Tools for Schools Vol. 2 No. 47 Nov. 24, 2004

[eSchoolNews]

Title: Tools for Schools

Computers and cash for teaching students about personal finance Any seventh through twelfth grade teacher who teaches money management skills is invited to enter the Practical Money Skills for Life Educator Challenge. The grand prize winner receives a personal computer, $2,500 merchandise credit for classroom supplies, a school or classroom computer lab, a position on Visa's Practical Money Skills Educator Advisory Board, and more.... Deadline: Jan. 14, 2005 � Nov. 24, 2004 Vol.2, No.47 � eSN EDUCATOR POLL ... Can students at your schools take at least half of their courses online? Yes. No. Vote NOW! BEST PRACTICE ... Tech-savvy schools regain millions School systems nationwide are reportedly benefiting from the use of new technology designed to track, monitor, record, and report the delivery of special-education services. Not only do these electronic tools promise to reduce the amount of paper pushed across administrators' desks on a daily basis, but some say the technology is helping foot the bill for special-needs children.... SITE OF THE WEEK ... Sponsored by: New framework helps schools link technology to NCLB success The State Educational Technology Directors Association has a free online guide designed to help schools achieve more efficient integration of technology. It provides a suite of tools designed to assist states, districts, schools, and researchers in profiling their progress with technology over time.... READERS' CHOICE AWARDS ... Help us help your colleagues choose the best science software Educators face a wide range of choices when selecting science software products. To help you assess the options and learn which products are most valued by others, eSN has created a Readers' Choice Awards for this important topic. Take the survey now and get a complimentary copy of eSchool News' "20 Free Science Web Sites Every District Should Explore." PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT ... Stop spam with this software from MicroWorld Technologies Although many internet users now delete spam before opening it, unwanted eMail messages still steal bandwidth when passing through school servers. MicroWorld Technologies Inc. claims its X-Spam software is more effective at catching spam compared with other anti-spam solutions, including free and paid programs.... THE FLASH ... Selected announcements from leading providers of K-20 products & services. Texas Instruments offer two new free educational resources From Texas Instruments, Nov. 23--During the holiday season, TI is offering two new free educational resources for TI graphing calculator owners: online math homework help, and electronic flashcards featuring SAT sample questions prepared against the new SAT format coming in March 2005.... http://www.ti.com New IDEA provision will allow for supplemental materials From The Association of Educational Publishers, Nov. 19--Congress has approved a key provision that will permit teachers to use supplemental instructional materials to support the instruction of children served in programs authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.... http://www.edpress.org Five Texas schools select Co-nect to address improvement plans From Co-Nect, Nov. 18--Five Texas schools have chosen Cambridge, Mass.-based Co-nect to provide a customized, systematic program of face-to-face and online professional development, assessments, diagnostics and curricular resources to address their School Improvement Plans.... http://www.co-nect.net Dallas ISD selects Classroom Connect for $340,000 partnership From Classroom Connect, Nov. 18--Classroom Connect announced that the Dallas Independent School District has selected the firm's eSchool Online platform for two customized professional development contracts. The contracts, worth over $340,000, are to develop a total of six online professional development modules in the areas of Special Education and Health Education.... http://www.classroom.com Alcatel showcases knowledge sharing applications for schools From Alcatel, Nov. 18--Alcatel is bringing communications 'Best Practices' to the K-12 education market with the launch of its K-12 education initiative, presented at the CETPA Conference in California. Alcatel's focus is on delivering communication applications that help school officials share knowledge more effectively to create a supportive and safe environment for children.... http://www.alcatel.com Education Commission of the States names new president From ECS, Nov. 17--Santa Monica College President Piedad F. Robertson has been selected as the new president of the Education Commission of the States, effective Feb. 1, 2005. She will succeed Ted Sanders, who is resigning in January.... http://www.ecs.org � LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULTS ... Do you see a place for podcasting in your schools' future? 45 percent said "Yes." 55 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 Controlling Technology Costs With a sophisticated command of what technology is genuinely needed, what's available, and how much it should cost, school leaders just might find they can buy much more of what they really need than they ever thought possible. 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. Voice and Data Integration for School Networks Call it VoIP or internet telephony or IP telephony—but call it more than just the latest technology trend: A growing number of school systems nationwide are tapping into voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) technology to reap what could add up to substantial long-term savings on their telecommunications systems. SPECIAL REPORT Informed Instruction Delivering individualized instruction targeted to meet each student's needs once was no more than the stuff of educators' dreams. Today, this model is becoming a reality. MEET THE ED-TECH INSIDERS eSchool News Online recently launched an exciting new feature -- eSN Ed-Tech Insider. If you haven't checked out Ed-Tech Insider yet, here's a sample of what you've been missing from the ed-tech experts: From Will Richardson... "I'm always finding new and innovative ways to use RSS, including being able to track earthquake activity around the world and share calendars that automatically create feeds when new items are posted. ... (A reader) suggests we come up with a 10 Cool Things You Can Do With Webfeeds in Education list, and I think that's a great idea. Can we get to 10 by the time we sit down to (Thanksgiving) dinner?" Read all of Will's posts! From Tim Wilson ... "The bad news came today via eMail from our state Department of Education. The 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Bill approved by the House and Senate over the weekend includes large cuts in educational technology funding. ... Our district is luckier than most; the cuts will probably amount to less than $10,000 next year. There are other schools that depend on those funds for a much larger portion of their annual technology integration and training budgets." Read all of Tim's posts! Professional Development The eSchool News Online Store now offers professional-development courses from CaseNEX. Here are just a few of the courses beginning next month: Models and Strategies for Teaching the Gifted Standards And Assessment Teaching Across The Content Areas Educational Leadership 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!

You are receiving this eMail newsletter at [EMAIL PROTECTED] as part of a free information service from eSchool News. To manage your eMail Profile [unsubscribe, subscribe etc.], please visit our site - http://www.eschoolnews.com/emailprofile/ - and enter your eMail address noted above and submit any changes directly on your profile.

If this issue was forwarded to you and you would like to begin receiving a copy of this eMail newsletter, please visit our eMail Profile site - http://www.eschoolnews.com/emailprofile/ - enter your eMail address and select the eMail titles you would like to receive. Thank you for your support.
eSchool News 7920 Norfolk Avenue Bethesda Maryland 20814