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Volume 3, Number 40, March 14, 2008 |
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| Editor's Note | |
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I really had a brilliant (take my word for it) Editor’s Note written for this week, based on attending the CoSN Conference, which was terrific, and SIIA’s 2008 Ed Tech Government Forum, which was jam-packed with information. But someplace between Washington and Chicago yesterday, my laptop gave up the ghost, so I have to improvise. In the interest of getting this out I want to highlight just two news items. On Thursday, the National Mathematics Advisory Panel presented its Final Report (http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/index.html) to the President and the Secretary of Education. Already critics from both sides of the so-called “math wars” are expressing agreement or dismay. The Panel appears to have taken a very middle-of-the-road approach. It notes that it found no research that supports either traditional or “reform” math instruction. The Panel concludes that conceptual understanding, computational and procedural fluency, and problem solving skills are equally important and mutually reinforce each other. It suggests that schools and districts that have come down wholeheartedly on one side of the debate or the other rethink their decision and consider intertwining the two different methods of instruction to support student learning. The Panel recommends that PK-8 math instruction be streamlined and a well-defined set of the most important topics should be emphasized in the early grades. Any approach that revisits topics year after year without bringing them to closure should be avoided. Te report notes that proficiency with whole numbers, fractions, and certain aspects of geometry and measurement are the foundations for algebra and identifies knowledge of fractions as the most important foundational skill not developed among American students. The report sets out a set of benchmarks with respect to what children should study when – e.g., proficiency with the addition and subtraction of whole numbers by the end of third grade and with multiplication and division by the end of fifth – that are reminiscent of the Curriculum Focal Points published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematic in 2006. The report also notes that teachers well prepared to teach math are key to success and recommends that the preparation of elementary and middle school teachers in mathematics be strengthened. It also recommends that publishers should produce shorter, more focused and mathematically accurate mathematics textbooks. Finally, the report identifies a number of areas where further research is needed, including research on successful math teaching. I’m not a math teacher, so I can only respond from a lay perspective. I’ve only had time to skim the report, but overall it seems to take a pretty common sense approach to the topic. Individual readers will find things with which they strongly agree or disagree. The Panel’s chairperson reported that they were certainly internal disagreements within the Panel, but that they decided” but decided that "it's time to cool the passions along that divide.” Maybe it’s time that America’s politicians, educators, parents and interested observers take the same approach and get on with teaching children to really master a defined set of mathematical skills. The Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) has officially launched the Vision K-20 Initiative, calling for a coalition of education stakeholders to prepare our students to thrive in an increasingly competitive and global marketplace. The Education Division has been working on Vision K-20 for some time, developing a set of clearly defined goals and benchmarks that will lead to large-scale, systematic change. It outlines seven educational technology goals and five ways for academic institutions to measure their progress toward these goals on an annual basis. With these and other guidelines in place, K-20 institutions can use educational software and e-learning tools to support instruction and assessment, while motivating students through deepened learning and extended opportunities for creativity and collaboration. To get the work out, SIIA has partnered with several organizations to promote the Vision and encourage educators and administrators nationwide to review and incorporate these goals into their institution's mission. Institutions will be able to use the Vision's benchmarks to monitor their progress and can complete the survey periodically as they work towards this Vision for K-20 education. SIIA will release the aggregated results and implications of this survey annually, beginning in 2008. The Vision K-20 site also includes a collection of success stories, case studies, research, and evaluation reports that support each of the vision statement’s seven goals. SIIA invites organizations to share their success stories/case studies or other examples of best practices. Check the information at www.siia.net/visionK20/pages/evidence.html for more detail. If you’re not familiar with the Vision K-20 framework or want to take a look at the survey instrument, visit www.siia.net/visionK20. |
Lead of the WeekA
LEAD FOR YOU FROM QED's SCHOOL PURCHASING MONITOR WHAT: After School Programs |
Contents Feature
Story K-12 Market Headlines Higher Ed Market Headlines Internet/Telecom Financials/Mergers/Corporate Product
Announcements She Snoops for Scoops: The
Personal Side of the EdNET |
Feature Story U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings Highlights Findings of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today announced the release of the final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. Created in April 2006 by President George W. Bush, the historic panel worked for more than two years reviewing the best available scientific evidence to advance the teaching and learning of mathematics. The final report and its findings were passed unanimously at the panel's meeting today at Longfellow Middle School in Falls Church, Va. "This report represents the first comprehensive analysis of math education to be based on sound science," said Secretary Spellings. "The National Math Advisory Panel's findings and recommendations make very clear what must be done to help our children succeed in math. We must teach number and math concepts early, we must help students believe they can improve their math skills and we must ensure they fully comprehend algebra concepts by the time they graduate from high school. The Panel's extensive work will benefit generations of American students." Find the full story here. |
K-12 Market HeadlinesEducation Industry Leaders Encourage K-20 Educators and Administrators To Boost Technology Use SIIA, March 13, 2007 The Center for Educational Leadership and Technology Recently Selected for Several National Projects (CELT, March 12, 2008) Flocabulary’s Educational Hip-Hop Music Helps Teachers Connect with Today’s Students (Flocabulary, March 12, 2008) Taking Credit: Professional Development Program Provides CEUs (Atomic Learning, Inc., March 12, 2008) Illinois School Districts Offer Elementary Students New Math Program That Meets Them in Their Digital World (Pearson, March 11, 2008) Options Publishing Introduces New “Comprehension Matters” Reading Comprehension Series (Options Publishing, March 11, 2008) Over 69,000 Educators Utilizing the School Improvement Network's PD 360 (School Improvement Network, March 11, 2008) Weekly Reader Signs Agreement with Big Universe (Big Universe, March 11, 2008) WriteToLearn 5.0 Debuts with Even More Powerful Capabilities for Helping Students Build Writing and Reading Comprehension Skills (Pearson, March 11, 2008) Florida Commissioner of Education Approves Fast ForWord to Reading Series for Adoption (Scientific Learning Corporation, March 10, 2008) Northrop Grumman and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Launch Teacher Support Program (Northrop Grumman Corporation, March 10, 2008) SAS Helps Small School District Net Big Gains in Student Performance (SAS, March 10, 2008) The Elementary Science Coalition Calls for an Education Revolution (The Elementary Science Coalition, March 7, 2008) US Students Top World in Number of Questions Answered Correctlly during World Math Day Event (Voyager Expanded Learning, March 7, 2008) Regional Educational Laboratory – Southwest Publishes Research on Formative Assessment (REL Southwest, March 6, 2008) America's Digital Schools 2007 Report Identifies the Six Trends To Watch in Education Today (America's Digital Schools, February 28, 2008) |
Higher Ed Headlines Blackboard Announces Video Surveillance Solution (Blackboard Inc., March 10, 2008) |
Internet/Telecom Celebrate the Sounds of (Hard-To-Pronounce) Children's Book Author Names (Learn to Pronounce the Difficult Ones Correctly!) (TeachingBooks.net, March 13, 2008) FreeRice.com Speaks Up With eSpindle's Voice (eSpindle Learning, March 13, 2008) Britannica Launches Online College Test Prep Service (Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., March 10, 2008) Omaha High Schools Implement eLearning Materials from Monterey Institute for Technology and Education’s National Repository of Online Courses (Monterey Institute for Technology and Education, March 10, 2008) SAS® OnDemand for K-12 Gives Administrators Easy Access to Powerful Data Analysis (SAS, March 10, 2008) |
International Headlines |
Financials/Mergers/Corporate Words & Numbers and EEI Communications Announce Launch of the Educational Publishing Academy (Words & Numbers, March 7, 2008) |
Product Announcements (KNFB Reading Technology, Inc., March 13, 2008) First Brain Fitness Software Market Report Says Revenues Grew From $100m to $225m in Two Years (SharpBrains, March 11, 2008) Dr. Margaret Honey of Wireless Generation Co-Edits New Book, Data Driven School Improvement: Linking Data and Learning (Wireless Generation, March 10, 2008) New Book from the International Society for Technology in Education Explores RSS - Blogs, Newsfeeds, Podcasts, and Wikis in the Classroom (ISTE, March 10, 2008) |
| She Snoops for Scoops: The Personal Side of the EdNET | |
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Wow…the Snoop has returned to Houston from travels. I left Orlando and the National School Supply & Equipment Association's successful School Products Expo and headed to Arlington, Virginia for the annual Consortium for School Networking's annual conference, which was also an immensely successful event. Here is news I have gathered along the way this week… NEA Member Benefits has offered our friend Mark Stevens the position of Vice President, Professional and Web Solutions. Mark will be responsible for professional products and serve as a direct liaison with NEA to include marketing and sales for the NEA Academy, NEA Professional Library, Bookstore, Teacher Toolkit, new products and programs and creating a unified media and sponsorship sales program for NEA print and online advertising. He will also be tasked with developing a new web strategy including Web development, content acquisition and online brand presence. Well, they have certainly selected a talented man that is up to the job! Mark reports he is very really excited about having the opportunity to work with the NEA and find yet another way to serve educators. He will be great, and they are fortunate to have him on their team. Drop Mark a note of congratulations on his new role. Carole Wacey at MOUSE dropped me a note to let me know that MOUSE has been selected as a 2008 finalist for the DoGooderTV Video Awards sponsored by NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network and See3! Winners will be announced on March 21st at the 2008 NTEN Nonprofit Technology Conference in New Orleans. You can vote for MOUSE in both the “Best Long Video” and the "Best Overall Video" categories - Carol says please do! Help MOUSE create additional technology-based opportunities that motivate underserved students to succeed in today's information society! Just go to www.dogooder.tv/nonprofitvideoawards/NtenVoting.aspx and select the two boxes under video #8. I heard from Raymond Rose this week. You may recall Ray was VP at Concord Consortium until Jan 2006 and has been consulting since then. He has just joined MentorNet, the E-Mentoring Network for Diversity in Engineering and Science as Director of Programs. He and his wife are living in Austin, and he also has an apartment in San Jose. I thought I might see him at CoSN, but he was in Austin over the weekend representing MentorNet on a panel, Go For IT! Attracting Girls to Technology, at the South by Southwest Conference and Festival (SXSWi). Join me in congratulating Ray on his new position. I ran into our friend Perry Reeves during the opening exhibits reception at the CoSN Conference. Perry looks great and was excited with news of his new work with Panasonic. He will remain an independent dealer but is working full-time with Panasonic to head a new division focused on totally wireless solutions for schools. He will be covering the U.S., working with K-12, higher ed, community colleges and also vocational and technical schools. Perry is always jazzed about the latest tech tools and sharing this enthusiasm with schools, so he is one happy guy right now! Speaking of the opening exhibits reception, what was with the drum and fife? Wow! I asked Nelson if we could have drums at EdNET in September, and he said Sheryl Abshire, Chief Technology Officer, Calcasieu Parish (LA) School System and Chair of the CoSN Board of Directors, who made a brief announcement after the drum and fife presentation prior to the opening of the exhibit doors, said she had kind of gotten roped into that. I explained I did not want Sheryl's job - I wanted to be a drummer! Or maybe not!;-) But Sheryl and I connected later that evening. Being from the South, we were both of course in drill team in high school. It turns out she was a drummer, and I played the fife. So for future events, folks, you have a performing duo available, it seems! We could even don the boots we used to wear, though I might need to take a pass on those short skirts we wore - oh my! Say hello to Sheryl or see if she is available with drum for one of your events at sheryl.abshire@cpsb.org. Anybody want to hear me play a fife? I wonder if I still can! Following the reception, I had the privilege of attending the CoSN advocacy VIP Mediterranean Dinner at the incredible home of Ilene Rosenthal, Achieve3000, and her husband Steve. They live in the former residence of the Thai ambassador to the U.S., and they have remodeled and decorated in just an amazing way. Their lovely daughters were on hand to co-host, and we all enjoyed celebrating the older daughter's 13th birthday. It is hard to describe what a special evening this was. The small group attending represented top donors to CoSN's advocacy efforts and their guests. Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN, talked about the progress that has been made in advocacy efforts, adding how important it is to continue the focus on this critical work. There was a multi-course wine and food-tasting commandeered by the most delightful couple, Rob Hampton & Claudia Sansone-Hampton from Stonefly Vineyard in Napa Valley, good friends of Carmi Paris, VP Corporate Development for Spectrum K12 School Solutions, Inc. Accompanying them was world-famous chef David Shalleck, who not only created the array of amazing food but gave each person there a signed copy of his book, Mediterranean Summer. David's recent credits include the PBS series Chef's Story at the French Culinary Institute, Joanne Weir's Cooking Class, Fast Food My Way with Jacques Pepin, and with Cat Cora on the Food Network's Iron Chef America. The lovely Claudia, too, boasts a fantastic culinary resume as Art Director for TV celebrities including Michael Chiarello's Easy Entertaining, Fast Food My Way with Jacques Pepin, and Joanne Weir's Cooking Class. Claudia has run her own cooking school and had her own TV Cooking Show, The Taste Bud. Rob, dentist, painter and sculptor, shared his vast wine experience with all of us. On the shuttle bus to and from the Rosenthal home, Keith Krueger served as DC area tour guide and did a quite wonderful job with the role. As we returned to the hotel, Keith told his audience that all tips would be greatly appreciated, and I think he did receive enough for maybe a single item at McDonald's! Ok, it is maybe all about Keith this week - he made my evening by showing me his cuff links for this prestigious event! You may all recall that we were celebrating Keith's big 5-OH during last year's CoSN conference. The Snoop and Kathy Hurley, Sr. Vice President, Strategic Solutions and Partnerships, Gwen Solomon, Director, The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) has announced its new Board of Directors. The Board is comprised of 18 public and private sector education technology leaders who lead the direction of the association. 2008 CoSN Board Officers include: Additional Board Members are: The Consortium for School Networking also announced that U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) is the 2008 recipient of CoSN's Outstanding Achievement Award for Excellence in Public Service. The award honors Sen. Murray's leadership on education issues, specifically her support for education technology legislation, including the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program. Sen. Murray was chosen to receive this year's Outstanding Achievement Award for Excellence in Public Service for many reasons, including her leadership on personalized education initiatives in the state of Washington, and for her support for federal funding to train teachers in technology by sponsoring the EETT bill and its successor, the Achievement Through Technology and Innovation bill. In addition, Sen. Murray has led efforts to secure federal funding for teacher training in technology and math, which is essential to the competitiveness of U.S. students as they enter the 21st century global workforce and take an active role in lifelong learning. Join me in congratulating Sen. Murray on this much-deserved recognition! After 10 years, the KEH Communications team is moving to new digs. The new address is 504 Baltimore, Annapolis Blvd., Suite 6, Severna Park, MD 21146. The 524 Bowline address will remain as well. Phones may be tricky on Friday, but by Monday, they will be back to business as usual but in a great new location. I am so pleased to let you know that Cristopher Sorin was born this week to Christine Papaianopol, Marketing Analyst, Quality Education Data (QED). He weighed 8 pounds 11 ounces and was 21 inches long. Congratulations to Christine, her husband Sorin and big brother Mikey, age 2! Steven Bailey, Director, Business Development for TI's Education Success Program Leadership Team, and his wife Alison made a recent trip to New York where their daughter Taylor's drill team was competing. Ellen Bialo, President, Interactive Educational Systems Design, Inc. (IESD), and partner Jeannette Downes met them for dinner at a wonderful New York restaurant and talked about their children. Ellen and Jeannette's twins, Julie and Kristen, are heading off to college next year. Taylor's Hebron Silver Wings Drill team placed 1st and best overall in Team Modern, 2nd Place in Team Pom and 3rd place in Team Hip Hop. The young women also spent an afternoon in Chinatown in the back rooms getting those “special buys”. The dinner was also a celebration of the collaboration between TI and IESC on the EdRoom product IESD launched in the fall. At TI, the reaction to EdRoom has been overwhelmingly positive, so they are moving forward on the next phase of work together. I love hearing about families and also successful ventures! Shakespeare Squared continues to be in the news! Kim Kleeman, President and co-founder, was recently featured on MSNBC's show "Your Business" on February 17th. Kim was featured for the innovative ways in which she integrates work/life balance practices into the workplace. I loved this video clip, Kim! The company was also listed in the Top 500 of Inc. magazine's annual Fastest Growing Private Companies in America in its September, 2007 issue and ranked No. 5 in the Top Companies in Education. All very impressive! I saw so many friends at CoSN and met so many other wonderful people. The conference was fantastic, the auction a hit and the week a dual pleasure of networking and learning. Kudos to all who helped to make it so! I could have written about so many of you and enjoyed time spent with each of you - you know who you are! And thanks to the unnamed reader I have not yet met face-to-face but who dropped me a note this week asking for some suggestions and to say he and his colleagues all read my column first thing every week - he even called me a rock star! Not too shabby for a 50-something Snoop;-) I love you all - enjoy your weekend…Vicki, the Snoop
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