Internet @ Schools
NoveList Select content is now displayed alongside library data in TLC's (The Library Corporation) LS2 PAC.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Jun 2013
Knovation has added Learnetic, VocabAhead and We Give Books as new content integration partners to its flagship solutions netTrekker and icurio.
News/Breaking News - Posted 30 May 2013
The new resources address nationwide curriculum gaps in digital media and bolster the service's offerings in math, science, English/language arts, social studies and the arts.
News/Free Resources - Posted 23 May 2013
Schools across the country are signing up for the service, through which they can combine free OER content with their own resources to create and publish lessons directly to students' iPads, Android tablets, or computers.
News/Breaking News - Posted 09 May 2013
myON Reader is a personalized library of more than 3,000 digital books at all reading levels. Books can be accessed anywhere, anytime.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 May 2013 - May/Jun 2013 Issue
By
Sally Finley
Kno offers interactive K-12 textbooks with links to content, the web, and interactive modules.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 May 2013 - May/Jun 2013 Issue
By
Sally Finley
Discovery Education Techbooks are a complete text solution that addresses each state's Core Standards (currently available in 36 states), with a simple-to-use system that helps teachers transition to digital resources while substantially lowering district costs. This primary instructional resource provides dynamic, interactive resources that support the 5E model of instruction (engage, explore, explain, extend, and evaluate) with a variety of digital resources.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 May 2013 - May/Jun 2013 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Britannica School was developed to replace textbooks with digital alternatives that address each state's core standards and engage student curiosity to enhance learning. An easy-to-use system helps teachers transition to digital resources and use them, while lowering district costs.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 May 2013 - May/Jun 2013 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
In 2010, digital textbooks accounted for just 1% of the U.S. textbook market. In 2012, it was 5.5 percent. And it's climbing. Victor offers a company-by-company look providing you with some idea of what lies ahead.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 May 2013 - May/Jun 2013 Issue
By
Victor Rivero
For May 1, 2013: The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge begins May 6 and is designed to keep kids reading and prepared in a friendly, competitive way. Educators can track the reading progress of their students and access classroom resources by registering their classes.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 May 2013
By
Linda C. Joseph
The major updates provide greater support for building critical thinking skills and writing more creatively.
News/Breaking News - Posted 26 Apr 2013
With the addition of these 30 new semesters, Edmentum has increased its Plato Courseware secondary library by 17 percent and its individual middle school and high school libraries by 30 percent.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 Apr 2013
This new resource contains material appropriate for younger audiences, and content that is not duplicated in other available National Geographic Virtual Library products.
News/Breaking News - Posted 23 Apr 2013
The 2013 report finds pop culture, college readiness, and required reading are influencing students' reading selections.
News/Breaking News - Posted 22 Apr 2013
The suite of reading and math products includes MATH 180, iRead, System 44 Next Generation and READ 180 on the iPad.
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Apr 2013
The Teacher Innovator Awards recognize 30 PreK-12 educators from across the country who are using digital media in new and unique ways to improve students' learning across key subject areas.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Apr 2013
All of Shmoop's guides are aligned to Next Generation Sunshine State Standards for Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, Civics and U.S. History.
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 Apr 2013
The Common Core-aligned prevention program incorporates targeted instruction, progress measurement and parental involvement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 18 Mar 2013
The PBS LearningMedia Teacher Core is comprised of K-12 educators and library media specialists from across the country. In partnership with their local PBS member station, they will work to champion digital learning in their communities.
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Mar 2013
More than 25 songs designed to aid memory recall and language development for preK-1 students have been added.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Mar 2013
The company's new Common Core reading resource is built from the ground up to align to standards and support the development of critical thinking skills, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 05 Mar 2013
Turnitin is a tool for use with student writing whether in a writing instruction class or as part of other subjects, such social studies classes. The teacher sets up a class and assignment(s) in the Turnitin service. Students or instructors then submit papers to Turnitin via file upload or cut and paste. Turnitin then evaluates the writing using three core tools so students and teachers can see the results as layered feedback.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Mar 2013 - Mar/Apr 2013 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Compass Learning Odyssey, which is fully aligned to the Common Core State Standards, includes complete K-12 math, language arts, social science, and science curriculum, which are research-based and include interactive activities, manipulatives, videos, graphics, and animations along with audio reading passages in digital format.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Mar 2013 - Mar/Apr 2013 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Mayan Mysteries is an online puzzle-based game. Players explore the world of the ancient Mayan civilization.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Mar 2013 - Mar/Apr 2013 Issue
By
Sally Finley
Teachers and media specialists looking for digital primary resources representing world history and cultures will be excited to learn about a growing collection of significant, multilingual resources accessible through the World Digital Library.
Column/The New Media Center - Posted 01 Mar 2013 - Mar/Apr 2013 Issue
By
Mary Alice Anderson
The Common Core offers a uniform, nationwide measure of where our students are and where they need to be, and Victor's Tools for Learning feature this month provides you with a descriptive list of companies that can help you get started.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Mar 2013 - Mar/Apr 2013 Issue
By
Victor Rivero
Worried about the Common Core State Standards? If you are a teacher, you don't have to be. Granted, it will take time and effort to adapt your teaching plans to meet these standards. But there are a lot of tools to help you do it, available right now on the web.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Mar 2013 - Mar/Apr 2013 Issue
By
James Careless
Britannica Digital Learning is publishing hundreds of new non-fiction ebooks for grades preK-6 in a wide range of school subjects.
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 Feb 2013
A digital badge program that fosters project-based learning, Smithsonian Quests are intended to inspire students to explore their own ideas and interests online, in school, at home and across the nation. The quests connect and reward learners of different ages and in different regions as they learn through discovery and collaboration.
News/Free Resources - Posted 13 Feb 2013
WriteToLearn now includes the Reading Maturity Metric (RMM), offering 30 percent improvement over previous readability formulas. RMM has been added to the nearly 1,000 informational reading passages, along with Common Core State Standards' text complexity grade bands.
News/Breaking News - Posted 17 Jan 2013
Priced at $10.66, Shmoop's materials open views on literature, which even well-seasoned teachers may have not considered. The affordable guides include — among other helpful hints — detailed activity ideas, essays on how to tackle the toughest aspects of each book, and potential essay and discussion questions.
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 Jan 2013
Study Island NWEA MAP Link is a new fully integrated solution that uses a student's Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment results to create an individualized learning path, delivered through the Study Island program.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Jan 2013
The full-text database offers users access to a historically rich collection of hundreds of thousands of classic and contemporary full-text poems, as well as short stories, biographies, and authoritative essays.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Jan 2013
Recent acquisitions of learning technology companies such as Archipelago Learning and Educational Options helped prepare PLATO Learning for its transition to Edmentum. The company has expanded beyond the PLATO Learning product brand to include a comprehensive portfolio of award-winning, multi-platform learning technologies.
News/Breaking News - Posted 09 Jan 2013
National Geographic: People, Animals, and the World includes a variety of content such as full-text books on travel, science & technology, history, the environment and animals; videos covering such topics as the Islamic world, alternative energy and even the lifestyle of beluga whales; more than 650 maps; 600 downloadable National Geographic images; and the National Geographic Traveler magazine from 2010 - present.
News/Breaking News - Posted 08 Jan 2013
Khan Academy is a collection of more than 3,500 short instructional videos that provide learning activities in the areas of math, science, computer science, finance, economics, humanities, and test prep.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Jan 2013 - Jan/Feb 2013 Issue
By
Sally Finley
In this Tools for Learning feature, Victor explores some of the technologies, tools, and platforms that will enable you to succeed in implementing the new flipped classroom teaching and learning model.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jan 2013 - Jan/Feb 2013 Issue
By
Victor Rivero
The comprehensive K-5 Common Core reading program features authentic, multicultural literature paired with exclusive content from National Geographic and real-world accounts from the National Geographic Explorers.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Dec 2012
Designed as a companion to the comprehension suite, the new app gives anytime, anywhere access to interactive, mastery lessons on the four primary components of comprehension - finding facts, making inferences, identifying themes and the "main idea," and learning vocabulary in context.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Dec 2012
The testing evaluated game-play and student interaction. It yielded data supporting the ability of game-based learning to engage students while enabling deeper learning and vocabulary retention, the announcement states.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Dec 2012
For December 1, 2012: Omniglot is a very handy reference that's chock full of information related to languages and writing systems. Alphabets, useful phrases, and word origins are examples of the multilingual resources for foreign language teachers and students.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 Dec 2012
By
Linda C. Joseph
The center provides resources aligned with "real world" journalism practices and communications standards such as the Common Core Standards in the United States, and encourages students to develop and showcase their own reporting and journalism skills.
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 Nov 2012
Entitled Britannica School, it provides rich multimedia resources for lessons and lesson planning, curriculum support, student and teacher research and homework help.
News/Breaking News - Posted 13 Nov 2012
The collections align with Common Core guidelines for Grades K-8 and Grades 9-12 in English Language Arts and Literacy, History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects.
News/Breaking News - Posted 01 Nov 2012
Discovery Education's iPad web app provides access to a database of video clips covering all core subjects in grades K-12.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Nov 2012 - Nov/Dec 2012 Issue
By
Sally Finley
Pocket Literacy Coach sends daily text messages suggesting creative learning activities to a parent's mobile phone.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Nov 2012 - Nov/Dec 2012 Issue
By
Sally Finley
Shakespeare In Bits uses animated re-enactment, full audio, and unabridged text to present individual plays in a multimedia approach to learning and teaching the plays.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Nov 2012 - Nov/Dec 2012 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
For November 1, 2012: Need some ideas and tips for teaching novels? Check out In Search of the Novel, a free online video workshop produced by Annenberg Learner.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 Nov 2012
By
Linda C. Joseph
Under the sun, moon, and stars, there's plenty to explore when it comes to "mobile in education," and the success of BYOD as a concept is a compelling reason to start exploring
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Nov 2012 - Nov/Dec 2012 Issue
By
Victor Rivero
Turnitin has made the writing rubrics developed to align with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) available free to educators worldwide through an open access license with Creative Commons.
News/Breaking News - Posted 18 Oct 2012
For October 15, 2012: The free A.Word.A.Day service from Wordsmith is a great way to encourage your students to hone their vocabulary skills.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 15 Oct 2012
By
Linda C. Joseph
PBS KIDS PLAY! Classroom Edition is an online learning program that uses interactive games and content to engage students in preschool, kindergarten and first-grade classrooms. The cross-curricular program has been enhanced with new lessons, games and teacher dashboard for easy classroom management.
News/Breaking News - Posted 26 Sep 2012
When it becomes available in 2013, the program will provide structured, sequential, scaffolded instruction in the five areas of reading for students of all abilities in grades pre-K-5.
News/Breaking News - Posted 25 Sep 2012
Two leading global collaborative networks team up to offer a robust collection of tools and curriculum resources for classrooms and independent learners around the world.
News/Breaking News - Posted 18 Sep 2012
StudySync is a web-based program of more than 350 classic and contemporary text excerpts from novels. The program is designed to build reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Texts are tied to common core standards.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Sep 2012 - Sep/Oct 2012 Issue
By
Sally Finley
We should teach students how to search both Google and databases effectively. Nothing new here. But Google's Literacy Lesson Plans released in May 2012 are something new.
Column/The New Media Center - Posted 01 Sep 2012 - Sep/Oct 2012 Issue
By
Mary Alice Anderson
Teachers, librarians, media specialists, and others, including students themselves, need resources for accessing and sharing it all. With search, mobile, and social networking, there's a whole lot more help out of the quicksand.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Sep 2012 - Sep/Oct 2012 Issue
By
Victor Rivero
"Play the Election" is a free collaborative, online tool that teaches students about the 2012 Presidential Election and election process through games, resources and competition. The "Dear Mr. President" essay contest is open to 7-12th grade students ages 13 to 20 years old.
News/Free Resources - Posted 28 Aug 2012
Funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the EduCore tool is a repository of evidence-based strategies, videos, and supporting documents that help educators transition to the CCSS. The series of new, free webinars provide educators actionable strategies and tactics for integrating Common Core standards into classroom activities.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 Aug 2012
Built specifically for the new standards and using the language of the CCSS, Ready Common Core offers students in grades 3-8 rigorous instruction and practice in math and reading while also offering teachers multilevel resources and tools to easily implement these lessons.
News/Breaking News - Posted 20 Aug 2012
Available to icurio subscribers at no additional cost, SAS Curriculum Pathways provides interactive, standards-based resources featuring hundreds of interactive tools, inquiries, web lessons and audio tutorials in every core subject for grades 6-12 in traditional, virtual and home schools.
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Aug 2012
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Kno have partnered to introduce enhanced K-12 content at introductory rental prices from $9.99 or less.
News/Breaking News - Posted 09 Aug 2012
Dictionaries are boring. Shmoop is not. Check out the new Literature Glossary, and Words with Friends will suddenly be a piece of cake.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Aug 2012
The new and improved Questia online library and research tool for students features an expanded library (increased by over 33 percent), improved navigation for better, faster research, dictionary and thesaurus tools, and an interactive reader that will make the research experience easier for students.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Aug 2012
The partnerships are reflective of a larger digitally focused initiative to strengthen the connection between the library and the K-12 classroom curriculum.
News/Breaking News - Posted 25 Jun 2012
The companies have aligned two of Curriculum Associates' leading BRIGANCE assessments with the PCI Reading Program to help special education teachers integrate developmentally appropriate reading curriculum with personalized, differentiated instruction for each student in the classroom.
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 Jun 2012
The developer of personalized learning environments for students has added a dozen more publishers to its popular myON reader platform.
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 Jun 2012
Shakespeare In Bits is a multimedia resource designed to enable educators and students to experience, understand and appreciate The Bard's plays in bite-sized chunks, or "bits."
News/Breaking News - Posted 12 Jun 2012
The new version empowers educators with custom courses and grade management solutions, the announcement states.
News/Breaking News - Posted 04 Jun 2012
A content partnership between Knovation and Youngzine brings dynamic news and current events content to netTrekker Search and icurio.
News/Breaking News - Posted 29 May 2012
The latest audiobook sets focus on niche areas of fiction and nonfiction. These collections contain a wide variety of materials from best sellers such as the Hunger Games trilogy and Tina Fey's Bossypants to recently digitized classics such as Edgar Rice Burrough's John Carter. With these latest sets, particular attention was given to very specific areas of interest to public library patrons.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 May 2012
The Liberty Magazine Historical Archive, 1924-1950 is a complete digitization of the entire run of Liberty Magazine, nearly 1,400 issues, and contains over 17,000 fiction and non-fiction articles and thousands of advertisements all in a searchable, full-color format.
News/Breaking News - Posted 17 May 2012
Common Core 360 is a professional development program designed to help classroom teachers align math and language arts curricula to the Common Core Standards.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 May 2012 - May/Jun 2012 Issue
By
Sally Finley
Now the program does a better job of finding the most frequent grammatical and mechanical errors, such as run-on sentences, incorrect word usage, and punctuation, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 30 Apr 2012
For April 1, 2012: Recently, Cyberbee's search for information about fossil identification led him to neoK12. It offers a large collection of free videos and pictures on nearly every subject for grades K-12.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 Apr 2012
By
Linda C. Joseph
Top prizes include an iPad for Students, and an interactive whiteboard for schools.
News/Breaking News - Posted 29 Mar 2012
The agreement between EBSCO Publishing and Britannica Digital Learning adds metadata to the EDS Base Index and allows full text searching of Britannica's Britannica Online School, PreK-8, Public Library, 21st Century Explorer and Academic Editions.
News/Breaking News - Posted 23 Mar 2012
For March 15, 2012: "A free world-class education for anyone anywhere." That's the mission of Khan Academy featured on 60 Minutes. It is a place where students can go to view over 3,000 tutorials in many subject areas on many levels.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 15 Mar 2012
By
Linda C. Joseph
Currently in development, this app is the only research-validated literacy program available on the iPad, and will provide the full functionality of Lexia's data-driven, individualized learning program, Lexia Reading, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 13 Mar 2012
The AP Art History guide breaks down what you can expect to see on the test, and delves deeply into all material on which you are likely to be quizzed.
News/Breaking News - Posted 08 Mar 2012
The new web-based platform offers access to advanced speech recognition technology, expanding opportunities for guided oral reading with individualized feedback, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 07 Mar 2012
A story in Publishers Weekly has the scoop on the current testing and upcoming launch of the proprietary e-book platform.
News/Cool Links - Posted 06 Mar 2012
In this month's column, Mary Alice takes a look at how local history, primary sources, and a few technology tools can be just the right mix to enable you to inspire your students.
Column/The New Media Center - Posted 01 Mar 2012 - Mar/Apr 2012 Issue
By
Mary Alice Anderson
Stephen points out that the reading ecology is changing. Reading may be fundamental, but the way we use reading materials in teaching and libraries will necessarily change as that ecology does.
Column/The Pipeline - Posted 01 Mar 2012 - Mar/Apr 2012 Issue
By
Stephen Abram
The new On Demand platform provides quick access to easy-to-use resources, tools and reports designed to maximize educator effectiveness.
News/Breaking News - Posted 21 Feb 2012
The personalized literacy environment that provides access to a large integrated library of digital books with multimedia supports is now available on Kindle Fire. myON reader users can securely login through myON.com and have full access to the platform using the Amazon tablet.
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Feb 2012
Level Three software is a new online component to the award-winning PCI Reading Program, a reading series for students with intellectual disabilities.
News/Breaking News - Posted 09 Feb 2012
MindPlay's MVRC is designed to help students improve their reading skills measurably in 30 hours or less by differentiating instruction for each student with the precision of a reading specialist and enabling them to work at their own pace.
News/Breaking News - Posted 08 Feb 2012
The new online courses are specifically designed around the Common Core State Standards in math and English language arts.
News/Breaking News - Posted 08 Feb 2012
The icurio solution is designed to break down barriers to learning and transform the way teachers teach and students learn in a modern-day educational environment, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 07 Feb 2012
For February 1, 2012: PBS is opening up its library of movies with its free iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch apps.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 Feb 2012
By
Linda C. Joseph
Wordly Wise 3000 Online will provide all students with the same direct academic vocabulary instruction as the print edition, in a dynamic and interactive online format. Full audio support and immediate feedback make the program ideal for struggling readers and English language learners.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 Jan 2012
The new blended learning intervention program for struggling middle school readers provides a comprehensive solution to support Response to Intervention for literacy skills.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 Jan 2012
The new courses from ASCD support educators implementing Common Core State Standards. Three support implementation of new math standards; four subject-based courses focus on supporting educators in integrating the new literacy standards into science, history/social studies, English language arts, and mathematics lessons.
News/Breaking News - Posted 05 Jan 2012
After extensive user analysis and market feedback, the interface for Gale's online ebook platform has been overhauled with improved navigation and organization, and a vibrant and engaging display to draw in students, researchers, professionals and general readers, the announcement states.
News/Breaking News - Posted 08 Dec 2011
For December 1, 2011: Just in time for the holidays, a classic game for all to enjoy: Christmas Hangman, enhanced by online game developer Dimension's Edge.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 Dec 2011
By
Linda C. Joseph
Students who complete six hours of non-school-related reading, such as picture books, newspapers, comic books, novels and nonfiction materials, are eligible to earn a free admission ticket to a participating Six Flags theme park.
News/Breaking News - Posted 25 Nov 2011
Among the key platform enhancements are iPad compatibility, a redesigned interface with improved navigation, a new video player, special collections for key producers, improved search and browse options, and new features for account administrators, including free MARC records for every video.
News/Breaking News - Posted 17 Nov 2011
Super Duper Publications, a company that creates educational materials for children with special needs and communication or language delays, has introduced four new educational, grammar-based mobile applications for students — How?; Irregular Verbs; Plurals; and Yes or No? Fun Deck Apps.
News/Breaking News - Posted 16 Nov 2011
The next generation media-on-demand service from PBS is making public media available free to teachers and students nationwide.
News/Breaking News - Posted 07 Nov 2011
World Book Dramatic Learning provides original scripts, skits, and monologues to build reading fluency and content comprehension.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Nov 2011 - Nov/Dec 2011 Issue
By
Sally Finley
Grolier Online is a re-engineered, redesigned version of this web-based, subscription with new content and digital research tools. It tailors content for each user with an enhanced search engine that enables access to articles, maps, and videos that are adjustable to various reading levels.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Nov 2011 - Nov/Dec 2011 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Lexia Reading 8.0 provides a complete technology-based reading curriculum. It provides the needed practice, additional paper-based instruction, and skills practice to enable students to learn to read. Lexia Reading offers students a reading program that provides intensive time on task, with focused activities, scaffolding, and branching. It immediately assesses and reports to teachers exactly how each student is progressing.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Nov 2011 - Nov/Dec 2011 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
The textbook is evolving, to say the least. Stephen is excited by the opportunities this presents for educators. So this month's column explores the opportunity to enhance a learner's experience and success with next-generation textbooks.
Column/The Pipeline - Posted 01 Nov 2011 - Nov/Dec 2011 Issue
By
Stephen Abram
Online education is a $34 billion industry, and it has been growing by an astronomical rate. Today, says author Victor Rivero, elearning is a paradigm shift. Here are some of the companies he's identified as being on board with this 21st-century transformation.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Nov 2011 - Nov/Dec 2011 Issue
By
Victor Rivero
The new company provides one-to-one instruction from highly-experienced tutors in subjects ranging from general academic writing to college admissions essay help and even novel and screenplay writing, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 Oct 2011
NCRTI gave the diagnostic assessments the highest possible rating for reliability and endorsement on certain convincing evidence to support classification accuracy and validity, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Oct 2011
For October 15, 2011: Check out this interesting twist to searching. Twurdy is a search tool that automatically displays results according to readability.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 15 Oct 2011
By
Linda C. Joseph
In a move highly anticipated since its initial announcement in April, public libraries and schools in the U.S. can now lend ebooks for the Amazon Kindle.
News/Breaking News - Posted 22 Sep 2011
The MyLexia App helps teachers recognize which students are struggling, grouping students by specific skills for individual or small group instruction. As students complete each skill level, the MyLexia App helps celebrate student progress by notifying teachers when students have earned a certificate of achievement, which can then be emailed to parents or sent to a wireless printer.
News/Breaking News - Posted 20 Sep 2011
PebbleGo Biographies is correlated to state and national social studies standards and features biographies on famous figures in history, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Alexander Graham Bell, and Barack and Michelle Obama, in 12 easy-to-navigate categories, such as athletes, explorers, inventors, and presidents and first ladies.
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Sep 2011
For September 15, 2011: Teachers looking for a free and safe place to share student-produced videos should check out SchoolTube, the largest K-12 moderated video sharing website in the country.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 15 Sep 2011
By
Linda C. Joseph
The special live student session will feature acclaimed children's author Jean Craighead George.
News/Free Resources - Posted 13 Sep 2011
The Legacy Project, acquired by Filmakers Library, is an intimate portrait of legendary American dramatists through interviews conducted by emerging playwrights.
News/Breaking News - Posted 09 Sep 2011
Math and language arts assessment and instruction are aligned to ensure appropriate preparation and remediation.
News/Breaking News - Posted 09 Sep 2011
K5 Learning is a new kind of online study program that delivers personalized learning in bite-size chunks to kids in the comfort of their own homes, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 07 Sep 2011
Bookstream makes it easy for educators to hop on the internet, upload ebooks and share them with students for anytime reading, the announcement states. It was designed to help educators comply with IDEA 2004 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) that require schools to deliver core curriculum in accessible formats to support students with disabilities.
News/Breaking News - Posted 07 Sep 2011
It is disconcerting when a school or state purchases valuable resources and usage is low. Mary Alice says the start of the school year is a good time to begin overcoming nonuse.
Column/The New Media Center - Posted 01 Sep 2011 - Sep/Oct 2011 Issue
By
Mary Alice Anderson
The e-everything revolution charges ahead in the education realm. This month, Victor Rivero reprises and updates the discussion he started last year in his article "E Is for Explosion: E-Readers, Etextbooks, Econtent, Elearning, E-Everything."
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Sep 2011 - Sep/Oct 2011 Issue
By
Victor Rivero
For September 1, 2011: As the tenth anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the 9/11 Memorial Teach and Learn website can help teachers looking for ways to include these events into their classroom curriculum.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 Sep 2011
By
Linda C. Joseph
EBSCOhost now provides content from the most in-demand publishers available via new acquisition models including expanded ownership plans to serve the needs of libraries and their patrons.
News/Breaking News - Posted 29 Jul 2011
The new version of the technology-based reading curriculum is designed to predict student performance on year-end, grade-level assessments and offers prescriptive recommendations for the intensity of instruction needed to improve each student's performance.
News/Breaking News - Posted 22 Jul 2011
Shmoop's Literature Guides and Biographies are written by Ph.D. students from Stanford, Harvard, UC Berkley, and other top universities. Shmoop is known for its sense of humor and knack for pop culture. For example, Shmoop introduces students to The Great Gatsby by comparing the novel to the television shows "Real Housewives" and "The Sopranos."
News/Breaking News - Posted 20 Jul 2011
In addition to a rich public media library, PBS LearningMedia has content contributed from other publicly funded organizations, including the National Archives, the Library of Congress and NPR, as well as content funded by NASA, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the US Department of Education, to deliver thousands of resources for use in the classroom and with home-schoolers.
News/Free Resources - Posted 20 Jul 2011
Marydee Ojala, editor of Information Today, Inc.'s ONLINE magazine, posted a NewsBreak recently on Cengage's acquisition of a component of National Geographic that will be of interest to the K-12 community.
News/ITI Cross Links - Posted 01 Jul 2011
1,500 digital books for software developers to be available for booksellers, libraries and schools.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 Jun 2011
With this correlation, educators can be assured that Orchard's instruction, assessment, and remediation cover the skills and knowledge found within the standards.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Jun 2011
Through a new initiative, called myWorld TakingITGlobal, educators have immediate access to digitally driven content that makes global collaboration a reality for America's middle schoolers with the click of a mouse, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 23 May 2011
With the i-Ready Common Core State Standards Screener (i-Ready CCSS Screener), educators can administer a one-hour per subject online assessment to students and use the results to determine how prepared students are for the CCSS.
News/Breaking News - Posted 17 May 2011
K-12 public, private, parochial or charter schools in the United States are encouraged to apply for more than $2 million in matching CARE grants towards the purchase of myON reader, a personalized literacy environment that focuses on increasing student literacy rates.
News/Breaking News - Posted 09 May 2011
Four grade-level winners have been selected, with the winning entries to be published in Study Island online products.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 May 2011
myON.com is a personalized learning program and the first digital platform to recommend books to students based on interest and reading level. Hundreds of digital books are available from several publishers and are shown in color with features such as highlighting text or reading text aloud to students who need those features.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 May 2011 - May/Jun 2011 Issue
By
Susan W. Hixson
Johanna argues for and promotes a more flexible approach to teaching and using digital media through fabulous examples from the students of Ross Wallis, head of creative arts at a school in the U.K.
Column/The Tech Effect - Posted 01 May 2011 - May/Jun 2011 Issue
By
Johanna Riddle
The three brands are running two summer reading challenges designed to be entertaining and easy enough to fit into every family's busy summer schedule. Both challenges, the Scholastic Summer Challenge and the iVillage PBS KIDS Summer Reading Community Challenge, will be available through www.SummerReadingCentral.com.
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 Apr 2011
The new Language Concepts activities provide practice with the alphabet, basic keyboarding skills, exposure to forming new words using consonant and vowel sounds, and an introduction to using rhyming to complete couplets.
News/Breaking News - Posted 21 Apr 2011
The new Grolier Online is customized for five unique sets of users, and includes an enhanced search engine and access to 120,000 articles arranged by reading level.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Apr 2011
Free access runs through National Library Week, from April 10 to April 24, 2011. Librarians can download the widget to their homepage by visiting www.gale.cengage.com/NLW starting on April 10.
News/Free Resources - Posted 06 Apr 2011
The integrated online repository of academic video titles is part of Alexander Street's effort to rapidly expand its offerings to more than 10,000 titles in 2011 and to 20,000 by 2013.
News/Breaking News - Posted 05 Apr 2011
Offering unlimited access to more than 7,800 full-length videos and 88,000 clips, Access Video On Demand gives public library patrons instant access to thousands of acclaimed documentaries, award-winning educational films, and helpful instructional videos in a variety of subject areas from top-quality producers.
News/Breaking News - Posted 31 Mar 2011
An informal survey of superintendents, supervisors, principals and teachers who attended the recent ASCD Annual Conference in San Francisco, Calif., suggests that educators feel they lack the data and instructional tools to deliver effective learning.
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 Mar 2011
The new READ 180 includes dashboards for students, teachers and school leaders, alignment to Common Core, and new content to engage students.
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 Mar 2011
Districts using Lexia's software for essential reading practice, instruction and assessment, will now benefit from CORE's literacy professional development and comprehensive implementation assistance.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Mar 2011
Johanna reports on how Deborah Hargroves is providing "large school" media services to two separate "small school initiative" schools that could not otherwise afford them.
Column/The Tech Effect - Posted 01 Mar 2011 - Mar/Apr 2011 Issue
By
Johanna Riddle
For March 1, 2011: There is an app for that, but which app is the best for kids? Visit Best Kid Apps to read reviews and ratings of iPhone, iPad, and Android applications.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 Mar 2011
By
Linda C. Joseph
Gary Price and colleagues will continue to provide valuable information and education resources through this new site as well as FullTextReports.
News/Breaking News - Posted 01 Mar 2011
The subject sets are part of a rapidly growing collection of ebooks that are offered in collections grouped by subject matter.
News/Breaking News - Posted 23 Feb 2011
This latest version of Lexia's software offers teachers and administrators an enhanced progress monitoring functionality to help support instructional strategies including Response to Intervention (RTI).
News/Breaking News - Posted 17 Feb 2011
The integration of the new standards, along with the system's reporting engine, will assist teachers in viewing the effects of their instruction in terms of the new standards, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Feb 2011
The agreement with BrainPOP will allow BrainPOP's animated content to operate seamlessly with Turning Technologies' student response systems for immediate assessment of student learning.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Feb 2011
By making Discovery Education digital services compatible with Sky, Learning.com users can now access the company's content using one single username and password.
News/Breaking News - Posted 08 Feb 2011
The program offers a personalized literacy environment that provides access to an integrated library of digital books with multimedia supports, customized to a student's interest and reading ability.
News/Breaking News - Posted 04 Feb 2011
The StudySync program combines classic and modern texts, digital media, mobile technology, and social networking designed to inspire students to achieve higher levels of critical thinking and academic collaboration.
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 Feb 2011
Capstone will leverage Lexile Measures for its new literacy program to be unveiled at FETC 2011.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 Jan 2011
For January 15, 2011: BrainPOP has hundreds of original animated movies covering a wide range of academic subjects. Now there's a BrainPOP app offering access to the free "movie of the day."
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 15 Jan 2011
By
Linda C. Joseph
Here's a Cool Link to an interview by Victor Rivero offering information and insight on a terrific Free Resource: Smarthistory.
News/Cool Links - Posted 03 Jan 2011
Online. Blended. Mobile. 21 st-century. Collaborative. Project-based. Any way you label it, learning is changing. We're now settling into an exciting new paradigm of connected, engaged learning. To get a sense of all this, take a look at the sites, services, and resources we've noted right here in this article.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jan 2011 - Jan/Feb 2011 Issue
By
Victor Rivero
For January 1, 2011: The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, from the Clackamas County (Oregon) Heritage Partners, brings history alive through reenactments, videos, and print material. Historical information about the role of black pioneers in the settlement of Oregon is very informative.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 Jan 2011
By
Linda C. Joseph
Providing access to more than 2,000 titles and 10 million digitized pages, Gale NewsVault provides an unparalleled window to the past for researchers and students, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 01 Dec 2010
The first release, available now in the Apple App Store, gives students mobile access to Tutor.com's library of 9,000 online lessons, worksheets, videos and test-prep resources.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Nov 2010
Alice Kurtz reviews Shmoop, a free portal of digital resources, primarily for literature and social studies topics, that help students relate subjects being studied in school to their daily lives.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Nov 2010 - Nov/Dec 2010 Issue
By
Alice Kurtz
In other columns this year, Stephen has explored the nature of the ebook in school libraries. But, he notes, he hasn't actually discussed the pros and cons of the print and electronic formats for books in general, nor focused on the classroom as opposed to the out-of-classroom library use of books. So that's what he covers in this issue, starting with a simple list of pros and cons.
Column/The Pipeline - Posted 01 Nov 2010 - Nov/Dec 2010 Issue
By
Stephen Abram
Users log on to the site, list the five books that had the biggest impact on their lives, and connect with readers all over the world through these shared "Bookprints." More than 130 "Names You Know" - including Bill Gates, Taylor Swift, Daniel Radcliffe, Eva Mendes, Damien Hirst, Tony Hawk, R. L. Stine and Whoopi Goldberg - share the books that influenced them.
News/Breaking News - Posted 01 Nov 2010
For November 1, 2010: At the USDA Forest Service's and Ad Council's Discover the Forest website find a forest or park by typing in your zip code, then start exploring!
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 Nov 2010
By
Linda C. Joseph
Grammar Jammers offers interactive animated videos to help make mastering the rules of grammar a fun, melodic, and memorable experience for learners anywhere, anytime.
News/Breaking News - Posted 22 Oct 2010
Shmoop Site Licenses allow schools and libraries to give all of their students, teachers, and patrons complimentary access to Shmoop's subscription products anywhere they have web access.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Oct 2010
The new teacher website offers free tools, tips and resources based on characters from Hub TV shows demonstrating the power of storytelling in school, including lesson plans to improve student writing, and "The Hub Create a Story Contest" to encourage teamwork and engage student creativity in the classroom.
News/Free Resources - Posted 15 Oct 2010
The newly produced Series Books Curriculum Resource Center includes hours of original audio interviews with popular series authors and hundreds of online resources to support the enjoyment of more than 40 favorite series—including fantasy, mystery, realistic fiction, and biography.
News/Free Resources - Posted 11 Oct 2010
Enhancements in version 4.0 offer virtual student response systems, digital flashcards, customizable assessments, and a redesigned teacher page.
News/Breaking News - Posted 04 Oct 2010
This next-generation offering, an online resource developed to meet the needs of today's internet-savvy researchers, evolved from, and will replace, the Biography Resource Center database.
News/Breaking News - Posted 30 Sep 2010
The newest version of Pearson's complete online tool for building writing skills and developing reading comprehension offers, among other improved features, enhanced student performance reports and expanded text-to-speech capabilities.
News/Breaking News - Posted 09 Sep 2010
With almost 200 literacy skills embedded in curriculum packs for elementary, middle and high school students, the highly interactive DimensionL instructional software introduces and reinforces such topics as language conventions, parts of speech, reading and writing processes, spelling, and vocabulary.
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 Sep 2010
A free service for WilsonWeb subscribers, WilsonWeb Mobile provides "anytime, anywhere" access to WilsonWeb reference databases, marrying WilsonWeb's versatile searching, trusted information, and practical tools with smart-phone convenience, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 Sep 2010
Victor Rivero reviews Cognite from Follett Software Co., a digital learning environment that integrates discovery and organization tools, collaboration, and communication.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Sep 2010 - Sep/Oct 2010 Issue
By
Victor Rivero
The innovative educational games are targeted to children in preschool, kindergarten and special education. The standards-based, cross-curricular program adapts to each student with three learning stages for each of 30 skill areas.
News/Breaking News - Posted 01 Sep 2010
The company's test prep service is available at $19 per student; Shmoop also announced that it will donate 20 percent of its proceeds to student groups or Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) who promote its Online Test Prep services as a group fundraiser.
News/Breaking News - Posted 01 Sep 2010
Shmoop now offers more than 4,000 titles available across the web, iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle, Nook, and Sony Reader.
News/Breaking News - Posted 25 Aug 2010
All of these enrichments are available for customers immediately, and the standards-aligned programs qualify for federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 Aug 2010
For August 15, 2010: Search for exemplary lessons and information by topic or keyword at the free Federal Resources for Educational Excellence website.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 15 Aug 2010
By
Linda C. Joseph
For August 1, 2010: Discover history in your own backyard by exploring a local cemetery, with the help of the website The Cemetery: History Written in Stone. Cemeteries are great primary sources, with lots more than dates and names.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 Aug 2010
By
Linda C. Joseph
The core subject map—the result of a collaboration between P21 and leading art, dance, music, theater, and visual arts associations—provides first-of-their-kind classroom examples of integrating the 'four Cs' into arts courses.
News/Breaking News - Posted 16 Jul 2010
Susan Hixson reviews Early World of Learning, the newest addition to the World Book Classroom series, which focuses on preschool and early reading education. The online program supports educators as they help students build vocabulary, comprehension, phonics, and reading fluency.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Jul 2010 - Jul/Aug 2010 Issue
By
Susan W. Hixson
For this story, Victor researched and describes a couple of real-life ways in which curriculum content is moving in the direction of an all-electronic format. He looks first at a school district's move to acquire interactive, digital textbooks from publishers in place of traditional paper-based books. Then he discusses Discovery Education's adaptation of its rich content into digital "basal textbook" format—but "basal textbooks" like you've never seen before!
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jul 2010 - Jul/Aug 2010 Issue
By
Victor Rivero
This advanced version of Lexia's software features new progress monitoring tools that will give educators longitudinal, standards-based data on students' mastery of reading skills.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 Jun 2010
Directed toward users of public and academic libraries, nearly 250 ebooks have been selected from a variety of disciplines including history, humanities, current events, and general interest.
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Jun 2010
Califone has enhanced the Performer Plus Multimedia Player/Recorder to play MP3-CD formatted discs, enabling it to play CDs burned from personal computers.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Jun 2010
For June 1, 2010: This summer have your students hone their keyboarding skills with Dance Mat Typing. It's fun, easy to use, and geared for ages 7-11.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 Jun 2010
By
Linda C. Joseph
The new pilot program combines more than 20,000 ebooks from leading publishers under a simultaneous, multi-user access subscription model; free access for local public high schools; do-it-yourself epublishing tools; and complimentary marketing services.
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 May 2010
Shmoop also made a slideshow widget available, so anyone can embed a miniature version of any Shmoop photo slideshow on their own website.
News/Breaking News - Posted 26 May 2010
The free applications are designed to integrate ebooks, audiobooks, and interactive and multimedia content into one application.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 May 2010
Shmoop now offers a total of 32 Teacher's Editions for literature, U.S. history, and civics, including free access to activities, assignments and related cross-disciplinary readings.
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 May 2010
Referencia Latina is a definitive general reference resource for the rapidly growing native Spanish-speaking population in the United States covering issues in Latin America and Spain, as well as US and global affairs.
News/Breaking News - Posted 07 May 2010
Teachers are entrusted to provide a broad and lasting education to their students. That means, in part, exposing them to both many forms and many formats of literature. If we can help them to see the connections between those formats, then all the better. When we can lead them to see, understand, and thoughtfully combine print and nonprint formats as tools for their own expression of ideas and mastery, then we have begun to arm them with the tools necessary for lifelong learning. The faculty and staff of Chets Creek Elementary School in Jacksonville, Fla., have managed to do just that, as Johanna Riddle demonstrates in this month's Tech Effect column.
Column/The Tech Effect - Posted 01 May 2010 - May/Jun 2010 Issue
By
Johanna Riddle
Subscription web services for education offer a fascinating variety of products and approaches for teachers, parents, students, and school systems. Some services provide grade book and student information systems, others offer assessment and learning management platforms, and some feature classroom resources including lesson plans, videos, digital tools, activities, and games. This article takes a look at a representative sampling of subscription-based websites that are appropriate for use in K-12 classrooms.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 May 2010 - May/Jun 2010 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Release 9.1 of Blackboard Learn emphasizes social learning and student engagement, and brings upgrades for K-12 and former WebCT Clients.
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 Apr 2010
Lexile measures will be assigned specifically for content in World Book Student and World Book Discover, designed for middle- and high-school students; World Book Kids, designed for elementary-school students; and the Early World of Learning site for preschoolers and emerging readers in the primary grades.
News/Breaking News - Posted 23 Apr 2010
Combining its intervention software program, the Academy of READING, with print intervention tools, the company's three targeted solutions are designed to help build reading skills for life.
News/Breaking News - Posted 21 Apr 2010
The NAMTC Digital Marketplace is powered by the EduTone Xchange platform, enabling education service agencies to purchase, provision, and access on demand the web-based applications and content offered in the Digital Marketplace.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Apr 2010
As the latest addition to World Book Classroom, a series of teaching resources to improve learning in the classroom setting, Early World of Learning offers resources that integrate into the classroom curriculum in preschool and early elementary grades.
News/Breaking News - Posted 16 Apr 2010
Alexander Street Press is offering a "sneak peek" look at its American History in Video online collection, free through April 30.
News/Free Resources - Posted 29 Mar 2010
Pearson's web-based tool for building strong readers and writers now features hundreds more essay topics and reading passages.
News/Breaking News - Posted 23 Mar 2010
The free professional development event on April 24th will focus on integrating educational technologies into classroom instruction.
News/Free Resources - Posted 22 Mar 2010
Designed by special educators and based on visual learning theory, the Literacy Suite is designed to build reading, writing, and science skills by combining students' own images, videos, and photos with rich learning content.
News/Breaking News - Posted 17 Mar 2010
Collaborations with top publishers, two public school systems, and others growDiscovery Education's library of content to more than 150,000 assets.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Feb 2010
The interactive grammar lessons on Promethean Planet are designed to help students develop critical language arts and writing skills.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Feb 2010
With these agreements, a total of more than 62,000 K-12 and public library titles are now available for purchase online through parent company Follett's ecommerce sites, Titlewave and TitleTales.
News/Breaking News - Posted 04 Feb 2010
The latest version of the 22-volume encyclopedia includes thousands of new and revised articles across all disciplines and topics. The World Book Web, World Book's online information portal, includes reference collections which offer all the articles in the print edition as well as thousands more from World Book's contributors.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Feb 2010
Lexia Learning Systems has expanded its offering of "Lexia Lessons" and "Lexia Skill Builders" as a part of its Lexia Reading program. The program includes targeted practice, embedded assessment, scripted lesson plans, and offline practice to help students at all reading levels achieve proficiency.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Feb 2010
For February 1, 2010: Want to create a list of high-quality children's literature or find out if a book has won an award? Search librarian Lisa Bartle's Database of Award-Winning Children's Literature.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 Feb 2010
By
Linda C. Joseph
120 ReadingA-Z leveled readers are now available for purchase at Apple's iTunes App Store as ReadSmart Edition Apps. The catalog is designed specifically for the iPhone and iPod touch.
News/Breaking News - Posted 20 Jan 2010
From the mechanics of writing and grammar to style and research, the Writer's Reference Center online covers the fundamentals of quality writing and provides vocabulary-building reference dictionaries.
News/Breaking News - Posted 20 Jan 2010
Developed for the National Center for Learning Disabilities and now supported by norm-referenced standardized scores, this research-based screening tool is designed to give early childhood educators and clinicians the information that they need to put young learners on the path to building a firm foundation in literacy skills.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Jan 2010
The companies have partnered to create the Heinle Community, intended as a safe and secure virtual workspace designed for learners to practice English through collaboration on projects in an authentic learning environment.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Jan 2010
A long-popular aid to collection development and maintenance, readers' advisory, and general reference, Fiction Core Collection highlights more than 11,300 novels, including analytic entries for novellas and novels published in composite works.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Jan 2010
Educators have begun to shun the monolithic basal approach to teaching reading, opting for a more robust mix of specialized print and technology-based resources that provide intensive, dynamic, motivating methods that children embrace and enjoy. These print and technology tools must use student data as a cornerstone of an approach that intensifies and individualizes instruction. Find out more from Lexia Learning's Bob McCabe.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jan 2010 - Jan/Feb 2010 Issue
By
Bob McCabe
Podcasting, a morph of the words "iPod" and "broadcast," was first coined by U.K. journalist Ben Hammersley. (In fact, it was declared to be 2005's Word of the Year by The New Oxford American Dictionary, edging out both "Sudoku" and "trans fat" for the philological nod.) The digital medium quickly found its way into the classroom, and why not? After all, it's free, easy, and accessible, and it has the ability to power up education for students from kindergarten to college.
Column/The Tech Effect - Posted 01 Jan 2010 - Jan/Feb 2010 Issue
By
Johanna Riddle
Charles Doe reviews the Read:OutLoud6 text reader from Don Johnston, Inc.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Jan 2010 - Jan/Feb 2010 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
There is an economical way to introduce videoconferencing that involves inexpensive laptop computers and programs such as iChat, Skype, and ooVoo. A technology integration plan shared by a few pioneering districts in the author's area proves this point. Through it, schools have been able to make a serious commitment to the "new wave" of interactive technology at a minimal cost.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jan 2010 - Jan/Feb 2010 Issue
By
Richard Mellott
Ginger now works with Internet Explorer, enabling students to write with confidence online. In addition, Ginger features customizable settings, and progress reporting to track mistakes and illustrate student progress.
News/Breaking News - Posted 16 Dec 2009
For December 15, 2009: Build a thematic unit by searching the Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University, a great tool for elementary teachers who want to create reading lists to complement the curriculum.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 15 Dec 2009
By
Linda C. Joseph
World Book’s new approach to reader’s theater provides educators a new tool for building reading fluency and content comprehension.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Nov 2009
Curriculum Video On Demand is a compilation of high-school-level video content from producers around the world, covering six core subject areas: science and mathematics, social studies, literature and language arts, health and nutrition, business and economics, and visual and performing arts.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Nov 2009
The new resource is designed to help schools struggling to meet the challenge of simultaneously improving students’ mastery of mathematics and advancing their academic language development.
News/Breaking News - Posted 09 Nov 2009
Charles Doe reviews RAPS 360, a reading assessment program designed to identify problem areas in all aspects of reading, including phonics, visual and auditory discrimination, word meaning and recognition, fluency, comprehension, eye tracking, and more.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Nov 2009 - Nov/Dec 2009 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
With BrainPOP's animated educational resources fully accessible from within the netTrekker search tool, subscribers have the option to upgrade their netTrekker accounts to include all BrainPOP products.
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 Oct 2009
The online subscription services offers an interactive reading experience with over 500 books at launch and 'flip-book' technology.
News/Breaking News - Posted 30 Sep 2009
We ran the Library of Congress announcement on the launch of Read.gov in this space a couple of days ago. Today, we note that Gary Price's ResourceShelf has a posting discussing the site and service to coincide with its actual launch. It's full of great information, as, of course, is the site itself.
News/Cool Links - Posted 26 Sep 2009
The site, Read.gov, will include an exclusive episodic story called “The Exquisite Corpse Adventure.”
News/Free Resources - Posted 24 Sep 2009
Ginger uses patent-pending technology to automatically correct misused words, grammar, and spelling mistakes in Microsoft Word and Outlook.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Sep 2009
Charles Doe reviews the Study Buddy Handheld Tutor, a device that offers electronic multiple choice practice opportunities for students of all ages.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Sep 2009 - Sep/Oct 2009 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Sally Finley reviews Classworks Web Edition, an online subscription service that provides individualized standards-based instruction in math, reading, language arts, and science.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Sep 2009 - Sep/Oct 2009 Issue
By
Sally Finley
With WriteToLearn v5.3, teachers can now create their own topics to assign to their students. Beyond the broad assortment of essay writing activities in WriteToLearn, teachers can select from nearly 600 reading passages across subject areas for summary writing activities.
News/Breaking News - Posted 25 Aug 2009
Now offering 35 languages in total, the updated language translation tool allows more than 1,000 language pairs to be made between educators and students worldwide. The expansion encourages teachers and students from all parts of the world to connect and collaborate without language barriers.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Aug 2009
The upgrades and enhancements offer educators improved search capabilities, as well as expanded student access and new interactive games and tutorials.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Aug 2009
Lexile measures are intended to help parents search for books based on children’s reading ability.
News/Breaking News - Posted 29 Jul 2009
Power-Glide Language Courses, Inc. (known as powerspeaK12), a subsidiary of K12 Inc., will develop web-based language courses, which Gale will distribute exclusively to the library market. Languages will include Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and Spanish ESL.
News/Breaking News - Posted 20 Jul 2009
Lexia Reading’s new Auto Promotion functionality promotes students through each program, from Early Reading to Primary Reading and from Primary Reading to Strategies for Older Students, enabling students to work with more independence.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Jul 2009
As in nearly every other subject area, digital resources for language arts are changing and exploding into a dizzying array of materials. Currently, the number of technology-based language arts resources is so extensive that this article can only scratch at the surface in an examination of these compelling programs and platforms. In this roundup, Charls Doe takes a look at some reading and writing applications, as well some online tool programs and a couple examples of podcasting hardware.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jul 2009 - Jul/Aug 2009 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
The program is designed to mirror the 21st century workplace where students of all ages are provided with the ability to publish their writings and art through a real-world, technology-driven book publishing experience.
News/Breaking News - Posted 29 Jun 2009
Each title is a comprehensive review of subject matter delivered as an educational video and digital workbook.
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 May 2009
The organizations' collaboration on theIn2Books program is intended to bring about greater access to high-quality books combined with authentic learning experiences.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 May 2009
Sharing knowledge: In some form or another, it’s why most educators went into teaching in the first place. But traditional instructional materials don’t lend themselves to sharing between educators. New technologies now allow teachers to share and collaborate locally and globally in ways that generations past could never have imagined. These tools signal what may grow to be true disruptive change in how schools acquire and disseminate instructional and professional development resources. The nonprofit Curriki.org (www.curriki.org) is a 3-year-old organization that offers a large collection of free and open source content and collaboration tools.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 May 2009 - May/Jun 2009 Issue
By
Peter Levy
The Curious George's Dictionary app brings "the world's most curious monkey" to life in this digital version of a picture dictionary.
News/Breaking News - Posted 13 Apr 2009
"The free Dictionary.com app delivers world-class reference content from Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com including more than 275,000 definitions and 80,000 synonyms." And students may even think it's cool after they view the very clever promotional video about it! Check it out.
News/Free Resources - Posted 13 Apr 2009
From the University of Wisconsin College of Letters and Sciences Internet Scout Project's April 10, 2009 Scout Report comes a tip about this great resource for language arts and literacy educators.
News/Free Resources - Posted 10 Apr 2009
These new levels, initially available in Spanish and English for K-12 and higher education, will include extended, more complex conversations and grammar, expanded vocabulary, and additional opportunities for speaking that prepare the learner for everyday interactions in their language of study.
News/Breaking News - Posted 30 Mar 2009
Rosetta Stone Classroom expands PLATO Learning’s content offering by including foreign and English language courses in an online subscription format. The product is designed particularly for English language learners (ELLs), as well as for supplemental world language learning.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 Mar 2009
Designed to help struggling, self-conscious readers become successful readers, the Reading Assistant reading intervention software combines speech recognition technology with scientifically-based interventions to help elementary and secondary students strengthen their reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
News/Breaking News - Posted 18 Mar 2009
“Inspiring Middle School Literacy: Reading and Writing in Science and History” is the first collection on Teachers’ Domain that focuses exclusively on building literacy skills across content areas. It is comprised of interactive activities that middle school teachers can use to supplement their science, social studies, or language arts curriculum.
News/Free Resources - Posted 06 Mar 2009
Direct Instruction eSuite is a set of online tools designed to integrate technology into instruction to save daily planning time for teachers and increase student engagement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Feb 2009
The latest addition to World Book Web includes more than 100,000 articles and thousands of images and multimedia resources for Spanish speakers.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Feb 2009
The 60-volume set of classics published by Encyclopaedia Britannica is now available to libraries, universities, and schools in electronic form and distributed exclusively through Ingram Digital’s MyiLibrary aggregated e-book platform.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Feb 2009
Authors and new Web 2.0 tools are adding interactivity to the literature-based online resources of TeachingBooks.net.
News/Breaking News - Posted 01 Feb 2009
PebbleGo is a database designed specifically for K-2 emergent readers that introduces early learners to database and research concepts with information on hundreds of animals.
News/Breaking News - Posted 23 Jan 2009
The quarterly challenge gives kids aged 8 to 14 a chance to hone their writing skills as they compete for prizes with hundreds of young authors.
News/Breaking News - Posted 05 Jan 2009
There are many approaches—and many acronyms—related to ESL studies. Whichever approach or aspect is being considered, ESL resources have increased enormously with the introduction of computer and related electronic technologies. Charles Doe’s article offers some examples of the many fine possibilities available, with a mention of some of their more interesting features.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jan 2009 - Jan/Feb 2009 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Susan Hixson reviews Type to Learn 4, a keyboarding program designed for K-12 students at a variety of skill levels.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Jan 2009 - Jan/Feb 2009 Issue
By
Susan W. Hixson
Today’s students are truly digital learners. Outside of school they are texting, using cell phones, creating social networks on the internet, and playing interactive games online; they often do all of these things at the same time—multitasking. They expect to use some of these tools when they are in school. Teachers can create new learning opportunities for students and turn classrooms into the 21st-century global classroom when they integrate technology into the learning environment. Read on to learn from Sheila Gersh just how teachers can begin to create such environments.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jan 2009 - Jan/Feb 2009 Issue
By
Sheila Offman Gersh
H.W. Wilson announced the electronic and print publication of the “Tenth Book of Junior Authors & Illustrators,” the newest volume in the series designed to acquaint readers with the creators of outstanding young adult and children’s books.
News/Breaking News - Posted 29 Dec 2008
Kurzweil Educational Systems released Kurwzeil 3000 Version 11 USB, a new edition designed to provide portable access to Kurzweil 3000.
News/Breaking News - Posted 18 Dec 2008
A comprehensive upgrade to the World Book Online Reference Center, World Book Student adds dozens of new research tools, interactive features, and multimedia.
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Dec 2008
Teacher resources include scripted and printable lesson plans, offline student practice activities, and teacher training materials.
News/Breaking News - Posted 26 Nov 2008
For November 15, 2008: Try out BookHooks and introduce your younger students to a place where they can share their book reports with other readers in a safe environment.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 15 Nov 2008
By
Linda C. Joseph
Of our 53 million K–12 students, 51 million of them (or 93%) play video games, and neither that number nor the value the games they play should be dismissed. After all, these days there are games being produced by “a new crop of entrepreneur-developers who believe that today’s games must be anchored in more specific pedagogical design principles. They also believe that to stand the test of time, today’s games must not only engage but teach ,” says author and game developer Ntiedo Etuk. Read on. Find out more.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Nov 2008 - Nov/Dec 2008 Issue
By
Ntiedo Etuk
Picturing America, presented by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), provides high-quality reproductions of great American art to public libraries and K-12 schools to enhance the study of history, social studies, language arts, literature, and civics.
News/Breaking News - Posted 22 Oct 2008
PBS and The Corporation for Public Broadcasting have announced the launch of PBS KIDS Island, the centerpiece of the new PBS KIDS Raising Readers website, which provides free reading games and activities for children, parents, caregivers, and teachers.
News/Free Resources - Posted 17 Oct 2008
The company intends kidthing as a safe and ad-free alternative to web browsers.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 Sep 2008
The new Kidspiration lesson plan book aims to help teachers use visual learning to build young learners’ writing skills.
News/Breaking News - Posted 17 Sep 2008
Educational publisher ETA/Cuisenaire is honoring International Literacy Day (Sept. 8) with month-long access to free resources from its new WorldScapes Global Issues book series.
News/Free Resources - Posted 15 Sep 2008
For September 15, 2008: Learn about Henry David Thoreau and his writings at The Thoreau Reader, a comprehensive website featuring online versions of many of his books and lots of links and annotations about his literary works.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 15 Sep 2008
By
Linda C. Joseph
The current issue of Forbes magazine (9/15) includes an article titled “Teaching to the New Test” written by Harvard Business School professors Clayton Christensen and Michael Horn.
News/Cool Links - Posted 12 Sep 2008
Champion of IDEAS Blue Level, the second part of Ballard & Tighe’s Champion of IDEAS program, is now available for intermediate English language instruction in middle and high schools.
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 Sep 2008
WiggleWorks, a supplemental, educational technology program for Pre-K-3rd grade students, uses leveled, interactive ebooks, reading and writing activities, and explicit instruction proven through research to develop motivated, proficient readers.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Aug 2008
NoodleTools has announced that through a partnership with Pearson Education, its NoodleBib citation and notetaking program has been seamlessly integrated into the new version Pearson’s MyCompLab writing instruction environment.
News/Breaking News - Posted 08 Aug 2008
ReadingPlace.org shares easy-to-implement strategies to build reading skills.
News/Breaking News - Posted 29 Jul 2008
CTB/McGraw-Hill’s TerraNova assessment now includes companion reports developed in partnership with CTB/McGraw-Hill and The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill.
News/Breaking News - Posted 25 Jul 2008
RAPS 360 facilitates quicker and more effective diagnosis of K-10 reading gaps, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Jul 2008
The company’s new solution is the first reading RtI product to deliver oral fluency assessments over the Web and combine an RtI management tool with an intervention program and professional development, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Jul 2008
Rhonda Clevenson reviews Smart Talk Español, an interactive learning device designed to help students develop vocabulary, oral language, and word recognition skills.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Jul 2008 - Jul/Aug 2008 Issue
By
Rhonda Clevenson
Charles Doe reviews Writing Roadmap 2.0, an online essay scoring tool designed to give students practice in building writing skills.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Jul 2008 - Jul/Aug 2008 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Years ago, CyberBee began scouting the internet for content that was informative, engaging, and aligned with national standards, in 1996 becoming a column for MultiMedia & Internet@Schools magazine and a website for teachers. CyberBee thought it would be fitting to revisit some of the great websites that you may have missed over the past few years. There should be plenty of ideas to help you plan your lessons for the new school year.
Column/CyberBee - Posted 01 Jul 2008 - Jul/Aug 2008 Issue
By
Linda C. Joseph
Charles Doe reviews Lexia Reading v5, a collection of three software programs combined with management functions.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 May 2008 - May/Jun 2008 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Teachers have been looking for alternatives to standard written book reports and other student reports for years, often combining them with art projects for more visual presentations. Some exciting new possibilities have been created as a result of more powerful computers, increased internet use, the development of inexpensive digital and video cameras, new software, and other technologies. Read Charles Doe’s latest “Look At … ” report to learn more.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 May 2008 - May/Jun 2008 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
The Classof2k8.com website is dedicated to helping booksellers, librarians, teachers, and readers find exciting new books from among the more than 6,000 new children's and young adult books released each year.
News/Breaking News - Posted 17 Mar 2008
WriteToLearn 5.0 updates the Web-based learning tool for developing writing and reading comprehensions skills with new text-to-speech capabilities and more.
News/Breaking News - Posted 17 Mar 2008
The 100% web-based editions of Paragraph Punch and Essay Punch provide the complete programs over the Internet.
News/Breaking News - Posted 13 Mar 2008
Bookshare.org and Don Johnston, Inc. are participating in a partnership to provide qualified print disabled students with a free text reader to access electronic books from the Bookshare.org library, beginning in September 2008.
News/Free Resources - Posted 13 Mar 2008
Former Senior Vice President and Executive Editor-in-Chief of Random House Daniel Menaker will serve as host and editorial producer. Each episode of the show will feature four writers discussing their new books in a roundtable format.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Mar 2008
The new content is being managed by Cambridge University Press’ Global Grid for Learning.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Mar 2008
Dynamic Literacy released Foundations, the first of two series in the WordBuild Vocabulary Development System.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Mar 2008
Charles Doe reviews WordBuild Elements Level 1, a spiraling vocabulary curriculum for grades 3-12.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Mar 2008 - Mar/Apr 2008 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Among the most fascinating developments in language arts technologies are those driven by programs often called “engines.” This article takes a quick drive around the block to examine some of these engines, beginning with those found in web-based programs. The cruise then continues with a quick view of some interesting new web and CD-based software, as well as some computer-related devices using other developing technologies. The final stops on the tour will be some interesting and useful electronic devices for language arts learning.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Mar 2008 - Mar/Apr 2008 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
The latest collection of PBS TeacherLine courses addresses classroom instruction for the fastest-growing segment of student population.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Feb 2008
The AV Tutor is a handheld player/recorder that allows students to compare their pronunciation of words with prerecorded "model" examples. It offers enhanced sound quality and, being a digital device, requires little maintenance.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Feb 2008
The new, free website helps teachers and parents match the right book to the right child based on four different reading level systems, interests, and previously enjoyed books.
News/Breaking News - Posted 30 Jan 2008
The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC), TeachingBooks.net, and Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries and Information Services are producing and hosting “A Festival of Authors,” a virtual literary celebration that will take place Saturday, February 2, from 10 am to 2 pm PST (1 pm – 5 pm EST), in Teen Second Life.
News/Free Resources - Posted 28 Jan 2008
To help celebrate the recently announced ALA Awards (Newbery, Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, and others), Teachingbooks.net has announced it is offering free access to a great batch of original short movies and readings by the award winners.
News/Free Resources - Posted 17 Jan 2008
Finding just the right book that will grab a student's interest is like looking for Waldo. Tracking down books that correlate with specific curriculum areas and topics for study can be daunting. What is a library media specialist to do? Use every tool in your arsenal as well as lessons and booklists that have already been prepared and are just waiting to be uncovered by the savvy searcher. This collection of websites will serve as a starting point in your quest to recommend the best books to meet the needs of students and teachers.
Column/CyberBee - Posted 01 Jan 2008 - Jan/Feb 2008 Issue
By
Linda C. Joseph
For January 1, 2008: Get Ready, Get Set, and Go directly to the Read Write Think site, from the IRA, the NCTE, and the Verizon Foundation, for lessons that can be selected by grade band, literacy strand, or literacy engagement.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 Jan 2008
By
Linda C. Joseph
Do you still remember the thrill of receiving a summer postcard from your teacher? How exciting it was to open the mailbox and find that personal piece of mail waiting—and to realize that your teacher was thinking of you. Perhaps the photograph on the face of the card led you to the encyclopedia to learn more about a particular place, while a handwritten line or two described a cultural experience, unusual food, or new language. Travel postcards, sent by thoughtful teachers over the years, have broadened the world of many a child. Yesterday’s postcards have gone high-tech. Weblogs, or blogs, enable today’s teachers to send a new kind of post, sharing their travel experiences as they unfold. Blogs provide an up-to-the-minute opportunity for teachers to continue to educate their students through semester breaks, to interact with their school communities, and to share experiences and locales that encourage understanding of the broader world. And those 21st century postcards come complete with the ability to upload and publish journal entries, photos, slideshows, audio, video, and educational links.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jan 2008 - Jan/Feb 2008 Issue
By
Johanna Riddle
Charles Doe reviews Fluent Reading Trainer (FLRT), a Web-based program that helps students increase reading speed while improving or maintaining reading comprehension.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Jan 2008 - Jan/Feb 2008 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Fluent Reading Trainer helps increase reading speed while improving fluency, enhancing visual memory, and building silent reading skills and comprehension, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 12 Nov 2007
Soliloquy Reading Assistant 4.1 updates the reading fluency program with easier software installation, support of Windows Vista, and more.
News/Breaking News - Posted 12 Nov 2007
The ClassMate Reader enables students to listen to an audio version of textbooks and study materials while following the highlighted text on screen.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Oct 2007
WriteToLearn v.4.0 includes more than 200 passages from Scott Foresman "Reading Street" plus enhanced teacher tools.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Oct 2007
The upgraded version features a new capability that detects "text speak," an increasingly popular form of shorthand writing found in text and instant messages.
News/Breaking News - Posted 08 Oct 2007
The ever-alert folks at ResourceShelf have posted a brief on the revamped Merriam-Webster site.
News/Breaking News - Posted 04 Oct 2007
With the enhancements, teachers now will have the option to create custom writing topics or choose from supplied writing prompts, both of which can be analyzed and graded automatically by the program.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Oct 2007
Using the cross-curricular instructional program, students in grades 4-6 learn science and build reading skills, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Oct 2007
Beta tests have confirmed the robust design and performance of the new Web-enabled Lexia Reading Software with dynamic reporting capabilities, according to the announcement
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 Sep 2007
Don Johnston Inc. announced the release of SOLO Writing Coach, a writing implementation framework designed for at-risk students writing at or below proficiency levels.
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 Sep 2007
Literature Criticism Online provides access to hundreds of volumes from 10 Gale literary series.
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 Sep 2007
Version 7.2 features enhancements to score reporting and an increased emphasis on student planning and instructor training.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Sep 2007
For September 15, 2007: ReadPrint is a massive library of free online books that include authors such as Mark Twain, Stephen Crane, and H.G. Wells.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 15 Sep 2007
By
Linda C. Joseph
The Lexile Framework for Writing links assessment with writing instruction.
News/Breaking News - Posted 12 Sep 2007
Internet learning community ePals, Inc. has announced it has made its policy-managed SchoolMail, SchoolBlog, and online literacy curricula services available free of charge to schools worldwide.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Sep 2007
Finding safe, engaging collaborative projects for your classroom doesn't have to be a challenge. There are many mentored and data-entry activities that allow your students to participate with classrooms across the country and around the world. Many of the Internet projects have been around for years with proven track records. Others have the backing of nonprofit foundations. This month, Cyberbee directs you to a range of such sites where you can find a project that is just right for your classroom.
Column/CyberBee - Posted 01 Sep 2007 - Sep/Oct 2007 Issue
By
Linda C. Joseph
In this article, Part 5 of his series of reviews, Robert Congleton continues his conversations with representatives of vendors--in this case, ePals, LearningExpress, and Teen Health & Wellness--about how they are addressing the growing K–12 classroom reliance on electronic resources, the products they currently offer, and what new resources they plan to release in the near future. The article also describes updates on enhancements and new products that have been released in the last year by five of the vendors previously reviewed in this series: Gale, Greenwood Electronic Media, TeachingBooks.net, World Book, Grolier Online/Scholastic, Inc.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Sep 2007 - Sep/Oct 2007 Issue
By
Robert J. Congleton
John Drag, Jr. reviews Simon S.I.O. (Sounds It Out), a tutor-led phonics intervention program for students of all ages who may be experiencing difficulty in mastering phonological awareness.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Sep 2007 - Sep/Oct 2007 Issue
By
John Drag Jr.
ProQuest’s African Writers Series offers a digital collection of key texts in 20th century African literature.
Archives/In the Spotlight - Posted 01 Sep 2007 - Sep/Oct 2007 Issue
The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) e-Academy will offer five continuing education programs starting on October 1.
News/Breaking News - Posted 30 Aug 2007
The site's new resources plus educator and news and events sections allow for a richer user experience.
News/Breaking News - Posted 30 Jul 2007
The new edition of Kaleidoscope extends levels to include grades K-8 with enhanced language Arts components.
News/Breaking News - Posted 25 Jul 2007
PracticePlanet offers an online test practice system that models standardized tests, giving students practice opportunities designed to develop confidence for annual testing.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Jul 2007
The National Air and Space Museum offers a variety of classroom resources, including online activities and teaching materials, designed for use in learning across the curriculum.
News/Free Resources - Posted 08 Jul 2007
The “social networking” generation is writing, and this writing is important to them. Schools must find a way to merge these informal writing activities with the writing activities found in classrooms. It’s possible that the use of social networking technologies with classroom writing programs could make writing in school interesting enough to motivate students to tackle the more formal writing needed for college, business, and other activities in adult life. Charles Doe's latest "Look At ... " article examines some of the software and Webware possibilities inspired by social computing as well as some of the newer computer- and Internet-based writing tools.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jul 2007 - Jul/Aug 2007 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Educational videoconferencing has come a long way over the years. It started out very slowly, and, in recent years, there has been a burst of interest on the part of museums and zoos in providing their educational programs via this medium. As schools find it more difficult and more expensive to take their students on physical field trips, students are missing out on the phenomenal resources that these cultural institutions have to offer. When gas prices began to rise, local museums found that even schools in the neighborhood were unwilling to spend their precious fuel budgets bussing students off-site. Those in the museum community chose to take this as a sign that they should begin to promote their distance learning efforts.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jul 2007 - Jul/Aug 2007 Issue
By
Stacy Hasselbacher
The software provides 2,400 explicitly leveled vocabulary words that build background knowledge and contribute to improved reading comprehension. These “Core Literacy” vocabulary words are reinforced with high-quality audio pronunciations of all words and definitions.
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 Jun 2007
The new supplemental program offers individualized instruction for early learners.
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 Jun 2007
Lexia Reading v5 brings three Lexia titles for grades K to 12 into one newly enhanced management system with new reporting features, and an option for delivery over the Web.
News/Breaking News - Posted 25 Jun 2007
Scholastic BookFlix pairs classic fictional video storybooks with nonfiction e-books in a new online format.
News/Breaking News - Posted 13 Jun 2007
Thomson Gale announced that Literature Resource Center has been significantly enhanced by the first major update made since the program’s launch 10 years ago.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Jun 2007
The program is reading resource that combines the latest research and core curriculum-approved courses into a series of 100 fully-animated and interactive online lessons that are designed to teach children how to read on their own via a home or school computer.
News/Breaking News - Posted 22 May 2007
Knowledge Adventure's new competition will provide $120,000 worth of reading software programs and training to 10 school winners.
News/Breaking News - Posted 16 May 2007
For May 15, 2007: Enter the world of author Jan Brett and you won't want to leave! Not only does she share her beautiful artwork for printing, but complete background information about her books.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 15 May 2007
By
Linda C. Joseph
TeachingBooks.net filmed award-winning authors Sharon Creech, Walter Dean Myers, Sarah Weeks, and Avi performing scripts from one another’s books, including Love That Dog, Don’t You Know There’s A War On?, Bad Boy, and others.
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 May 2007
These new publishing partners will allow their content to be available to libraries worldwide through the ebrary platform, under a variety of pricing and access models.
News/Breaking News - Posted 07 May 2007
Charles Doe reviews The Bridge of Vocabulary, a program that includes a book with 100 vocabulary activities and a companion CD-ROM that provides more than 300 additional activities.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 May 2007 - May/Jun 2007 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association, launched its Teen Read Week 2007 web site, www.ala.org/teenread/, which includes a variety of benefits for early registration.
News/Cool Links - Posted 29 Apr 2007
TeacherFileBox.com, a subscription-based print-on-demand library, provides 7,000 supplemental learning activities across the elementary school curriculum, from Pre-K through grade 6.
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 Apr 2007
With expanded essay feedback, the online tool for building writing and reading comprehension skills now evaluates six traits of writing.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 Apr 2007
The Excellence Award Task Force of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is looking for 25 exemplary teen programs/services in all types of libraries to include in a fifth edition of “Excellence in Library Service to Young Adults.”
News/Breaking News - Posted 21 Apr 2007
The veteran comics artist discusses his latest work, “The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation.” The powerful graphic adaptation offers secondary-level educators a compelling way to help students understand the impact of 9/11, and to put its events into a meaningful historical perspective.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Apr 2007
NoveList Plus represents the most significant development effort in this product line since NoveList was first introduced in 1994, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Apr 2007
The site will include interactive book logs, activities, and a reading community where kids can buzz about books and “Show Us Their Reading Buzz” through multimedia submissions.
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 Apr 2007
Hot Topics helps struggling readers to become active readers through direct instruction of strategies and the use of engaging, motivational texts.
News/Breaking News - Posted 30 Mar 2007
Don Johnston’s Start-to-Finish series now includes "Giant Hurricanes and Tornadoes," available in a variety of formats, including paperback book, computer book, and audio book.
News/Breaking News - Posted 29 Mar 2007
For March 15, 2007: At APTE's free Puzzle Center, you can construct crosswords, word scrambles, and more ... and send them on to friends or students whose brains you want to tease!
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 15 Mar 2007
By
Linda C. Joseph
Public Radio International “Here and Now” host Robin Young interviews former librarian, author, and reading advocate Mike Sullivan about the phenomenon of reluctant boy readers and what we can all do about it.
News/Cool Links - Posted 12 Mar 2007
During the webinars, ETS will also introduce a new Preplanning tool that gives students a choice of eight plan types, including an outline, an idea web, and templates for specific types of essays, such as compare/contrast and cause and effect.
News/Breaking News - Posted 08 Mar 2007
Charles Doe reviews Great Source iwrite, a free Web-based writing resource for grades 5-12.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Mar 2007 - Mar/Apr 2007 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Moving right along, Charlie switches from last issue's Look At ... Elementary-Level Software and Webware to secondary-level materials this time ... "everything from exciting new software for video-editing tasks that weren’t really possible in high schools 20 years ago to extraordinary subscription databases," plus "Web-based courseware that is becoming larger and larger in scope, more sophisticated assessment tools, and some programs with intriguing electronic delivery methods."
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Mar 2007 - Mar/Apr 2007 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Soliloquy Reading Assistant’s new Science and Social Studies Library includes 150 texts, adapted from materials by Cobblestone Publishing.
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 Feb 2007
The services makes thousands of educational activities for K-5 math and spelling available.
News/Breaking News - Posted 16 Feb 2007
The database is a redesign of Facts On File’s Literary Reference Online, which has been thoroughly revised and expanded. The new name reflects the inclusion of literary criticism and the Western Canon from the academic Harold Bloom.
News/Breaking News - Posted 31 Jan 2007
HP and Scholastic offer a new curriculum titled “Get in the Technology Loop,” designed to teach students in grades 4-6 about environmental responsibility.
News/Free Resources - Posted 27 Jan 2007
The first new author program features an interview with British writer and illustrator Lauren Child, the creator of the Clarice Bean books, the Charlie and Lola series, “The Princess and the Pea,” and “Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Book,” among others.
News/Breaking News - Posted 04 Jan 2007
The “Make a Plan” tool gives students a choice of eight plan types, including an outline, an idea web, and templates for specific types of essays, such as compare/contrast and cause and effect.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Jan 2007
Charles Doe reviews WriteBrain, a Web-based multimedia writing program.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Jan 2007 - Jan/Feb 2007 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
An online product designed for younger users, English-language learners, and reluctant readers, World Book Kid offers simple navigation, easy to read content, bright colors, and bold graphics.
Archives/In the Spotlight - Posted 01 Jan 2007 - Jan/Feb 2007 Issue
This article begins with a look at some examples of the excellent smaller, more narrowly focused elementary programs available on CD and moves on to examples of some of the outstanding, more far-reaching programs available via the Web or a network of some type. As usual, Charlie Doe has the category covered in this latest roundup.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jan 2007 - Jan/Feb 2007 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
While you might not have noticed, Amazon.com’s online bookstore section is supplying some excellent reading analysis resources that can be useful for teachers and students. Using its online abilities for providing more information than a regular “in-person” bookstore can, Amazon.com has added extra features to the information that it provides about its books. Terry Cavanaugh takes you through these features in his article, and shows you many useful ways to press them into service.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jan 2007 - Jan/Feb 2007 Issue
By
Terry Cavanaugh
While you might not have noticed, Amazon.com’s online bookstore section is supplying some excellent reading analysis resources that can be useful for teachers and students. Using its online abilities for providing more information than a regular “in-person” bookstore can, Amazon.com has added extra features to the information that it provides about its books. Terry Cavanaugh takes you through these features in his article, and shows you many useful ways to press them into service.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jan 2007 - Jan/Feb 2007 Issue
By
Terry Cavanaugh
Multimedia online technologies now offer an unprecedented ability to enable every student, teacher, and even every family to "meet" the authors of books they are reading. If you have ever seen an author speak or have hosted authors in your school, you have experienced the impact meeting an author has on a personal relationship to a book. It humanizes the book, it reveals the person and personality that created it, and more. This article highlights specific ways you can replicate these personal connections to authors and illustrators by optimizing a variety of multimedia and online technologies.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jan 2007 - Jan/Feb 2007 Issue
By
Nick Glass
Thomson Gale is supporting National Poetry Month (April) with Poet’s Corner, a free Web site.
News/Free Resources - Posted 30 Dec 2006
Greg Notess has a full report on the launch of the beta version of Microsoft's books database. (From Information Today, Inc.’s NewsBreaks)
News/ITI Cross Links - Posted 12 Dec 2006
Vantage Learning’s MY Access! Home Edition gives parents the tools they need to help their kids boost their writing skills and confidence levels, the announcement states.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Dec 2006
Google’s Literacy Project Web site, launched during the Frankfurt Book Fair in October, is “a resource for teachers, literacy organizations, and anyone interested in reading and educations … ”
News/Cool Links - Posted 04 Dec 2006
Reviewer Sally Finley takes a look at Blue Zones: Quest for the True Fountain of Youth, the latest online exploration from Questmaster Dan Buettner.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Nov 2006 - Nov/Dec 2006 Issue
By
Sally Finley
Reviewer Charles Doe takes a look at TeenBiz3000, an Internet-based reading and writing supplemental program for grades 9-12.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Nov 2006 - Nov/Dec 2006 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
The Lexile Framework for Reading matches students and content to improve reading comprehension across the curriculum.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Oct 2006
There are more than 150 new video, DVD, and CD-ROM titles for grades K-12,
including animated series, now available in the Discovery School line of products.
News/Breaking News - Posted 18 Oct 2006
Version 2 of the Web-based learning tool now contains more than 100 reading passages and more than 100 essay topics.
News/Breaking News - Posted 18 Oct 2006
The new version includes Web delivery, advanced reporting capabilities, and
speech-recognition enhancements.
News/Breaking News - Posted 13 Oct 2006
Educators and students can access the new standards-based online educational suite from
Pokémon USA through a free trial until the end of the year.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Oct 2006
Criterion v6.2 includes a number of upgrades to ETS’s proprietary e-rater scoring engine, including the ability to detect run-on sentences and missing commas; expanded sentence fragment detection; and analysis and feedback regarding the technical quality of a student’s thesis statement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Oct 2006
Scholastic Red Professional Development has released the suite of online courses for secondary school educators.
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 Sep 2006
The Bridge of Vocabulary, a book and CD set available November 13, offers an explicit vocabulary intervention program developed for general and special educators.
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 Sep 2006
Among the features and services is a Banned Books Week display that highlights the books of author Robie Harris and illustrator Michael Emberley. They are the creators of the most challenged book of 2005.
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 Sep 2006
Topics in BrainPOP Jr. are chosen to correlate with national standards and testing mandates but are written in fun and understandable language for children.
News/Breaking News - Posted 08 Sep 2006
The reading measure allows media specialists and teachers to match students with non-fiction content written at their appropriate reading level.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Sep 2006
MY Access! 7.0 updates the online instructional writing tool with feature enhancements and new programs designed to help students prepare for the SAT and other standardized tests.
News/Breaking News - Posted 04 Sep 2006
The new reading intervention program, Passport Reading Journeys: Beginnings, expands the Passport Reading Journeys series for use with secondary students reading three to four years below grade level.
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 Sep 2006
Susan Hixson reviews Let's Go Learn/Reading, a K-12 diagnostic assessment program.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Sep 2006 - Sep/Oct 2006 Issue
By
Susan W. Hixson
New and exciting uses of digital technology in language arts are appearing all the time—a very good thing in view of the digital nature of the lives of today's K–12 students. As we all know, the amount of time that students spend with television, cell phones, iPods, gaming technologies, the Internet, computers, and other electronic technologies is stunning. Fortunately, emerging digital technologies can help language arts teachers liven up their classes, making them more digitally relevant and keeping or regaining student attention. This article takes a look at some Web-based programs and some new hardware that may provide new ideas for your language arts classroom.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Sep 2006 - Sep/Oct 2006 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
The companies signed an agreement that names Follett Corporation Companies – Follett Library Resources and BWI – as non-exclusive distributors of Playaway’s preloaded digital audiobooks.
News/Breaking News - Posted 18 Aug 2006
“Prosper for Shining Star” combines an assessment system with a standards-based English Language Learner curriculum.
News/Breaking News - Posted 18 Aug 2006
The B/D Letter Olympics, a new reading program for K-2 students, helps young readers develop visual discrimination of the letters b and d.
News/Breaking News - Posted 05 Aug 2006
High Point Level A, B, and C series reading program for struggling readers and English language learners in middle schools are now integrated with 59 new MY Access! writing prompts.
News/Breaking News - Posted 21 Jul 2006
Books by You is a “make-your-own book” program designed to allow students to craft, edit, illustrate, and personalize their own literary creations.
News/Breaking News - Posted 07 Jul 2006
Waterford 4.0 features expanded content, reporting, and functionality to improve instruction in early reading, math, and science.
News/Breaking News - Posted 07 Jul 2006
The Web-based tool is designed to build writing and reading comprehension skills through essay writing and summarization practice.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Jul 2006
WriteBrain, from Sunburst Technology and DigitalXperts, offers a comprehensive Web-based writing program for grades 2-8.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Jul 2006
netTrekker d.i’s new Read Aloud feature is designed to support special needs learners.
News/Breaking News - Posted 05 Jul 2006
In this issue, Linda Joseph's Cyberbee guides you and students to sites with ideas and tools, plus loads of examples, for leaving "a legacy of cultural history for future generations through digital storytelling."
Column/CyberBee - Posted 01 Jul 2006 - July/Aug 2006 Issue
By
Linda C. Joseph
The scholarly Web is getting noticed more because of new digitization initiatives underway and the enormous publicity search leaders are receiving for their fledgling work. Many librarians and researchers seem to be pleasantly surprised by the continually changing face of the scholarly Web and its freely available quality full-text offerings. This article brings together pertinent resources on the free Web of interest to anyone, including librarians and other educators, who conducts research and would like to easily supplement their currently available holdings, in print and electronic formats and via commercial vendors’ fee-based subscription databases, within their own libraries.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jul 2006 - July/Aug 2006 Issue
By
Robert J. Lackie
The online learning service is designed to provide engaging summer activities for kids of all ages.
News/Breaking News - Posted 26 Jun 2006
SirsiDynix and INFOhio, the Information Network for Ohio Schools, announced that 140 librarians and educators in Ohio are creating content for SirsiDynix SchoolRooms.
News/Breaking News - Posted 26 Jun 2006
Think About! teaches and reinforces reading comprehension skills with various activities based upon each short story, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Jun 2006
Scholastic’s reading intervention program adds to the growing bank of thematic and leveled writing assignments available in MY Access!
News/Breaking News - Posted 13 Jun 2006
The newly updated unitedstreaming video-on-demand service will include new multimedia assets, live curriculum-based Web seminars led by education technology experts, and hundreds of additional educational video titles.
News/Breaking News - Posted 12 Jun 2006
Starting this August, schools and districts that purchase subscriptions through Great Source will get Write Source’s new features coupled with the Criterion service’s existing program to advance writing progress.
News/Breaking News - Posted 30 May 2006
The Summer Reading Buzz site will have cool activities and contests for kids, informative tips and tools for parents, and downloable materials for librarians to make summer reading enjoyable and fun, according to Scholastic.
News/Breaking News - Posted 08 May 2006
MAP for Primary Grades, newly released by Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), provides a computer-based adaptive assessment for students in grades K-2.
News/Breaking News - Posted 04 May 2006
Crick Software's Clicker 5 K-6 writing and creativity tool is now available in a Mac edition.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 May 2006
The new program is research-based and designed to deliver engaging, targeted reading intervention for students in grades 3-6.
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 May 2006
This month, Cyberbee sets his and your sites on water, streams, and creeks, where your students can experience great adventures. Discover all sorts of creatures and plants that live in this aquatic habitat, investigate the health of the creek and its impact on the overall environment, and lots more. Prepare for your journey by visiting these Web sites for information and lesson ideas.
Column/CyberBee - Posted 01 May 2006 - May/June 2006 Issue
By
Linda C. Joseph
The Fifteenth Edition of the Fiction Catalog is available on WilsonWeb and in print.
News/Breaking News - Posted 13 Apr 2006
Part of Tool Factory’s On Track Series, Spell Track is composed of self-paced activities, unique word lists, and reinforcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 13 Apr 2006
Twenty new science movies and a Spanish version of BrainPOP are currently launching.
News/Breaking News - Posted 12 Apr 2006
Questia Lesson Plans are the latest addition to Questia Classroom, the teacher and student resource center that integrates the company’s digital library content into class instruction.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 Mar 2006
EBSCO Publishing launched two free Web-based resources for school libraries: History-It’s Happening! and It’s a Reading Rave!
News/Free Resources - Posted 24 Mar 2006
The online K-12 programs feature new levels and content and provide an important part of the assessment solution component of the Sunburst Learning Solutions program for targeted intervention, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 23 Mar 2006
The broadband educational video service has been designed for “kids
who live and learn online.”
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Mar 2006
One thousand new video titles and major feature enhancements help teachers improve student achievement, the announcement states.
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Mar 2006
In support of April’s designation as National Poetry Month, Southfarm Press offers a poetry and cut paper book illustration contest open to children in grades K-3.
News/Breaking News - Posted 13 Mar 2006
The new database features many of the most important literary studies resources.
News/Breaking News - Posted 08 Mar 2006
The online formative assessment is designed to measure and improve student writing progress in grades 6-12.
News/Breaking News - Posted 07 Mar 2006
The new version is designed to enhance administrative and end-user settings for the Personal, School, Family, and Enterprise editions of TurboTools.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Mar 2006
Scholastic RED Professional Development introduces the course to help teachers build students’ academic vocabulary.
News/Breaking News - Posted 01 Mar 2006
Stephen Abram writes in this month's Pipeline, "While we may be seeing some learner resistance to traditional writing and creation activities, maybe we can increase their engagement in learning good writing, editing, and information literacy competencies by aligning some of the projects with a Web-based option." Among the options he discusses are social networking, blogs, wikis, and photo sharing.
Column/The Pipeline - Posted 01 Mar 2006 - Mar/Apr 2006 Issue
By
Stephen Abram
In this article, Johanna Riddle offers four elementary-level projects that use technology as the mortar of interdisciplinary and inter-literacy learning. Some of the technology applications are as simple as scanning an image or clicking a digital camera. All four of these projects spring from works of literature that are common to most school media centers. They follow a framework that includes introducing a work of literature, learning a technology process, providing reading and working time, self-evaluation, and group discussion of outcomes The communication skills garnered by the students build on each other from project to project and year to year.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Mar 2006 - Mar/Apr 2006 Issue
By
Johanna Riddle
PEARL (Prepare and Educate Aspiring Reporters for Leadership) World Youth News is an international news service with articles written, edited, and published by secondary school students from around the world.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Feb 2006
With the Merit Text Talker, all of the passages, questions, answers, tips, and explanations students view on the screen in Merit reading, grammar, and vocabulary improvement programs can be spoken aloud.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Feb 2006
Play Index, applauded by Reference Quarterly as “the preeminent play-finding index,” is now available as a WilsonWeb online reference.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Feb 2006
Read&Write 8.0 GOLD enables students in grades 3 and up who struggle to read and write to use mainstream classroom software alongside their peers, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 31 Jan 2006
The semester courses are designed to help schools meet diverse learning needs for distance learning and credit recovery.
News/Breaking News - Posted 26 Jan 2006
The new courseware was developed specifically to meet the instructional reading needs of students in the “tween” years.
News/Breaking News - Posted 25 Jan 2006
The programs are designed to provide effective differentiated instruction, immediate, corrective feedback, and vocabulary support in students’ native languages in an effort to provide tools to help English Language Learners (ELLs) become fluent readers.
News/Breaking News - Posted 20 Jan 2006
The Web-based reading, writing, and comprehension tool is intended to build essential skills and save teacher time.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Jan 2006
The online curriculum system for middle and high school learners has also added multimedia-enhanced lessons in language arts, social studies, and mathematics.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Jan 2006
Custom Inspiration and Kidspiration graphic organizer templates will support Zaner-Bloser’s Strategies for Writers program.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Jan 2006
CompassLearning Odyssey for English Language Learners will now be available in Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Haitian Creole, Hmong; Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Vietnamese.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Jan 2006
The Standard Deviants School Teaching Systems provide multimedia programs and classroom materials in 10 subject areas: Algebra, American Government, Biology, Chemistry, English Grammar, Physics, Basic Math, Nutrition, Shakespeare, and Spanish.
Archives/In the Spotlight - Posted 01 Jan 2006 - Jan/Feb 2006 Issue
CyberBee, aka Linda Joseph, takes a tour of Web sites all about puzzles in this issue, covering puzzle history, puzzles for learning, puzzle generators, and more.
Column/CyberBee - Posted 01 Jan 2006 - Jan/Feb 2006 Issue
By
Linda C. Joseph
Voyager’s new reading intervention program uses print, Web, and DVD technology to reach struggling middle and high school students.
News/Breaking News - Posted 22 Dec 2005
The National Television Academy, the organization behind the Emmy Awards, is offering free online curriculum materials designed to educate high school students about best practices in journalism.
News/Free Resources - Posted 19 Dec 2005
askSam Systems keeps on adding to its free, searchable collection of literature works online.
News/Free Resources - Posted 16 Dec 2005
For December 15, 2005: At the RIF (Reading is Fundamental) site, the focus in on developing children's as well as family literacy programs. RIF's Reading Planet is full of fun activities that lead the way!
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 15 Dec 2005
By
Linda C. Joseph
The program’s new teaching system and management tools will have greater impact on helping older struggling readers, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 Dec 2005
Last week's Internet Scout Project Scout Report gives you the basics on this interesting, charming, and ultimately useful project and literature resource. See what new perspectives it might bring to your students' reading or literature study.
News/Free Resources - Posted 05 Dec 2005
The link between NWEA’s assessment products and CompassLearning’s instructional resources will enhance educators’ ability to tie assessments to instructional content.
News/Breaking News - Posted 29 Nov 2005
The interactive offering provides teachers and literacy coaches with a constant network of support, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 29 Nov 2005
The company’s Reading Readiness adaptive early reading system is designed to help educators manage K-2 students’ individual literacy needs.
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 Nov 2005
askSam continues to expand its free, searchable collection of important works online.
News/Free Resources - Posted 21 Nov 2005
Holt Social Studies: World Geography/World Regions 2007 is standards-based and provides content that is accessible to all learners through integrated research-based reading instruction.
News/Breaking News - Posted 18 Nov 2005
Expanded book and author online resources will help connect students to reading through technology, according to the TeachingBooks.net announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 17 Nov 2005
The DIBELS assessment evaluates kindergartners and first-graders in six areas: word use fluency, initial sound fluency, letter naming fluency, phoneme segmentation fluency, oral reading fluency, and nonsense word fluency.
News/Breaking News - Posted 16 Nov 2005
The new Teachers’ Guide provides tutorials, tips, online and print resources, and specific curriculum-based projects in which U.S. teachers can participate to establish school-to-school global interaction on the Internet.
News/Free Resources - Posted 15 Nov 2005
Book Review Digest, available in both print and on WilsonWeb, joins the company of reference icon Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature as an H.W. Wilson product in service to library users for more than 100 years.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Nov 2005
Over 40 new features and refinements are included in this release of the integrated writing, graphics, and publishing tool for students in grades K-8.
News/Breaking News - Posted 01 Nov 2005
Charlie Doe looks at everything from computers, projectors, and printers to curriculum, tool, and security software in his latest Look At ... roundup.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Nov 2005 - Nov/Dec 2005 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Linda Joseph's CyberBee this month offers a wide assortment of reference resources including online almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and map and statistics collections.
Column/CyberBee - Posted 01 Nov 2005 - Nov/Dec 2005 Issue
By
Linda C. Joseph
Databases can inspire novel approaches to creating curriculum. As teachers become familiar with them, their thinking about lesson planning and student research often moves in innovative directions. In this article, Sarah Cooper describes five projects through which librarians can take the lead in helping history and English teachers see the potential of this new world of sources. Included is coverage of database resources from Accessible Archives, Country Watch, EBSCO, Gale, JSTOR, LexisNexis, NewsBank, The OED Online, and ProQuest.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Nov 2005 - Nov/Dec 2005 Issue
By
Sarah Cooper
The Web site for the International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL), a project of the University of Maryland funded by the National Science Foundation and the Institute for Museum and Library Services, has undergone a total redesign and is now sporting a fresh, new look.
News/Free Resources - Posted 28 Oct 2005
The companies have announced a collaboration that combines Inspiration visual learning software with Great Source’s reading comprehension materials.
News/Breaking News - Posted 26 Oct 2005
The e-book book—latest in a series of initiatives in the Libraries Matter campaign—is available free to all public libraries and elementary schools in North America for use on their Web sites.
News/Free Resources - Posted 06 Oct 2005
Key Skills for Reading: Vocabulary Development software offers activities that isolate and reinforce skills needed to meet vocabulary growth requirements in grades 1 to 3, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 30 Sep 2005
Gary Price's ResourceShelf has a pointer in a recent ResourceShelf newsletter to LibriVox, "an open source audio-literary attempt to harness the power of the many to record and disseminate, in podcast form, books from the public domain."
News/Cool Links - Posted 26 Sep 2005
Lee y seras (Read and You Will Be), a Latino early literacy initiative launched by Scholastic, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), and the Verizon Foundation, includes parents and communities in the literacy development of their children.
News/Breaking News - Posted 23 Sep 2005
The individual scenes are divided into separate documents in the database, allowing users to easily search and locate scenes pertaining to specific topics, according to askSam Systems.
News/Free Resources - Posted 21 Sep 2005
Book Review Digest Retrospective: 1905-1982 is an online record of books and reviews reflecting nearly eight decades of the library reference standard Book Review Digest.
News/Breaking News - Posted 20 Sep 2005
Sagebrush’s online bookstore now offers titles aligned to state curriculum standards in all 50 states for the core subject areas of language arts, math, social studies, and science.
News/Breaking News - Posted 16 Sep 2005
The AutoSkill Literacy Intervention Suite provides AutoSkill’s Academy of READING and Academy of MATH software in a single package.
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 Sep 2005
Charles Doe reviews Read & Write 7.1E Gold, a floating toolbar designed for use withWindows-based software programs.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Sep 2005 - Sep/Oct 2005 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Susan Hixson reviews Key Skills for Reading: Vocabulary Development, a multimedia program on CD-ROM for grades 1-3.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Sep 2005 - Sep/Oct 2005 Issue
By
Susan W. Hixson
This article examines a sampling of cutting-edge early literacy products for a variety of uses: full curriculum, limited computer access, adaptive computer-based instruction, large and Web-based programs, Reading + Writing and ESL, and home or school. Keep in mind that this is not an attempt to cover the entire category; these programs were selected as good examples of their types.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Sep 2005 - Sep/Oct 2005 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Information Today, Inc. News Bureau Chief Paula Hane has written about a new anti-plagiarism tool from LexisNexis and iParadigm, CopyGuard. (From Information Today, Inc.’s NewsBreaks)
News/ITI Cross Links - Posted 31 Aug 2005
More than a million articles plus 60,000 books in Questia's collection now incorporate The Lexile Framework for Reading. (From Information Today, Inc.'s EContentMag.com.)
News/ITI Cross Links - Posted 17 Aug 2005
Assessment and instructional content in Version 4.0 are now comprehensively aligned with every state’s content standards.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Jul 2005
Knowledge Adventure’s new early literacy program features a classroom management system designed to help individualize learning for K-1 students.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Jul 2005
A product review of Deltora, a Web site for ages 9-12 that supports the Deltora novels by Emily Rodda.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Jul 2005 - Jul/Aug 2005 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
In Part 2 of his Database News series, Robert Congleton looks at the products offered by Facts On File, Greenwood Electronic Publishing, netTrekker, NewsBank, and World Book.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jul 2005 - Jul/Aug 2005 Issue
By
Robert J. Congleton
Column/Editor’s Notes - Posted 01 Jul 2005 - Jul/Aug 2005 Issue
By
David Hoffman
For this article, Audrey Church surveyed a number of e-book providers about their offerings to demonstrate the breadth and depth of the free and fee-based e-book content that's available today, as well as the sophisticated ways that content can be presented, searched, and otherwise worked with. Read on to see what's available from Project Gutenberg, Bartleby.com: Great Books Online, International Children's Digital Library, Gale Virtual Reference Library, Greenwood Publishing Group-eBooks, Follett Library Resource Company, Questia, and more.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jul 2005 - Jul/Aug 2005 Issue
By
Audrey P. Church
Key Skills: Phonics Mastery software is designed to reinforce phonics skills for students in grades K to 3 through more than 80 educational activities.
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 Jun 2005
The Literary Encyclopedia is written and owned by a global network of scholars and researchers (above 1,000 and rising steadily) who are committed to making the publication into one of the most rewarding sites on the internet, according to the Web site. Definitely worth a visit, according to us.
News/Cool Links - Posted 16 Jun 2005
Vantage Learning’s Web-based system gives customers greater freedom to administer its essay scoring technology to meet their individual needs, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 13 Jun 2005
A cooperative effort between the National Library of Spain and the Library of Congress, the redesigned site has added materials from the collections of the National Library of Spain.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Jun 2005
There are new, age-specific home pages and more powerful search capabilities in this latest Grolier, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 09 Jun 2005
Librarian Marylaine Block’s Neat New Stuff I Found This Week was our tip-off to this quality teacher resource of historical maps and excellent accompanying lesson plans.
News/Free Resources - Posted 08 Jun 2005
Project SMARTArt was created to integrate two principal tenets of media literacy – critical analysis and self-expression – into traditional curricula, according to Tessa Jolls, president of the Center for Media Literacy.
News/Free Resources - Posted 03 Jun 2005
Additions include Assignment Discovery titles, new digital images, and classroom integration ideas.
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 Jun 2005
Version 5.7 includes a universal import utility for processing test data and an improved benchmarking test with 6,000 test items.
News/Breaking News - Posted 01 Jun 2005
Improvements include enhancements requested by existing NoveList and NoveList K-8 customers, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 May 2005
EBSCO's Humanities International Complete provides humanities content via the full text of hundreds of journals, books, and other published sources from around the world.
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 May 2005
The new online writing destination helps students find their voice, develop their craft, and publish their work, according to Scholastic’s announcement.
News/Free Resources - Posted 20 May 2005
Aimed at K-12 students and teachers, the two programs will award winners packages that include Olympus digital cameras, Tool Factory educational software, and cash.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 May 2005
Announced at the 2005 International Reading Association Convention in San Antonio, the Riverdeep products are Destination Reading Course III for grades 4-6, Course IV for grades 6-8, and Course V, a high-school-appropriate Proficiency Course for students who have not mastered the foundational reading skills.
News/Breaking News - Posted 09 May 2005
Yearly ProgressPro Reading/Language Arts fulfills educators’ need for effective ongoing progress monitoring and data-driven instruction to support student achievement, according to McGraw-Hill’s announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 09 May 2005
Read&Write 7.1E Gold, featuring Spanish translation tools, is designed to level the playing field for students in grades 3 and up who struggle to read and write in English.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 May 2005
Using mCLASS reading assessment software and the Gear Up! reading series, teachers can assess students’ reading ability using a handheld computer, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 May 2005
MetaMetrics, Inc.’s three-day conference, to be held August 8-10 in Research Triangle Park, NC, will focus on linking reading assessment and instruction across the curriculum and grade levels.
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 May 2005
Scholastic’s Text Talk is a research-based program intended to build oral vocabulary and comprehension skills through language-rich “Talk about Text.”
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 May 2005
Soliloquy Reading Assistant 3.0 helps students improve reading skills by providing additional practice at reading aloud at school, supplementing teachers' reading lessons. The program listens to students as they read, provides intelligent intervention when needed, and reports student performance to the teacher. Both grade-level reading material and excellent managing software is available.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 May 2005 - May/Jun 2005 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
Take It to the Computer: Writing Sentences and Paragraphs provides center activities for writing using practice exercises, graphic organizers, and a drawing program.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 May 2005 - May/Jun 2005 Issue
By
Sally Finley
For May 1, 2005: Learn all about the artist D.B. Johnson and his unique process for creating the illustrations in his award-winning children's books based on the life of Henry David Thoreau.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 May 2005
By
Linda C. Joseph
Column/Editor’s Notes - Posted 01 May 2005 - May/Jun 2005 Issue
By
David Hoffman
Advances in technology—including artificial intelligence (AI), as well as computer- and Web-based technologies—have led to the development of exciting instructional and testing applications for teaching writing. Some of the more radical changes are stemming from the development and relatively widespread use of computerized essay correction technology. In this article, learn about an array of essay-scoring products from some of the top testing companies, including Educational Testing Services (e-rater), Pearson Knowledge Technologies (Intelligent Essay Assessor), and Vantage Learning (IntelliMetric).
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 May 2005 - May/Jun 2005 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
New writing prompts aligned by level and thematic unit to the scope and sequence of SRA/Open Court Reading--a core reading program adopted by school districts for both instructional and intervention reading strategies--extend the MY Access! program.
News/Breaking News - Posted 01 May 2005
PLATO’S Todos a leer con PLATO Achieve Now curriculum is designed to help ELLs develop literacy skills with materials in Spanish.
News/Breaking News - Posted 25 Apr 2005
Online journal provider Project Muse is offering high school libraries its full collection for $1,000 per year.
News/Breaking News - Posted 25 Apr 2005
August 2005 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Emmett Till's murder. TeachingBooks.net, in collaboration with Houghton Mifflin Company, has created an online resource that stimulates discussion about this landmark event in America's civil rights history, an Authors Up-Close program featuring award-winning poet Marilyn Nelson.
News/Free Resources - Posted 19 Apr 2005
EBSCO's new database is designed to provide high school students with resources for advanced studies.
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Apr 2005
Did you know it was National Poetry Month? Well, it is, and new in Thomson Gale's Free Resources space is its Poet's Corner.
News/Free Resources - Posted 15 Apr 2005
In Read and Understand Poetry, lessons guide teachers in introducing and reading poems chosen especially for students at their grade level, according to the announcement. Each title in the series contains approximately 27 poetry selections ranging from rhyming verse and haiku to free verse, limerick, and ballad.
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 Apr 2005
ProQuest's database provides a new look and new functionality to the Modern Language Association International Bibliography, making millions of records accessible and searchable online, along with links to full text.
News/Breaking News - Posted 07 Apr 2005
News/Breaking News - Posted 22 Mar 2005
News/Free Resources - Posted 18 Mar 2005
(From Information Today, Inc.'s EContentMag.com.)
News/ITI Cross Links - Posted 18 Mar 2005
News/Breaking News - Posted 16 Mar 2005
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Mar 2005
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 Mar 2005
News/Free Resources - Posted 08 Mar 2005
News/Breaking News - Posted 07 Mar 2005
News/Breaking News - Posted 07 Mar 2005
This Web site features information and activities related to the annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race held in Alaska each March--this year starting March 5
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Mar 2005 - Mar/Apr 2005 Issue
By
Sally Finley
EasyTech, available in English and Spanish, provides a series of instructional lessons that integrate technology into the core curriculum. Working at their own pace, students complete activities while learning how to use a variety of technology tools for their curriculum-related products.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Mar 2005 - Mar/Apr 2005 Issue
By
Sally Finley
Canvastic is a publishing tool that combines paint, draw, and text tools and can be used to created single page-sized documents or slideshows. The program offers easy-to-understand text, draw and paint tools, and a clear interface. Canvastic is customizable for use with younger students and has none of the "toy" features that are common with paint programs for this age group. The download package includes backgrounds, clipart, templates, and some sample lessons in several content areas.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Mar 2005 - Mar/Apr 2005 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
The electronic devices, Web sites, and computer software discussed in this article will almost certainly light up the eyes of the television, Game Boy, or computer game fans in most classrooms. And, hopefully, some of the enthusiasm for the medium will carry over into the subject matter. For purposes of this article, language arts is loosely defined as anything that might be taught in an English class. Discussing a representative sampling of this technology will hopefully give readers ideas for classroom use, as well as ideas about places to look for additional similar learning tools.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Mar 2005 - Mar/Apr 2005 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
News/Cool Links - Posted 24 Feb 2005
News/Breaking News - Posted 08 Feb 2005
(From Information Today, Inc.'s EContentMag.com.)
News/ITI Cross Links - Posted 04 Feb 2005
News/Cool Links - Posted 03 Feb 2005
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 Jan 2005
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 Jan 2005
BrainPOP is a subscription-based Web site that provides standards-based animated educational videos on a variety of topics in Math, English, Science, Health, Technology, and Social Studies.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Jan 2005 - Jan/Feb 2005 Issue
By
Sally Finley
The Neo is a portable, lightweight, and inexpensive computer "companion" that looks like a keyboard with a small screen attached.
Editorial/Product Reviews - Posted 01 Jan 2005 - Jan/Feb 2005 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
As the Web continues to develop and faster Internet access becomes available to more individuals, the likelihood of Web-based programs replacing CD-ROMs is becoming more and more real. The advantages provided by subscription Web-based services will lead them to be used for direct instructional purposes in the classroom.
Editorial/Features - Posted 01 Jan 2005 - Jan/Feb 2005 Issue
By
Charles G. Doe
We believe that ongoing reading promotion through our school media's technology program goes a long way toward supporting reading.
Column/The New Media Center - Posted 01 Nov 2004 - Nov/Dec 2004 Issue
By
Mary Alice Anderson
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