Tools for Schools Vol. 2 No. 40 Oct. 6, 2004

[eSchoolNews]

Title: Tools for Schools

Free language lab software valued at more than $50,000 SANS Inc., the developer and exclusive licensor of Sony language learning software solutions, will award a Sony Virtuoso Language Lab software package valued at over $50,000 to a certified senior high school, college, or university with a language learning program and a networked PC-based lab in place.... Deadline: Dec. 31 � Oct. 6, 2004 Vol.2, No.40 � eSN EDUCATOR POLL ... Which of these ed-tech trends arrived in your schools first? Laptop carts (COWs). Online courses. Wireless Network. Linux servers. None yet. Vote NOW! BEST PRACTICE ... New 'visualization' technologies help students focus web searches Search engines have a pretty big flaw: They often deliver too much information, and a lot of it isn't quite what students are looking for. But new technologies are getting better at bringing order to all that chaos and could revolutionize how students and others mine the internet for information.... SITE OF THE WEEK ... Sponsored by: Help students warm up to science with hands-on weather project E"Weather Scope" is an educational project that couples real-time online weather data with hands-on learning activities and projects designed to make students think critically about such weather conditions as temperature, wind, and precipitation.... NEW eSN ONLINE FEATURE ... Visit eSN Conference Information Center for full coverage of T+L� Whether you're at a major ed-tech conference, or just wish you were, you can count on eSN's new Conference Information Center for all the latest news headlines, schedules, speaker profiles and much more. We begin our coverage with the upcoming NSBA T+L�. If you're going to Denver for the big event, find out how you can join our coverage team and win a free Neo by AlphaSmart.... PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT ... Macromedia makes web authoring elementary with new K-6 license Macromedia has unveiled a new K-6 Site License for elementary schools that aims to introduce young students to multimedia and web authoring tools. The solution includes software, teacher training, and curriculum resources designed specifically to help young students begin using digital tools in core academic subjects and give teachers the resources they need to learn and integrate the products into their teaching curriculum.... THE FLASH ... Selected announcements from leading providers of K-20 products & services. Netchemia to automate Olathe's Individualized Education Program From Netchemia, Oct. 4--Netchemia, a provider of data-driven, Internet-based software and services for K-12 educational organizations, announced that it has been selected to help the Olathe Unified School District automate its Individualized Education Program.... http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/BusinessBriefs/ palmOne breaks new ground with first 256MB storage handheld From palmOne Inc., Oct. 4-- Nearly doubling the industry's current handheld storage maximum, palmOne Inc. has introduced the Tungsten T5 handheld with 256MB of flash memory. The Tungsten T5 offers the ability to carry more data and applications than ever before on a handheld, for an estimated U.S. street price of $399.... http://www.palmone.com EdExpress, AllScholar.com join forces in marketing effort From EdExpress Inc., Oct. 4--EdExpress Inc. and AllScholar.com announced a joint marketing arrangement that will enable both entities to better serve students and their families and enhance their ability to pay educational expenses. The EdExpress program helps members earn money to pay for any educational expense through their everyday shopping.... http://www.edexpress.com Speak Up Day for Students 2004 registration now open From NetDay, Oct. 1--NetDay, a national non-profit organization, is launching a survey with an exciting goal to collect input from 500,000 students on the issues that matter to them and to you. Schools can register starting September 23. The survey is open for student input from October 11-29.... http://www.netday.org Spring Independent School District implements McAfee Spamkiller From McAfee Inc., Sept. 30--McAfee Inc. announced that the Spring Independent School District has implemented the McAfee SpamKiller e1000 appliance. McAfee SpamKiller works alongside the McAfee WebShield appliance anti-virus technology to provide enterprise customers with anti-spam protection and content management to stop spam at the perimeter.... http://www.mcafeesecurity.com Canadian district embarks on broadband wireless deployment From Redline Commnications, Sept. 29--Redline Communications announced that Keewatin-Patricia District School Board in northwestern Ontario rolled out one of the most ambitious broadband wireless deployments for education in Canada.... http://www.redlinecommunications.com � - Sponsored by- FREE VIDEO WEBINAR � Control classroom technology to keep students on-task This ten minute streaming video presentation shows you how thousands of instructors are creating a more interactive lab environment and gaining valuable teaching time with NetOp School � Software for Networked Classrooms http://www.crosstecorp.com/ tryit/eesn.html?utm_id= 08252004&utm_source=eschool+news &utm_medium=email&utm_campaign= school+video. LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULTS ... Do security fears stop you from using a wireless network at home or school? 20 percent said "Yes." 80 percent said "No." 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. RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS Stakeholder Communications As technology plays a greater role in education, it can also change the way those inside school buildings address key stakeholders on the outside. The editors of eSchool News have compiled a collection of stories and features about how effective communication through eMail and the web can take weight off an educator's shoulders. 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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