From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Wed Dec 1 12:10:36 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Wed Dec 1 12:10:53 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Royalty Free video library Message-ID: Royalty-free videos available to schools By Corey Murray, Assistant Editor, eSchool News November 30, 2004 Though the use of video in the classroom is on the rise, the fear of legal recrimination has discouraged many educators from reproducing or editing digital video clips for educational purposes. Now, Discovery Education--the world's leading provider of streaming video and multimedia learning services to schools--has found a way to help educators avoid many of these copyright concerns. Through a new offer, subscribers to Discovery's unitedstreaming video-on-demand service now have access to more than 1,000 video clips that have been copyright-cleared by their producers for editing or reproduction by teachers and students in class projects. (For a full list of available titles, click here.) Rod Dunklee, technology applications specialist for the 30,000-student Clear Creek School District, in a suburb of Houston, says the copyright-free clips enable him to facilitate professional development exercises for teachers in ways he never would have imagined before. Rather than use entire videos, Dunklee tries something many educators in this age of file-sharing lawsuits and huge copyright infringement fines ordinarily might avoid: He splices together pieces of the most relevant video clips, building his own visual presentation from a library of clips without ever once picking up the phone to ask permission from the copyright holder. And he does it all without batting an eye. Not that he takes copyright infringement lightly. "Teachers could potentially lose their jobs over allowing students to break copyright law," explained Dunklee, who warned that the "fair-use" provision in current U.S. copyright law is very narrow in scope and does not necessarily protect educators from the threat of lawsuits. But, he added, with Discovery's copyright-approved clips, teachers needn't worry about that. Instead, they can spend time thinking of ways to use the technology to promote innovation in the classroom--editing and splicing videos, for example, to make the most of limited class time. And students are free to use the clips in multimedia presentations and other class projects. Company spokesman David Pendery said the goal is to increase the use and versatility of Discovery's popular unitedstreaming tool, which reportedly is used by more than 26,000 schools. Instead of merely showing the videos in class, he said, students and teachers now have the ability to take select clips and alter them, providing just one more way for educators to integrate video into new learning opportunities. Current Discovery subscribers who want access to the editable clips can log onto the unitedstreaming web page and select the box for "editable clips" on the advanced search page. By January, Pendery said, every editable clip in unitedstreaming's library will be flagged with an icon that signifies to educators it has been cleared with producers for use in projects and can be edited without fear of legal reprisal from the copyright holder. Discovery began approaching authors and producers of its video content with the idea of providing editable material that could be altered by teachers and students in the classroom in response to an outpouring of requests from educators, Pendery said. Primarily, subscribers indicated they wanted a multimedia service that provided tools not only for screening educational videos, but also for using video in the context of multimedia projects and in-class assignments. Rather than place the onus on the educators or students to secure the necessary copyright exemptions on their own, Discovery executives decided to jump through the legal hoops for them, Pendery explained. The idea was that Discovery could use its existing relationships with content producers to help expedite the clearance process and save educators some time. "Teachers have asked us for this," said Pendery, who added there isn't really a lot of video content available for educators to use that is free of the threat of copyright infringement. When it comes to using copyright-protected material in the classroom, he said, educators are generally "a little gun shy" as to how to approach content producers and take advantage of their rights. Because all of the clips featured in Discovery's video library can be accessed using a standard QuickTime or Windows Media Player application, Pendery said, every eligible clip is available for downloading with editing software and tools already widely available in schools. To get clearance, Discovery approached every provider in its library of more than 35,000 educational-style video clips. Though many are still reluctant to sign on, Pendery said, the company hopes in the future to increase the number of videos available for teachers and students to edit. The more students and teachers can do with these videos, he said, the more likely they are to be used in the classroom--and that works out well for everyone. Schools looking to purchase unitedstreaming can take advantage of a 30-day free trial, which provides access to Discovery's full library of videos and video snippets. Trial members are invited to stream as many videos as they wish, however, they cannot download the videos and manipulate them. After the trial period, school customers can purchase Discovery's unitedstreaming product on an annual basis. The prices range from $995 a year for K-8 schools to $1,495 for high schools, according to unitedstreaming's web site. http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=5392 --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing 6522 Waldorf Place Cincinnati, OH 45230 http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. 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Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 6238 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20041201/ecd5befe/attachment.bin From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Thu Dec 2 13:00:15 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Thu Dec 2 13:00:34 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Textbook vs digital adoption article Message-ID: <050F792C-448C-11D9-B92E-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> SIIA: Revise archaic textbook adoptions By Cara Branigan, Associate Editor, eSchool News December 2, 2004 Calling "archaic" those textbook adoption policies that preclude schools and districts from spending state funds on digital-only resources, the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) is urging state officials to get up to date. From content revisions to pricing structure and distribution, state rules governing approved textbooks often conflict with the very nature of continuously updated, subscription-based, online curriculum materials, SIIA pointed out. While textbook adoption policies have posed a barrier for some time, SIIA believes now is an opportune time to raise awareness of the issue. "The environment is shifting, and we would like state adoption standards to change so schools can at least have the option of using digital media," said Mark Schneiderman, SIIA's director of education policy. "We are looking for states to update their textbook review processes so that schools that want to use software-based textbooks as the core material can do so," he said. "It's about giving them choice." Some 22 states reportedly have textbook adoption systems in place. Of these, only about 12 are in various stages of revising their policies to accommodate the unique characteristics of digital-only resources, said Mark Tullis, vice president of business development for Learning.com, a company that provides a complete online technology education curriculum called Easy Tech. Easy Tech was one of the first digital-only curricula approved by a handful of states, including Texas, Florida, Idaho, Oklahoma, Utah, and Mississippi. "We've been through 12 textbooks adoptions so far," Tullis said. The standard approval process for textbooks is lengthy--typically a state-convened committee reviews hundreds of books for one subject per year. Approved textbooks for each subject remain in use for about six years, and then the approval process repeats. Many electronic curriculum publishers have steered clear of textbook adoption procedures, but "the advantage of going through state adoption procedures is to qualify for full funding" from state textbook monies, Tullis said. In states with textbook adoption policies, schools and districts that buy approved textbooks get full state funding for those items--but they typically receive only from 30 to 50 percent of the cost of unapproved curricula, he said. Tight education budgets make full state funding an attractive goal for both schools and digital content providers, but with the way textbook adoption guidelines are currently written, getting digital-only resources approved is a challenge. SIIA outlines these difficulties in detail in a policy brief called "State Instructional Materials Review and Adoption Reform: Rules and Processes to Support Electronic Learning Resources." The brief was released in October to schools, states, policy makers, and SIIA members. A common problem, for example, is that some state laws require textbooks to be purchased and distributed from a textbook depository, a physical building that houses a state's textbooks. "That process doesn't make sense for digital content," Schneiderman said. "How do you distribute online content though a textbook depository?" When Mississippi approved Learning.com's Easy Tech as its core curriculum resource for technology education, officials had to do some fancy maneuvering to abide by the state's rules for distributing materials through the state depository. The state now keeps one set of logins--and where possible, a copy of each software title--in the depository, and its schools and districts must purchase their software and receive their logins and passwords through the state depository. "We tried to take the path of least resistance to get to the end result. We negotiated with our state depository, and they were very good about it," said Kameron Ball, director of federal programs for the Rankin County School District in Brandon, Miss., and formerly the educational technology director for the Mississippi Department of Education. In Florida, Learning.com became an approved depository so it could distribute its curriculum there. "We did it that way because we could not reach an agreement with the Florida depository," said Ileana Rowe, vice president of marketing for Learning.com. "It was less expensive for us to set up our own depository and accept orders online." State policies that specify what paper weight and type of binding approved textbooks and curriculum resources must have also restrict digital-only materials from getting approved. Pricing and payment guidelines have become obstacles as well. For instance, some guidelines prescribe a one-time cost, whereas many digital resources charge an annual subscription fee, Schneiderman said. Mississippi's bonding requirement also made approval difficult to overcome. Publishers are required to take out a state bond as a way to guarantee the delivery of materials, but the bonding companies were not used to working with a technology company, Tullis said. Another problem is that the committees of experts who review textbooks often have little or no background in educational technology. SIIA members who have tracked how long reviewers spent accessing their products report that in many instances, reviewers never logged in--or they spent 20 minutes or less reviewing the product, Schneiderman said. States should establish processes and provide training, he said, for how reviewers should evaluate digital curriculum resources to determine if they meet state standards. Ball said it was a frustrating and lengthy process when Mississippi adopted its first digital-only textbook. "Going through that process really opened my eyes to how important it is to keep the policy that directs what material children use up to date," she said. Besides ensuring that reviewers have computer access to evaluate electronic resources, Mississippi also reworded its guidelines for textbook vendors and reviewers to make sure these didn't exclude anyone. For example, the state changed how textbook publishers must get approval to update their content and how they identify first-edition textbooks. Mississippi required that a hole be drilled through first-edition textbooks so teachers could easily identify them. "You can't drill a hole through a computer, so we had to make some changes there," Ball said. Some policy makers who are focused on getting enough computers into classrooms might be reluctant to change policies concerning textbooks. But "we can't continue to wait for the infrastructure to be there to give kids the resources they need to learn," Ball said. Gloria Bush is the coordinator of instructional technology for the Mobile County School District in Alabama, which was one of the first states to adopt an online textbook. "I think it makes wonderful sense for our children," she said of SIIA's initiative. "We want to provide the most up-to-date information and reach all different learning types." Action needs to come soon, she added: "It's just crucial. We can't wait six or seven years for new materials to be issued." Links: "State Instructional Materials Review and Adoption Reform: Rules and Processes to Support Electronic Learning Resources" http://www.siia.net/govt/docs/pub/SIIAAdoptionLtrBrf.pdf Learning.com Florida State Depository http://depository.learning.com/FL http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=5406 --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing 6522 Waldorf Place Cincinnati, OH 45230 http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 8194 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20041202/b7d9fe20/attachment.bin From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Sun Dec 5 11:35:08 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Sun Dec 5 11:35:24 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Open Source Publishing thoughts sought? Message-ID: Any thoughts on our articulation of 'open source publishing'? We have the idea that special needs and universal access (special needs) can be promoted via 'open source publishing'. Your thoughts? http://www.touchsmart.net/what/ Cheers, jb --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing 6522 Waldorf Place Cincinnati, OH 45230 http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 875 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20041205/404c4ce7/attachment.bin From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Sun Dec 5 15:14:21 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Sun Dec 5 15:14:28 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Open Source Publishing thoughts sought? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: I need a more specific question: what are you asking?How to articulate? Where to articulate? On 12/5/04 11:35 AM, "bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net" wrote: > Any thoughts on our articulation of 'open source publishing'? We have the > idea that special needs and universal access (special needs) can be promoted > via 'open source publishing'. > > Your thoughts? > > http://www.touchsmart.net/what/ > > Cheers, > jb > > > --- > > Jason Barkeloo > President > TouchSmart Publishing > 6522 Waldorf Place > Cincinnati, OH 45230 > http://www.touchsmart.net > t: 513.225.8765 > f: 206.666.4856 > > This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, > are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any > review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is > strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the > intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies > immediately. > > > > _______________________________________________ > Bridging_the_divide mailing list > Bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/bridging_the_divide -- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20041205/a2619b22/attachment.html From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Sun Dec 5 18:37:45 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Sun Dec 5 18:37:59 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Open Source Publishing thoughts sought? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear Anonymous, I'm sorry the question was not posed more clearly. The question is: Is the concept of 'open source publishing' laid out clearly in the link: http://www.touchsmart.net/what/ Best Regards, jb On Dec 5, 2004, at 3:14 PM, bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net wrote: > I need a more specific question: what are you asking?How to > articulate? Where to articulate? > > > On 12/5/04 11:35 AM, "bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net" > wrote: > > > Any thoughts on our articulation of 'open source publishing'? ?We have > the idea that special needs and universal access (special needs) can > be promoted via 'open source publishing'. ?? > > Your thoughts? > > http://www.touchsmart.net/what/ > > Cheers, > jb > > > --- > > Jason Barkeloo > President > TouchSmart Publishing > 6522 Waldorf Place > Cincinnati, OH ?45230 > http://www.touchsmart.net > t: 513.225.8765 > f: 206.666.4856 > > This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted > with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated > recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than > the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received > this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify > the sender, and delete all copies immediately. > > > > _______________________________________________ > Bridging_the_divide mailing list > Bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/bridging_the_divide > > > > -- > > _______________________________________________ > Bridging_the_divide mailing list > Bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/bridging_the_divide -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 3641 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20041205/95d6987c/attachment.bin From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Sun Dec 5 20:50:43 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Sun Dec 5 20:50:48 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Open Source Publishing thoughts sought? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: I am ?anonymous!? To me it is clear, but then I am not coming to this uninformed. The best test would be to get a totally uninformed person to go to it and see if they understand. On 12/5/04 6:37 PM, "bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net" wrote: > Dear Anonymous, > > I'm sorry the question was not posed more clearly. The question is: Is the > concept of 'open source publishing' laid out clearly in the link: > > http://www.touchsmart.net/what/ > > Best Regards, > jb > > On Dec 5, 2004, at 3:14 PM, bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net wrote: > >> I need a more specific question: what are you asking?How to articulate? Where >> to articulate? >> >> >> On 12/5/04 11:35 AM, "bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net" >> wrote: >> >> >> Any thoughts on our articulation of 'open source publishing'? ?We have the >> idea that special needs and universal access (special needs) can be promoted >> via 'open source publishing'. ?? >> >> Your thoughts? >> >> http://www.touchsmart.net/what/ >> >> Cheers, >> jb >> >> >> --- >> >> Jason Barkeloo >> President >> TouchSmart Publishing >> 6522 Waldorf Place >> Cincinnati, OH ?45230 >> http://www.touchsmart.net >> t: 513.225.8765 >> f: 206.666.4856 >> >> This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with >> it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any >> review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) >> is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not >> the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies >> immediately. >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Bridging_the_divide mailing list >> Bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net >> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/bridging_the_divide >> >> >> >> -- >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Bridging_the_divide mailing list >> Bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net >> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/bridging_the_divide > > > _______________________________________________ > Bridging_the_divide mailing list > Bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/bridging_the_divide -- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20041205/8121af69/attachment.html From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Sun Dec 5 21:59:21 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Sun Dec 5 21:59:35 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] TouchSmart listed at NASA Message-ID: TouchSmart Publishing is listed at the NASA Learning Technologies, Advanced Technology Applications for Education, Benchmark Study site (if the link is broken copy and paste the pieces): http://learn.arc.nasa.gov/et/subcategory.php? pageNum_rs_orgs_in_subcategory=4&totalRows_rs_orgs_in_subcategory=49&cat =4&subcat=13 --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing 6522 Waldorf Place Cincinnati, OH 45230 http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 945 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20041205/a696de1b/attachment-0001.bin From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Mon Dec 6 07:47:49 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Mon Dec 6 07:44:52 2004 Subject: [Digital_Divide] RE: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Open Source Publishing thoughts sought? Message-ID: <2041651E68BDD311905D0008C7FA7A5A05F4FA76@E091000N0> I thought it was very well stated. It was easy to understand with specific examples. -----Original Message----- From: bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net [SMTP:bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net] Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2004 6:38 PM To: bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Open Source Publishing thoughts sought? Dear Anonymous, I'm sorry the question was not posed more clearly. The question is: Is the concept of 'open source publishing' laid out clearly in the link: http://www.touchsmart.net/what/ Best Regards, jb On Dec 5, 2004, at 3:14 PM, bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net wrote: I need a more specific question: what are you asking?How to articulate? Where to articulate? On 12/5/04 11:35 AM, "bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net" wrote: Any thoughts on our articulation of 'open source publishing'? We have the idea that special needs and universal access (special needs) can be promoted via 'open source publishing'. Your thoughts? http://www.touchsmart.net/what/ Cheers, jb --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing 6522 Waldorf Place Cincinnati, OH 45230 http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. _______________________________________________ Bridging_the_divide mailing list Bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/bridging_the_divide -- _______________________________________________ Bridging_the_divide mailing list Bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/bridging_the_divide << File: ATT10103.txt >> From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Tue Dec 14 09:21:10 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Tue Dec 14 09:21:18 2004 Subject: [Digital_Divide] Google library books coming Message-ID: <66D86178-4DDB-11D9-82E3-000D9358F2E0@touchsmart.net> GOOGLE CHECKS OUT LIBRARY BOOKS The Libraries of Harvard, Stanford, the University of Michigan, the University of Oxford, and The New York Public Library Join with Google to Digitally Scan Library Books and Make Them Searchable Online MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - December 14, 2004 - As part of its effort to make offline information searchable online, Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced that it is working with the libraries of Harvard, Stanford, the University of Michigan, and the University of Oxford as well as The New York Public Library to digitally scan books from their collections so that users worldwide can search them in Google. "Even before we started Google, we dreamed of making the incredible breadth of information that librarians so lovingly organize searchable online," said Larry Page, Google co-founder and president of Products. "Today we're pleased to announce this program to digitize the collections of these amazing libraries so that every Google user can search them instantly. "Our work with libraries further enhances the existing Google Print program, which enables users to find matches within the full text of books, while publishers and authors monetize that information," Page added. "Google's mission is to organize the world's information, and we're excited to be working with libraries to help make this mission a reality." Today's announcement is an expansion of the Google Print? program, which assists publishers in making books and other offline information searchable online. Google is now working with libraries to digitally scan books from their collections, and over time will integrate this content into the Google index, to make it searchable for users worldwide. "We believe passionately that such universal access to the world's printed treasures is mission-critical for today's great public university," said Mary Sue Coleman, President of the University of Michigan. For publishers and authors, this expansion of the Google Print program will increase the visibility of in and out of print books, and generate book sales via "Buy this Book" links and advertising. For users, Google's library program will make it possible to search across library collections including out of print books and titles that weren't previously available anywhere but on a library shelf. Users searching with Google will see links in their search results page when there are books relevant to their query. Clicking on a title delivers a Google Print page where users can browse the full text of public domain works and brief excerpts and/or bibliographic data of copyrighted material. Library content will be displayed in keeping with copyright law. For more information and examples, please visit http://print.google.com/googleprint/library. --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing 6522 Waldorf Place Cincinnati, OH 45230 http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 3454 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20041214/d10fa92f/attachment.bin From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Tue Dec 21 09:59:38 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Tue Dec 21 09:59:46 2004 Subject: [Digital_Divide] LeapFrog and Sylvan Message-ID: LeapFrog and Educate Team Up to Create New Pre-K Through Grade 12 Retail Learning Center Network Tuesday December 21, 8:02 am ET Leading Education Technology Products Maker and Sylvan Learning Center Parent to Launch Up to 20 Learning Centers With New Pilot Program EMERYVILLE, Calif. and BALTIMORE, Md., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: LF - News), a leading designer, developer and marketer of innovative, technology-based educational products, and Educate, Inc. (Nasdaq: EEEE - News), a leading pre-K through 12th grade education services company and parent of Sylvan Learning Center and Catapult Learning, today announced a new business partnership. The two education companies are joining forces on a pilot program to create a network of branded retail learning centers that will deliver an affordable, high quality, fun, learning experience to thousands of pre-K to grade 12 students throughout the country. Through this partnership, LeapFrog and Educate will open up to 20 learning centers throughout the country in the next two years. The parties will leverage Educate's 25 years of tutoring and education experience in its Sylvan Learning Center business with LeapFrog's innovative educational technology products, including the LeapTrack? Assessment & Instruction System, to create an affordable, innovative and engaging learning center model. The new learning centers will offer a range of research-based, educational services for pre-K to grade 12 students. This new learning center model will be grounded in basic academic subjects, including reading, language arts, and math, with services being delivered using an approach which students will find interesting and entertaining. Educate, directly and through its Sylvan Learning Center franchise system, will operate the retail learning centers and provide the educational structure and service format along with business systems and methodologies. A combination of LeapFrog's consumer products and SchoolHouse(TM) instructional programs will be licensed by Educate. "Our collective vision is to build a leading network of affordable learning centers that will supplement children's educational needs in positive and fun ways," said Tom Kalinske, chief executive officer, LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. "We are excited to create this pre-K through 12th grade learning center network with Educate -- bringing together our world-class products with their educational strengths and operational excellence." "In today's knowledge economy, more and more parents are investing in education, to give their children the best start possible," said Chris Hoehn-Saric, chairman and chief executive officer, Educate, Inc. "We are meeting this growing demand by expanding our offerings to serve students of all ages, in all communities, at a variety of price points, with a variety of services. That is why we are excited about teaming up with LeapFrog to offer parents a new choice in affordable, fun, learning services. These new centers will help young students improve core learning skills by combining LeapFrog's innovative instructional approach with the high quality learning experience that has been Educate's hallmark for 25 years." With consumer spending for education continuing to grow, the LeapFrog/Educate venture will provide consumers with a broader selection of affordable education services at convenient locations in a variety of communities around the country. http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041221/nytu045_1.html --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing 6522 Waldorf Place Cincinnati, OH 45230 http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 4156 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20041221/06d53f26/attachment.bin From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Tue Dec 21 10:01:02 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Tue Dec 21 10:01:10 2004 Subject: [Digital_Divide] Deaf Children and ASL Database Message-ID: <21513241-5361-11D9-AB3F-000D9358F2E0@touchsmart.net> Deaf Children Learn to Read With Sign Language Database Tuesday December 21, 9:01 am ET SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Deaf children and adults around the world are learning to read and communicate better thanks to SignBank -- a FileMaker Pro database application that stores the movements, hand shapes and facial expressions in a written form of sign language known as SignWriting. By correlating signs to written words, SignBank helps improve literacy among deaf-born adults and children, who often have difficulty learning to read a spoken language based on sounds they have never heard. SignBank also helps the deaf understand other sign languages. "Imagine how hard it is for deaf people to learn the printed words of a spoken language when they have never heard any of these sounds," said Valerie Sutton, creator and director of SignBank and inventor of SignWriting. "The database lets them search on words or signs. For many, this is the first time they have looked up a word in a dictionary, and the quick connection they make to written expression is inspirational." A Key to Literacy Among the Deaf Illiteracy rates are high among the deaf. Teaching these students to read is an ongoing challenge for educators. At a number of schools in the United States and Europe SignBank provides a vital link between sign language and written language. "These children have to learn two languages -- American Sign Language, which is their native language, and English, which is their written language," said Dr. Cecilia Flood, SignWriting Literacy Project director for Albuquerque Public Schools Pilot Program, who has been using SignBank at the Hodgin school since 1999. "SignBank is the first exposure to a written form of the native language, and the children love it. The competency they instinctively feel to seeing and understanding a written form of Sign Language transfers directly to seeing and understanding the written form of English." Multilingual Sign Language Dictionary In addition to improving literacy, the SignBank also translates sign languages. Contrary to popular belief, sign languages are not international. There are hundreds of sign languages in the world that differ from culture to culture and country to country. American Sign Language, for instance, is different from British Sign Language, which is different from Irish Sign Language. As the written form of sign language, SignWriting is being used by thousands of deaf and hearing-impaired people in 27 countries to improve deaf education. SignWriting was originally invented in 1974 by Sutton, then a professional ballet dancer, as a way to write dance movements. The SignWriting alphabet is a way to write body movement much as the Roman alphabet writes words in English, French or German. By capturing the individual visual hand shapes, movement arrows and facial expressions that make up in the SignBank FileMaker Pro database, SignWriting is now searchable and interactive for students and researchers. The SignBank database includes a dictionary of sign symbols that can be sorted and printed, or viewed as picture dictionaries for children, as well as multi-lingual databases for researchers, complete with video clips and animation. Originally, compiled as two standalone dictionaries in the 1980s, Sutton and her team reprogrammed the dictionaries in FileMaker Pro in order for the collection of symbols, signs, lessons, and manuals to become completely searchable and interrelated. Also, with a FileMaker Pro web access, the collection of 25,000 symbols that comprise the SignBank is readily available to help researchers around the word develop new software based on SignWriting. SignBank is available as a free download (http://www.signbank.org/signbank.html ) for individual users PC or Macintosh users worldwide. Other users, such as schools and researchers, pay a modest fee to use the software. http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041221/sftu003_1.html --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing 6522 Waldorf Place Cincinnati, OH 45230 http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 4621 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20041221/365c3433/attachment.bin From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Thu Dec 23 11:11:09 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Thu Dec 23 11:11:16 2004 Subject: [Digital_Divide] Supplemental Education Service news Message-ID: <4204CBF6-54FD-11D9-B3C2-000D9358F2E0@touchsmart.net> SES ruling leaves thousands behind By Corey Murray, Associate Editor, eSchool News December 23, 2004 A recent decision by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) gives a huge lift to private companies that supply after-school tutoring and other supplemental education services (SES) for the nation's schools--but it also could result in a disruption or loss of service for tens of thousands of students in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and other districts of similar status. In a Dec. 8 letter to Illinois state officials, ED demanded that CPS, along with 10 other districts across the state, stop serving as their own providers of tutoring services to struggling students. The letter, which came from Undersecretary Eugene Hickok's office, informed the districts they were in violation of the stipulations set forth under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Despite demonstrated progress over the last several years, federal officials say the districts still fall short of meeting the standard for adequate yearly progress (AYP), a series of benchmarks used to determine how well schools are faring under the law. Until improvements are made, ED said, all 11 districts named in the letter must rely on tutoring solutions only from third-party service providers--or else they will lose federal funding for these NCLB-mandated services. In an interview with eSchool News, Nina Rees, ED's assistant secretary for innovation and improvement, said the law has always held that a school system labeled "in need of improvement" cannot serve as its own SES provider. Illinois state officials asked the agency for a federal exemption that would have enabled CPS and 10 other districts in need of improvement to provide such services themselves. The letter, Rees explained, was intended to inform state administrators that their request had been denied. "We can't simply waive a regulation," she said. The news elicited outrage from CPS Chief Executive Officer Arne Duncan, who branded ED's ruling "a slap in the face" and an "appalling disservice to the children of Chicago." CPS, the nation's third-largest school system, plans to challenge the ruling "through every possible means," Duncan added. In Chicago, district officials say the decision means federally mandated tutoring services will have to be halted for some 80,000 children, about 40,000 of whom are being tutored directly by CPS and another 40,000 of whom are being tutored by private vendors paid by the district. "Some of those students chose to be in the CPS program, so now we have to start over, have parents reapply for services, and then reallocate the available tutoring services based on need," said Duncan, who called the decision "ludicrous." If forced to go solely with private providers, the district estimates it will have enough money to purchase tutoring for just 24,000 students--a far cry from the near 80,000 who are receiving help today. "The federal government has ensured that the cost of providing these tutoring services will skyrocket," warned Duncan, who said the district saved a significant amount of money--and reached far more struggling students--by providing the required services on its own. While CPS spends an average of $400 per child to tutor students itself, officials contend the cost jumps to nearly $1,500 per kid whenever a private SES provider enters the mix. "If this is what the law calls for, then the law should be changed," Duncan said, requesting that federal officials be more lenient in their enforcement of NCLB--especially in a district like Chicago, where more than 74 percent of students reportedly showed improvements in test scores last year. In defense of ED's ruling, Rees said CPS should have taken more time--and made sure it was in compliance--before deciding to tutor students itself. She also placed some of the blame on the state, saying state officials should have taken a more proactive approach in letting the district know where it stood under the law. A boost to for-profit providers As state and school district officials continue to wrestle with what is and what isn't acceptable under the law, a host of educational service providers are ramping up their efforts to exploit what has become a very profitable revenue stream. The SES provision of the law has opened the door for a myriad of for-profit companies, many of whose services rely on sophisticated technology to deliver targeted instruction and track students progress, to cash in on millions of dollars in federal funding earmarked for low-income students. Under the law, every school that fails to meet AYP for three straight years must set aside a portion of its Title I funds to purchase tutoring services for eligible students. Though the programs--selected by parents from a state-approved list of providers--come in all shapes and sizes, from online courses taken at home to face-to-face tutoring sessions with certified teachers, the goal is the same: To help struggling students achieve higher test scores--and eventually boost the overall performance of the school. Last year at Public School 329 in Brooklyn, N.Y., about 300 students enrolled in supplemental courses provided by New York-based Platform Learning, which provides after-school tutoring to students in 17 states and more than 300 struggling schools nationwide. Just one year into the program, Assistant Principal Salema Dawson said students on average have demonstrated a 75-percent improvement in test scores. Driven by a statewide directive to promote balanced literacy, school officials adopted Platform's Learn-to-Succeed program to assess students' skills and reinforce key concepts through a combination of face-to-face instruction, individualized planning, and online data tracking. Had it not been for federal money set aside for supplemental services, PS 329 would not have been able to foot the bill for the project, said Dawson, who added, "These programs are greatly needed." Through a combination of technology and face-to-face instruction, Platform Learning deploys certified educators with a college degree and at least one year of classroom experience whose job is to target students' weaknesses and boost their self-confidence in hopes of achieving sustained progress. The program provides assistance to students in both reading and math. Driven by small-group instruction and individualized planning, the service groups students according to skill level and need, allowing them to move at a pace more conducive to their own individual learning style, contends Platform Learning Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Eugene Wade. The company uses a student information system to monitor student performance and behavior. For example, student absences are noted and a company call center contacts parents to advise them when students don't show up. With the aid of the online tool, teachers and mentors also can follow students' progress through the use of a unique resource that gauges each child's success related to pre- and post-tests handed out by teachers throughout the duration of the program. Wade said the idea is to empower students. "We're not just a tutoring company," he said. "We're actually in the business of changing kids' beliefs and attitudes about learning." Though tutors use the data collected by the schools to tailor their instruction to students' individual needs, he said, the program is about much more than number crunching. "We want to use data to inform the learning process," said Wade. "You've got to make a plan, and you've got to work that plan." Minnesota-based PLATO Learning is another educational service provider aggressively pursing state approval for supplemental services in struggling schools. Currently approved in more than 41 states, PLATO's Supplemental Services Education Program is a face-to-face tutoring service staffed by highly qualified teachers and anchored in the company's Achieve Now curriculum for both reading and math. Each program includes a mix of interactive software, school and home learning activities, teacher materials, and student assessment tools. Like some of its competitors, PLATO also provides an online assessment tool that enables educators to track students' progress during the program and record their success based on a battery of assignments and incremental testing measures. Before entering the program, students take an online pretest to help determine where they need the most help, said Bernice Stafford, the company's vice president of school strategies and evaluations. "Just because a child has difficulty reading doesn't necessarily mean [he or she] must go back to the basics," she said. By using the online assessment feature, Stafford contends educators can pinpoint students' exact weaknesses and provide a more customized approach to remediation. The online system also communicates students' gains back to school administrators so they can update school and student profiles and plan accordingly, she said. While the company's SES program still is in the early stages of implementation in most schools, Stafford said it already has seen some gains in places like Alabama and the District of Columbia--though "it's still too early to say if those gains are sustained," she said. PLATO's tutoring program currently is offered at 13 schools in Chicago, providing services for 1,100 students across the district. Stafford said the company has yet to receive official word whether Chicago plans to halt its services until the situation there is resolved. No matter how it shakes out, she said, PLATO is looking forward to building its relationship with the district. Despite being a third-party provider, Stafford said, PLATO doesn't view itself as an outsider looking to take financial advantage of an uncomfortable situation. Still, she knows the company has to earn peoples' trust. "When we go into a district as an SES provider, we're not going in for the first time," she pointed out. "You have to have a knowledge of the district ... you have to know its needs." While any company can go into a district and begin recruiting customers, she said, the key is to listen to what stakeholders are saying and come up with a solution that is unique to the community. Then, she said--and only then--will you begin to see results. http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=5425 --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing 6522 Waldorf Place Cincinnati, OH 45230 http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 11080 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20041223/ee6aaf98/attachment.bin