Center.

Morgan’s Wonderland, PCI Education and WeAreTeachers announce the launch of a back-to-school contest for special education teachers and their students. Starting today, teachers can nominate a student and his or her family for a chance to win a free trip to Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first ultra accessible family fun park. In addition, the five teachers whose students garner the most votes will receive free educational products from PCI Education, the number one provider of resources for students with special needs. For more information, visit www.pcieducation.com/mwpark.

An alternative to more complex audio systems, Califone International, Inc., announces the launch of its new desktop computer speakers. Both Mac and PC compatible, the speakers provide optimal sound amplification, allowing audio to be heard throughout the classroom, including streaming videos, interactive games and presentation software. For more information, visit www.califone.com.

David Andrade, a physics teacher at Bridgeport Public Schools’ Central High School in Bridgeport, Conn., has been named winner of the Web 2010 Sweepstakes, sponsored by the American College of Education, SMART Technologies and Discovery Education. Andrade, who was randomly chosen from more than 20,400 entrants, will receive a laptop computer, an all-expenses paid trip to a professional development event of his choosing, and a full tuition scholarship from the American College of Education valued at $7,000. For more information about Web 2010, visit http://web2010.discoveryeducation.com.

The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) and Lightspeed Systems Inc. are sponsoring the 2011 District Excellence Award for Digital Learning to recognize the teamwork of administrators and district technology champions who demonstrate visionary leadership toward a dynamic, district-wide digital learning culture. The sponsors announced the award program today at the AASA Summer Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C. The award will honor districts for excellence in promoting informed practices, productive collaborations, sustained improvement, and an evolving awareness of their responsibilities to ensure safe, equitable and ethical uses of learning technology. K-12 public school districts are invited to submit their entry by Oct. 15, 2010. Three winners will be selected in December 2010, and recognized at the AASA National Conference, Feb. 17-19, 2011.

CDW Government LLC (CDW-G) and Discovery Education have named the winners of the eighth annual Win a Wireless Lab sweepstakes. The competition received more than 118,000 unique entries, the most since the contest began in 2003. Entries arrived from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including nearly 7,000 unique Twitter entries. The three winning schools are Lee-Davis High School, Mechanicsville, Va.; Wolf Branch Middle School, Swansea, Ill.; and Wayland-Cohocton Central School, Wayland, N.Y. Each school will receive a state-of-the-art 21st century classroom, complete with wireless notebook computers or tablet PCs, an interactive whiteboard, student response system, projector, printer, document camera, video camcorder, and more.

PBS TeacherLine's online professional development service for educators has been chosen for a 2009-2010 Best in Tech Award in the Professional Development category by Scholastic Administrator magazine. Scholastic Administrator is trusted by 85,000 of the nation's top administrators to provide insight into the best education solutions and the most effective technology and leadership strategies. Each product chosen for a Best in Tech Award was handpicked and carefully evaluated by expert administrator-reviewers. For more information on PBS TeacherLine, visit www.pbs.org/teacherline. (The photo at left is of Donovan Goode, Director of Marketing for PBS TeacherLine. Click it to download a 292 KB, large-format version.)

Digital content can provide educators and students with access to engaging and interactive information, but digital content alone can not improve teaching practices or student academic achievement. Continuing to support school districts meet critical goals, Discovery Education has updated its flagship service, Discovery Education streaming, to provide new media collections and assignment builders. In addition, Discovery Education has re-launched the professional development section of www.discoveryeducation.com, which now features a comprehensive collection of case studies, a course catalog, delivery models, and other resources.

ePals has announced it will provide a safe, secure and customizable e-mail solution to the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) for its approximately two million students and parents. ePals' SchoolMail^®, combined with Microsoft Live@edu, will enable schools to provide easy communication and collaboration between students, parents, teachers and school leaders to enhance student learning and achievement. In addition, schools will have access to the ePals Global Community™, allowing students to collaborate on projects with others in classrooms around the world.

Having reviewed entries from across the country, Discovery Education and 3M announce 47 middle school students as semifinalists in the 2010 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Semifinalists were selected based on their science communication skills exhibited in a short video explaining the science behind issues millions of Americans face in everyday life, including preventing the spread of germs, ensuring food safety and sun protection. Judges will announce the top ten finalists in August, each of whom will be awarded an all-expenses paid trip to New York City to compete in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge finals on October 5, 2010. For a complete list of semifinalists, visit www.youngscientistchallenge.com.

The New Mexico Public Education Department announced today at the state's Summer Institute in Santa Fe that netTrekker, a leader in the delivery of digital K-12 educational content, is one of the key partners in the Building Blocks Project to improve students' literacy skills. The department is working with 14 Local Educational Agencies (LEA's) in the Building Blocks Project to study the effect of a technology-infused, data-driven process to improve student performance in reading and language arts. A grant through the Enhancing Education Through Technology program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides schools participating in the project with the funds to implement the Building Blocks instructional model. Components of the program include technology to support 1-to-1 computing, professional development, and formative assessment. netTrekker, the leading educational search tool, will be a critical part of the program, providing educators with engaging digital content and resources to personalize instruction and create 21st century learning experiences for all students.

Ideal for primary grade and special needs students, Califone International, Inc., has upgraded its Kids Keyboard. Educators, librarians, and parents can create a high-quality computer-based learning center for preschool and elementary students with the Kids Keyboard, which uses a color-coded layout to help beginning readers identify and locate the function, number, consonant, and vowel keys. Building their confidence as they learn writing and keyboarding skills, the design also introduces students to the standard QWERTY format and Microsoft Office Hot Keys, the icon-coded keys for Playback, Volume Control, Favorites, Track Selections, Standby, E-mail, Search, and more.

A former classroom educator and instructional technology director, Scott Kinney has been promoted to senior vice president of global professional development, policy & education outreach for Discovery Education. Kinney joined Discovery Education in 2005 to help launch the Discovery Educator Network (DEN), an international community of more than 150,000 educators dedicated to supporting student achievement through digital media and educational technology.

Concerns about cyberbullying, security, bandwidth, federal regulations, and more prevent many schools from incorporating Web 2.0 technologies into the classroom. Nearly 800 schools are planning to implement My Big Campus in the upcoming school year to enable educators and students to collaborate and share appropriate online resources safety and securely. Offered at no additional cost, My Big Campus is integrated seamlessly into Web Access Manager, Lightspeed Systems' smart Web filtering solution, to help schools streamline IT administration, protect students and the network, enforce acceptable use policies, and maintain regulatory compliance.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) released the findings of its third annual national survey used to measure U.S. educational institutions' progress toward achieving the organization's Vision K-20. The survey was developed to help educators and administrators individually benchmark their institutional progress in using technology to provide 21st century tools, anytime/anywhere access, differentiated learning, assessment tools, and enterprise support. The survey found that while the nation's educational system improved on 4 out of 5 measures of progress compared to 2009, the average increase in overall scores was less than 1 percent year-over-year.

PBS TeacherLine has converted to Moodle for its online course management system. The conversion provides schools with more flexibility in licensing, customizing and delivering PBS TeacherLine's online professional development courses to their teachers. School leaders can modify the course content based on their educators' preferences, learning styles and needs to create customized professional development opportunities. The organization's decision to use Moodle signifies another major milestone in the growth of open technologies in education.

STI announces the launch of its new program, Ready, Set, Go!, to help schools develop a systematic and effective approach to school improvement through data-driven decision-making and proven educational practices. Offered through STI's Achievement Services division, Ready, Set, Go! is a customized program of professional development and coaching that supports schools in creating a data-informed culture to increase teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Through Ready, Set, Go!, schools develop an educational culture and system grounded in sound data-driven decision-making that builds a foundation for continuous improvement.

To meet their goal of providing students access to the highest quality educational resources, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (Fla.) has expanded its partnership with Discovery Education, including the extended implementation of Discovery Education streaming Plus to all 153 Title I middle and high schools. The district also is implementing in all secondary Title I schools Discovery Education Science, enabling educators to quickly locate and employ a variety of multimedia resources to engage students in science. Discovery Education’s Curriculum Alignment team analyzed district pacing guides, determined the best digital assets to meet teaching objectives, and embedded those assets directly into the pacing guides.

Shmoop announces its public beta test of Shmoop Economics, a free online resource using humor, current events, pop culture references, and games to capture student interest. The company's first series of role-playing games, Shmoop Economics, puts students in the hot seat as a policymaker or business leader facing tough economic decisions. By choosing the right path through a game, students can add a Notch – a short cartoon vignette – to their collection of life experiences on their Shmoop Profile. Shmoop Economics Beta is now open at: www.shmoop.com/economics/.

Funds For Learning announces the latest release of E-rate Manager™, a web-based tool used for assistance with E-rate funding requests and commitments. The update version offers improved features to enhance the user experience, including a redesigned interface that allows easier and more efficient access to critical E-rate data, reports and compliance tools.

Discovery Education announces new agreements with several leading organizations, including BBC, Smarterville/Reading Rainbow, and CBS News, to further expand the content libraries of the company’s curricular services. With this additional content, Discovery Education's library of digital media will feature more than 200 producers from around the world, providing educators and students relevant and engaging digital media for enhanced instruction and learning.

netTrekker is launching a new version of its search tool, now named netTrekker Search, to provide users with a more personalized and productive search experience. With separate interfaces for teachers and students, and a series of customization options, users can personalize their home pages and search results based on their needs and preferences. With the additional features available in netTrekker Search, educators also can collaborate with peers across the United States to discover new ways to engage students and improve learning. netTrekker Search will be available in August 2010.

An addition to the company's Web-based student information system, InformationNOW, STI has launched a mobile Parent Portal to help schools facilitate school-to-home communications. Compatible with iPhone devices, the new mobile version provides additional support to schools in fostering parental involvement and meeting parents' information needs anytime, anywhere. Parents can access their children's assignments, grades, progress reports, report cards, discipline and attendance information, and class schedule, as well as view the school's announcements and calendar. InformationNOW Mobile is free for families who have access to Parent Portal.

The winner of Shmoop's first International Poetry Essay Contest is Alex K. from Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, Ill. More than 500 students from around the globe entered Shmoop's essay contest, which asked students to analyze "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," by Robert Frost. Members of Shmoop's editorial team judged entries over several rounds of evaluation. The final round was judged by Jim Burke, special advisor to Shmoop, author of twenty books for English teachers, and founder of The English Companion Ning.

The Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) has honored PCI Education with two 2010 Distinguished Achievement Awards for Environmental Print Level One and Word Problems for Nonreaders. Both programs, awarded in the Special Education category, are designed to help students with limited or no reading skills. To view a complete list of the winners, visit www.aepweb.org/awards/winners.htm.

ePals, Inc., has announced the winners of its 2010 Teacher Ambassador Contest, honoring 11 educators for their authentic, collaborative projects using the ePals Global Community™. With entries ranging from cultural understanding and global peace solutions to natural disasters and the Winter Olympics, the winning projects and corresponding student work are featured on the ePals website and can be easily downloaded for replication in any classroom. To view the winning projects, visit bit.ly/cPbtiL.

Shmoop has released its first-ever Summer Reading List, which ranks the top 20 books for high school and middle school students to read over the summer. The books on Shmoop's Summer Reading List were nominated and voted upon by teachers and librarians who use Shmoop Learning Guides with their students. To view the complete list, visit bit.ly/a3MODl.

Discovery Education announces the launch of the U.S. Geography by Discovery Education App for iPhone and iPod touch on the App Store, available for download globally. Developed in conjunction with Phunware, a leader in enterprise branded mobile application infrastructure, the U.S. Geography by Discovery Education App delivers a fun, educational solution to engage students in learning about United States geography. Through videos, knowledge-based challenges and games aligned to national education standards, Discovery Education’s first app immerses students in U.S. geography concepts in a new and exciting way.

The Tennessee Department of Education has announced that PBS is an approved professional development services provider under the Race to the Top grant. Tennessee, one of just two states selected to receive millions of dollars for education in the first round of the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top competition, is using the funds to provide struggling schools with access to high-quality content and services to improve student educational outcomes. Schools identified for improvement will be able to select PBS’ educational services, such as PBS TeacherLine and the Digital Learning Library. PBS, along with Tennessee public broadcasting stations, will help schools as they increase student achievement through digital learning objects and online professional development courses and resources.

More than 6,800 students from 46 states participated in the first year of It's 21. Just Pass, presented by Discovery Education, the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) and the NFL Players Association. The national program was designed to challenge high school students' knowledge about the laws and consequences of underage drinking through an online quiz and video forum. A senior at Rio Grande City High School, Texas, has been selected as the winner of a $5,000 scholarship for her completion of the online quiz, and a recent graduate of Assumption High School, Kentucky, has received two tickets to an NFL game for her video tackling the dangers of drunk driving. To learn more, visit www.its21justpass.com.

The Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) has selected Discovery Education as a Distinguished Achievement Award winner for Discovery Education streaming Plus. Honored during the annual AEP Summit on Tuesday, June 8, 2010, Discovery Education streaming Plus was awarded a Distinguished Achievement Award under the Technology Innovations category in Portals for grades 9-12. Aligned to state standards and assessments, and searchable by keyword, content area and grade level, Discovery Education streaming Plus is scientifically shown to improve academic achievement.

Designed to meet the needs of all students, Califone International, Inc., debuts the Califone Assistive Listening System. The Assistive Listening System enables educators to provide any number of designated students with a listening device to clearly hear the teacher or other amplified audio. This system also is helpful in larger settings, such as auditoriums, needing extra audio amplification, or in settings where translation support is necessary. Califone will showcase the Assistive Listening System at InfoComm, June 9-11, 2010, in Las Vegas, NV (Booth #N1429) and during ISTE, June 27-30, 2010, in Denver, CO (Booth #1189).

Califone International, Inc., has upgraded its Infrared Classroom Audio System to allow announcements from the school’s central office to be played directly through the audio system in each classroom. In addition to school-wide announcements, the system helps administrators provide teachers and students with a way to hear learning objects and each other, clearly. Among other enhancements, the Infrared Classroom Audio System also includes features that enable teleconferencing.

The Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) releases the SIIA Trends Report for Education Technology - its most recent report on the K-12 and postsecondary education technology markets. The report highlights industry shifts and emerging trends as they relate to five main topics: K-12 learning management systems, postsecondary learning management systems, online learning, state of the states, and mobile computing. The 2010 Trends Report for Education Technology is available for free to members, and for $149 to non-members at www.siia.net/estore.

Califone International, Inc., has upgraded its versatile Performer Plus Multimedia Player/Recorder (2455AV-03), now offering educators and students even more features that support classroom instruction and learning. Califone has enhanced the Performer Plus Multimedia Player/Recorder to play MP3-CD formatted discs, enabling it to play CDs burned from personal computers. Another new feature allows educators to alter the playback speed of material by up to 15 percent. The new upgrades encourage the use of user-generated content in both group activities or individualized instruction to enhance academic achievement.

The Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) recently honored Thomas Greaves, chairman of The Greaves Group and highly regarded industry veteran, with the prestigious Ed Tech Impact Award. In addition, the association highlighted long-standing members in commemoration of its 25th anniversary. Furthermore, Ken Wasch, president of SIIA, presented the 25-year Membership Award to the McGraw-Hill Companies, one of the founding members of the Software Publishers Association – the forerunner to SIIA.

The Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) recognized the best leading growth companies in education technology as part of the Innovation Incubator Program during its annual Ed Tech Industry Summit, held May 23-25, 2010, in San Francisco. Of the 10 finalists and two alternates selected from the 28 applicants, Ematras, Inc., received the "Most Innovative Education Product or Service" award for Mobl21, and Impact Education was honored with the "Most Likely to Succeed in the Education Market" award for SkillsTutor Mobile. Livemocha was selected as the runner-up in both categories for Livemocha Active English.

netTrekker, the leading educational search tool for K-12 schools, was selected as the winner of the 2010 EdNET Impact Award, which honors organizations that have made a positive impact on the education community through innovation and education excellence in their products and services. MDR, the leading provider of marketing information and services for the U.S. education market, announced the winners of the EdNET awards in a virtual awards ceremony last week. netTrekker has been helping millions of teachers and students easily and safely connect to thousands of high-quality, standards-aligned digital resources and tools for personalized learning for more than 10 years.

Discovery Education has added an interactive Canadian map to Discovery Education streaming Canada. The service’s new Atlas Canada Interactive Map provides an up-close look at each unique province and territory in Canada, supported by more than 550 video clips. In addition, the interactive map interface allows educators to easily access the resources they need to increase student engagement and boost achievement across the curriculum.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) announced winners of the CODiE™ Awards for the education technology industry during a special CODiE Awards dinner held in conjunction with the Ed Tech Industry Summit in San Francisco. Twenty-seven winners were selected from more than 327 nominations. To view the list of winners, visit www.siia.net/codies/2010/winners.

Shmoop has announced it has made photo slideshows available to enhance its online U.S. History, Civics and Literature Learning Guides. Shmoop also has made a slideshow widget available, allowing anyone to embed a miniature version of any Shmoop photo slideshow on their own website. To view the new slideshows, please visit www.shmoop.com.

The Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) have announced the grand prize winners of this year’s Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. More than 13,000 students competed in this year’s Challenge, which encourages elementary and middle school students to develop plans to initiate environmental change in their schools and communities. Projects ranged from reducing lunchtime waste to saving local trees and encouraging eco-friendly gardens. For more details on the winning teams and the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, go to www.wecanchange.com.

Lightspeed Systems has released a mobile Web filter application compatible with iPad™, iPhone^® and iPod touch^® devices. The Lightspeed Guide Browser for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch regulates and monitors Web browsing on school-distributed devices, when used in conjunction with Web Access Manager, the company's smart Web filtering software for school networks. Mobile computing devices such as the iPad can be powerful classroom tools for engaging students in dynamic, interactive digital learning experiences. Yet these technologies also pose security and safety risks. Web Access Manager with the Lightspeed Guide Browser helps schools implement safe and secure mobile learning initiatives, and maximize the educational value of the latest technologies. Web Access Manager is available as a stand-alone product, or as a component of Total Traffic Control, all-inclusive school network security and management software. The Lightspeed Guide Browser is available for free for Web Access Manager customers in the App Store on iTunes.

Celebrate the school year’s end with the Dairy Dispatch, the bimonthly online newsletter from C. Blohm & Associates. We profile the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and spotlight these stories:

• AutismPro Launches Autism Teacher Capabilities Website
• Alabama Adopts STI’s Web-Based Student Information System
• GlobalScholar Selected as CODiE Awards Finalist
• PBS Announces Winners of PBS Teachers Innovation Awards

Click the clown to download a copy.

Discovery Education has appointed Susanne Meixsell as vice president of professional development to oversee the company's extensive in-person and online training operations. In her new role, Meixsell will lead Discovery Education’s professional development group by overseeing content development and implementation, developing the training team, improving evaluation standards, and delivering standardized training to partners that garner measurable results. Prior to joining Discovery Education, Meixsell spent 20 years serving as an educator and administrator in the Pennsylvania public school system.

The Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has announced that significant portions of its annual Ed Tech Industry Summit will be broadcast live via Webcast. Following a successful broadcast of the Online Ed Tech Business Forum in December 2009, SIIA confirmed it will partner again with LearningTimes to present portions of the Ed Tech Industry Summit online in order to highlight trends in mobile and global learning, announce the 2010 CODiE Awards, and celebrate the organization’s much-anticipated 25th anniversary. For more information regarding the event or to register to attend, please visit https://www.siia.net/events/prereg.asp?eventid=1372.

The Association of Educational Publishers has named Word Problems for Nonreaders and Environmental Print Level One as 2010 Distinguished Achievement Award finalists in the special education category. Published by PCI Education, the number one provider of resources for students with special needs, the programs are designed to help students with limited or no reading skills.

netTrekker, the leading educational search tool, is being honored for improving education through engaging digital content and support for personalized learning. The Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) has announced that netTrekker has been selected as a finalist in the Golden Lamp Awards competition in the Technology & New Media category. For more than four decades the AEP Awards have honored outstanding resources for teaching and learning. The Golden Lamp Awards are the educational resource industry's top honor, recognizing the best overall tools for teaching and learning in the four entry categories. netTrekker also has been recognized as a finalist for the EdNET Impact Award, which honors organizations that have made a positive impact on the education community through quality educational support and instructional resources.

Groton Public Schools (GPS) in Groton, Conn., is turning to powerful digital content from Discovery Education to engage students across the curriculum. Instead of depending solely on static textbooks, GPS educators are using digital resources from Discovery Education streaming and Discovery Education Science as instructional materials to encourage exploration, stimulate critical thinking, and ultimately, transition to a dynamic digital curriculum. In addition to partnering with Discovery Education to provide digital content to school systems, GPS also has collaborated with Discovery Education to build capacity and to support educators through the Discovery Educator Network (DEN), one of the nation’s largest professional learning communities.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) today released a new report on product evaluation research guidelines: “Conducting and Reporting Product Evaluation Research: Guidelines and Considerations for Educational Technology Publishers and Developers.” Available for free online, the Guidelines provide 22 standards of research best practice for publishers and developers of educational software and other instructional technologies. The Guidelines also are intended to help researchers, policy-makers and education officials advance their understanding of research challenges. To read the Guidelines, visit siia.net/presentations/education/SIIA_EvaluationGuidelines_EdTechProduct.pdf.

ePals, Inc., has been honored with two BESSIE Awards from the ComputED Learning Center. ePals LearningSpace was awarded Best Multi-Discipline Collaboration Website under the Teacher Tools category, while the ePals.com Team Earth Focus Area was named Best Multi-Subject Current Topics Website under the Multi-Level category. In its 16th year, the annual Best Education Software Awards (BESSIES) program targets innovative and content-rich programs and websites that provide parents and teachers with the technology to foster educational excellence.

The Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) has named PBS TeacherLine^® as a finalist for the 2010 Distinguished Achievement Award in the professional development category for curriculum and instruction. PBS TeacherLine (www.pbs.org/teacherline) is the premier provider of online professional development for preK-12 educators. The four instructional technology courses offered by PBS TeacherLine that were entered in the awards program and earned recognition are: Evaluating and Organizing Internet Resources and Content, Communicate and Collaborate Online, Searching and Researching on the Internet, and Cooperation and Collaboration in the 21st Century. One of the largest and longest-running awards programs for educational products, the AEP Awards aim to give credit and recognition to the organizations that are leading the way in the field of educational products, and to set benchmarks to which the rest of the industry can aspire.

Shmoop, a publisher of digital resources that make learning fun and relevant for students, introduces 14 new Teacher's Editions, including its complete Civics teaching guide. Teacher's Editions include free access to activities, assignments and related cross-disciplinary readings. Shmoop now offers a total of 32 Teacher's Editions for Literature, U.S. History and Civics.

The Association of Educational Publishers has named Shmoop a 2010 Distinguished Achievement Award finalist in the reference resources category for grades 9-12. Designed to make learning fun and relevant for students, Shmoop offers an expanding library of online Learning Guides and Teacher's Editions in seven subjects: literature, poetry, bestsellers, U.S. history, civics, biography, and music.

Living By Chemistry, published by Key Curriculum Press, was selected by The Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) as a 2010 Distinguished Achievement Award finalist in the science curriculum category for grades 9-12. Living By Chemistry is a full-year curriculum that presents concepts in everyday, real-world contexts.

Six services and initiatives from Discovery Education have been named a finalist in the 2010 Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) Awards program. Striving to provide the highest-quality digital content resources and tools to improve student achievement across the curriculum, Discovery Education executives are honored to be recognized by this national education organization. AEP is a national, nonprofit professional organization for educational publishers and content developers. A complete list of AEP award winners can be found at www.aepweb.org/awards/finalists.htm.

The Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) have named the 25 middle school state finalists of the second annual Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. From these 25 state finalist teams, two national winning teams and one grand prize-winning team will be chosen and announced on May 24, 2010. A complete list of the state finalists can be found at www.wecanchange.com.

Today, PBS and its member stations celebrates 50 of the nation's most innovative preK-12 educators who are discovering new ways to engage their students and inspire them to achieve. The PBS Teachers Innovation Awards program honors teachers who are transforming classroom learning and providing children with the tools they need to reach their full potential and succeed in the 21st century. All winners will receive an exclusive educator's kit filled with tools and instructional technology resources for the classroom from PBS and Elmer's Products, Inc., as well as a Web-based facilitated course from the professional development service, PBS TeacherLine. The winners will serve as teacher leaders and catalysts for expanding effective instructional techniques using public digital media in the classroom.

netTrekker today announced the winners of its "Personalized Learning in Action" video contest. The contest encouraged educators, with the help of their students, to create video clips illustrating how they use netTrekker (along with other resources) to engage students in a personalized learning experience. The two winning educators each will receive a $1,500 scholarship to attend the ISTE 2010 conference, presented by the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE), in Denver in June. Five runners-up will be awarded a BrainPOP classroom subscription.

The top winners are Andy Losik, an infotech teacher for Hamilton Community Schools in Hamilton, Mich., and Jacquelyn Shanti, a library media specialist at Clara Barton Elementary, Milwaukee Public Schools, in Milwaukee. They were honored for their creativity in showing how they use netTrekker to create engaging lessons that meet the unique needs of students with a variety of learning styles. netTrekker is the leading safe K-12 educational search tool, which enables educators to easily connect to thousands of high-quality, standards-aligned digital resources and tools to support personalized learning.

The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF) has announced a partnership with Discovery Education and Meredith Foundation to help parents, educators and children address the problem of childhood obesity. HWCF is launching Web-based outreach campaigns with both Discovery Education and Meredith to encourage and promote physical activity and healthy eating among children, designed to support them whether at home or at school. The comprehensive student engagement program presented by HWCF and Discovery Education leverages Discovery Education’s communications expertise and demonstrated ability to provide educators with useful tools to help their students. More information on the program can be found at www.energybalance101.com.

During the 2010 NCSM Annual Conference in San Diego, a full house of more than a hundred educators attended Key Curriculum Press' first-ever Ignite event. Featured speakers shared their expertise in five-minute presentations using 20 slides that auto-forwarded every 15 seconds, ready or not. Attendees were entertained and enlightened by nine speakers who presented their fresh ideas on math education. To view the presentations, visit www.keypress.com/ignite.

WHRO, the PBS member station in Norfolk, Va., has been awarded an Enhancing Education Through Technology grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide PBS TeacherLine^® online professional development services to educators in the state. The goal of the grant program is to help educators infuse technology effectively into their daily instructional practices. Through the grant, as many as 200 Instructional Technology Resource Teachers (ITRTs) and library media specialists in the state will enroll in the PBS TeacherLine ISTE Capstone Certificate Program, a series of research-based courses that enable teachers to master the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards. In addition, ITRTs and media specialists statewide - approximately 1,300 educators - will receive free access to PBS TeacherLine Peer Connection, an online suite of instructional strategies, resources and collaboration tools, to support 21st century teaching and learning in the classroom.

Shmoop, a publisher of digital resources that make learning fun and relevant for students, announces that hundreds of its digital Learning Guides are available as eBooks in Sony's Reader™ Store, for downloading to Sony's popular Reader and other compatible digital reading devices. More than 400 Shmoop eBooks for popular topics in Literature, Poetry, U.S. History, Civics, Music, and Biography are now available.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has announced the finalists for its Innovation Incubator program. Twenty-eight applicants were assessed based on key selection criteria, including alignment to the conference's theme, "Going Mobile and Global," and SIIA's Vision K‐20 Benchmarks: 21st century tools; anytime/anywhere access; differentiated learning; assessment tools; and enterprise support. The finalists will begin their participation in the Business Profiles presentations on May 23, followed by the Innovation Showcase & Networking Reception for the Ed Tech Industry Summit.

While federal eDiscovery regulations were established four years ago, states have only recently enacted their own specific rules on data retention and electronically stored information. As a leader in network security and management software for schools, Lightspeed Systems has released an information paper on email archiving that provides advice and best practices to help schools comply with federal and state eDiscovery rules and avoid costly penalties. Email Archiving: What Schools Need to Know - And Do provides best practice recommendations to guide district administrators and IT staff in complying with regulations while minimizing costs and time.

The ComputED Gazette has announced that netTrekker has been selected as a winner in its 16th Annual Best Educational Software Awards (BESSIE) competition in the Best Internet Resources category. This award marks the fifth BESSIE award for netTrekker in the past six years. In the review, judges commented, "Today's product has been transformed into a powerful technology tool for K-12 schools where digital content can be customized to provide differentiated instruction for every student." The BESSIE Awards target innovative and content-rich programs and websites that provide parents and teachers with the technology to foster educational excellence.

Microsoft and ePals are announcing a strategic partnership to deliver a wide array of leading communications, collaboration and digital learning technologies to the global K-12 education market. Later this year, an initial set of products will be available to markets globally. ePals will offer Microsoft's Live@edu e-mail and calendar platform, as well as other capabilities, to millions of its school-community users worldwide. In the future, Microsoft's Office Web Apps and features of SharePoint Online also will be incorporated into ePals' products.

Key Curriculum Press has been honored with two 2010 BESSIE Awards for The Geometer's Sketchpad^® and Tinkerplots™ Dynamic Data Exploration. For 16 years, the Best Educational Software (BESSIE) Awards have been presented by ComputED Learning Center, targeting content-rich programs and Web sites that provide teachers with the technology to foster educational excellence. For more information about the awards program, visit www.computedgazette.com.

Discovery Education has partnered with the Take Me Fishing campaign to create Explore the Blue, an online initiative encouraging youth participation in on-the-water activities and aquatic conservation efforts. This new resource empowers teachers and parents to engage students in a dialogue about the importance of outdoor recreational activities, such as boating and fishing, and the value of clean and healthy natural resources. Students can explore the magic of being on the water with family and friends, while learning about the importance of conservation efforts at the same time.

With the number of students with autism rising, AutismPro will help educators 'navigate the waters of autism' during the Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC) 2010 Convention & Expo to be held Apr. 21-24, in Nashville, Tenn. During the convention, AutismPro will host two presentations focusing on components of an effective autism program, and share information on resources necessary to teach students with autism effectively. In addition, the company will highlight how its flagship product, AutismPro, can be used as part of a higher education curriculum.

For the second year in a row, students using the PCI Reading Program achieved significantly higher sight-word assessment scores than students who were not exposed to the program, according to the results for Phase Two of a five-year study conducted by Empirical Education. Researchers found that the effect of the PCI Reading Program is larger after two years than it was after one year, with students who used the PCI Reading Program achieving sight-word assessment scores that were 31 percentile points higher than the scores for students not using the program.

Key Curriculum Press introduces a new implementation department, which will support schools during the sales and adoption processes to ensure success as they transition to inquiry-based learning. Sandy Berger and Werner Garciano will join the implementation department as Mathematics Curriculum Specialists for Key Curriculum Press. "The knowledge Sandy and Werner bring to the team is invaluable," said Tim Pope, Curriculum Director for Key Curriculum Press. "Their experience of helping leaders, teachers and students increase math achievement will be a crucial asset to our team as we provide schools with quality mathematics materials and implementation support."

Discovery Education has been honored with three 2010 BESSIE Awards from the ComputED Learning Center for Discovery Education Digital Science Solutions, Discovery Education streaming Plus and Ready Classroom. This is the 16th year of the Annual Best Educational Software Awards (BESSIES). The ComputED Gazette and Computer Learning Lab, San Diego's leading computer education resource, sponsor the award program. Targeting innovative and content-rich programs and websites that provide parents and teachers with the technology to foster educational excellence, the program selects winners from titles submitted by digital resource publishers from around the world.

Students born in the digital information age expect interactive technology-based learning experiences, but according to Project Tomorrow's research, there's a gap between how students use technology in school and how they use it outside school. To help schools address the needs of the 21st century student, Nelson Education Ltd., the leading educational publisher in Canada, has partnered with netTrekker. The companies are offering digital instructional resources customized for Canadian schools to enable education leaders to easily implement a cost-effective, digital learning environment that engages and inspires students.

The Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) announces that Eric Lauzon, CIO of International Baccalaureate and Margaret “Peggy” Johnson, Executive Vice President of the Americas and India for Qualcomm, will serve as keynote speakers for the seventh annual Ed Tech Industry Summit to be held May 23-25, in San Francisco. Focusing on mobile and global learning, Lauzon and Johnson will explore education and technology in a global economy, and share strategies for successful transition to mobile solutions in education. For more information on the Ed Tech Industry Summit, visit www.edtechindustrysummit.net.

Shmoop, a publisher of digital resources that make learning fun and relevant for students, has been named an Official Honoree in the 14th Annual Webby Awards. Launched in 2008, Shmoop has been named an Official Honoree by the Webby Awards in both years since its launch. Of the nearly 10,000 entries submitted to this year's award program, fewer than 15 percent were distinguished as an Official Honoree.

Shmoop, a publisher of digital resources that make learning fun and relevant for students, announces its Poetry Essay Contest in conjunction with National Poetry Month. High school students can submit an essay related to "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost for a chance to win a new Apple iPad. Author and English teacher, Jim Burke, will judge the finalists of the Shmoop Poetry Essay Contest. Burke recently joined Shmoop as Special Advisor. For more information, visit www.shmoop.com/news/2010/04/12/poetry-essay-contest-ipad/.

Research shows that National Board Certification for classroom teachers improves student learning while bolstering teaching effectiveness, retention and leadership. To help foster whole school improvement, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has teamed with PBS TeacherLine^® (www.pbs.org/teacherline), the premier provider of online professional development for preK-12 educators, to offer an online training course for educators who support teachers pursuing this advanced teaching credential.

The Siemens Foundation, in conjunction with Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Discovery Education and College Board, introduces 20 middle and high school teachers that have been chosen to participate in the newly designed Siemens Teachers as Researchers (STARs) program. Selected from more than 100 applicants, these educators will work with some of the nation's top scientists on short-term projects focused on the most current and innovative scientific research happening today.

During NCSM, Key Curriculum Press is hosting a fast, informative Ignite event on April 19 from 12:15-1:15 PM at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego. Ignite speakers share their expertise in five-minute presentations using 20 slides that auto-forward every 15 seconds, ready or not. Nine speakers will share their fresh ideas in mathematics to entertain and educate the audience on topics they are passionate about.

The Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has announced a partnership with edWeb.net to engage educators in SIIA programs and initiatives. SIIA will work with edWeb.net to connect with educators to drive interest and awareness for its Vision K-20 Initiative, CODiE Awards program, and other valuable industry efforts.

The Hawaii State Department of Education and Discovery Education recently commenced a partnership providing K-8 educators and students in 222 public schools statewide access to Discovery Education streaming Plus and Discovery Education Science. In addition, educators received high-quality professional development designed to help them integrate this content and other educational technologies into their instruction.

In support of Autism Awareness Month, AutismPro encourages district and school administrators and special education teams to visit its new Autism Teacher Capabilities Web site at www.AutismPro.com/PD1. The new site promotes increased teacher effectiveness by outlining steps for administrators to create an autism-specific professional development plan for schools district-wide.

Spring has returned to Wisconsin, the birds are back, and Peeps® are everywhere in Dairy Dispatch, the bimonthly online newsletter from C. Blohm & Associates. Some of the notable news in this issue:

• Shmoop Announces Advanced Placement Exam Prep
• Realityworks Launches Business Education Simulations
• Lightspeed Systems Offers High-Capacity Network Solutions
• Siemens STEM Academy Now Open for Educators

The Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) announces the formation of a new board of directors, focusing on the issues of the postsecondary sector. Selected from eight SIIA member companies, these newly appointed executives will provide leadership and market expertise in developing and prioritizing SIIA's higher education industry initiatives.

PBS Teachers^® and Classroom 2.0 are hosting a free webinar for educators on April 7 entitled, A Fresh Look at Teaching With The Diary of Anne Frank. Webinar participants will get a sneak peek at the all-new adaptation airing on PBS's Masterpiece on April 11 (Holocaust Remembrance Day), and review teaching materials created for middle and high school English/language arts, social studies, and media studies educators. Educational materials for the film also offer resources for teens interested in journaling with digital media. Speakers for the webinar include the author of the teacher's guide and an educator from the Holocaust education organization, Facing History and Ourselves. Teachers can participate in the webinars after signing up for free membership in PBS Teachers. For more information or to register for the webinar, visit www.pbs.org/teachers/webinar.

Every year in May, students take Advanced Placement (AP) Exams as a way to earn college credit and demonstrate their readiness for college. To help students prepare for these exams, Shmoop introduces online AP Exam Prep courses for four of the five most popular AP Exams: AP English Language, AP English Literature, AP US History, and AP US Government. In addition, Shmoop is offering its AP Exam Prep courses free of charge this year for students and teachers at 20 urban public school districts.

Realityworks, Inc., announces the launch of its Business Education Simulations for high school students. The Business Education Simulations apply key business concepts taught in class to a series of three online games, testing students’ knowledge of successful business strategies. Students create their own company and product, and participate in simulations, including The Business Game, The Entrepreneurship Game and The Finance Game. The simulation series will be featured at the National Business Education Association (NBEA) 2010 Annual Convention, Mar. 30-Apr. 3, in San Diego, Calif.

Developed with grant funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), PBS TeacherLine's new online professional development course that helps educators teach global climate change will open for enrollment on April 3. It is the first offering in a series of courses and modules that PBS TeacherLine^®, the premier provider of online professional development services for preK-12 educators, is creating under the NASA Global Climate Change Education grant. The new course, "STEM 412: Global Climate Change Education for Middle School" enables teachers to strengthen their subject-area knowledge and instructional skills to engage students in critical lessons on climate change, while teaching science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts.

WPSU/Penn State Public Broadcasting and PBS have partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Education to help teachers increase student engagement with instructional media content. Nationally and locally created preK-12 educational content from PBS and its member stations, producers and public media partners, accessed through the new Digital Learning Library, will be incorporated into the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Standards Aligned System statewide. The content will be available to schools and educators by the beginning of the 2010-11 school year.

Educators worldwide are invited to join online and in-person on Saturday, April 24, 2010, for the Discovery Educator Network Virtual Conference. Sponsored by Discovery Education, this theme of the Virtual Conference is Connect the Thoughts. The high-quality, free professional development seminars will focus on providing attendees with the skills and techniques they need to connect digital content and educational technology in a fashion that maximizes each resource and improves student engagement.

PBS TeacherLine^® has teamed up with the Institute for P-12 Engineering Research and Learning (INSPIRE) within the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University to develop a course for elementary educators on teaching engineering concepts to young students. To inspire more American students to pursue careers in engineering and the sciences, it's critical for schools to engage students in these subjects at an early age. Available for enrollment in the fall, the new online professional development course for preK-6 grade teachers will be based on the groundbreaking research and authentic evidence-based curriculum from INSPIRE, and offered nationally through PBS TeacherLine's proven online facilitated learning environment. The 30-hour, two-credit course will enable teachers to provide students with an early foundation in engineering through standards-based science, math and reading curricula, and to help students develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.

Living By Chemistry is a full-year high school curriculum that presents scientific ideas in real-life contexts, a strategy that grabs students' interest and improves their retention of concepts. To help educators learn more about Living By Chemistry, Key Curriculum Press will be conducting a series of sessions during NSTA's National Conference on Science Education in Philadelphia on March 18-21, 2010.

Califone International, Inc., announces the launch of its new line of megaphones, designed specifically for use in the school environment. The megaphone line includes three models, ideal for sporting events, traveling with students and emergency response situations. The new line of megaphones ensures messages are clearly heard by those around the user, and help to alleviate voice strain while providing concise instructions to listeners.

Over the last year, Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board (TBCDSB) in Ontario, Canada, has seen a 16-17 percent increase in students with autism (from 52 to 62 students) among its more than 8,000 students, and predicts a total of 80 students to be identified in the upcoming school year. To manage its growing number of students with autism, TBCDSB has adopted AutismPro to provide its frontline educators, special education staff and administrators the relevant training and useful tracking tools needed to effectively manage and teach the increasing number of students with autism in their district. Through AutismPro, TBCDSB educators can access a variety of training resources and an interactive, easy-to-use communications solution that helps capture, manage and leverage critical development and intervention data for each student’s case file.

Furthering the district's strategic and school improvement plans, district administrators at Carmel Clay Schools, Ind., are empowering staff, school building administrators and educators to improve instruction through immediate access to reliable student data available through Pinnacle Insight from GlobalScholar. Pinnacle Insight provides administrators the ability to review and share reports about class trends and predictive indexes, giving educators access to meaningful and insightful analysis about the district’s more than 15,000 K-12 students in real-time. In addition, Carmel Clay Schools plans to expand access to Pinnacle Insight through classroom and parent portals, offering educators and parents direct access to view student information over time.

Highlighting educators who have a passion for sharing best practices with their peers, Discovery Education announces the 2010 Discovery Educator Network (DEN) Gurus. Five educators were chosen through a competitive application process as the first-ever DEN Gurus, and are recognized as thought leaders for one of the nation's largest professional learning communities. The 2010 DEN Gurus include Traci Blazosky from Clarion Area School District in Pennsylvania, Tim Childers from Bradley County Schools in Tennessee, Patricia Duncan from Wallenpaupack Area School District in Pennsylvania, Lee Kolbert from The School District of Palm Beach County in Florida, and Nancy Sharoff from Ellenville Central Schools in New York.

Discovery Education announces the addition of two new leaders to its STEM/public policy and marketing teams. As the Director of STEM Programs and Strategic Initiatives, Kelly Denson serves as the primary contact for Discovery Education's numerous STEM projects and public policy endeavors. In addition, Clint Perez joins the company's senior leadership team as Vice President of Marketing for Discovery Education.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has announced that netTrekker has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious CODiE Awards in the Best K-12 Instructional Solution category. This honor is given to the best school-based education technology solution for curriculum and content that is specifically targeted toward students in preK-12 learning environments. netTrekker is the leading K-12 educational search tool. It enables educators to easily and safely connect to thousands of high-quality, standards-aligned online digital resources and personalized learning tools to support students' unique learning needs. Established in 1986, the CODiE Awards celebrate outstanding achievement and vision in the software, digital information and education technology industries. Winners will be announced in May.

The Idaho Department of Education has adopted the TimeMAPS Money Management & Life Skills Program from Realityworks, Inc., as a resource in the Professional-Technical Education/Family Consumer Science classification for grades 9-12. The financial literacy software and curriculum was approved to help districts ensure students meet graduation requirements, and the requirements of the Idaho State Standards.

In districts with distributed networks, large bandwidth, thousands of users, and high network traffic, filtering Web access and blocking spam can create bottlenecks, network availability issues, and management headaches. To address these problems, Lightspeed Systems Inc. introduces a new product line that integrates its award-winning software with premium hardware to enable districts to manage their high-capacity networks easily and effectively. The Lightspeed High-Capacity Network Solutions enhance user safety and productivity, strengthen network security, and ensure compliance with federal regulations, all without hindering speed or performance. The integrated hardware-software packages feature two new network appliances: Lightspeed Rocket, Web Access Manager, and Lightspeed Rocket, Email Manager.

The Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is now seeking applications for its Innovation Incubator Program. The finalists selected to participate will present their innovations during the Business Profiles Presentations and the Innovation Showcase & Welcome Reception at the SIIA Ed Tech Industry Summit in San Francisco, May 23-25. The program is open to applicants from academic and non-profit institutions, pre-revenue and early-stage companies, and long-standing companies with newly developed technologies. The deadline for applications is March 22.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has chosen the Pinnacle Suite from GlobalScholar as a finalist in the 2010 CODiE Awards in the Best Course Management Solution category. Long trusted for its assessment and reporting capabilities, the Pinnacle Suite provides an all-inclusive set of tools, bringing together the previously separated pieces that stakeholders need for efficient, cost-effective, data-driven decision-making. Now in its 25th year, the CODiE Awards program has raised the standard for excellence and serves as a prestigious representation of outstanding achievement and vision in the software and information industry.

Exploring the theme of Going Mobile and Global, the Software & Information Industry Association's (SIIA) 7th annual Ed Tech Industry Summit will be held May 23-25, at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. The Summit will connect industry executives, highlight trends in mobile and global learning, and promote the Division’s Vision K-20 initiative, all while celebrating the organization’s much-anticipated 25th anniversary.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has selected Discovery Education streaming Plus and Discovery Education Science as finalists for the 2010 CODiE Awards. Discovery Education streaming Plus was nominated in the "Best Education Solution" category, and Discovery Education Science in the "Best Science Instructional Solution" category. Established in 1986, the CODiE Awards celebrate outstanding achievement and vision in the software, digital information and education technology industries.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) announces finalists in the education categories for the prestigious CODiE Awards. Nominated products underwent intensive review by subject matter experts, analysts, journalists, and others with extensive experience in the field. Winners will be announced May 24 at a special CODiE Awards dinner, in conjunction with the 2010 Ed Tech Industry Summit. A complete list of the finalists can be found at www.siia.net/CODiEs.

The consequences last longer than the party. This is the message of It's 21. Just Pass, a new initiative from the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, the National Football League Players Association and Discovery Education. Launched in 21 cities nationwide, It's 21. Just Pass challenges high school students to learn the risks of underage drinking, test their knowledge and win amazing prizes. For more information, visit www.its21justpass.com.

Ensuring students have access to audio-visual and computer-based learning in the classroom and lab, Califone International, Inc., has extended its popular Listening First™ line of headphones and Deluxe Multimedia Stereo line of headsets. The Listening First Headphones line has been extended to include a 12-pack of blue headphones, and a 12-pack of animal-themed headphones, which includes four each of bear, panda and tiger motifs. In addition, Califone has extended the Deluxe Multimedia Stereo line of headsets to include a 10-pack, also with a foam-lined, heavy-duty storage case. The company’s most rugged headset, the Deluxe Multimedia Stereo Headset is designed for language learning in the classroom or the computer lab.

Discovery Education has expanded its library to more than 150,000 digital assets through new agreements with Scholastic Media, the Smithsonian Institution, and other top content providers and forward-thinking school systems. An expanded partnership with Scholastic Media provides Discovery Education streaming users access to popular series such as Goosebumps and Clifford the Big Red Dog. Digital resources from the Smithsonian Institution bring historical figures to life for students, providing context to events in American history. Other additions include activities created by Milwaukee Public Schools and Oakland Intermediate School District in Michigan.

PBS Teachers^® (pbsteachers.org) and Classroom 2.0 are hosting a free webinar for educators, Exploring Faces of America with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., on Feb. 23. Dr. Gates is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and the Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University. During the webinar, Dr. Gates will discuss his most recent PBS film project, Faces of America, and a representative of Thirteen, the PBS member station in New York and producer of Dr. Gates' latest documentary, will provide an overview of the rich educational resources that help educators use the film with K-12 students. For the Faces of America documentary, Dr. Gates turned to the latest tools of genealogy and genetics to explore the family histories of 12 renowned Americans, and in the process, discover what made America, and what it means to be American. His guests included professor and poet Elizabeth Alexander, chef Mario Batali, comedian Stephen Colbert, novelist Louise Erdrich, journalist Malcolm Gladwell, actress Eva Longoria, musician Yo-Yo Ma, director Mike Nichols, Her Majesty Queen Noor, television host/heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, actress Meryl Streep, and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

Teachers can participate in the webinar after signing up for free membership in PBS Teachers. Membership provides preK-12 educators with access to all of PBS's educational services, including the PBS Teachers online community and a searchable library of more than 9,000 free local and national standards-based teaching activities, lesson plans, on-demand video assets, and interactive games and simulations.

The Texas State Board of Education has approved the TimeMAPS Money Management & Life Skills Program from Realityworks, Inc., for instruction of personal financial literacy in any social studies course for grades 9-12. The financial literacy curriculum has been approved to help districts meet graduation requirements set by the State of Texas, and to ensure students are meeting Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Standards.

netTrekker has launched new video contest, Personalized Learning in Action, which gives educators an opportunity to win one of two $1,500 scholarships to attend this year's ISTE 2010 conference in Denver, Colo. in June. Entries will be accepted until April 16, 2010. The contest is open to netTrekker customers as well as non-customers. A special 30-day free trial is offered to non-customers to enable teachers and students to access and use netTrekker as part of their video submission. The contest encourages educators, with the help of their students, to create video clips illustrating how they use netTrekker (along with other resources) to engage students in a personalized learning experience.

Celebrate National Gumdrop Day this Feb. 15th with the Dairy Dispatch, the bimonthly online newsletter from C. Blohm & Associates. In addition to profiling the delectable 'drop, this issue features:

• Schools and Parents Can ‘Go Green’ with STI
• Indianapolis Schools Replace Textbooks with Digital Content
• PBS Teachers Announces Innovation Awards Program
• Rutland City Schools Build District-wide Autism Capacity

Click Gumdrop Mountain to download a copy.

Schools are making some strides in using Web 2.0 sites such as online videos, blogs, and social networks to provide collaborative, engaging learning experiences for students. But, research shows administrators' concerns over the potential security and safety risks remain a barrier to widespread Web 2.0 use. Responding to the needs of schools and districts, Lightspeed Systems Inc. has developed My Big Campus to enable educators to share appropriate online resources while protecting students and the school network. My Big Campus is a new feature of Web Access Manager, the company's customizable Internet filtering software and an integrated component of the Total Traffic Control network security and management suite.

Research shows that educators need ongoing professional development support, particularly in their core subject, to be highly effective in the classroom and increase student achievement. netTrekker, a leader in the delivery of digital K-12 educational resources, has partnered with the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) to offer a complete package of instructional and professional development resources that help K-12 teachers increase their science-content proficiency and improve their teaching skills. NSTA is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning. The partnership combines netTrekker's safe educational search tool, which connects educators to thousands of high-quality, standards-aligned online resources, with the NSTA Learning Center to help schools provide individualized instruction and expand STEM education.

Offering educators and students access to streaming video, images and other digital media, the North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) has partnered with Discovery Education to improve student achievement through the integration of high-quality digital content and professional development services. NCVPS, the fifth largest state-led virtual school in the United States, is now offering educators and students throughout the state access to Discovery Education streaming. NCVPS also selected Discovery Education to provide a comprehensive array of professional development services for its educators.

The Siemens Foundation, in conjunction with Discovery Education, Oak Ridge Associated Universities and the College Board, is kicking off a new nationwide initiative, The Siemens STEM Academy. The Academy is designed to advance science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in the United States by engaging educators across the country through hands-on and multimedia professional development opportunities that will ultimately improve STEM education for students nationwide. The national Siemens STEM Academy encompasses four elements, including "Siemens Teachers as Researchers" (STARs), "Siemens STEM Academy" Institute, "STEM Academy Online" Portal, "Brains of Science Connect" Webinar Series.

Key Curriculum Press announces the promotion of Elizabeth DeCarli to Mathematics Product Manager. DeCarli, a former teacher and textbook editor, will manage the planning and promotion of Key's innovative math textbook and technology product lines.

America's future is being shaped by creative and inspiring educators who are grooming tomorrow's leaders by helping students develop their academic talents today. These innovators are engaging students at new levels, sparking their curiosity and tapping into students' natural instinct to explore. To honor and celebrate these educators, the new annual PBS Teachers Innovation Awards will showcase best practices in support of the growth and advancement of the teaching profession. PBS and its local stations are calling all preK-12 educators who inspire and engage students through innovative classroom techniques to enter the PBS Teachers Innovation Awards program by March 12 for a chance to win a behind-the-scenes trip to the premier annual PBS event and other prizes. Details are at www.pbs.org/teachers/innovators/.

Discovery Education and 3M announce the 2010 call for entries for the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, the nation's premier science competition for students in grades 5-8. Ten finalists will be selected to receive an all-expense paid trip to New York City to compete in the final challenge in October, where the winner will receive $50,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds, a tour of 3M's Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the title of "America's Top Young Scientist." Visit www.youngscientistchallenge.com for more information and submission guidelines.

Shmoop^®, a publisher of digital resources that make learning fun and relevant for students, introduces Teacher's Editions for 18 of its most popular Learning Guides. Written by experts and educators, Shmoop Learning Guides contain deep analysis, questions, quotes, and multimedia for seven subjects: literature, poetry, bestsellers, US history, civics, biography, and music. Shmoop also is unveiling its new Teacher Resources Center featuring examples and ideas from fellow teachers to help educators learn how to use Shmoop in the classroom.

Califone International, Inc., announces the launch of the Spirit SD Multimedia Player/Recorder. This new player/recorder has a built-in SD card slot and USB port, providing educators with the technology they need to play pre-recorded instructional resources, stories and music for the whole class. In addition, the Spirit SD allows students to record responses and projects with a built-in microphone, helping educators to monitor student progress and create audio-filled lessons that engage students.

The Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) and JDL Horizons, LLC, have partnered to offer a comprehensive video platform for the organization's Vision K-20 Web site (www.siia.net/visionk20/), providing K-20 educators a portal for sharing best practices with peers worldwide. With JDL Horizon's EduVision streaming video solution, SIIA member organizations and their customers are able to share video content that demonstrates productive use of technology in learning, while helping other educators accelerate their own learning curves in bringing effective technology to the classroom.

Through an innovative pilot program, educators and students in Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) are now accessing high-quality streaming video, images and other digital media aligned to district pacing guides to improve student engagement in social studies lessons. The pilot program, in which dynamic digital content replaces traditional textbooks as the core instructional material, features digital media, curriculum alignment services, professional development, and hardware from Discovery Education.

According to network security experts from Lightspeed Systems, Inc., challenges faced by district IT departments will intensify throughout 2010. To help customers’ anticipated needs, Lightspeed Systems will be offering a new feature in its latest version of Total Traffic Control that enables schools to use educational content from Web 2.0 sites while mitigating the risks. Several school districts are piloting the new feature, which includes a content library for safe access and resource sharing and collaborative tools to enrich interaction with the approved resources.

The Louisiana Governor’s Office and several school districts in the state have selected Peer Connection, a service of PBS TeacherLine^® to offer ongoing support to its preK-12 instructional coaches and educators through anytime, anywhere access to best practices and teaching resources, as well as to a collaborative professional learning community. Featuring thousands of research-based, standards-aligned resources in preK-12 math, reading, instructional strategies, and instructional technology, PBS TeacherLine Peer Connection enables coaches and mentors to create customized, practical learning experiences and guide teachers in their professional growth. The Nonpublic School Early Childhood Development Program (NSECD), an initiative of the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Community Programs, is training its monitors and educators on Peer Connection to implement in the 2010-2011 school year.

Providing districts with districts an easy-to-use, affordable tool for teachers to conduct daily, weekly and monthly assessments, the new online version of GradeCam gives teachers the ability to collect useable information in time to affect learning in progress. When a paper-based test is scanned by a document or web camera, GradeCam Online compresses the image and sends it to a server for analysis by its proprietary advanced image recognition code. Item-by-item results are displayed immediately and stored for generating reports in real-time and in the future. GradeCam Online also integrates with all electronic grade books.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) announces the opening of the third annual Vision K-20 Survey. Sponsored by the organization's Education Division, the Vision K-20 Survey gives educational institutions an opportunity to take a short, online survey to evaluate their current technology use. Participants who complete the survey by Feb. 24, 2010, will have a chance to be founding contributors to the soon-to-be launched SIIA Vision K-20 Video Portal. To learn more about this initiative and to participate in the 2010 Vision K-20 Survey, visit www.siia.net/visionK20. The survey will close May 15, 2010.

Discovery Education and CDW Government LLC (CDW-G) have opened the eighth annual "Win a Wireless Lab" sweepstakes, giving K-12 schools nationwide the opportunity to win one of three grand-prize 21st-century classrooms. Each classroom includes tablet or notebook computers, a notebook cart, interactive whiteboard, student response system, projector, printer, and document camera. In addition to the hardware technology included in the 21st-century classroom, Discovery Education will award a $5,000 digital media grant to the three grand-prize winning schools enabling a more engaging learning environment.

ePals and Heinle ELT, part of Cengage Learning and a leading provider of materials for English language teaching and learning worldwide, have partnered to create the Heinle Community. The community is a safe and secure virtual workspace designed for learners to practice English through collaboration on projects in an authentic learning environment. Each project and classroom workspace provides members of the Heinle Community with a range of Web 2.0 tools for collaboration - including blogs, forums, media galleries, and wikis - giving learners the opportunity to use English in a natural and authentic setting. Teachers also can use the community's unique features to identify classrooms around the world to partner with on selected projects, and to connect with other educators to exchange project ideas, share best practices and explore professional development opportunities.

As a platinum sponsor of FETC 2010's Opening Session, Discovery Education is proud to present actor, author, environmentalist, and activist, Ed Begley, Jr., as the Session's Featured Speaker Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 3:30 p.m. Begley will speak to conference attendees about the important roles science and technology play in environmental education.

PBS announced today a multi-year initiative to recognize innovative preK-12 educators and instructional practices that inspire and engage students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The effort was acknowledged at an event at the White House today marking the second phase of President Obama's Educate to Innovate campaign that recognizes excellence in teaching.

With its member stations, PBS is launching the annual PBS Teachers^® Innovation Challenge (pbs.org/teachers/innovators/) later this month to honor and celebrate talented teachers, and showcase best practices in support of the growth and advancement of the teaching profession. NSTA is supporting the Challenge by encouraging participation of science teachers at every level of school and will recognize innovative STEM educators among the 50 Challenge winners that will be announced this spring. The Teachers Innovation Challenge builds on an existing partnership between NSTA and PBS centered on Science Matters, an initiative by NSTA to increase public awareness of the importance of science education-especially at the elementary level-and improve school and community involvement in science.

According to a new national research report, Digitally Inclined, compiled by Grunwald Associates LLC for PBS, teachers are making significant progress in adoption of digital media and Internet use. These findings clearly signal widespread changes in both early childhood and K-12 education, including more effective individualized instruction. Pre-K use mirrors the strong interest of K-12 educators in digital media and social networking. PBS emerged as the number one source of educational TV and online content among Pre-K teachers in the survey.

Using Pinnacle Instruction from GlobalScholar, Bellevue School District is able to offer the same high-quality education to every school in the district by providing educators, administrators and parents with access to district curriculum. The online platform allows the district's curriculum development team to easily manage thousands of units and lesson plans across all grade levels and subject areas, ensuring educators district-wide have access to the same curriculum, and students have similar learning experiences.

Around the country, K-12 schools are taking additional precautions to ensure continuity of learning during extended students absences due to adverse events or illness, such as the H1N1 flu virus. The U.S. Department of Education recently published a set of guidelines to help facilitate continuity of learning in K-12 schools. netTrekker, a leader in the delivery of digital K-12 educational content and developer of the leading educational search tool, has created an H1N1 Absence Survival Kit to further assist K-12 schools in their continuity of learning preparation. The H1N1 Absence Survival Kit includes a set of resources from the DOE, virtual instruction lesson plan templates, informational webinars to help educators use netTrekker's My Portfolio to create assignments for absent students, and resources to help schools communicate with parents.

Ginger Software, Inc. offers teachers and students additional functionality with the latest release of Ginger, a context-based correction tool. Ginger now works with Internet Explorer, allowing students to write with confidence in e-mail applications like Gmail, and on social networking Web sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Ginger also features customizable interface settings, and progress reporting to track mistakes and illustrate student progress.

Scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010, from 9 a.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST, Discovery Education will host a free, virtual professional development event focusing on showing educators and administrators how to incorporate digital content and the latest education technologies into science instruction. Discovery Educator Network SCIcon 2010 will highlight best practices and new techniques attendees can apply to their science lessons to improve student achievement. Educators and administrators interested in learning more, or registering for Discovery Educator Network SCIcon 2010, can visit blog.discoveryeducation.com/scienceinaction/denscicon/.

PBS TeacherLine (www.pbs.org/teacherline), the premier provider of online professional development services for preK-12 educators, has earned the highest quality rating from the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) review. Products and services are evaluated based on their design, content, technology, dissemination and implementation, and reach to target audiences. PBS TeacherLine received a "high-quality" rating on both online teacher professional development services that were submitted for review: TECH 330 Communicate and Collaborate Online course and a PBS TeacherLine Peer Connection instructional coaching module. This is the second consecutive year that PBS TeacherLine's services have received this rating.

In the wake of one of the worst economic downturns in American history, educators have the opportunity to teach students important economic and financial literacy lessons, and help them become both effective citizens and future leaders in business and government. As part of a collaborative public media initiative, PBS Teachers (pbsteachers.org) has developed Access, Analyze, Act: From Economic Theory to Financial Reality, a special collection of high-quality educational digital media resources about the economy for use in school and home learning environments. PBS' collection enable educators to provide an engaging learning environment for high school students to connect abstract, challenging economic concepts, such as securitization and derivatives, with real-world examples to gain a better understanding of how the U.S. economy works.

Key Curriculum Press announces the promotion of Tim Pope to Curriculum Director. In this recently created position, Pope will forge partnerships with district and school leaders on content topics such as aligning Key Curriculum Press' textbooks with a district's scope and sequence, and evaluating textbook implementation. Pope will lead the company's new implementation department, which will support schools during both the sales and implementation processes to ensure their success as they move to inquiry-based learning.

PCI Education, the number one provider of resources for students with special needs, announces the appointment of Erin Kinard as Vice President, Product Development/Publisher. In this newly created role, Kinard will oversee product development for the company and report to Lee Wilson, President and CEO. Kinard brings to PCI Education a deep understanding of the publishing process, along with a vision for products based on classroom experience and development experience.

Thirty middle and high school students from around the world have been named winners of the Students Speak! Countdown to Copenhagen Contest, hosted by ePals, Inc., in partnership with Conservation International's Team Earth campaign. The winning submissions will be hand-delivered to world leaders attending the Copenhagen Climate Conference this month, providing them with a representation of students opinions on climate change. To view a list of the top 30 winners, visit www.epals.com/teamearth/climatechangecontest.

The E-rate Form 471 application filing window for Funding Year 2010 is now open and extends through Feb. 11, 2009. E-rate consulting firm Funds For Learning has compiled a list of seven key tips to help applicants with the E-rate funding application process.

Tis the season for nutcrackers, and plenty of tasty news nuggets, in December’s Dairy Dispatch, the bimonthly online newsletter from C. Blohm & Associates. A cracking good read, this issue includes:

• Key Curriculum Press Releases Sketchpad Version 5
• New ePals Platform Gives Districts Control of Social Media
• STI Offers Donor Development Tracking/Management System
• Califone Multimedia Players Enhance Classroom Learning

Click a toy soldier to download a copy.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) introduced the 12 Innovation Incubator participants during the Ed Tech Business Forum, held Nov. 30 - Dec. 1, 2009, highlighting the importance of innovation for the future of the education industry. At the conclusion of the Ed Tech Business Forum, SIIA awarded four organizations with top honors for Most Innovative and Most Likely to Succeed.

Ginger Software, Inc., the leader in spelling and grammar correction, announces the appointment of Dr. Brian Friedlander to its Scientific Advisory Board. A well-known expert on assistive technology, Dr. Friedlander has been involved in the field of special education for more than 25 years. In addition to serving on the Scientific Advisory Board, Dr. Friedlander has been invited to share his thoughts regarding various assistive technologies and new developments in the field on the Ginger Software blog (www.gingersoftware.com/blog).

Educators and students in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) can now access high-quality streaming video, images and other digital media through the integration of digital content and professional development services from Discovery Education. Milwaukee Public Schools has begun implementing Discovery Education streaming Plus in more than 140 schools. Aligned to state standards, digital assets from Discovery Education can be easily integrated into curricula to engage today’s students in learning. MPS also selected Discovery Education to provide a comprehensive array of professional development services for district educators.

PBS Teachers^® (pbsteachers.org) and Classroom 2.0 are hosting a free webinar for educators on Dec. 8 titled Education in the Digital Age. During the webinar, producer and director Rachel Dretzin will share insights and findings gleaned from her work on PBS FRONTLINE: Digital Nation, Life on the Digital Frontier, a year-long, multi-platform project exploring the impact of the Web and digital media on life in the 21st century. The upcoming webinar will focus on the implications of the Digital Nation project for educators and allow educators to react and provide feedback to Dretzin on her findings. The Digital Nation project includes a documentary that will air on Feb. 2, 2010, a series of online video reports, and an online mosaic of user-generated content, personal multimedia stories about life in the digital age.

Virtual Expert Clinics, Inc., has developed AutismPro Resource Manager to help school systems manage the growing population of students with autism. AutismPro Resource Manager is a comprehensive online library of more than 5,000 evidence-based examples, strategies and objectives, all organized in an easy-to-use online case management system. The online solution helps district special education teams and classroom educators to adapt Individualized Education Plans (IEP) for students with autism. The comprehensive online library allows educators and administrators to track and report on the progress of individual students with autism, providing summary reports to parents and other team members.

In order to increase students’ financial literacy, 20 states have revised graduation requirements to include personal finance lessons in the high school curriculum. To help districts address these new requirements, Realityworks, Inc., developer of real-life, interactive educational products, recently introduced TimeMAPS™ Money Management and Life Skills Program to educators at the first-ever Jump$tart Coalition National Educator Conference in Washington, D.C., held Nov. 6-8, 2009. Attendees were able to gain hands-on experience using the TimeMAPS software, which aligns with revised state curriculum standards and Jump$tart Coalition National Standards.

As part of Discovery Communications' new science-related initiative, "Be the Future," Discovery Education now offers STEM Connect to all Discovery Education streaming subscribers at no additional cost. STEM Connect offers educators new resources to highlight connections among science, technology, engineering and math, and is designed to help educators blend STEM disciplines into their curriculum. In addition, Discovery Education and the Siemens Foundation will launch The Siemens STEM Academy in January 2010 to support educators in their efforts to foster student achievement in STEM subjects.

Educators can now earn graduate credit from Central Michigan University, Northwest Nazarene University and Madonna University for completing online courses available from PBS TeacherLine. The three universities are the latest of 28 higher education institutions to partner with PBS TeacherLine, which offers more than 130 online facilitator-led courses in reading, math, science, instructional technology, and instructional strategies. Teachers can choose to earn graduate credit for completion of PBS TeacherLine’s online professional development courses through these universities, or through the other 25 national and local graduate credit providers.

The Oregon State Board of Education has approved Living By Chemistry for adoption as part of its K-12 Science Instructional Materials Evaluation Process. Published by Key Curriculum Press, Living By Chemistry is a rigorous, full-year high school curriculum that helps students make connections between chemistry and the world around them. Living By Chemistry offers an interactive learning experience, involving card games, labs, concept illustrations, and group discussions to help students comprehend key chemistry concepts.

Due to the sellout at its upcoming Ed Tech Business Forum Nov. 30-Dec.1, 2009, the Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) announces plans to broadcast significant portions of the event live via Webcast. The Online Ed Tech Business Forum is made possible through a partnership with LearningTimes, the leading producer of online communities and online conferences for education and training. SIIA members can participate in the Online Forum for $195, while the fee for non-members is $295.

Award-winning authors Alan Sitomer and Sharon Flake will join New York City's first Youth Poet Laureate at The BookJam Bash, sponsored by Recorded Books, during the NCTE conference in Philadelphia on Saturday, Nov. 21. The special event will feature student poetry performances and discussion highlighting proven techniques for using engaging novels in young adult literature to elevate literacy levels and boost student achievement. (By invitation only; open to the media.)

In response to recent surveys highlighting students' lack of financial literacy knowledge, 20 states have revised curriculum standards to include financial literacy education as a graduation requirement. To help educators meet these new requirements, Realityworks Inc., developer of real-life, interactive educational products, announces the availability of TimeMAPS™ Money Management and Life Skills Program at the Association of Career and Technical Education's (ACTE) Annual Convention and Career Tech Expo Nov. 19-21, 2009, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn. Educators can visit Realityworks’ booths 652 & 653 for more information on meeting financial literacy requirements with the TimeMAPS curriculum.

As part of a multi-year initiative launched in fall 2008 by Lightspeed Systems and netTrekker, the Safe Schools in a Web 2.0 World white paper released today serves as a comprehensive source of information to guide districts in using Internet technologies to promote collaborative, participatory learning. The report offers insight on the use of Web 2.0 in education through an analysis of several new research studies and outlines the implications for educators, highlighting that district leadership and support are critical to ensure safe and effective use of these technologies.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has selected ten finalist organizations to participate in its Innovation Incubator Program at the 2009 Ed Tech Business Forum, Nov. 30 - Dec. 1 in New York City. The program connects the developers of promising, new technologies with industry leaders, potential investors and established organizations seeking partnerships or prospects for acquisition. During the event, the selected organizations will receive industry-wide recognition, peer-to-peer mentorship and access to hand-selected prospects for partnership, acquisition, financing, and veteran advice.

Teachers who need credits for recertification, or want to learn new teaching strategies and resources to enhance student learning can brush up on their knowledge and skills from the comfort of their own home with PBS TeacherLine's online facilitated courses. PBS TeacherLine (www.pbs.org/teacherline), the premier provider of online professional development services for preK-12 educators, has opened enrollment for its 2010 Winter Course Term, with courses starting Jan. 27. More than 145 online courses for teachers in science, math, reading and language arts, instructional technology, and instructional strategies are offered through PBS TeacherLine and local PBS stations.

The Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) announces Karen Cator, newly appointed director of the Office of Education Technology at the U.S. Department of Education, as the featured keynote speaker during a special lunch presentation at the Ed Tech Business Forum. The conference will be held Nov. 30 - Dec. 1, 2009 in New York.

Earlier this year, the New Jersey State Board of Education adopted revisions to its state graduation requirements to help students meet new demands and expectations from employers and higher education institutions. To help New Jersey educators meet these new requirements, Realityworks, Inc., developer of life-changing, interactive educational products, announces the availability of TimeMAPS™ Money Management and Life Skills Program at the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) Conference Nov. 5-6, 2009, in Atlantic City. The TimeMAPS software aligns with New Jersey's revised graduation requirements and engages students in real-life personal finance topics, preparing them for successful money management as adults.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) announces its new Education Division Board of Directors. These recently elected and appointed executives from member companies will help provide the ed tech industry with leadership, advocacy and critical market information. As members of the Education Board of Directors, these executives will develop and prioritize the Division's initiatives, projects, activities, and events.

Discovery Education and the Epilepsy Foundation have joined together to launch Understanding Epilepsy, providing educators access to classroom resources that help broaden understanding about seizure disorders. Available online at www.discoveryeducation.com/epilepsy, educators will find a variety of free materials developed by the Epilepsy Foundation, including lesson plans, first aid guides, seizure training for school personnel, and online training for school nurses focused on managing students with seizures. Visitors also can find information addressing seizure disorder myths and general facts about the different types of seizures.

Climate change – one of the greatest challenges facing humanity and a major concern to young people – is the focus of upcoming online professional development courses and teaching resources from PBS TeacherLine^® and The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). PBS TeacherLine, the premier provider of online professional development services for preK-12 educators, has been awarded funding from the NASA Global Climate Change Education grant, totaling nearly $600,000, to help educators engage students in critical lessons on climate change, while teaching science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts.

The Arkansas Department of Education has signed a two-year agreement with netTrekker, a leader in the delivery of digital K-12 educational content and developer of the leading educational search tool, to provide districts statewide with access to online instructional resources. Through the partnership, more than 460,000 public school students and teachers will have access to the netTrekker search tool for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years. netTrekker provides students and educators with over 300,000 educator-reviewed and state standards-aligned digital resources. Students enrolled in teacher education programs also will gain access to netTrekker, helping them learn ways to support individualized learning and 21st century skills development.

Key Curriculum Press has been honored with a 2009 Award of Excellence from Tech & Learning magazine for Sketchpad LessonLink™. The online, searchable library helps teachers integrate The Geometer's Sketchpad® into their math curriculum with more than 500 Sketchpad activities designed for students in grades 3-12.

PBS Teachers^® (pbsteachers.org) and Classroom 2.0 are hosting a free webinar for educators on Nov. 17 about Helping Kids Understand Viruses and Vaccinations with Sid the Science Kid. Speakers, Dr. Cyrus Rangan and early childhood education expert Moisés Román, will discuss strategies and resources educators can immediately use in the classroom to teach students the science behind germs, viruses and vaccines - topics that are on many kids' minds during this cold and flu season - using age-appropriate vocabulary and concepts. Educators also play an important role in helping students stay healthy. A special new episode of the Emmy^®-nominated PBS KIDS^® series SID THE SCIENCE KID entitled, Getting a shot: You Can Do It!, provides teachers and childcare providers with helpful resources to handle questions children may have around getting sick, why their parents want them to get a flu shot, and what they can do to stay healthy.

netTrekker, a leader in the delivery of digital K-12 educational resources, now offers its subscribers a new solution for enhancing their teachers' 21st century skills with CyberSmart! Online Workshops. netTrekker is the leading safe K-12 educational search tool. Schools can now purchase any of the five CyberSmart! Online Workshops along with their netTrekker subscription. CyberSmart! Online Workshops, facilitated professional development, give educators a hands-on experience in 21st century skills to meet the learning needs of today's students. Educators engage in the same kinds of learning they are expected to encourage in the classroom, paving the way for effective use of netTrekker's wealth of standards-aligned digital resources and technology tools.

Although criminal activity on school networks is rare, the potential for damage to the people and school involved is extremely high. District and school administrators must be prepared for these situations and equipped to identify and investigate serious, potentially dangerous, policy infractions. To help administrators prevent and prepare for possible crises, Lightspeed Systems Inc., a leader in network security and management software for schools, has released the new white paper, Forensics: Identifying, Investigating, and Prosecuting Sexual Misconduct in Your School. The white paper discusses how to create clear acceptable use policies; how to use network activity reports to identify suspicious behavior; and how to collect forensic evidence necessary to suspend, terminate, or even prosecute violators.

The Oregon State Board of Education has approved Discovery Education Science – Elementary Solution for grades K-5/6 and Discovery Education Science – Middle School Solution for grades 6-8 for statewide adoption as part of its K-12 Science and 9-12 Mathematics Instructional Materials Evaluation Process. These digital solutions from Discovery Education are aligned to the 2009 Oregon Science Curriculum Standards, and cover the physical, earth and space, and life sciences to enhance students' understanding of science. A formative assessment tool also is built into the digital material, providing educators and students with instant information on students' understanding of the science concepts.

Schools in Western Canada now have the opportunity to manage, monitor and secure their networks through a single comprehensive solution from Lightspeed Systems Inc., a leader in network security and management software in the U.S. K-12 education market. Lightspeed Systems has partnered with Evolution Learning Technologies, a Canadian audiovisual and education technology dealer, to sell Total Traffic Control software and its components in Western Canada to help schools provide a safe, engaging 21st century learning environment for students. The company's software will help Canadian schools address their most pressing IT challenges: protecting students from inappropriate online content, effectively blocking known and unknown threats including anonymous proxies, managing bandwidth to ensure network reliability and performance for learning, and maintaining safety and security when computers are off the network.

Realityworks, Inc., developer of life-changing, interactive educational products, announces the launch of TimeMAPS Money Management and Life Skills Program. Unlike existing resources, TimeMAPS helps educators teach students important financial literacy topics by engaging them in real-life lessons through a complete curriculum. The software features 13 themes with 54 lessons and more than 140 interactive examples of personal finance concepts, and meets Jump$tart Coalition National Standards and graduation requirements in 20 states.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), through a program partnership with Discovery Education, is accepting entries for the USADA True Sport Awards to promote good citizenship and healthy choices. The USADA True Sport program also features free curricula for middle school and high school aged students that help educators and community leaders inform them about critical life lessons that contribute to the development of ethical and healthy individuals. These curricula are tied to national education standards, are implemented easily into classroom or other youth group educational settings, and offer self-assessment tools, teachers’ guides and student activity materials. Entries for the USADA True Sport Awards will be accepted now through Nov. 15, 2009.

ePals, Inc., announces ePals LearningSpace, a controlled, yet flexible, online workspace that provides administrators greater management of social media use throughout the school system. Using the platform, educators can conduct project-based learning opportunities, differentiate instruction and design curriculum in real-time. Bringing together a complete suite of Web 2.0 tools (blogs, wikis, digital lockers, forums and more), ePals LearningSpace helps educators effectively prepare students for the 21st century workforce. At the same time, administrators are provided with critical visibility and control over how these tools are used district-wide.

Discovery Education has teamed up with Elmer's Products, Inc., SMART Technologies and The Clorox Company to re-launch New Teacher Survival Central, an online destination featuring helpful classroom resources to welcome, support and reward educators new to the teaching profession. Celebrating new educators nationwide, New Teacher Survival Central is offering monthly prizes from Elmer's Products, Inc., SMART Technologies, The Clorox Company and Discovery Education. In addition, one first-year teacher will be chosen to win a grand-prize package featuring an exclusive trip with Discovery Student Adventures.

WeAreTeachers announces a new microgrant, Special Education: Individual Attention, Collective Impact, sponsored by PCI Education. WeAreTeachers is asking special education teachers to submit their best ideas for reaching students on an individual level, and will reward the 10 submissions that receive the most online votes with a $200 cash microgrant, and a Flip Video™ camera to capture implementation of the idea. The microgrant application can be found atwww.weareteachers.comfrom Oct. 12 to Oct. 31.

ePals, Inc., has been honored with two 2009 Annual Education Software Review Awards (EDDIES) from the ComputED Learning Center. The company’s curriculum-based e-mentoring program, In2Books^®, was recognized as the Best Language Arts Web site for Early Elementary, and the ePals Global Community™ was awarded Best Internet Communication Web site in the Multi-Level category.

Administered by netTrekker, a leader in the delivery of digital K-12 educational resources and developer of the #1 educational search tool, the Safe Search Awards Index is a national ranking of school districts keeping kids safe when searching online, has announced the top awards for small-, medium-, and large-sized districts. For the third year in a row, Forsyth County Schools in Atlanta finished first for the large-sized districts. Tangipahoa Parish School System in Louisiana led the mid-sized districts, and Austin Public Schools in Minnesota received top honors among the small-sized districts.

Industry leaders from key ed tech organizations will share their experiences conducting business in a global market at the 9th annual Ed Tech Business Forum, sponsored by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 in New York City. Focusing on the theme "Growing Globally," the Forum's program will highlight the opportunities and challenges that will affect U.S. ed tech companies in an increasingly global marketplace, and the economic landscape for companies looking at financing options.

By using E-rate Manager for Applicants, an online suite of tools developed by Funds For Learning, LLC, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools received more than $1 million in funding for vital telecommunications services, such as phone and Internet connections, through the E-rate program. More than 30,000 schools and libraries apply for E-rate funding every year, with about 90 percent receiving the assistance they need to provide telecommunications services and Internet access. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools relies on E-rate Manager for Applicants to stay current with fluctuating deadlines and paperwork, and to navigate the process of preparing and filing E-rate funding requests.

Discovery Education and 3M have named Marina Dimitrov of Bozeman, Mont., "America's Top Young Scientist" for the 2009 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Dimitrov was one of 10 finalists who competed today in a series of live science challenges at Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. A student of Sacajawea Middle School, Dimitrov will receive $50,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds ($25,000 cash value) and a trip to 3M's global headquarters to meet with some of the world's best scientists.

Digital media resources from Ken Burns’s highly acclaimed documentary series, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” including on-demand video, lessons plans, student activities, and historical archives, are now available through PBS Teachers^® (pbsteachers.org). Through the “National Parks” resources, educators can create an engaging tour of the nation’s historic and natural treasures while teaching students core curriculum lessons and 21st century skills. PBS Teachers and Classroom 2.0 will be hosting a webinar on Oct. 7 to demonstrate ways to integrate the “National Parks” educational media and other free technologies into classroom instruction.

WeAreTeachers, the online social and business network that brings together teachers, learners and content in the education industry, has teamed up with PCI Education to give special education teachers a way to connect online. This new partnership allows special education teachers to share best practices and to interact with one another, as well as with PCI Education, to create a classroom culture that is up-to-date with the latest and best in teaching techniques and products.

In a recent analysis, Virtual Expert Clinics found more than 90 percent of surveyed educators are uncomfortable having a child with autism in their classroom. With an increasing number of students diagnosed with autism in the school system, districts are struggling to prepare general education teachers and frontline paraprofessionals to educate and care for this growing population. Providing cost-effective training and having autism-focused resources available to general education teachers and staff will help significantly to decrease these expenditures for districts nationwide.

PCI Education introduces Academic Curriculum Framework to help teachers focus on standards-based learning. This comprehensive, K-12+ program aligns academic skills for students with moderate to severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. To meet the needs of these students, Academic Curriculum Framework utilizes an integrated teaching and learning cycle designed to maximize strategies found to be effective in teaching students with special needs.

The PBS Foundation has received a $1 million grant from the Ford Foundation to help build the PBS Digital Learning Library, an online repository of trusted, public broadcasting-created educational content that teachers and students can easily access. The PBS Digital Learning Library will be a comprehensive source of "learning objects," including video, audio, images, games, and interactive learning activities designed for classroom use, delivered to teachers exclusively through local PBS stations. The Ford Foundation grant provides initial seed funding for the development, rollout and management of the PBS Digital Learning Library system, and other critical support components to make this system available to PBS stations. Stations currently offering digital media services, including WGBH's Teachers' Domain and Maryland Public Television's ThinkPort, will begin delivering resources from the Digital Learning Library to teachers and learners in the 2009 school year.

Janet English, award-winning educator and digital media expert, is the new blogger for PBS Teachers' popular education blog, Media Infusion (pbs.org/mediainfusion), which focuses on practical ways to integrate multimedia resources and technology into the classroom. Through Media Infusion, English will help educators discover methods for infusing their instruction with media to create rich, engaging learning experiences that improve student learning across grade levels and curriculum topics. English will also discuss ways to use multimedia resources to address common instructional challenges, and invite readers to share their successes and struggles so that the blog becomes a place where educators can learn about and try new media tools together.

ePals has joined national consumer brands Dell, Harrah’s, SC Johnson, Starbucks, and Wrigley, and three non-profit organizations, Conservation International, Rocky Mountain Institute and Prince’s Rainforest Project, to announce the launch of “Team Earth.” “Team Earth” unites businesses, non-profit organizations, scientists, educators, parents, and students in an international collective action campaign to address the most pressing environmental issues facing the world. The global sustainability movement kicked-off today in New York with an elaborate event featuring Harrison Ford, a life-size origami forest, and the launch of www.epals.com/teamearth featuring student voices and community-based action.

Discovery Education and Comcast have launched Discovery Education On Demand By Comcast, a first-in-the-nation service delivering Indiana families instant and convenient at-home access to digital educational media, homework help tools and more. The new service's content is available at no additional cost exclusively to local Comcast Digital Cable customers and online to all Indiana parents and students. Parents and caregivers can use the Discovery Education On Demand By Comcast resources at home to supplement the digital content used by educators in schools across the state, extending classroom learning and reinforcing concepts taught in class.

In the summer of 2010, Discovery Education will offer eight adventure-based international trips to the Arctic, Australia, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Italy and Greece, New Zealand and Fiji, and South Africa for students in grades 5-12 and accompanying teachers. Teachers are invited to experience the 2010 Discovery Student Adventures trips by guiding and chaperoning a group of students throughout one of the eight destinations.

For more information on becoming a Discovery Student Adventures chaperone or guide, visit www.discoverystudentadventures.com.

Four youth media initiatives, supported by the Adobe Youth Voices Venture Fund established through the PBS Foundation, are inspiring young people to work with educators in their community to create compelling digital media content. Through the PBS Foundation, three PBS member stations - KCET in Los Angeles, WGBH in Boston, and WILL in Urbana, Ill. - and McNeil/Lehrer Productions, producers of the PBS program The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, received funding for projects that offer outstanding educational value and youth engagement. The projects include a local onlline documentary series that enables students to build personal portraits of their neighborhoods, a media lab for young people to produce video shorts on global climate change, radio and TV documentaries created by African-American youth to build positive connections between black youth and adults, and a nationwide competition in which students create video news reports on the local effects of national politics.

Discovery Education invites educators and administrators to participate in two free, virtual professional development opportunities this fall - the Fourth Annual streamathon and the Fall 2009 Virtual Conference. Both events focus on how to incorporate digital content and new educational technologies into classroom instruction, and offer new techniques educators can apply to their curriculum to improve student achievement.

Ginger Software, Inc., announces the launch of Ginger, a software program offering context-based error correction for writers of all ages. Unlike standard spell checkers, Ginger analyzes the context of each sentence to automatically correct misused words, grammar and spelling mistakes in Microsoft Word and Outlook. Ginger provides a positive writing environment for all students, including those with learning difficulties such as dyslexia and students who are English language learners.

Lightspeed Systems has created the Anti-Virus (AV) Strike Force, a new customer support team of security experts, to increase virus and malware detection and response. The specialized team responds quickly to virus-related issues to help school network administrators stay informed of threats and protect computers and files. According to the company's security experts, the anti-virus industry has seen a large increase in malware activity, particularly threats that involve a sophisticated layering of old methods and viruses with new modifications and tricks. Lightspeed Systems' databases of Web sites, programs, viruses, malware, and other known threats are available at www.erating.com.

PBS TeacherLine has updated several instructional technology courses to include strategies for using Web 2.0 tools in the classroom and for professional development. With the popularity of Web 2.0 tools, teachers are looking for effective ways to incorporate these technologies into the classroom effectively to help students gain the skills and knowledge they need. Fall enrollment for all PBS TeacherLine courses is open, and national courses start Oct. 28.

The Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) Education Division is seeking applications for its Innovation Incubator Program. Ten participants will be selected to take part in the program, starting with the Innovation Showcase & Welcome Reception at the SIIA Ed Tech Business Forum in New York, November 30-December 1. The program is open to applicants from academic and non-profit institutions, pre-revenue and early-stage companies, and long-standing companies with newly developed technologies. The deadline for applications is Sept. 22, 2009.

Discovery Education renewed its partnership with Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) to continue distribution of Discovery Education digital content through the GPB Education Streaming service for the next three years. Since the inception of the Discovery Education-GPB partnership in 2001, Georgia educators have viewed more than 11 million videos on-demand. The GPB Education Streaming service offers teachers and students an online library of more than 7,000 videos and 58,000 video clips aligned to Georgia academic performance standards.

ePals, Inc., National Geographic and Airbus have teamed up to encourage students to participate in a special photo contest focusing on sustainability and biodiversity. The deadline for photo submissions is Sept. 8. Educators and students can find out more information about the photo contest by visiting the ePals Biodiversity Focus Area, or logging on to www.seethebiggerpicture.org.

netTrekker's Randy Wilhelm will be speaking September 1 at the 1st annual BioOhio Education Summit to emphasize the importance of preparing today's students to thrive in a global economy using 21st century skills. The summit will also feature discussions on the quality, comprehensiveness, and challenges of bioscience education in Ohio's middle and high schools among Ohio educators, administrators, career counselors and workforce professionals. For an invitation to this year's BioOhio Education Summit, contact Matt Schutte at mschutte@bioohio.com or 614-675-3686 ext. 6. For more information on netTrekker, visit www.nettrekker.com.

This fall, PBS KIDS debuts a new broadcast series and new episodes of existing popular programs, which feature supplementary online educational resources such as on-demand videos, classroom activities and interactive games that educators can use to provide students with engaging, rich learning expreiences. The new digital learning resources will be available through the PBS Teachers Web site (pbsteachers.org), which offers more than 9,000 free searchable standards-based educational materials. The programming and resources will also be featured in fall and winter PBS Teachers LIVE! webinars to show educators innovative ways to incorporate multimedia into instruction. Teachers can participate in the webinars after signing up for free PBS Teachers membership.

Market Data Retrieval (MDR) has named ePals, Inc., as a finalist for the EdNET 2009 Pioneer Award, recognizing their contribution to the growth of the education market through the ePals Global Community. Finalists for the EdNET 2009 Industry Awards were selected by a panel of leading education industry experts. Award winners will be announced Sept. 14, during the EdNET Conference in Chicago.

The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), which oversees the E-rate program, is in the process of improving its Schools and Libraries Division Web site. As part of the process, several features on the organization's Web site will be unavailable from Sept. 2 through Sept. 13. To help applicants manage the E-rate process during this downtime, Funds For Learning is offering a free trial of E-rate Manager for Applicants for the month of September. Applicants can take advantage of this free offer by visiting www.eratemanager.com/activate.

Discovery Education and Scholastic Media are continuing their partnership to provide award-winning digital content to more than half of schools nationwide through Discovery Education streaming. The partnership extension guarantees more than one million Discovery Education streaming users with exclusive streaming access to more than 50 Scholastic titles from series including The Magic School Bus^®, Dear America^®, Horrible Histories™, and I Spy™. In addition to its continuing relationship with Scholastic Media, Discovery Education is also extending its partnership with Scholastic subsidiary Weston Woods^®.

MDR, the leading provider of marketing information and services for the U.S. education market, announced today that netTrekker is a finalist for the EdNET 2009 Impact Award. The Impact Award is part of the prestigious EdNET Industry Awards program that recognizes organizations that have made important contributions through their products and programs to the education industry in the past year. netTrekker is dedicated to enhancing the education of today's youth with highly effective technologies that deliver the rich educational value of the Internet to every child in a safe, relevant, easy-to-use format. netTrekker provides students and educators with over 300,000 educator-reviewed and state standards-aligned digital resources. A universal design for learning and a variety of unique features that support personalized learning enable netTrekker to support every student's individual learning needs. Winners will be announced on Sept. 14.

Califone International, Inc. debuts its new, USB-powered smart document camera, allowing educators and students to create full multimedia presentations ideal for classroom use. The Diggiditto™ Smart Document Camera is the first smart document camera whose software features image recognition capabilities. Once an image has been saved, placing the same image under the camera will automatically prompt the Diggiditto to reopen the saved image file, which allows active sharing of high-resolution documents and images during videoconferences and student-led presentations.

Discovery Education introduces Parent Corner, a free Web site equipped with interactive digital content that engages students of all ages. Parent Corner, which features a number of free resources, including Homework Help, WebMATH and Motivation Station, was developed in partnership with Hallmark Cards to engage students in learning and boost students' self confidence. Parent Corner also highlights hundreds of activities to keep students motivated and on track during school breaks.

A new report based on two years of data shows clear evidence that the frequent use of Discovery Education streaming is associated with higher achievement scores in grades 3-8 in math and reading. The study focused on 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 school year data, and three geographically diverse states, examining more than 7,500 school buildings in Texas, Indiana and Florida. To review a full copy of the study, visit: www.discoveryeducation.com/products/streaming/whyitworks.cfm.

Lightspeed Systems has been recognized on the Inc. 5,000 list for the third year in a row as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The company ranked at number 2,071 based on its 153.7 percent revenue growth over the past three years, moving up more than 1,000 spots from its 2008 placement. Lightspeed Systems develops comprehensive network security and management solutions for the education market to help schools secure, monitor, filter, manage, and optimize their networks.

The Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) are partnering again this year to educate, empower and engage students and teachers nationwide to become “Agents of Change” in improving their communities through the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. The second year of this national sustainability challenge encourages students in kindergarten through eighth grade to team up with their classmates to create replicable solutions to environmental issues in their classroom, school and community. Teachers, students and mentors can log on to www.wecanchange.com for more information on the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, which officially opens for entries on August 19, 2009.

Califone International, Inc., and RM Educational Software, Inc., have formed a strategic partnership to promote the use of podcasting for both teaching and learning. By using the Califone MP3 player together with RM Podium, students and teachers can participate in and create activities easily and efficiently. RM Podium and the Califone MP3 player also can prove especially useful in special needs and ELL classrooms, where students may need additional reinforcement or teacher guidance outside the classroom. This new collaboration allows students to extend their creativity, and provides teachers and parents with a new way to communicate regularly.

Discovery Education and 3M announced 10 middle school students from around the nation as finalists in the 11th annual Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Each finalist will be awarded an all-expense paid trip to New York City to compete in the Young Scientist Challenge finals on October 6, 2009, where students will demonstrate scientific innovation and creativity in a series of individual challenges focused on “The Science of Everyday Life.” The winner will receive $50,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds ($25,000 cash value) and the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.”

Educators returning for the 2009-2010 school year will find a number of new upgrades to Discovery Education's digital services. Among the new upgrades are a universal search function allowing users to find content across Discovery Education's streaming, Science, Health and MediaShare services. Other enhancements include the addition of Flash video to Discovery Education's media player, the introduction of new content types to Discovery Education's streaming Plus, and a number of teacher tools to help educators assign digital quizzes and other online assessments.

C. Blohm & Associates, Inc. was honored among the top three small public relations firms in the IT industry in PR SourceCode's fourth annual Top Tech Communicators survey. PR SourceCode surveyed more than 500 technology and business journalists to honor the "best of the best" in tech PR, identifying the top five large, mid-sized, and small PR agencies, as well as corporate PR departments and individual PR professionals, based on the value they bring to the editorial process through their responsiveness, reliability and overall recognition of editorial needs. The study emphasizes the importance of meaningful and authentic relationships between trade media and PR professionals to deliver timely, newsworthy stories, online or in print.

PCI Education, the number one provider of resources for students with special needs, announces the appointment of Randy Pennington as Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing. Pennington is a highly respected industry veteran with a long track record of success. Most recently, he served as Vice President & National Sales Manager at Scholastic's Classroom and Library Division. He also has a strong marketing background, with experience as Director of K-12 Marketing at Apple Computer, and as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Chancery Software and EdPoint.

Califone International, Inc., has partnered with Twin Sisters Productions, LLC, the leader in children’s educational music, to provide educators, reading specialists, speech pathologists, and students with access to award-winning children’s songs preloaded on the Califone MP3 Player. Four albums are included: Phonics, Speechercise, 30 Nursery Rhyme Songs, and Oceans. The easy-to-use MP3 Player features dual headphone jacks and a built in mic, both industry firsts.

PBS TeacherLine has garnered the highest number of national enrollments for its Summer 2009 term than any other term since its courses were released nationwide five years ago. More than 41,000 educators have completed PBS TeacherLine courses to improve their skills, gain continuing education units and graduate credit, and advance their careers. Convenience, flexibility and individualized instruction are the main reasons teacher demand for online professional development continues to grow, according to recent industry reports. "Children's Authors on the Web: Sites that Motivate Students to Write," "Building Critical Thinking Skills for Online Research," and " Putting Technology to Use in the Classroom" are among the most popular courses for the Summer 2009 term.

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announces PBS Teachers among The Best Websites for Teaching and Learning: Landmark Websites, a list honoring the top Internet sites for enhancing learning and curriculum development. The Landmark Web sites for Teaching and Learning are recognized due to their exemplary histories of authoritative, dynamic content and curricular relevance. Each of these Web sites offers tools and resources to make school library media specialists instructional partners in curriculum design as outlined in the AASL's Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs.

Valuable information on each site, including tips for effective classroom use, is available at www.ala.org/aasl/bestlist. Educators can also sign up for free membership in PBS Teachers (www.pbs.org/teachers) to enjoy access to the PBS Teachers online community where they can connect with other educators, as well as search, bookmark and share instructional resources that fit their needs.

PCI Education introduces the Environmental Print Series, which is designed to meet the communication needs of students who are verbal and nonverbal. The language arts program integrates forms of environmental print, such as road signs and indoor signs, into story lines about adolescent characters to help students understand the signs they see in their everyday environment. Books and activity sheets use symbol-supported text to help nonreaders easily understand the stories, and improve their literacy skills. Level One of the Environmental Print Series provides lessons and activities for a complete school year, and will be available August 2009.

Northside Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas, and Prince George's County Public Schools in Md. are among the first school districts in the nation to view one million videos through Discovery Education streaming. Discovery Education streaming offers teachers and students a library of up to 9,000 full-length videos segmented into 71,000 content-specific clips tied directly to state and national standards.

Discovery Education and 3M have named 50 middle school students from around the nation as semifinalists in the 11th annual Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Each semifinalist will receive $250 and a prize package that includes a plaque honoring their science teacher or mentor. The judges will announce the top ten finalists this August, each of whom will be awarded an all-expenses paid trip to New York City to compete in the Young Scientist Challenge finals on October 6, 2009. The winner will receive $50,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds ($25,000 cash value) and the title of "America's Top Young Scientist." For more information on the challenge, including the full list of 50 semifinalists, their hometowns and ages, go to www.youngscientistchallenge.com.

Discovery Education has partnered with several leading organizations to expand the robust media library of its flagship product, Discovery Education streaming. Through a renewed agreement between Discovery Education and PBS Distribution, LLC, a joint venture between PBS and its Boston-based affiliate WGBH, hundreds of additional titles from the PBS collection will be available to educators. Additional partnerships with the Chicago Sun-Times and Educational Publishers LLP also extend the digital media library, providing educators with more than 5,000 titles to further engage 21st century students.

PBS TeacherLine announced today the PBS TeacherLine ISTE Capstone Certificate Program has been awarded the ISTE NETS•T Seal of Alignment for Development. PBS TeacherLine and ISTE developed the PBS TeacherLine ISTE Capstone Certificate Program, a series of research-based courses that focus on instructional technology use, and enable teachers to demonstrate their mastery of the ISTE NETS•T. Program participants develop a professional digital portfolio of their work, earn credits toward salary and career advancement, and receive a joint certificate from ISTE and PBS TeacherLine documenting their proficiency in technology integration.

For those attending NECC 2009, visit the PBS Neighborhood booth #1904 for more information about the PBS TeacherLine ISTE Capstone Certificate Program, or other PBS TeacherLine courses.

STI announced today a partnership with the Alabama Department of Education to provide a Web-based statewide enrollment and scheduling system for the state-led online learning program. STI's InformationLIVE (Learning In a Virtual Environment), will help the state manage scheduling and staffing for ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide). InformationLIVE enables the state to streamline online course registration and monitor student progress. The state will incorporate new data from the ACCESS program into its longitudinal data system for future use to inform program, policy and funding decisions.

Anyone attending NECC 2009 can receive more information on STI's partnership with the Alabama Department of Education at STI booths #3731, 3733.

Key Curriculum Press announces the latest version of The Geometer's Sketchpad, a software program designed to boost mathematical understanding, today at the National Educational Computing Conference. Sketchpad Version 5 offers 100 new features and updates to help support a hands-on, visual approach to mathematics in the classroom. Sketchpad Version 5 will be available for classroom use this fall.

To sign up for updates on Sketchpad Version 5, visit www.keypress.com/gsp5. Demonstrations of Sketchpad Version 5 can also be seen at NECC 2009.

ePals, Inc., has formed a strategic partnership with the Gabriel Piedrahita-Uribe Foundation, based in Cali, Colombia, to bring high quality learning resources and safe communication tools and collaborative experiences to Spanish-speaking educators and their students around the world. This partnership will combine the high-quality Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)-focused content of the Foundation's Web site, with a set of newly-enabled capabilities on ePals.com, so that educators and their students can more easily connect, match and collaborate in Spanish for professional development, to share best practices, and to collaborate on learning topics of shared interest.

NECC 2009 attendees can hear more information on ePals' new partnership with the Gabriel Piedrahita-Uribe Foundation at booth #1324.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) released the findings of an annual national education survey used to measure U.S. educational institutions' progress toward achieving the SIIA Vision for K-20. The survey was developed to help educators and administrators individually benchmark their institutional progress in using technology to provide 21st century tools, anytime/anywhere access, differentiated learning, assessment tools, and enterprise support. The aggregated results also provide a picture of our nation's progress as a whole.

PBS announced it's launching the PBS Digital Learning Library, a PBS system-wide online repository of digital education assets from public broadcasting programs and services nationwide, today at the National Educational Computing Conference. Available in fall 2009, the PBS Digital Learning Library will be a comprehensive source of "learning objects," including video, audio, images, games, and interactive simulations designed specifically for classroom use, and delivered to teachers exclusively through local PBS stations.

Attendees at NECC 2009 can find more information on the PBS Digital Learning Library at the PBS Neighborhood booth #1904, or hear more at the presentation listed below:

Supe My Content! Creating 21st Century Digital Learning Objects
Presenters: Kimberly Smith, Rob Lippincott, Howard Lurie, Betsy Peisach and Rachel Dretzin
Date: Tuesday, 6/30/2009, 2:00pm-3:00pm WWCC 103 B (and streamed live online at NECCUnplugged.com)

Teachers from more than 250 school districts have incorporated educational videos from YouTube into the classroom using the Educational Video Library from Lightspeed Systems, Inc. Part of Lightspeed Systems' Total Traffic Control network security software, the Educational Video Library enables educators to use YouTube videos for classroom instruction while maintaining network security and online safety. Approved YouTube videos are displayed through a portal on the local network, but community information and links usually displayed on the YouTube Web site are removed. District administrators can designate teachers and staff to submit and/or review videos, which are later categorized and tagged for easy searching.

For those attending NECC 2009, you can find more information on Educational Video Library or any of Lightspeed Systems' products at booths #3828, 3830.

Key Curriculum Press introduces Critical Math, an online library of inquiry-based lessons to supplement the standard curriculum. The online subscription service allows instructional leaders and administrators to integrate inquiry-based instruction into their existing Algebra 1, Geometry, or Algebra 2 curriculum. In addition to inquiry-based resources, Critical Math offers educators on-demand professional development to help ease the transition to a new instructional strategy. Critical Math will be available September 2009.

To sign up for updates on Critical Math, visit www.keypress.com/criticalmath. More information on Key Curriculum Press' products and other announcements can also be found at NECC 2009.

The proprietary image recognition software from GradeCam Corporation gives teachers and administrators timely feedback on student understanding so that appropriate interventions can take place before it is too late. Not only does GradeCam help ease the administrative paperwork burden for teachers, it provides immediate assessment data so they can tailor their instruction to meet the learning needs of their students. Recently honored for original and innovative technology in the acclaimed Innovation Incubator Program by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the GradeCam software automates the assessment process so that teachers can collect information on their students in the classroom every day.

For those attending NECC 2009, you can find more information on GradeCam's software at booth #1008.

Lightspeed Systems Inc. has made several upgrades to its Total Traffic Control software, a comprehensive school network security and management application, to better meet the needs of mid-to-large size school districts and provide enhancements to the recently released Educational Video Library feature. The company has also launched Lightspeed Feature Tracker to better facilitate the exchange of product improvement ideas from customers.

The Total Traffic Control software helps mid-to-large size districts minimize workload demands on already understaffed IT departments by providing tiered administration, which allows IT directors to easily assign network management tasks to staff members and capture detailed reports as needed.

For those attending NECC 2009, you can find more information on Total Traffic Control or any of Lightspeed Systems' products at booths #3828, 3830.

Discovery Education announced a new curriculum alignment service headed by Discovery Education Senior Vice President of Curriculum Development, Dale Fulton. Fulton will lead a group within Discovery Education to collaborate with school districts on integrating digital content into day-to-day classroom instruction. The alignment of digital content to district curriculum materials represents a shift occurring in school systems nationwide.

For those heading to NECC 2009, visit booth #3228 for more information on Discovery Education's new curriculum alignment service.

Excelsior Software has launched Pinnacle Accelerated Learning (PAL), an online tutoring platform incorporated within the Pinnacle Suite. Utilizing the latest Web 2.0 technologies, PAL offers a secure virtual learning environment where districts can provide students with academic help and enrichment from trusted educators within their own school communities. This integration gives classroom teachers a unique, multi-faceted view of their students' activities and progress in the instructional platform they use every day.

Attendees at NECC 2009 can learn more about Pinnacle Accelerated Learning at the Excelsior Software booths #2122, 2124.

South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV) recently signed a three-year extension of its agreement distributing Discovery Education streaming content - better known as StreamlineSC - throughout the state. Since the inception of the Discovery Education-SCETV partnership in 2004, South Carolina's educators have viewed more than 8.5 million videos on-demand. This high level of teacher and student use ranks South Carolina first in the nation among Discovery Education state partners in average views and active use per teacher.

In an effort to help educators prepare students for life and work in the 21st century, PBS TeacherLine Peer Connection enables coaches and mentors to create customized learning experiences to guide teachers in their professional growth using standards-aligned content in K-12 math, science, reading, instructional strategies and instructional technology.

The PCI Reading Program from PCI Education was honored by The Association of Educational Publishers with a 2009 Distinguished Achievement Award in the special education category for grades K-5. The two-level reading program is designed to help nonreaders become successful readers by enhancing students' sight-word vocabulary.

The Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) selected The Key To Tracker, published by Key Curriculum Press, as a 2009 Distinguished Achievement Award winner in the math curriculum category for grades 6-8. The online subscription service serves as the companion to the Key to … workbooks, and provides teachers with online tools to increase their students' knowledge of basic math skills.

On Friday, June 12th, Discovery Education was honored by The Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) with a 2009 Distinguished Achievement Award for Discovery Education streaming. The library of up to 9,000 videos and 70,000 video clips aligned to state academic and testing standards was given the award in the Curriculum category for Reference Resources in grades six through eight.

The National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI) named Ginger Software, Inc., one of five award recipients in the 2009 Technology in the Works competition. The award program recognizes excellence in research proposals for short-term, quasi-experimental evaluations that analyze the impact of learning and assistive technologies. As award recipients, the company will receive a matching grant to study the efficacy of commercial spellcheckers for individuals with learning disabilities.

The U.S. Department of Education has recently released guidelines urging districts to utilize special education aid under the stimulus measure for short-term investments that have the potential for long-term benefits. Professional development is an ideal option in meeting these recommendations - helping educators prepare for the future. The professional development component of AutismPro, AutismPro Workshops, provides a cost-effective way to train educators and school staff members who work with students with autism, the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States.

During Infocomm this week, Califone International, Inc., will introduce its new in-ceiling loudspeaker, a high-fidelity two-way speaker system. Designed to be mounted flush with the ceiling or wall, the ClearSound speaker is ideal for auditorium, classroom and other educational facility uses in either stereo or surround systems. The ClearSound ceiling speakers also are available with the Califone Infrared Classroom Audio System. The infrared system combines numerous premium components to form a convenient sound system that provides high-quality reinforcement in a wide range of audio-visual applications.

Seattle Public Schools has selected mathematics textbooks published by Key Curriculum Press^® for Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Precalculus, and Calculus. Last month, the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors approved six mathematics textbooks – five from Key Curriculum Press including the Discovering Mathematics series, plus Precalculus with Trigonometry and Calculus – for classroom use starting this fall.

Educators, administrators and school leaders in K-12 and postsecondary institutions are invited to take a short, online benchmarking survey to check their organization's progress toward the Vision K-20, an initiative developed by the education members of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA). The 2009 online survey closes June 15, 2009.

The Vision K-20 Survey was developed to help educators and administrators benchmark their progress in using technology to provide 21st century tools, anytime/anywhere access, differentiated learning, assessment tools, and enterprise support. The online survey can be taken at www.siia.net/visionk20/pages/progress.html.

GradeCam, Inc., was highlighted during the Software & Information Industry Association's (SIIA) acclaimed Innovation Incubator Program at the annual Ed Tech Industry Summit in San Francisco in May. GradeCam was nominated for its image recognition technology that provides educators with a software alternative to mechanical scanners. GradeCam's proprietary software works with an affordable web or document camera to grade tests and post scores to any electronic grade book, easing one of the main administrative burdens for teachers. The company was noted as one that "will help lead the charge into the next generation of technology-rich learning," by SIIA's Vice President for Education, Karen Billings.

The National Education Association (NEA) Academy has partnered with PBS TeacherLine^®, a premier provider of online professional development for preK-12 educators, to offer online learning opportunities through the Academy to the NEA's 3.2 million members. Through the collaboration, the NEA Academy provides members with courses from PBS TeacherLine to help them strengthen their classroom and instructional practices. Teachers will also be able to earn continuing education units, professional development points and graduate credits for course completion.

PBS Teachers^® (pbsteachers.org) and Classroom 2.0 are hosting a free webinar for educators on June 2, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET, entitled Summertime and Your Personal Learning Network. Technology integration specialists Bob Sprankle, Alice Barr and Cheryl Oakes, will discuss the value of online collaboration and provide guidance for those interested in joining or creating a professional development community during the summer months. They will share their experiences of expanding their knowledge and improving their practices through online conferences, social networks and other collaborative technologies. In addition, they will demonstrate tools and best practices to promote technology integration in K-12 classrooms. Teachers can participate in the webinar after signing up for free PBS Teachers membership, which provides access to all of PBS's educational services, including an online learning community where preK-12 educators can collaborate, share and grow. For more information on the PBS Teachers Live! monthly webinar series, visit www.pbs.org/teachers/webinar/.

The Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has released its new report on the postsecondary education market. The report illustrates, despite economic challenges, opportunities continue to abound for education technology companies, especially regarding for-profit, online and non-traditional institutions. SIIA's postsecondary report is available to members at no charge and for sale to non-members through the association's Web site at www.siia.net/estore, or by contacting SIIA directly at 202.789.4467.

Demand for accountability in today's classrooms means every teacher needs an in-the-classroom way to quickly gather information on student understanding and to record scores. The proprietary GradeCam™ image recognition software, paired with an inexpensive web or document camera, delivers a low-cost software alternative to expensive OMR scanner technology. Developed to ease the administrative burden of classroom teachers, who can generate 500-1,000 or more assignments and tests weekly, GradeCam integrates with all electronic grade books and takes over several of teachers' most time-consuming tasks, giving them the time and the data to individualize instruction. For more information, visit www.gradecam.com.

Summer is in the air, and May's Dairy Dispatch, the online newsletter from C. Blohm & Associates, has baseball on the brain. Keep your eye on the Ed Tech ball with these news hits:

• PCI Education Launches Turbo Solutions Builder
• Funds For Learning Conducts National E-rate Survey
• Maine DoE and ePals Partner to Create Maine Connects
• PBS Teachers Extends Webinars Through Summer

Click Daisy’s nose to get your Dispatch; it's a Grand Slam.

]]> Charlene Blohm Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500 cba-may09-dairy-dispatch http://www.cblohm.com/news/DiscEd/DE_090518/index.html

The Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) announce today the national winning teams in the first-ever Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. The grand prize winner is Team "Dead Weight" from West Branch, Iowa. West Branch Middle School Students Jathan Kron (age 12), Justin Roth (age 13) and Brennan Nelson (age 12), along with their teacher, Hector Ibarra, raised awareness about the dangers of lead wheel weights in vehicles to help phase out this hazardous material in the tire industry. Team "Dead Weight" will receive a comprehensive prize package, including an appearance on Planet Green, Discovery's 24-hour eco-lifestyle network, a once-in-a-lifetime Discovery Adventure Trip accompanied by a Discovery TV personality, a $5,000 U.S. Savings Bond, a chance to present their project before a panel of environmental experts, a flip camera, and an eco-friendly prize pack of school supplies.

ePals, Inc., and First Book, a non-profit organization that provides books to children in need, have partnered to offer Title I schools participating in In2Books, the curriculum-based e-mentoring program from ePals, Inc., access to high-quality, low-cost books. Enabling educators, reading coaches and specialists to create independent learners with strong literacy skills, In2Books provides authentic learning opportunities through the use of online collaborative technology.

4-H, Science Channel, Science Olympiad, and Year of Science have signed on to support the 2009 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge (YSC). All four organizations share Discovery Education and 3M's common goal of encouraging middle school students in America to share their passion for science with their peers, teachers, families, and communities. All entries for the Discovery Education 3M YSC must be submitted online at www.youngscientistchallenge.com by May 20, 2009.

During the CODiE Awards Gala on Tuesday, May 5th, the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) Education Division presented its first-ever Education Technology Impact Award. The award was given to Ellen Bialo for her significant and ongoing contribution to the education technology industry.

Through a partnership with the Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa, the United States Agency for International Development and the Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership, Discovery Education has made the film Africa Today available for free for classroom use. Available at www.ExploreAfricaToday.com along with correlated lesson plans, Africa Today engages American students in the arts and culture, media and politics, science and technology, and the environment of Africa.

The deadline for Title I schools to participate in In2Books, the curriculum-based e-mentoring program from ePals, Inc., for the 2009-10 school year for free is fast approaching. Eligible schools must apply for the program before May 31, 2009, to utilize the program at no cost, not including the price of the books. Open to all 3rd-5th grade classrooms, In2Books enables educators, reading coaches and specialists to create independent learners with strong literacy skills through the use of online collaborative technology.

Encouraging students and teachers to become Agents of Change in improving their communities, the Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) partnered to hold the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. Today, the three organizations have named 22 middle school student teams as state finalists in the web-based national competition. Thousands of students participated in the challenge by creating and implementing environmental sustainability solutions in their local communities. From the 22 state finalist teams, two national winning teams and one grand prize-winning team will be chosen and announced on May 18, 2009. For more information, visit www.wecanchange.com.

Students using the PCI Reading Program achieved significantly higher sight-word assessment scores than students not using the program, according to a study conducted by Empirical Education. The company presented this research at the 2009 American Educational Research Association Annual Conference in San Diego this month. The session, entitled, "Examining the Efficacy of a Sight-Word Reading Program for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities," demonstrated the success nonreaders achieved through the PCI Reading Program.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) announces the opening of the second annual Vision K-20 Survey. Sponsored by the organization's Education Division, the Vision K-20 Survey gives U.S. education institutions an opportunity to take a short, online survey to evaluate their technology usage. The survey closes May 30, 2009. To learn more about this initiative, visit www.siia.net/visionK20.

In 2007, the National Center for Special Education Research found that on average, general education courses make up one-third of the courses taken by students with autism. With the number of children diagnosed with autism steadily rising, general education teachers are more likely to have a student with autism in their class, which can be challenging if the situation has not occurred before. Professional development is critical to ensure that teachers, support staff and students are comfortable in a new learning environment. AutismPro Workshops, offered by Virtual Expert Clinics, allows educators to access up to 45 hours of videos, materials and resources online in a flexible format. AutismPro Workshops demystifies autism by providing examples of real-life scenarios that can be duplicated in the classroom.

Educators and students in Colorado Springs School District #11 can now access streaming video, images, health curriculum, and other digital media, through a commitment by school administrators to improve student achievement through the integration of Discovery Education digital services and hardware. The district also will have access to Discovery Education MediaShare, the Web-based content sharing system that empowers teacher collaboration through uploading, sharing, managing, and distributing user-created or licensed content, as well as Discovery Media Servers.

To help districts, schools and educators take advantage of funding available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), PCI Education launches the Turbo Solutions Builder. PCI Education is the number one provider of resources for students with special needs. The online tool saves valuable time, quickly revealing the safest and most popular selections for educators looking to purchase instructional materials with IDEA and Title I stimulus funding. Products from more than 200 vendors are available through the Turbo Solutions Builder.

ePals, Inc., was presented with a 2009 BESSIE Award by the ComputED Learning Center for the ePals Global Community (www.epals.com), the largest online community of K-12 learners. ePals enables more than half a million educators and millions of students across 200 countries and territories to safely connect, exchange ideas and work together.

Discovering Advanced Algebra helps all learners develop a strong conceptual understanding of Algebra 2. The second edition offers teachers stronger support in preparing their students to meet state standards and excel in Algebra 2. The teacher's edition has been redesigned to make important elements easier to find, such as flagging crucial content and providing ways to differentiate instruction. For students, new "Refreshing your Skills" lessons offer a review of prerequisite Algebra 1 skills, and content has been updated to better fulfill state standards. As well, new dynamic algebra explorations have been added to give students a visual way to explore concepts.

The Interactive Mathematics Program is an integrated, problem-based curriculum that offers challenging content and emphasizes mathematical reasoning. The second edition covers quadratic functions and equations, enabling students to complete all the topics in a traditional Algebra 1 course by end of Year 2. More embedded practice ensures that students are comfortable solving equations, and there's a sharper focus on making connections between graphical and algebraic representations of a function. New contexts have also been added to help students develop a deeper conceptual understanding by connecting math to real-world experiences.

Today, during the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics Annual Conference, Key Curriculum Press^® is offering educators a sneak preview of The Geometer's Sketchpad^® Version 5. One of the most commonly used software applications in schools around the world, Sketchpad helps students boost their mathematical understanding through dynamic, interactive visualization. Version 5 includes significant new features, which will be previewed at sessions during the NSCM and NCTM Annual Conferences.

The Association of Educational Publishers has named PCI Reading Program Level Two a 2009 Distinguished Achievement Award finalist in the special education category for grades K-5. Published by PCI Education, the number one provider of resources for students with special needs, the two-level reading program is designed to help nonreaders become successful readers.

A recent Califone.com poll found that more than two-thirds of respondents use classroom computers for audio-assisted language learning or reading activities. This illustrates that, for many educators, computer-based learning centers have become an integral component in the classroom, often substituting for traditional media player-based centers. Califone International, Inc., has upgraded and expanded its line of Monaural and Stereo Listening Centers, empowering educators to use computer-based small group learning to meet varying student needs.

During the SIIA Ed Tech Industry Summit, May 3-5, 2009, in San Francisco, Calif., SIIA will highlight 10 selected participants and two finalists in the Innovation Incubator Program. Representing pre-revenue companies, established organizations, non-profit groups, R&D agencies, and academic institutions, the participants were chosen based on criteria aligned to SIIA's Vision K-20 benchmarks. In addition to highlighting these organizations during the conference, SIIA extended the visibility of all applicants by hosting the Innovation Incubator Virtual Environment. Built with the support of member company Educational Systemics, it provides a venue for the voters to review each innovation by visiting the online exhibit hall. You can access the virtual environment by visiting k-12.veplatform.com to find more information about each applicant.

Funds For Learning, the nation's leading E-rate funding compliance services firm, announces the launch of the Second Annual National E-rate Survey. The survey will assess applicants' attitudes and opinions about the E-rate program, and identify its key strengths and challenges. To participate in the survey, visit www.fundsforlearning.com/survey before April 30.

PBS Teachers^® (pbsteachers.org) and Classroom 2.0 are hosting a free webinar for educators on May 4 entitled Diving Into the Digital World of Marine Science. The webinar will feature Jean-Michel Cousteau, famed explorer, environmentalist, educator, filmmaker, and executive producer and host of the PBS series Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures.

Renowned ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau will discuss the importance of educating young people about the ocean and the vital role of teachers in inspiring students to become stewards of the environment. Joining him will be expedition team-member and education associate Holly Lohuis, and Andrea Swensrud, education and outreach coordinator for the public television series Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures. Webinar participants will learn ways to effectively integrate multimedia into the classroom to help teach important scientific concepts including adaptations, ecosystems and human impact on the environment. Participants will learn how to access the free Web-original videos, standards-based lesson plans, in-depth articles and online games available on the Ocean Adventures website. The webinar is geared towards 5th through 8th grade teachers, but the ideas and activities presented are easily adaptable to other grade levels.

What: Diving Into the Digital World of Marine Science
When: May 4, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
Where: Online
How: Teachers can participate in the webinars after signing up for free membership in PBS Teachers. Membership provides educators with access to all of PBS's educational services, including an online learning community where preK-12 educators can collaborate, share and grow. For more information on the PBS Teachers Live! monthly webinar series, visit www.pbs.org/teachers/webinar/.

Licorice Day is an April highlight, and Dairy Dispatch, the monthly online newsletter from C. Blohm & Associates, has the scoop. Along with some sweet licorice lore, news bites include:

• AutismPro Endorsed By CASE
• Key Curriculum Press Debuts Living by Chemistry
• PBS’ Lippincott Testifies at U.S. Congressional Hearing
• Sebit Partners with PASCO scientific

Click Daisy’s nose to download a Dispatch; it’ll stick to your teeth.

]]> Katie Brandt Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:00:00 -0500 cba-april09-dairy-dispatch http://www.cblohm.com/news/DiscEd/DE_090414/index.html

Discovery Education has recently been honored with two 2009 BESSIE Awards by the ComputED Learning Center and six finalist awards from the Association of Educational Publishers (AEP). The two BESSIE Awards are for Discovery Education Science for Elementary in the Best Science Web Site for Upper Elementary category and Discovery Education streaming for Best Digital Video Library in the Teacher Tools category. AEP awarded Discovery Education five Distinguished Achievement Finalist Awards for Discovery Education streaming, Discovery Education Science for Elementary, the "Human Body: Pushing the Limits" DVD series, the Siemens Science Day Web site, and the "All About Computers: Make IT Green" periodical. In addition, the Discovery Education Web site was chosen as a Beacon Award finalist in the Marketing Web site category.

The Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) has selected The Key to Tracker as a 2009 Distinguished Achievement Award finalist in the math curriculum category for grades 6-8. Published by Key Curriculum Press, The Key to Tracker helps teachers improve their students' basic math skills. For more than four decades, the AEP Awards have honored outstanding resources for teaching and learning.

While many stakeholders are involved in developing policies on the use of Web 2.0 technologies in K-12 education, new research suggests that teachers are the most important group driving adoption. This is a major finding from a national research survey of more than 500 district technology directors conducted in February and March 2009 by Interactive Educational Systems Design Inc. The survey was commissioned by Lightspeed Systems Inc., a leader in network security and management software for schools, and Thinkronize Inc., creator of netTrekker, America's number one educational search tool, with support from Atomic Learning.

The Maine Department of Education (DoE) and ePals, Inc., have formed a strategic partnership to transform learning in schools statewide through the safe and appropriate integration of digital learning tools and high-quality pedagogy. In addition, ePals' SchoolM@il will be the provider of email for all students throughout Maine, delivering real life opportunities to safely communicate and collaborate with their peers online. The partnership has resulted in a dedicated portal, Maine Connects (www.maineconnects.net), to provide educators and students with access to safe and collaborative, Web-based communications tools.

The fourth Discovery Educator Network Virtual Conference will take place online and in-person on Saturday, April 25, 2009. The professional development seminars will provide attendees the skills and techniques they need to integrate digital content and other educational technologies across their curriculum. The conference features Chris Lehmann, Principal of the Science Leadership Academy in the School District of Philadelphia. For more information about the Discovery Educator Network Virtual Conference or any of the in-person regional events complementing the conference, visit blog.discoveryeducation.com/denvirtcon.

The sixth annual Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) Ed Tech Industry Summit provides education technology executives and key industry stakeholders opportunities to learn, network and share best practices with their peers. The 2009 program features two keynote presentations, including Chris Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Wired Magazine, pre-conference sessions, the 2009 Innovation Incubator program, the annual CODiE Awards ceremony, and more. The focus will be on SIIA's Vision K-20 – a vision to ensure that all students have access to a teaching and learning environment capable of preparing them to compete globally and lead the world in innovation. To register for the conference, visit www.edtechindustrysummit.net.

The Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) has endorsed AutismPro, a 21st century response to educating students with autism, commending it as a suite of tools and programs that can help educators and administrators enhance the learning environment of students with autism. The first autism-focused product to be endorsed by CASE, AutismPro allows administrators to build capacity and helps educators to improve outcomes for students with autism. In addition, Virtual Expert Clinics, Inc., the developer of AutismPro, will provide a free Webinar for all CASE members entitled, "Leveraging The Stimulus: How to Turn Federal Stimulus Dollars into Lasting Benefits for Students with Autism." More information about the Webinar schedule and registration can be found at www.AutismPro.com/CASE.

Memphis City Schools recently extended its agreement to offer Discovery Education streaming to the district's more than 180 schools, renewing its commitment to provide students and educators the largest and highest-quality library of digital media available. In addition, the district has partnered with Discovery Education to provide a customized series of professional development opportunities to its educators, providing teachers the instructional strategies they need to reach today's media-savvy students.

Melinda George, Senior Director of PBS TeacherLine^® and National Education Partnerships for PBS, has been appointed to the advisory board of the Mom Congress™ on Education and Learning. The Mom Congress, which launched today, is a new prosocial initiative developed by Parenting magazine to celebrate and connect moms advocating for education reform. In her new role, George will share her education expertise and commitment to improving teaching and learning in America's schools with Mom Congress participants across the country.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) 2009 Ed Tech Industry Summit will take place on May 4-5 in San Francisco. Speakers will frame the big picture of SIIA's Vision K-20 program and provide insights to companies that want to take advantage of the move toward technology-rich classrooms during this pivotal time. SIIA's Education Division also will host its famed Innovation Incubator Program, designed to highlight new products and services that are poised to change the ed tech arena. In addition, on the evening of May 5th, SIIA will hold the 24th Annual CODiE Awards Gala – the industry's only peer-reviewed technology awards program.

During the National Science Teachers Association's National Conference in New Orleans, La., the United States Department of Energy, the X PRIZE Foundation and Discovery Education announced www.FuelOurFutureNow.com, a new dynamic, online knowledge center inspired by the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE. The resource Web site is designed to engage students in the science of alternative fuels and energy-efficient engineering. Featuring targeted curriculum and lesson plans for all grade levels, as well as high-quality video, dynamic interactives and additional resources from the United States Department of Energy, teachers can use the online knowledge center to achieve their science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) goals.

Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton announced today at the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association (WEMTA) annual conference the launch of the Wisconsin Connects initiative, which links Wisconsin students with classrooms around the world. This initiative is a partnership between Lt. Gov. Lawton and ePals, Inc. ePals allows teachers to access a variety of safe social networking tools and content – including the ePals Classroom Match feature, email, blogging tools, focus areas, and forums – allowing Wisconsin classrooms to communicate and collaborate with their peers around the world.

Key Curriculum Press offers educators attending NSTA's National Conference on Science Education a first look at the First Edition of Living by Chemistry. Designed to improve student performance in chemistry, the curriculum presents scientific ideas in real-life contexts, a strategy that grabs students' interest and helps them retain knowledge by connecting new ideas to their prior understanding. The investigative approach used by Living By Chemistry pushes students to think through ideas and deepen their overall understanding of chemistry.

Discovery Education is inviting teachers and students to join them on a variety of Discovery Student Adventures, a series of educational and inspirational trips uniquely tailored to bring the world to life. Whether spending the night in a snow cave in New Zealand, camping among ancient Inca ruins in Ecuador, or witnessing sharks in their natural habitat from a dive cage in Africa, students and teachers will be empowered through self exploration as they see more of the world through these Discovery adventures. Teachers of grades 5-12 are invited to experience the 2010 Discovery Student Adventures trips by guiding and chaperoning a group of students throughout one of the eight incredible destinations: the Arctic, Australia, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Italy and Greece, New Zealand and Fiji, and South Africa.

Many schools are struggling to identify which components of the stimulus bill can help their education community. To help schools take advantage of these opportunities, Funds For Learning is conducting a webinar series to discuss the stimulus package and how it relates to education. The first webinar will be held on March 26, with follow-up webinars taking place in April and May, to bring educators up-to-date on developments related to the stimulus package. The cost to attend this webinar series is $250 per individual. For more information, or to register for the series, visit Funds For Learning.

For any classroom projector or interactive whiteboard installation, it is critical that tech directors and school administrators review the accompanying sound system. It is important that classrooms, especially those with installed projectors or interactive whiteboards, have a quality sound system that allows each student to clearly hear the digital media and other content used throughout the lesson. Califone International has recently upgraded its Infrared Classroom Audio System, helping school administrators and educators to combat inadequate classroom acoustics, high levels of ambient noise and poor sound insulation.

March 11 is Johnny Appleseed Day, an occasion to celebrate both the almighty apple, and the release of a new Dairy Dispatch, the monthly online newsletter from C. Blohm & Associates. Along with some entertaining apple lore, news bites include:

• Ginger Software Upgrades Text Correction Software
• Two ePals Products Chosen as 2009 CODiE Finalists
• Online PD Courses Available Through Pinnacle Suite
• Lightspeed Systems Enables Educators to Use YouTube

Click Daisy’s nose to download the Dispatch; it’s a tasty munch.

]]> Katie Brandt Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:00:00 -0500 cba-march-dairy-dispatch http://www.cblohm.com/news/PBSTCH/PBST_090305/index.html

The U.S. House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Research and Science Education recently held a hearing to examine the role of informal environments in promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning. During the hearing, Beyond the Classroom: Informal STEM Education, subcomittee members heard testimony on The National Academies report, Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits. Among the expert witnesses was Rob Lippincott, senior vice president of education for PBS.

In the United States, a child is diagnosed with autism every 21 minutes, a rate that is growing faster than that of any other developmental disorder. This growth is posing an unprecedented issue in school districts nationwide: administrators are challenged with providing the right resources and training to their teachers so they can effectively teach the growing number of students with autism in both special needs classrooms and general education classes. AutismPro is a 21st century response to educating students with autism. A customizable package of online tools, content and programming, AutismPro allows administrators to build capacity and helps educators to improve outcomes for each student with autism.

Formative assessments provide teachers with data that can provide critical information about a student's understanding and achievement. If the data indicates that a student is in need of remediation, determining the best next step may be difficult. Progress Zone, the newest service from Discovery Education, enables educators to monitor student academic progress through teacher-created diagnostic tests linked to state curriculum/assessment standards, and then helps educators use assessment results to prescribe digital media for individualized and remedial instruction. Utilizing media from Discovery Education streaming, the digital video-based learning resource scientifically proven to increase academic achievement, Progress Zone provides direct access to digital content aligned to state standards that can immediately impact achievement.

PBS Teachers^® (pbsteachers.org) and Classroom 2.0 are hosting a free webinar on March 18 for educators on Remixing Shakespeare for 21st Century Students, presented by experts from the Folger Shakespeare Library and veteran teachers. In this webinar, the speakers will present and demonstrate methods for teaching Shakespeare using digital media. The educational activities to be presented were developed by trained workshop leaders and teachers during the Folger's Teaching Shakespeare Institutes. Participants will learn practical and exciting ways they can incorporate Shakespeare, and other literary works, into history, social studies, English, and language arts instruction. For more information on the PBS Teachers Live! monthly webinar series, visit www.pbs.org/teachers/webinar/index.html.

In addition, on March 25 at 8 p.m. EST, PBS' Great Performances is airing a special television adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Shakespeare's unrelenting tragedy, King Lear. Ian McKellen gives a tour-de-force performance as the tragic titular monarch in one of the playwright's most enduring and haunting works. Learn more at www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/.

Teachers can also access digital education resources for teaching Shakespeare through PBS Teachers Activity Packs, which is a growing library of Web-based widgets that contain links to high-quality PBS education resources and activities focused on a specific curricular theme for multiple grade levels. The Activity Packs are free-of-charge for educators to "grab" for classroom use, or to post on their classroom and school Web sites or favorite social networking sites. Among the library of widgets is the PBS Teachers Shakespeare Activity Pack, available at www.pbs.org/teachers/activitypacks/reading/shakespeare.html.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) announced that The Key to Tracker™ from Key Curriculum Press^® is a 2009 CODiE Awards finalist for the "Best Mathematics Instructional Solution" category. The Key to Tracker is an online subscription service that serves as the companion to the Key to…^® workbooks. The Key to Tracker helps teachers improve their students' basic math skills and monitor their progress as they work on fractions, decimals, percents, and algebra in their Key to… workbooks.

Two products from ePals, Inc. – In2Books and the ePals Global Community – have been chosen by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) as finalists in the 2009 CODiE Awards. In2Books is a finalist in the "Best Education Solution" category, and the ePals Global Community is a finalist in the "Best Instructional Solution in Other Curriculum Areas" category.

The Discovery Education Science service from Discovery Education has been chosen by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) as a finalist in the 2009 CODiE Awards in the "Best Science Instructional Solution" category. To learn more about Discovery Education Science, visit www.discoveryeducation.com/products/science/.

Ginger Software, Inc., introduces a redesigned interface, better performance, and improved functionality for the beta version of Ginger Software^®. A free, downloadable software program designed for struggling writers of all ages, Ginger Software uses patent-pending technology to correct spelling mistakes and misused words automatically in a familiar Microsoft Word-based environment.

Excelsior Software has launched a series of online professional development courses, designed to help educators and administrators make the shift to support learning through effective strategies that are guided by research and real-time information. The professional development offerings focus on four key areas: using effective assessments to improve schools, Response to Intervention, 21st century skills, and strategies for information technology teams.

Broward County Public Schools and Discovery Education partnered to provide district educators and counselors with access to high-quality digital resources to teach students about substance-abuse and violence prevention. The collaboration began with a five-day professional development session, hosted by the district's Office of Prevention Programs. The 2008 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey found that teenage drug and alcohol abuse has declined, except for prescription drug abuse which is on the rise. Four and a half percent of high school seniors reported abusing prescription pain relievers within the month prior to the study's release, while 3.8 percent reported abusing prescription depressants. Broward County Public Schools (Fla.) is spearheading efforts to reduce these state percentages.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) announces its support of the $650 million investment in educational technologies included in today's stimulus package, as well as for related investments in educational innovation and modernization. SIIA continues to urge government and industry leaders to push for further investment to ensure all students benefit from a technology-rich education.

PCI Education, a leading publisher of supplemental education products for students with special needs and learning differences, selected Lee Wilson as President and CEO. "What attracted me to PCI is the company's unique approach to teaching basic academic and life skills," said Wilson. "One of the company's recent introductions, the PCI Reading Program, has been recognized industry-wide for changing the way special education students learn to read, which speaks to the growth potential for PCI, especially given the focus on special education instruction in the recently passed federal stimulus bill." Wilson is an active participant in the K-12 education industry, which he writes about at The Education Business Blog, the number one blog about educational publishing. To view the complete news release, visit www.pcieducation.com.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) asserts that more than 30 million Americans are exposed to hazardous sound levels on a regular basis. Encouraging educators and professionals to consider the importance of safe hearing practices in school and business environments, Califone International, Inc., announces a line of specially designed protection gear.

The E-rate application process is extremely complex and often misunderstood. To boost understanding of the E-rate program, Funds For Learning, the nation's leading E-rate funding compliance services firm, introduces the E-rate Blog. A new feature of the company's redesigned Web site, the E-rate Blog offers information, tips and commentary from Funds For Learning's E-rate compliance experts.

Scotch Brand Products and Discovery Education have launched a new Web site supporting educators, parents, and young scientists as they embrace one of the school year's greatest opportunities for project-based learning – The Science Fair. Featuring comprehensive free resources, Scotch Science Fair Central provides clear guidance to teachers and science fair leaders on how to help students capture the spirit of innovation as they plan, complete, and present a successful science fair project.

Many districts block teacher and student access to online social networking sites and other Web sites with Web 2.0 capabilities, because these popular Internet destinations can pose a risk to network security and student safety. To help schools ensure a safe educational environment while maximizing Web 2.0 learning opportunities, Lightspeed Systems Inc., a leader in network security and management software for schools, has added the Educational Video Library feature to its latest version of Total Traffic Control, a sophisticated, easy-to-use network security application. The Educational Video Library enables teachers and students to play approved YouTube videos through a portal on the local network. All of YouTube's video functions operate normally, but the other community information and links that are usually displayed on the YouTube Web site along with a video, such as promoted videos and user comments, are removed.

Discovery Education understands that the successful integration of technology in the classroom is only part of a larger initiative that calls for training for educators at all levels. Recognizing this, Discovery Education has created custom professional development solutions utilizing extensive in-person and online programming. The company has appointed Dr. Carol Wetzel as Director of Professional Development to spearhead these efforts. The company also has made three additional staff changes: Alex Morrison has been promoted to Vice President of Education Sales, and Molly Hebert and Brad Hagaman have been promoted to Sales Managers.

Key Curriculum Press, innovators in mathematics and science education, announces the availability of Sketchpad LessonLink™. The online, searchable library helps teachers integrate The Geometer's Sketchpad^® into their math curriculum with more than 500 Sketchpad™ activities designed for students in grades 3-12.

Excelsior Software has developed a comprehensive solution to meet the needs of educators and administrators committed to using data to inform instruction and impact achievement. Long trusted for its assessment and reporting capabilities, the Pinnacle Suite from Excelsior Software now provides an all-inclusive set of tools, bringing together the previously separated pieces that stakeholders need for efficient data-driven decision-making.

Lightspeed Systems Inc., a leader in network security and management software for schools, unveiled today automated energy conservation software that enables school and district IT staff to easily manage, reduce and report energy use and costs for all the computers on their networks. Lightspeed Systems Power Manager helps schools and districts save money and minimize their carbon footprint. Power Manager monitors energy consumption and directs low-power states and shutdown times for all computers on a network. By powering down unused computers, schools can save $25 to $75 per computer annually through reduced energy waste. As an added benefit, schools may be eligible for "green" rebates from their local utility company by implementing energy-saving measures and technologies.

Discovery Education and the Connecticut Commission for Educational Technology have partnered to provide Discovery Education Science, the award-winning digital content service, to middle school educators and students statewide beginning in January 2009.

A member of the Knowledge Universe family of companies and parent company of Excelsior Software, GlobalScholar, announces the acquisition of Colorado-based ExLogica, Inc., developer of the Silk Student Information System and Silk Scheduler. Through this collaboration, the ExLogica, Inc., system and scheduler will become part of the Pinnacle Suite. Following final Board approval this week, the combination of products will result in a comprehensive solution for schools and districts committed to impacting instruction through the effective use of data.

PBS Teachers^® (pbsteachers.org) introduced today PBS Teachers Activity Packs, a growing library of Web-based widgets that contain links to high-quality PBS education resources and activities focused on a specific curricular theme for multiple grade levels. Finding digital resources for the appropriate grade level, subject and lesson among the vast array of material on the Web can be a time-consuming and challenging task for educators, but PBS Teachers is making the search easier and quicker with the debut of 30 new Activity Packs. The Activity Packs are available free-of-charge for educators to "grab" for classroom use, or to post on their classroom and school Web sites or favorite social networking sites. Activity Pack themes cover a wide range of subject areas, including reading/language art, science, social studies, health, and art. PBS Teachers is one of the few digital education content providers offering syndicated content to educators through widgets.

This year Okaloosa County School District received more than $500,000 in funding for vital telecommunications services through the E-rate program. Randy Shipman, Coordinator of Systems for Okaloosa County School District, secured this technology funding for the district with assistance from E-rate Manager for Applicants, an online suite of tools developed by Funds For Learning, LLC.

As teacher professional development across the nation becomes more customized, rather than one-size-fits-all sessions, schools need quick, easy access to high-quality resources for coaches and mentors to use on an ongoing basis with teachers. To that end, PBS TeacherLine has partnered with The School Improvement Network to incorporate new content into PBS TeacherLine Peer Connection that helps teachers turn research theory into classroom practice. Award-winning videos, articles, and other resources from PD 360 and The Video Journal of Education will be added to PBS TeacherLine Peer Connection in early 2009.

Saving educators time in the classroom can only positively impact instruction and achievement. Discovery Education has added several features to Discovery Education streaming (and Discovery Education streaming Plus) to help save time when accessing tools and previewing new additions to the media library all through a customizable landing page.

PBS Teachers^® (pbsteachers.org) today introduces a series of free monthly webinars designed to help preK-12 educators learn new ways to integrate online instructional resources in the classroom and engage students in curriculum lessons. The PBS Teachers Live! webinar series features leading education experts, authors, and PBS producers who will discuss timely and relevant curriculum-related topics, and share their knowledge and ideas on using digital media to create rich learning experiences for students. Classroom 2.0, the online social network founded by Steve Hargadon for teachers interested in Web 2.0 and collaborative technologies, is partnering with PBS Teachers to host the webinars. PBS Teachers Live! webinars will cover technology integration topics and a wide range of subjects, including science, math, reading/language arts, social studies, history, and art. The inaugural webinar is Changing Views of History, Changing Views of Race with speaker Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., on Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. EST. Dr. Gates will discuss how Americans' understanding of President Lincoln and African American history and culture continues to evolve, and ways to approach this topic with students.

Virtual Expert Clinics, Inc., provider of resources for schools and districts educating students with developmental disorders, including its flagship product AutismPro, has named Kevin Custer Chief Executive Officer. Custer will oversee strategic goals, operations, product development, and marketing for the company, in conjunction with the Canadian-based executive branch.

Research shows that science test scores start to drop in middle school when interest in science begins to wane. In an effort to foster the development of the next generation of scientists, Discovery Education and 3M have teamed up once again to reward students for their science acumen and curiosity, while encouraging them to share that passion by creatively communicating their findings. Discovery Education and 3M announce a call for entries for the 2009 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Underlining the importance of communication skills in the science field, the competition challenges U.S. middle school students (grades five through eight) to create a one to two-minute video about a specific scientific concept that relates to innovative solutions for everyday life. All video entries must be submitted online at www.youngscientistchallenge.com by May 20, 2009.

CoSN, ISTE, SIIA, and SETDA urge Congress to take targeted action as it relates to President-Elect Barack Obama's call to invest in technology for the classroom as part of the forthcoming economic recovery package. The education organizations have recommended that Congress agree to disseminate these new classroom technology grant funds through the existing Enhancing Education through Technology (EETT) program in order to ensure that the funds quickly reach the neediest schools and are used for their intended purposes.

The importance of parental involvement and regular at-home reading is highlighted in a new research study, which examined the effect of specific book formats on reading intervention. The 10-week study compared Treasure Bay's K-3 We Both Read^® books with a range of materials already in use, including leveled readers, trade books, and sections from basal readers. "Those participants in the study who read at least 30 minutes a week with their parents using the paired-reading format of the We Both Read book series increased their reading fluency at almost three times the rate of the control group," said Don Panec, Treasure Bay president. To obtain a copy of the full 100-page report or the report summary, visit www.WeBothRead.com.

"Going green" should not be treated as a trendy fad, but a way of life, and educators can play a big role in how their students understand and treat the environment long term. The Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) have partnered on the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge to educate, empower and engage students, teachers and communities to become "Agents of Change" in improving their communities. Closed for applications on March 15th, the Challenge asks middle school students to research and create a replicable green solution. This week, Discovery Education will be hosting several special webinars that provide additional information about the Challenge.