Tools for Schools Vol. 2 No. 41 Oct. 13, 2004

[eSchoolNews]

Title: Tools for Schools

$2,000 for elementary-school staff professional development The Mathematics Education Trust, which was established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, will award a maximum of $2,000 to elementary school staffs for in-service education. Costs may include honoraria and expenses for consultants, materials, substitute time, and conference or workshop registrations.... Deadline: Dec. 3 � Oct. 13, 2004 Vol.2, No.41 � eSN EDUCATOR POLL ... Did the Russian school siege prompt your schools to adopt new security measures? Yes. No. Not sure. Vote NOW! BEST PRACTICE ... Technology puts new spin on the college laundry experience Carnegie Mellon University tested a web-based laundry system called eSuds. Developed by USA Technologies Inc., eSuds allows students to use the internet to check whether any machines in a specific laundry room are available, and how much time is remaining on each machine's load.... SITE OF THE WEEK ... Sponsored by: Take a peek at lessons from the federal summit on eLearning Unable to attend the U.S. Department of Education's Technology Leadership Summit entitled "Increasing Options Through e-Learning" earlier this year? Not to worry. Speaker presentations and white papers are archived on the summit's web site for easy reference by school leaders.... FOLLOW eSN EVERY DAY ... Free eMail keeps you connected to latest school technology news If you want more coverage of school technology issues, you should be getting eSN Today. Our free daily eMail newsletter includes our "Around the Web" feature as well as eSchool News content. That's six new ed-tech headlines every day. Visit your eMail profile page and make sure you're subscribed to eSN Today!.... PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT ... Bus security goes high tech with Honeywell's Digital Chaperone Honeywell Inc. has introduced a new all-digital video and data recorder system designed specifically for school buses. Intended to help keep school buses safe and secure, the Digital Chaperone DDR400 captures images and audio digitally on a mobile hard drive.... THE FLASH ... Selected announcements from leading providers of K-20 products & services. Pascack Valley Regional High School District goes with ScanSoft From ScanSoft Inc., Oct. 12--ScanSoft Inc., a provider of speech and imaging solutions, announced that Pascack Valley Regional High School District in New Jersey has selected ScanSoft PDF Create! as the standard PDF creation solution for the district's innovative technology initiative.... http://www.scansoft.com Academy123 launches web site with on-demand homework help From Academy 123 Inc., Oct. 12--Academy123 Inc., a new company offering online, on-demand homework help, has launched a web site with "Listen and View" multimedia support aimed at helping middle school and high school students with math and science homework. The site launched with homework help for Algebra I.... http://www.academy123.com LiveGrader helps students prepare for SAT essay section From The Princeton Review, Oct. 11--This month sees the launch of the new PSAT, which will be followed by the new SAT. Now everyone can get a feel for the new essay section, complete with a grade and detailed feedback, courtesy of The Princeton Review�s new LiveGrader technology.... http://www.princetonreview.com Waterford Early Reading Program helps Carolina schools From Pearson Digital Learning, Oct. 11--The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Reading First grants to 39 school districts and charter schools across North Carolina. In 11 of those districts, the computer-based Waterford Early Reading Program from Pearson Digital Learning will provide supplemental intervention to the core reading programs.... http://www.pearsondigital.com NexLearn wins contract to train teachers in technology skills From NexLearn LLC, Oct. 11--NexLearn LLC was awarded a $610,000 contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to create and deliver online courses that are aligned with the National Educational Technology Standards. NexLearn is partnering with Ottawa University and Wichita Unified School District 259 to deliver an online version of the district�s Standards for Teachers through Educational Projects (STEPs) Program.... http://www.nexlearn.com Lawson Software signs multi-suite contract with Illinois district From Lawson Software, Oct. 5--Lawson Software announced Community Unit School District 300, based in Carpentersville, Ill., licensed Lawson Financials, Procurement, Human Resources and Reporting Suites to streamline business processes and establish a single source of accurate information on financial performance, staffing and district services.... http://www.lawson.com � - Sponsored by- Webinar: Using Benchmark Assessments to Improve Student Achievement. What does educational research tell us about the proper use of assessment? Are you ready for online assessment? What are the most important factors when evaluating an assessment program? Find out by registering at www.sti-k12.com/webinars. LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULTS ... Which of these ed-tech trends arrived in your schools first? 34 percent said "Laptop carts." 22 percent said "Wireless network." 17 percent said "Online courses." 10 percent said "Linux servers." 17 percent said "None yet." FREE subscription offer Registered members of eSchool News Online qualify for a free subscription to eSchool News. Become a registered site member now! Already registered? Click here to sign up for your free eSchool News subscription. GOING TO T+L�? Join eSchool News in Denver eSchool News Online is looking for T+L� Conference attendees to report on "District Workshop" sessions, and 20 of our volunteers will receive Neo by AlphaSmart computer companions for their reporting at the conference and to take home after the event. To learn more about our coverage of the upcoming T+L�, visit eSN's Conference Information Center SPECIAL REPORTS Instructional writing tools The new SAT, which debuts next March, features both a grammar and essay-writing component for the first time in decades. The change was made possible in large part by advances in technology--and advances in technology also might help educators better prepare their students for success on the new exam. Just how much these new technologies can help, however, is yet to be determined. IP Telephony IP telephony, a packet-switching technology that transmits phone calls over a data network, reduces the load on a network by minimizing the time a connection is kept open. Schools have discovered that combining voice and data into a single network can be more efficient and help reduce phone costs. Informed Instruction Delivering individualized instruction targeted to meet each student's needs once was no more than the stuff of educators' dreams. Today, thanks to a growing number of offerings and some creative financing on the part of school districts, this model is becoming a reality for teachers and students nationwide. Professional Development The eSchool News Online Store now offers professional-development courses from CaseNEX. Many of these courses can be taken for graduate-level credit. Here are just a few of the courses now available: Multicultural Studies, Equity, and Social Justice in Education Differentiating Instruction For Teaching The Gifted Classroom Accommodations and Modifications Literacy: Models of Instruction and Assessment There's much more where that came from, and you can order it all from the comfort of your own keyboard. Check it out now!

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