North Hills, CA  (Profitable.com)  From the earliest days of our country, “Send in the Marines!” was a call that ensured victory in key U.S. battles against Britain and Mexico. In his new book from Warriors Publishing Group, “The First Leathernecks: A Combat History of the U.S. Marines from Inception to the Halls of Montezuma” (ISBN 0982167059) author Don Burzynski recounts this pivotal period in American military history.

Burzynski covers the early 19th century battles that showed the United States Marine Corps to consist of fearsome warriors, skilled at manning cannon and devastating with a musket. His fast-paced account is accompanied by rich illustrations and maps, along with original art by Marine Corps artist Colonel Charles Waterhouse.

As 2012 marks the bicentennial of the War of 1812, “The First Leathernecks” shows how the Marines repulsed British troops at the battles of Lake Erie, Baldensburg, Baltimore and New Orleans. It recounts how the Marine Corps was instrumental in combating the slave trade and quashing pirates off the coasts of North Africa. Anyone familiar with the Marine Corps hymn will learn how they assaulted the Palace of Chapultepec during the Mexican-American War.

Despite their victories abroad, the Marine Corps was under attack at home by President Andrew Jackson and other politicians who sought to disband the force. This little-known fact is one of many pieces of early military history unearthed by Burzynski, who has been a guest history columnist for the Marine Corps Times and the Navy Times. Drawing on primary documents and research, he has compiled a rich, detailed history of early Marine battles for the lay reader. He hopes “The First Leathernecks” can serve as an educational and entertaining history of one of America’s most revered organizations.

“I predict that ‘The First Leathernecks’ will become a valued tabletop resource for anyone interested in the War of 1812 for many years to come,”–Dr. Charles Neimeyer, Director, Marine Corps History Division.

“The First Leathernecks: A Combat History of the U.S. Marines from Inception to the Halls of Montezuma” is available for sale online at Amazon.com and through other channels, including http://www.warriorspublishing.com.

About the Author:

Don Burzynski was a guest history columnist for the Marine Corps Times and Navy Times in Arlington. He has been a historian for 52 years starting as a re-enactor in 1959, reliving the Civil War Centennial, the Bi-Centennial of the American Revolution and currently the Bi-Centennial of the War of 1812. He holds three Detroit EMMYs and two CLIOs for commercial concepts when he was a Creative Director/Producer in the advertising field.

He has spoken and conducted research for The History Channel and has appeared in a number of their programs. In 1996, he won the prestigious Magruder Award from the Marine Corps Historical Foundation for living history excellence.

This is Don’s first book on the U.S. Marines. He has begun a volume entitled “Sea Soldiers in the War of 1812.”

Oberlin, OH  (Profitable.com)  Students estimate they spend $655 annually on required course materials – that is down from $667 two years ago and from $702 four years ago, according to the latest Student Watch™ study conducted by OnCampus Research, a division of the National Association of College Stores (NACS).

“This is terrific news for students, who continue to be pressured by the higher cost of attending college. The steady decline indicates that the money-saving strategies college stores are implementing to keep required course materials as affordable as possible for their students are having a positive impact,” said Julie Traylor, NACS’ Chief of Planning and Research.

The number of college stores offering textbook rental over the past two years has skyrocketed, from approximately 300 in the fall of 2009 to more than 2,500 in fall of 2011. Such print-version rental programs can save a student between 45-66% off the price of a new print textbook. In addition, college stores continue to work hard to increase their stock of used textbooks (a 25% savings) and digital, which can save 40% off the new-text price.

Charles Schmidt, NACS director of public relations, offered the following additional suggestions to students seeking to save money on textbooks:

1. Buy used books when possible. They can save you 25% off the cost of a new textbook.  College stores strive to provide as many used textbooks as possible, but they often sell out quickly. Shop the store early or buy directly from your college store’s web site to take advantage of used book sales.
2. Consider renting or purchasing electronic texts. More and more college stores are offering these options, and rentals can give cost-conscious students temporary access to course materials for about one-third to half the price of buying a new text.
3. Find out if your campus bookstore is using social media; become a fan of their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter. Often the store will give advance notice of moneysaving specials to followers or fans.
4. Be cautious of hackers, spammers and phishers when purchasing course materials online from outside/unknown sources. Items might not arrive on time, causing you to fall behind in class. Also, don’t forget to consider shipping expenses in the total cost of the textbook. To avoid delays, check your college store’s web site for ordering convenience and peace of mind. Your local college store guarantees the correct title and edition chosen by your instructor.
5. Know your store’s refund policy, especially deadlines. This way, you won’t be disappointed if you drop a class.
6. Keep receipts. Most stores require them for returns. Also, textbook receipts are helpful during tax season when filing for the American Opportunity Tax Credit. For details on what to do and how to apply for the credit, go to www.textbookaid.org.
7. Don’t write in or unwrap books until you’re certain you’ll be keeping them. Most sellers won’t offer full credit for books that have been marked or bundles that have been opened.
8. If you have a choice between buying a textbook by itself, or packaged with a study guide or software, make sure you need both parts.
9. When buying locally, consider paying cash or by check/debit card to avoid credit card fees and interest. But use a credit card when buying from online sellers in case disputes arise.
10. If you have questions, ask! Your college store professional is the course material expert, dedicated to helping you obtain all of the educational tools you need for academic success in the format you desire – including electronic texts.

About NACS

Headquartered in Oberlin, Ohio, the National Association of College Stores (NACS) is the professional trade association representing the $10 billion collegiate retailing industry. NACS represents more than 3,100 collegiate retailers and approximately 1,000 associate members who supply books and other products to college stores. NACS member stores serve America’s college students while supporting the academic missions of higher education institutions everywhere. Additional information on NACS can be found online at www.nacs.org.

About OnCampus Research

OnCampus Research is a consultative research group with one mission: to help companies better understand the college market. With more than 75 years of experience in the college industry, we offer full-service quantitative and qualitative research literally ‘OnCampus,’ through our online panel of over 18,000 students at 1,100 campuses nationwide. Specializing in online surveys, focus groups, omnibus surveys, syndicated studies, and in-depth interviews, OnCampus works with clients to create a strategy that best fits their needs and positions them as the brand of choice among college students.

The trusted authority on colleges and universities ranks the nation’s top online degree programs for the first time

Tampa, FL  (Profitable.com)  U.S. News & World Report has released its first-ever rankings of online education programs. They detail the nation’s top online programs that award bachelor’s or master’s degrees, and are specifically designed to provide students who are considering online learning with what they need to know to make informed decisions. These rankings will complement the world-renowned Best Colleges and Best Graduate Schools rankings that have been empowering students with critical education information for decades.

“The Sloan Consortium’s annual Online Education in the United States report has noted sharp increases in the number of online students every year since 2008,” says Matthew Speer, Director of Sales and Marketing for U.S. News University Connection. “In 2010, enrollment in online classes jumped by an amazing 21%; that’s more than 10 times the amount of growth we saw in the overall college student population that year. Clearly, the time has come to start ranking these programs.”

The rankings include 196 online bachelor’s degree programs, as well as 523 online master’s degree programs in business, computer information technology, education, engineering and nursing. All included programs are regionally accredited and offer at least 80% of their content online.

The bachelor’s programs are ranked in three categories: faculty credentials and training, student engagement and assessment, and student services and technology. For master’s programs a fourth category – admissions selectivity – was added, and the student engagement and assessment category was replaced with student engagement and accreditation.

Online education programs that rank in the top third of at least three categories are listed on the U.S. News honor roll. There are separate honor roll lists for online bachelor’s degree programs and online master’s degree programs in business, education, engineering and nursing. No honor roll for online master’s degree programs in computer information technology was complied, because too few programs in that discipline met the required criteria.

Online bachelor’s degree programs that appear on the honor roll include those at the Florida Institute of Technology, Pace University and Westfield State University. Quinnipiac University made the list for its online master’s degree program is business, while the University of South Florida’s online master’s degree program in education was so honored. Several schools had multiple master’s programs on the honor roll, including Auburn University (education and engineering) and George Washington University (business, education and nursing).

The new online education program rankings from U.S. News provide program-level data that is both sophisticated and unbiased. Students can use them in conjunction with the other education resources available on U.S. News University Directory, including an extensive listing of on-campus and online programs; contact information for more than 1,900 of the nation’s best colleges and universities; the latest education news articles and videos; and a free, downloadable financial aid guide.

About U.S. News University Directory

U.S. News University Directory provides comprehensive and unbiased information on more than 2,000 academic institutions directly from U.S. News & World Report, the most trusted source for college and university rankings since 1983. Prospective students can search America’s best colleges and America’s best graduate schools offering associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, master’s and MBA degrees, doctoral and PhD degrees, and certificate programs. And because U.S. News is the leading ranking resource for anyone seeking an on-campus or online degree, students who use the directory can be confident that they are getting the best education advice and information available.

Contact

Matthew Speer, Director, Sales and Marketing
U.S. News University Connection
866-442-6587

Yonkers, NY  (Profitable.com)  Toy tablets, like their adult-oriented counterparts, figure to be a popular gift item this holiday season. Fourteen percent of Americans plan to give a LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet ($100) as a present, according to a recent Consumer Reports poll. In addition to the LeapPad, Consumer Reports tested three other tablet-like toys: the Fisher Price iXL 6-in-1 Learning System ($80), and the Vtech InnoTab Interactive Learning Tablet ($80). CR also tested the Vinci Tab ($480), an Android tablet that’s geared toward kids. The full report is available for free online at http://www.ConsumerReports.org.

“Toy tablets don’t have all the bells and whistles that standard tablets do, but their learning apps and kid-friendly content make them ideal for children,” said Paul Reynolds, electronics editor, Consumer Reports.

The tablets were tested both in the Consumer Reports lab to see how well they performed, and by children within the manufacturer-recommended age ranges to see how much kids liked them. Each table features a color touchscreen display, at least a few preloaded learning games and apps, and the ability to connect to a PC for new content downloads and software upgrades. All except the rechargeable Vinci Tab are powered by AA batteries.

The LeapFrog LeapPad was the most fun overall, as judged by Consumer Reports’ kid panelists. Eight in 10 children said that they would like to own it. The Fisher Price iXL was popular with younger kids and had the longest battery life in lab testing; as for the Vtech InnoTab, the kid testers thought its games were the most fun.  The Vinci Tab had the best display and touch-screen interface of the toy tablets, but was otherwise not a standout performer in lab tests and it costs much more than the other tested tablets.

For more information on electronics for kids and for buying advice and Ratings of regular tablets, please visit www.ConsumerReports.org.

Consumer Reports is the world’s largest independent product-testing organization. Using its more than 50 labs, auto test center, and survey research center,  the  nonprofit  rates  thousands  of  products  and  services annually. Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has over 8 million subscribers to its magazine, website and other publications.   Its advocacy division, Consumers Union, works for health reform, food and product safety, financial reform, and other consumer issues in Washington, D.C., the states, and in the marketplace.

DECEMBER 2012

The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves.  We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports®, ConsumerReports.org® and our other publications and information products, services, fees, and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other commercial purpose without our permission. Consumer Reports will take all steps open to it to prevent commercial use of its materials, its name, or the name of Consumer Reports®.

Washington  (Profitable.com)  NASA’s Office of Education is collaborating with a variety of organizations this week to engage students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and increase academic excellence.

Leland Melvin, the agency’s associate administrator for education, is the keynote speaker today at the inaugural STEM Summit in St. Louis. The summit is sponsored in part by LEGO Education. NASA and the maker of the iconic building bricks have partnered on a number of events in recent years to encourage hands-on creativity as an avenue for learning STEM principles.

On November 17, Melvin will give opening remarks and serve as a presenter at the first annual S.E.T. (Science, Engineering and Technology) Awards in Los Angeles. Established by the Entertainment Industries Council, the awards honor excellence in the depiction of science, engineering and technology in television, film and multimedia.

“Encouraging students to pursue STEM disciplines is so very important. It offers students exciting job opportunities,” Melvin said. “For NASA and the nation, building the STEM pipeline will ensure that we have a robust, high-tech workforce for the future.”

Melvin will end the week in Washington by participating in the United States Agency for International Development’s “All Children Reading:  A Grand Challenge for Development” program on Nov. 18. He will join representatives from other government agencies and host Alex Trebek to challenge innovators from around the world to develop solutions to overcome barriers to literacy and learning.

“There are so many diverse organizations out there committed to encouraging students to pursue STEM studies, reading and other avenues of education,” Melvin said. “I am excited to collaborate with them and leverage our individual strengths to spread the message that learning is not only fun, it is the key to a bright future. I want today’s youth to know they can reach for the stars.”

NASA uses the excitement from its missions and programs to inspire students and serve as a catalyst for encouraging STEM studies. The agency continues its tradition of investing in the nation’s education programs and supporting the country’s educators who play a key role in preparing and inspiring the young minds of today to become the workforce of tomorrow.

To learn more about NASA’s education programs, visit:  http://www.nasa.gov/education

Honolulu, HI  (Profitable.com)  The Hawaii State Public Library System (HSPLS), in partnership with Microsoft Corp., has announced that HSPLS has become the first statewide public library system in the world to adopt Digital Literacy and Microsoft IT Academy programs for technology training and preparation for certifications for all library patrons in Hawaii. The Microsoft IT Academy Program is the first training program to launch under the HSPLS HI Tech Academy initiative and is expected to reach nearly 1 million people across the state of Hawaii.

Craig Mundie, Microsoft chief research and strategy officer; Donald Horner, chairman of the Hawaii State Board of Education; and Richard Burns, Hawaii State librarian, announced the kickoff of the Microsoft IT Academy in a news conference today at the Hawaii State Library.

The Microsoft IT Academy Program includes training and certification in Microsoft products, such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint, in addition to advanced subjects such as programming, Web development and database development. The program’s digital literacy resources will equip Hawaii’s library patrons with the technical skills needed to become more employable and successful in the 21st-century workplace.

“For students and workers alike, technological literacy is essential to compete in today’s economy,” Mundie said. “Programs that help nurture 21st-century skills at scale will help prepare more people in Hawaii, in the U.S. and around the world to participate and succeed in the global workforce.”

The Microsoft IT Academy provides access to e-learning, certification preparation and official Microsoft course materials, which will help users qualify for and acquire industry-recognized Microsoft Office Specialist, Microsoft Technology Associate or Microsoft Certified Professional certifications.

Funding for the Microsoft IT Academy is provided by the federal Library Services and Technology Act, which is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The launch of the Microsoft IT Academy marks the first time the subscription-based program will be made available to Hawaii’s library users through in-library and remote access via Windows Internet Explorer. In Hawaii, hundreds of thousands of library cardholders will have free, unlimited access to more than 350 Microsoft courses, ranging from basic computer skills to advanced network architecture and design. The Microsoft IT Academy will provide many of the vocational and adult-education resources that have been reduced in Hawaii as a result of budget cuts.

“IT certifications are increasingly recognized as valuable credentials that give young people expanded career opportunities,” Horner said. “The Microsoft IT Academy ensures patrons equal access to IT training and certification through all libraries across the state, regardless of location or economic status.”

The Microsoft IT Academy will expand educational, workforce development and lifelong learning opportunities for all the people of Hawaii. The program will also help students, as library patrons, become college- and career-ready upon graduation from high school and will improve their abilities to compete in the rapidly evolving modern workplace.

“With the unveiling of the Microsoft IT Academy, we are excited that all our patrons — from keiki to kupuna — will be able to access technology training that has the potential to affect transformational change in Hawaii’s education and workforce landscape and is closely aligned with Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s New Day in Hawaii Plan’s Hawaii Broadband Initiative and his emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math education,” Burns said. “We enthusiastically encourage all our patrons to take full advantage of the Microsoft IT Academy — it will truly benefit everyone who participates.”

Access to the Microsoft IT Academy will be available through the HSPLS website, http://www.librarieshawaii.org. Library patrons with valid library cards can access the courses of their choice by following simple instructions. The courses are accessible at any time in all public libraries and remotely. The courses are self-paced and several sessions in length, and patrons can stop and resume their coursework at their convenience.

Patrons who decide to pursue Microsoft Office Specialist, Microsoft Technology Associate or Microsoft Certified Professional certifications will have the opportunity to take an exam at an official Microsoft Certification site. Access to the Microsoft IT Academy, a list of the certification sites and course curriculum are available on the library system’s website at http://www.librarieshawaii.org.

About HSPLS

The Hawaii State Public Library System is the nation’s only statewide public library system, comprised of 50 branches located on six islands. Its mission is to provide Hawaii’s residents, in all walks of life, and at each stage of their lives, with access to education, information, programs and services, and to teach and nurture the love of reading and the habit of life-long learning.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Salt Lake City, UT  (Profitable.com)   Thursday, November 3, marked the first in a series of free Common Core themed webinars hosted by PD developer School Improvement Network. The webinar, presented by education expert Curtis Linton, discusses the overwhelming need for consistent standards in the American education system, and provides an in-depth explanation of how the Common Core works, breaking the program down into simple, easy-to-understand steps.

“This webinar, first and foremost, is a great motivational tool for teachers who are understandably skeptical about Common Core,” says Linton. “It lays out the nuts and bolts of the Standards, and in doing so, helps educators to see their enormous potential. It addresses the fist big challenge that the Common Core will face as it goes live: how to help educators catch the vision of the program.”

“My presentation,” Linton continues, “helps administrators and teachers to see the Standards for what they are: a well-designed, highly efficient tool to help individual students fulfill their full potential, and to become college and career ready. The national and institutional aspects of Common Core—making sure all students are receiving the same education—are important, but are secondary benefits. At its core, this is a practical program that will help teachers immensely, on an everyday basis.”

“Our intent with this, and the rest of our Common Core webinars,” says Linton, “is to provide educators with sophisticated professional training pieces. They are more than just events that we put on once a week—they are designed to be downloaded and presented at faculty meetings and in PLCs. We want every teacher in America to have free access to this information.”

Linton’s presentation, with audio and visual components, can be downloaded for free online at http://www.commoncore360.com, along with the entire Common Core Webinar series which is all free and open to the public.

Be sure to register for School Improvement’s November 10 webinar, “Translating ELA Standards,” presented by Dr. Ann Johnson, and stay tuned for upcoming Common Core webinars as they are posted on http://www.commoncore360.com.

About School Improvement Network

Founded in 1991 by teachers, the School Improvement Network provides comprehensive, research-based professional development anytime, anywhere. As the home of The Video Journal of Education, PD 360, Observation 360, the Learning 360 Framework, Equity 360, and Common Core 360, School Improvement Network resources focus on the most relevant topics, feature the top experts, and show educators how to put theory into practice. School Improvement Network works with thousands of schools and districts in every state and around the world and has visited over 3,000 classrooms to document best practices in action. Learn more at http://www.schoolimprovement.com.

About PD 360 • Practical, Scalable, Measurable

PD 360 is the multi-award winning, leading online, on-demand professional learning resource for schools and districts. With 1,800 videos on 117 topics from 120 experts, PD 360 has the largest online community of educators, with over 700,000 subscribers. The innovative PD 360 videos are unique and class-leading because of the quality of production, and each is research-based with classroom examples of best practices. The videos are also relatively short in nature (approximately 6-12 minutes in length) allowing educators access to “snack-able” content that is easy and accessible to view and integrate.

Teachers, administrators, professional learning communities, coaches, mentors, instructional leaders, and paraprofessionals have available at their fingertips hundreds of indexed and searchable video segments that present real, best-practice classroom examples and feature respected education experts, such as Michael Fullan, Rick DuFour, Doug Reeves, Rick Stiggins, and many others. Educators can instantly find the help they need on nearly every topic, including differentiation, assessment, English language learners, leadership, and more. PD 360 can also be used to create a structured learning experience for an individual teacher, a PLC, or even an entire school. PD 360 bridges the gap between training and classroom integration with job-embedded follow-up, tracking, and reflection tools. PD 360 gives educators access to an online community of teaching professionals that allows interaction and collaboration either within a district or across the United States and the world. PD 360 includes over 1,500 research-based video learning segments and is the most comprehensive web-based library of professional development resources available. See a demonstration at http://www.pd360.com.

School Improvement Network, PD 360, and their respective logos are trademarks of the School Improvement Network. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Press Contact:
Duane Sprague
School Improvement Network
801-758-9546
duane.sprague(at)schoolimprovement(dot)com

Harrisburg, PA  (Profitable.com)  Pennsylvania’s efforts to improve teacher evaluations must be combined with meaningful tools and supports to help teachers become more effective in the classroom, according to the head of the Commonwealth’s leading children’s advocacy organization.

“Teachers, just like their students, need more than just feedback – they also need the right resources to improve and do their best in the classroom,” said Joan Benso, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.

“High-quality teacher evaluations can be important roadmaps to help teachers reach their full potential, but evaluations alone are not enough,” Benso added. “Teachers also need quality training, mentoring and solid professional development opportunities to help them grow in their profession.”

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children last night hosted a “Making the Grade Virtual Town Hall Meeting on Effective Teaching” that drew more than 1,400 participants and featured a discussion moderated by Pennsylvania Education Secretary Ron Tomalis. The town hall is part of a growing public discussion on ways to improve teacher effectiveness and boost student achievement.

PPC also will testify at a House Education Committee meeting on Thursday, Nov. 3, to discuss efforts to improvePennsylvania’s methods for evaluating teachers.

Teacher effectiveness is the focus of a PPC initiative called “Making the Grade: Effective Teaching in Every Classroom.” The goal is to raise awareness about the benefits of effective teaching on student achievement and advance the public policies needed to assure every child reaps the benefits of effective teaching.

An effective teacher has a ripple effect that benefits every Pennsylvanian. Better teachers help raise student achievement, making our graduates better prepared to compete and succeed, in turn strengthening the Commonwealth’s workforce and its economy.

Benso credited the state Department of Education and local school districts for their progress toward creating more meaningful teacher evaluations.

Last year, PDE worked with three school districts - Allentown City, Cornell and Mohawk Area – and Tri-County Intermediate Unit 5 on a pilot program to improve teacher evaluations. This year, the department launched a follow-up pilot program that involves more than 100 local education entities, including nearly 80 school districts.

The Pittsburgh School District also has begun innovative work through its Empowering Effective Teachers Project, which seeks to boost teacher effectiveness by measuring factors like teacher practices, academic growth and students’ classroom perceptions.

PPC supports the use of student achievement data in teacher evaluations, an aspect of classroom performance that is lacking in existing teacher evaluation methods. Benso said at least 23 other states require their teacher evaluations to include some objective evidence of student learning, and Pennsylvania should join that growing list.

“If you craft a fair, substantive method for helping teachers determine their strengths and weaknesses in the classroom – along with providing the tools to help them improve – you’ll find a solution that’s eagerly embraced by educators, students, parents and everyone who cares about making our schools better,” Benso said.

To learn more about PPC and the “Making the Grade” initiative, visit www.papartnerships.org.

More information may be obtained by contacting PPC Communications Director Michael Race at 717-236-5680 or 717-756-8278 (cell).

Sandusky, OH  (Profitable.com)  K’NEX, America’s Building Toy™ company headquartered in Hatfield, Penn., and Cedar Point amusement park/resort in Sandusky, Ohio, have announced plans to sponsor the second Cedar Point K’NEX Great Thrill Ride Build-Off in 2012. The contest began on Nov. 1 and will run through April 2, 2012.

School groups grades 6 through 12 are challenged to build the most innovative and thrilling amusement park ride model using only K’NEX pieces. A select group of K’NEX designers and Cedar Point ride engineers and officials will choose five winners to exhibit their creations at Cedar Point during Math & Science Week and remain on display throughout the park’s 2012 operating season. Additional prizes include K’NEX building sets, online store credit codes, and Cedar Point tickets.

New in 2012, one of the five winners will be chosen by the public to be the “Fan Favorite.” The five winning models chosen by K’NEX and Cedar Point will be posted at www.knex.com for the K’NEX and Cedar Point fans to vote upon. The “Fan Favorite” will receive a variety of additional prizes including an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Cedar Point and an invitation to visit K’NEX headquarters in Hatfield.

In its inaugural year, the contest generated submissions from across the nation including California and New Jersey. The five winning schools represented three different states: Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Courtney Washington, the teacher of the winning classroom from Glenfield Middle School in Montclair, N.J., traveled more than 500 miles to see her students’ work on display. Washington even received a letter of recognition from President Barack Obama honoring the work she has done with her class.

“We were thrilled to be selected as one of the winners and the students had an awesome learning experience. They were actively engaged and highly dedicated to their project,” said Washington. “There was an abundance of teachable moments throughout the entire project. They were able to apply engineering, physics, social studies and language arts to mathematics.”

To be eligible, students must consider mathematical and scientific applications such as potential and kinetic energy, speed, acceleration and gravity. The project is intended to encourage students to apply their knowledge of math and science in a fun and innovative way.

“We were extremely impressed by the quality of rides submitted by the school groups last year,” said Rob Decker, corporate vice president of planning and design at Cedar Point. “We look forward to seeing the unique and inspiring projects submitted for this year’s contest.”

To enter, school groups must submit a 500-600 word description as well as a video and photos of the ride. Entries will be evaluated on creativity, uniqueness, detail and accuracy of the ride description. Class or student groups can register by visiting the K’NEX website.

“Last year’s Great Thrill Ride Build-off was extremely successful.  Students were able to mesh their creative skills with the principles of math and science,” said K’NEX President and CEO Michael Araten. “We are excited to partner with Cedar Point again to provide a challenging and fun learning experience to students around the country.”

For more information regarding the Cedar Point K’NEX Great Thrill Ride Build-Off, visit the Cedar Point or K’NEX website. You can also receive updates throughout the duration of the contest on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cedarpoint orwww.facebook.com/buildknex.

About Cedar Point’s Math and Science Week

During Math & Science Week, special educational programs, demonstrations and activities designed for middle and high school students are presented at the park. For additional information about Math & Science Week at Cedar Point, please visit www.cedarpoint.com/mathscience.

About K’NEX Brands

Founded in 1992, K’NEX Brands, the world’s most innovative construction toy company, was established to make and sell what has become one of the world’s leading integrated construction systems for children. Winner of over 200 international awards and recognitions, K’NEX is America’s building toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love, and encourages youngsters to “imagine, build and play.”  For more information, please visit www.knex.com.

Chicago, IL  (Profitable.com)  “Going green” typically means making eco-friendly choices, but in November it highlights the color and turns the spotlight on National Runaway Prevention Month (NRPM).  NRPM is a public education campaign symbolized by the color green, and is spearheaded by the National Runaway Switchboard (NRS) and the National Network for Youth to raise awareness about the youth runaway crisis in America and to educate people about prevention and solutions.

“The runaway issue has been a silent crisis too long, and this November we need to get Americans talking about it,” said Maureen Blaha, NRS executive director. “The truth is that prevention is possible and help is available.”

To bring greater understanding of this problem, individuals and organizations throughout the country are planning activities during November, including:

• Social Media Day of Action: On Nov. 1, people are encouraged to wear green socks, upload photos of it to Facebook, and tweet these photos while using the hashtag #NRPM2011. NRS will tweet runaway prevention facts throughout the day and host a webinar on the long-term effects of running away, which will stream live at http://ustre.am/E3CP at 12:30 p.m. CT/1:30 p.m. ET. Questions for the panel can be tweeted with the hashtag #NRPM2011.
• Green Light Project: Americans can show support of runaway and at-risk youth by shining a green light on their front porches. This year, Wrigley Field in Chicago is getting involved and promoting 1-800-RUNAWAY and www.1800RUNAWAY.org on its marquee on Nov. 2. Agencies such as Family Connection, Inc., in Alabama and the Huckleberry House in Ohio will hand out green socks and light bulbs to community members.
• Spirit of Youth Benefit: This Chicago event is NRS’ annual fundraiser to recognize individuals and organizations that help to keep America’s runaway, homeless and at-risk youth safe and off the street. The 2011 Spirit of Youth award recipient is artist and civil rights activist Cyndi Lauper, who took part in last year’s Green Light Project. The Cyndi Lauper True Colors Fund will be honored at the benefit on Nov. 18. This year’s platinum sponsor is United Airlines, and the gold sponsors are Carlton Technologies, Chicago Tribune, Greyhound Lines and Radio Flyer.

For more information, visit www.1800RUNAWAY.org.

Charlotte, NC  (Profitable.com)  Informed Therapy Resources (ITR) is pleased to announce that they have sold over 1,000 Turnaround: Turning Fear Into Freedom programs all over the world!

ITR was formed in April of 2008 with the goal of creating a professional, child-friendly treatment program that would help anxious children overcome their fear. The co-creators, Dr. David Russ and Christopher McCarthy thought it would take them six-months to create and manufacture the program. Boy were they wrong! To do it right, they had to devote significant time and financial resources to the project. After two-years of intense labor, they presented Turnaround to the world in April of 2010. On a shoestring marketing budget, they got the word out and kits began to sell, slowly at first but increasing sales month after month. Testimonies began pouring in from parents thrilled with the results. Their anxious children, trapped in the bondage of fear and worry, were set free!

Turnaround is truly a unique program. There’s nothing else like it available today. It is professionally developed by two licensed therapist with over 30-years of experience between them, and very child-friendly. The talents of 14 child actors and 6 adult actors were utilized to create a program that kids would want to listen to. The anxious children are entertained while be educated about what anxiety is and how to overcome it. Sales increase each month and the word spreads about this effective treatment method for anxious children.

Turnaround Audio Program includes:
Turnaround Program for kids (10 CDs)
Turnaround Journal, a 74 page workbook for kids
Chill Kit, relaxation guide for kids (1 CD)

Parent Guide, packed full of helpful information and techniques to help parents (2 CDs)
A bonus CD titled Med FAQs is also included. Med FAQs is an interview with nationally recognized Neuropsychiatrist, Dr. James Lee, offering a comprehensive discussion on the medications used to treat child anxiety is also included.

For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release or for a demo, contact us at info(at)myanxiouschild(dot)com or call ITR at (704) 208-4304 or (704) 293-2994 Please visit http://www.myanxiouschild.com to learn more about Turnaround: Turning Fear Into Freedom.

About Informed Therapy Resources (ITR)

Informed Therapy Resources (ITR) is dedicated to creating mental health treatment programs that are scientifically based, proven clinically effective, and professionally developed- using creative, eye-catching audio visual materials

David Russ, PhD, Psychologist

Dr. David A. Russ is President and a Licensed Practicing Psychologist of Carolinas Counseling Group in Charlotte, NC. He and his partners have built a busy practice with 11 clinicians. His doctoral dissertation was original research about a novel treatment for anxiety. He is co-author of the book, “More Than Me,” published by NavPress. Dr. Russ has been an adjunct or visiting professor for four different graduate counseling programs. He has been continuously providing care for over 20 years. He has been happily married since 1983

Christopher T. McCarthy, MEd, Licensed Professional Counselor

Christopher McCarthy, MEd, is a Licensed Professional Counselor who specializes in treating child anxiety disorders, teen behavioral issues, parent-child relationship issues, and couple conflict. He co-owns Informed Therapy Resources and co-created Turnaround: Turning Fear Into Freedom™, a professional and creative audio program designed to help kids get free from anxiety and fear (myanxiouschild.com). He has 3 Masters Degrees and is finishing a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision. He gives lectures on parenting and improving couple relationships. He has been in private practice since 1998 and is married with 3 children.

Contact:
Informed Therapy Resources (ITR)
e-mail: info(at)myanxiouschild(dot)com

http://www.myanxiouschild.com

Word Wizard 2.0 for iPad and iPhone - Talking Spelling App for Kids New and Noteworthy

Sophia-Antipolis, France  (Profitable.com)  L’Escapadou has announced Word Wizard 2.0 for iOS, an update to their New and Noteworthy Education app that lets kids hear the sounds of letters and words, and provides spelling practice with a customizable Word List of more than 1,300 questions and answers. Featuring advanced text to speech capabilities, the app can pronounce an unlimited number of original words and spell-check more than 100,000 words.

Word Wizard has won many accolades including:

• Editor’s Choice Award for Excellence in Design from Children’s Technology Review
• “…Powerful language-learning tool that is ideal for a child learning to read” - The New York Times
• “…A fantastic app for young children” - GeekDad Blog, Wired Magazine
• ”…I love the talking alphabet…I will certainly recommend it to early educators.” – Mary Ellin Logue, Ed.D, Early Childhood Education, University of Maine
• Featured by Apple as ‘New and Noteworthy’ for iPad and iPhone

There is no clear distinction between learning and playing. This is immediately apparent to the casual observer, who may witness young children enthusiastically engaged in the classroom. Clearly, not all classroom activities stimulate the natural curiosity of kids no matter how young they are. Word Wizard, however, nearly always attracts and holds the attention of children. It provides an expertly planned and exuberantly realized world in which children are encouraged to experiment with all the letters of the alphabet. There are two interrelated modes of operation: Movable Alphabet and Spelling Quiz.

In Movable Alphabet kids see all the letters in two rows at the bottom of the landscape oriented screen and hear the name or the sound of each letter aloud when they touch it. This multi-sensory approach, made famous through the writings of physician and educator Maria Montessori, engages the child completely. Each sense reinforces the other, and a wide range of cognitive styles is accommodated. Using the technology of the iPad/iPhone, Word Wizard enhances and amplifies the experience of seeing, touching, and hearing letters that young children have had in Montessori classrooms for more than 100 years. The app can be seen as taking the best of the Montessori method and making it still better.

The talking Movable Alphabet lets kids drag one letter at a time on to a grid (that automatically aligns the letters) or a blank page. As each letter is added to a word-in-progress, Word Wizard speaks the name of the letter aloud (or optionally, its phonetic sound) and then pronounces the proto-word, demonstrating how each additional letter alters the pronunciation of the whole. The child may never create a word in the English language, but he or she is completely free to get to know the building blocks of words on their own terms. When the last letter of a correctly spelled word is put in place, the entire word is surrounded by white light, all the letters grow to remove the spaces between them, and the word is clearly pronounced.

Touching any letter of the newly built word repeats the highlighting animation and pronunciation of the word. Add words to create a sentence, and touching any letter still repeats the animation and pronunciation of the word. But touch the Speak Aloud button in the top left, and the synthesized voice reads the sentence aloud, altering the inflection with which it reads some words so that they make sense in the sentence. This is natural language processing at its best (and the user’s iOS device can now pronounce such random neologisms as “kjedrwy”).

Talking Movable Alphabet Highlights:

• Spell checker highlights unrecognized words
• 2 American voices and 1 British voice
• Optional magnetic grid to ease letters placement
• Reads all the words as a sentence
• Uppercase or lowercase letters
• Phonics or letter names when a letter is touched in the alphabet
• 2 backgrounds
• Voice Transformer (speed, tone) for added fun

Familiar and at ease with letters, phonemes, syllables, words, and pronunciation, children can leave Movable Alphabet mode and visit Spelling Quiz, where they can put into practice all they have learned and play a semi-formal game with rules and scoring. Each spelling quiz consists of 10 words. Word Wizard prompts “Spell ‘chair’,” and the child drags each letter as they did before to spell the word. If necessary, they can touch the Hint button to receive hints one letter at a time. When all 10 words have been spelled, the app displays the number of correct answers and the number of hints used.

The Built-In Word List of more than 1,400 words is organized into 12 categories: Numbers, Colors, Animals, Body, Clothes, Family Members, Food, Sports, Nature, Shapes, 1,000 Most Frequently Used Words, and Dolch Words. Dolch Words are a list compiled in 1936 of 220 “service words” that are not easily sounded out but are essential to basic literacy (the list excludes nouns), e.g., “show,” “six,” “seven,” “small,” “start,” etc.

Spelling Quiz Highlights:

• 189 Word Lists of 10 words: Dolch Words, 1000 Most Frequently Used Words, Body Parts, Family Members, etc.
• Create custom Word Lists by entering custom words and sentences, and even share lists
• Hints are available if kids do not know how to spell a word
• A variety of colorful animations are displayed when a word is completed
• Once a quiz is completed, a report is displayed and fun, interactive animations are available as a reward

Children, parents, and teachers can quickly and easily create custom Word Lists. Type in a list of words separated by commas, or even sentences. Though the word may not be in the app’s Word List it will properly pronounce it and go on to score the quiz. This expansion capability makes Word Wizard a flexible tool for learning special vocabularies and terms, practicing words challenging to particular students, and challenging super-spellers with spelling bee favorites.

New Features & Options in Version 2.0 (as requested by users):

• QWERTY or alphabetic layout
• New voice added (3 voices available now), and a new version of the speech engine
• Keyboard emulation (dragging letters is now optional)
• 4 letter sizes available (allowing more letters on the board)
• Option to turn off the vocalization until the speech bubble button or a word is tapped
• New caps lock key to make typing capital letters easier
• 16 new Word Lists for beginners (CVC words)
• Recognition of words that break at the end of a line
• Erase All Letters button is now accessible on the board
• Add a friend’s Words List
• Add custom words to the profanity list (Settings option to prohibit some words)

“The overwhelmingly positive response we have received to version 1 of Word Wizard has been very encouraging and gratifying,” offered Pierre Abel. “We are very thankful to all those users and reviewers who made such useful suggestions, many of which have been included here in version 2.”

Word Wizard 2.0 is available for $3.99 on the iTunes App Store. It is a universal application that runs both on iPad and iPhone. Review copies are available upon request.

More information is available on the Word Wizard’s product Web Site including a YouTube demo and a media kit.

About L’Escapadou

Based in Sophia Antipolis, France, L’Escapadou is an award-winning, family, design studio dedicated to creating fun, creative, and educational apps for iPad and iPhone, and it was recognized as an Editor’s Choice by Moms With Apps. Montessori Crosswords, L’Escapadou’s top selling app, has won the Children’s Technology Review Editor’s Choice Award for Excellence in Design. Pierre Abel holds a PhD in computer science and has worked extensively on user experience design. His wife, a translator currently busy home-educating their daughters, helps in the design of their educational apps. Watching their kids – 5 and 8 years old – learn and play is their main source of inspiration for the apps they make. The studio was founded in 2010 after the launch of the iPad, with the belief that the iPad can be a great tool for learning and creativity.

Oak Brook, IL  (Profitable.com)  Follett Higher Education Group’s Rent-A-Text continues to grow, and remains the most popular choice for students looking to save big on course materials. Just this fall, students across the country saved nearly $90 million compared to the cost of buying new books by using Rent-A-Text. Students also bought more CafeScribe® digital textbooks as sales more than doubled compared to last year’s figures.

“The growth and popularity of both Rent-A-Text and CafeScribe® digital textbooks show that we have been successful in meeting the evolving needs of our customers,” said Thomas A. Christopher, President of Follett Higher Education Group. “We will continue to grow our offerings to ensure students have more choices and better access to affordable course materials on all of the campuses we serve, both in-store and online.”

Textbook rentals doubled this year compared to last, making Follett’s Rent-A-Text the fastest growing in-store and online bookstore rental program. The company has already rented more than 4.5 million textbooks and saved students more than$215 million. Follett’s rental programs are expected to save students more than $200 million in the 2011-2012 academic year alone.

Students at California State University Northridge took full advantage of the rental options available at the Matador Bookstore and rented approximately 25,000 books, more than any other Rent-A-Text school. The most popular rental title for the fall semester was “They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing,” (W.W. Norton & Company).

In a national survey conducted by Follett this September, 99 percent of students expressed satisfaction for the program and a majority of students said they had a better opinion of their bookstore after using Rent-A-Text. Students also reported buying additional course materials and textbooks with their savings.

Rent-A-Text is available at more than 860 Follett-managed bookstores in the United States and Canada. The program provides savings, on average, of 50 percent or more compared to new textbook prices and is also available online through efollett.com. As a leader in the textbook industry, Follett also offers rental solutions to virtual and independently-managed bookstores.

Explosion in Digital Sales

This fall, Follett announced a new version of its CafeScribe® platform that makes digital textbooks smarter with better study tools, more accessibility on different types of devices and more book titles than ever before.

Already, students are taking advantage of the CafeScribe® application’s unique study tools with hundreds of thousands of highlights, notes and bookmarks created. One of the many dynamic tools available through the new version of the product is Snap Summary, which allows users to quickly and easily compile their notes and highlights into a powerful study and reference tool.

“The CafeScribe® application is truly a dynamic digital textbook platform that allows students to interact with their textbooks,” said Christopher. “We are committed to serving the current and future needs of the academic community and we are confident that CafeScribe® digital textbooks will continue to be an affordable and reliable choice for our students.”

During the fall semester, “Guide to First-Year Composition” (CafeCustom) topped the charts as the best selling digital title, and students at Florida State College at Jacksonville bought the most digital textbooks.  Students at Ivy Tech Community College, Trine University, University of Texas and Arizona State University were also strong adopters of digital course materials. Confirming Follett’s belief that digital content will take hold first in problem-based disciplines, students in accounting, mathematics and computer science bought the most digital titles this fall.

CafeScribe® digital textbooks are available at CafeScribe.com, Follett campus stores, independently-managed bookstores and through efollett.com, the most visited-collegiate ecommerce site. To provide students with the opportunity to experiment with digital for free, Follett offers three-day trials for most CafeScribe® titles. The company created the Try Now, Buy Later program because it found that after using digital textbooks, two-thirds of students prefer the option to print.

For the most up-to-date list of Follett-managed campuses and virtual bookstores offering Rent-A-Text, visit www.rent-a-text.com. For more information on Follett Textbook Rental for independent bookstores, visit www.follettbooks.com. For more information on CafeScribe®, visit www.cafescribe.com.

About Follett Higher Education Group

Follett Higher Education Group of Oak Brook, Illinois, is the leading provider of bookstore services and the foremost supplier of used books in North America. Follett services five million students and over 400,000 faculty members through more than 930 stores. Follett also services more than 1,600 independent campus stores with its wholesale services, and has the most visited ecommerce collegiate website, efollett.com, that provides services and products through a network of more than 900 campus stores.

About Follett

Follett Corporation is a $2.7 billion, privately-held company that provides products, services and solutions to the educational marketplace. Follett Corporation was founded in 1873, and today is headquartered in River Grove, Illinois.

Atlanta, GA  (Profitable.com)   Winners of the 2011 Excalibur Awards were recently announced during a special ceremony at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel that attracted an audience of more than 300 leaders from Georgia’s business community. The Excalibur Awards, presented by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) in collaboration with the Business and Technology Alliance of TAG (B&TA), recognize the Georgia companies and organizations demonstrating the best use of technology for challenges in business and education.

“Technology has become a vital part of the business world today and Georgia companies are leading the charge in both creating and implementing technology,” said Tino Mantella, president & CEO of TAG. “The winners of the 2011 Excalibur Awards are all great examples of the innovative spirit alive in our state and are shining examples to the business community of the success that can be created through the creative use of technology.”

The 2011 winners are:

Small
Promotional ScreenPrint and Digital, Inc. (PSP) is a digital print and screen printing company producing POP materials inDecatur. The company implemented a manufacturing operations management (MOM) portal solution to centralize company data (such as job status, inventory, sales orders, etc.). PSP was able to increase efficiencies, decrease email use by 50% and win more business without adding staff.

Mid-Sized
DIRTT Environmental Solutions is an award-winning modular wall manufacturer for commercial and industrial settings. The company is recognized for its use of ICE software, which uses 2D and 3D graphic communication to envision, design, specify, price, manufacture and deliver DIRTT product. Integrated into ICE is ICEcycle, a reconfiguration tool for product lifecycle management. ICEcycle captures all elements from an existing modular layout and inventories, sorts, locates and defines each part available, all in real time, and reduces design time by up to 60%. ICE and ICEcycle vastly improve the precision, speed and custom capabilities of DIRTT’s manufacturing and installation processes while maximizing use of all pre-existing parts in an interior redesign.

Large
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) is a global company operating seven well-known hotel brands including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. IHG also manages Priority Club Rewards. The company won for its use of Smart Cache Services, which provides better accuracy on room availability and rates when Global Distribution System (GDS) Partners and Online Travel Agencies (such as www.travelocity.com) pull this information from IHG’s reservation processing system. Smart Cache has saved the company a $1.5 million upgrade and has helped IHG’s partners realize similar savings through a reduction in the number of transactions and in increased look to book ratio.

Educational
Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) is a premier 21st century liberal arts college where learning takes place continuously and beyond the confines of the classroom. The school offers organic chemistry, which is perhaps one of the most challenging undergraduate classes. In fact 40% of first semester students nationwide taking organic chemistry change their career goals and do not continue on to the second semester of that course. GGC tackled this challenge by launching the “iTouch Chemistry Project” which taps into the strengths of the smart phone to provide flash cards, podcasts and other supporting materials to students on the go. The school’s organic chemistry students now have over 90% success rate with the two semester organic sequence.

Creative
The Weather Channel (TWC) has brought timely weather information to the world since 1982. Beginning as a 24-hour, 7-day television network devoted entirely to weather, it has expanded across several mediums to bring the breaking weather to its viewers and users. Desiring to tap into the explosion of social media and the immediate and personal access to information it can provide, TWC added social to all TWC platforms to make the company’s storytelling more complete. TWC partnered with Twitter to filter weather-relevant content and match it to the user’s location for display across all of The Weather Channel properties. Following major weather events, including Hurricane Irene, TWC saw record social numbers through The Weather Channel Social.

For more information about TAG and the Excalibur Awards, visit http://www.tagonline.org/excalibur-awards.php.

About The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)
The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 14,000 members and hosting over 170 events each year. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 30 industry societies, each of which provides rich content for TAG constituents. TAG’s mission is to educate, promote, and unite Georgia’s technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy. The association provides members with access to networking and educational programs; recognizes and promotes Georgia’s technology leaders and companies; and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state’s economic climate for technology. Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG’s charitable arm) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive. For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org or TAG’s community website at www.TAGthink.com. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit http://www.tagedonline.org/.

About The Business and Technology Alliance of TAG
The Business and Technology Alliance of TAG is focused on addressing the challenges of today’s fast paced marketplace by bringing together business leaders and technology innovators to address key business issues. Their mission is to foster business innovation through the exploration of technological advancements and the ways in which these technologies can help corporations in all industries to solve complex problems and be more competitive. For more information, visithttp://www.tagonline.org/tag-business-technology-alliance.php.

Arlington, VA  (Profitable.com)  State education leaders from Illinois and Maine are the recipients of the 2011 Distinguished Service Award by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). The national award is given annually to state board of education members in recognition of outstanding service to public education.

“Through their continued diligence and devotion to the needs of students, Jesse Ruiz and Nancy Perkins exemplify what it means to be state board members,” said NASBE Executive Director Brenda Welburn. “Hundreds of board members serve their states every year and their accomplishments remain largely unsung even though state boards provide an independent voice for the public in developing and implementing education policy for the nation’s schoolchildren. Today we celebrate the accomplishments and vision of two people who so ably further the cause of quality public education not only in their home states, but everywhere in the U.S.”

Jesse Ruiz served on the Illinois State Board of Education from the time of its reconstitution in 2004 until 2011, when he left to serve as vice chairman of the Chicago Board of Education. During his tenure as the state board chairman, Mr. Ruiz worked extensively on reducing the dropout rate and increasing the graduation rate with the board raising the legal dropout age from 16 to 17. Under his leadership, the board clarified rules for enrolling students, making it easier for homeless, migrant, and other students in at-risk situations access to public education.

Nancy Perkins has worked in education for 30 years and has served on the Maine State Board of Education since 2009. In just two years, she has shown great leadership on the board in many ways, including a major role in the development of the Maineboard’s five-year strategic plan, as well as chairing the Certification and Higher Education Committee and testifying before legislative committees. Mrs. Perkins is also the board’s representative on the state Professional Standards Board and serves on a stakeholders’ group that is reviewing educator preparation programs.

The awards are being presented at NASBE’s national conference in Atlanta on October 14.

The National Association of State Boards of Education represents America’s state and territorial boards of education. NASBE exists to strengthen State Boards as the preeminent educational policymaking bodies for citizens and students. For more, visit www.nasbe.org.

Jamestown, NC  (Profitable.com)  Childhood obesity has become the number one health concern among parents in the United States. Overweight children tend to become overweight adults. The physical, emotional and medical costs associated with obesity include: heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, breathing problems, arthritis, cancer and low self esteem. The USDA has created My Plate to educate people about these issues.

Memory Cross and Wall Printing teamed up to develop a series of origami style cards that help children learn to live healthier lives. The design of the Memory Cross card is so unique that children are amazed at how the card works. As a result children will play with the card over and over again, and as they do internalize the message written on each card. Memory Cross wanted to create a line of coloring cards that were unique, that children would love, and at the same time convey the importance of eating healthy says Mike Vitamvas, who is a partner in both companies.

The initial coloring cards include: the ABCs of food by Charles the Chef, which is based on the book of the same name written by Rosevelt Pitts, a coloring card that explains the new My Plate developed by the USDA, and Lunch time with Mia and Noah. More cards are in development.

The cards will be distributed by organizations involved in children’s heath including: pediatricians, hospitals, insurance agencies and non-profits. Each card can be imprinted with name of the sponsoring organization.

The Memory Cross design has been private branded by hundreds of organizations since its inception five years ago including Lifeway and The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, so it made sense to create a line of cards that helped children learn to live healthier.

Memory Cross creates unique origami style interactive cards that are used by parents and churches to teach children Bible Stories and share the Gospel. In addition many companies private brand the cards for marketing, promotional and educational purposes.

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania  (Profitable.com)  Results of a study released last week in Computers in Human Behavior by Dr. Reynol Junco of Lock Haven University, Pennsylvania, show a positive correlation between college grade point average and Facebook use when students use the social network for information collection and sharing.

Study participants included 1,839 college students, each of which were U.S. residents and admitted through the regular admissions process at a four-year, public, primary residential institution. Data collected and examined centered around the relationship between multiple measures of frequency of Facebook use, participation in site activities, time spent preparing for class and overall GPA. GPA data were gathered from the university registrar.

Results reveal that the social network’s use positively related to GPA when that student used his or her time on the site mimicking educational behaviors, such as sharing links or gathering information. The time a student spent on the social network only weakly correlated to the time he or she spent preparing for class.

As with excessive offline socializing, Facebook social activities, such as chatting and updating one’s status, were negatively related to either GPA or time spent preparing for class. The author observed a negative relationship between time spent on Facebook and GPA, with students who invested 279 added minutes on Facebook per day than average also earning an overall GPA .37 points below average. But the relationship between time spent on Facebook and grades could not be explained by students spending less time studying.

“While further study is necessary, these results do help educators understand which Facebook activities could prove problematic and which were beneficial, when to target interventions around comparable online and offline behaviors like excessive socializing, and the possibilities of using Facebook to enhance student learning and engagement,” Junco explained.

Educators have an opportunity to transform activities in a manner that fully leverages those individual features that promote positive academic outcomes, Junco concluded. For instance, because research indicates a positive correlation between communication and gains in academic performance, faculty members could foster online course-related discourse via self-administered Facebook groups.

Dr. Rey Junco’s full study, “Too much face and not enough books: The relationship between multiple indices of Facebook use and academic performance”, is available online at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563211001932. Media representatives may contact the author for interview requests.

About The Author

Dr. Rey Junco is a social media scholar whose primary research interest lies in using quantitative methods to analyze the effects of social media on student psychosocial development, engagement, and learning. Rey earned his doctorate in education in counselor education from Penn State University. Rey also earned his master’s degree in clinical psychology from Penn State where he studied and conducted research in neuropsychology. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The University of Florida where he studied and conducted research in neuroscience. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Academic Development and Counseling and the Director of Disability Services at Lock Haven University.

Junior Achievement USA™ is offering high school students the opportunity to win a three-day adventure for four people to Walt Disney World® Resort in Orlando, Fla. To enter the “Destined to Travel with JA” contest, students review Junior Achievement’s interactive Destination Build lesson, a free online teaching tool that allows students to explore the tourism industry, complete a quick quiz, and submit their answers. The randomly selected winner will receive two nights at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort, 12 complimentary one-day Park Hopper® passes, and$2,000 for airfare and travel expenses. The contest is sponsored by the Destination and Travel Foundation.

“This contest is a tremendous opportunity for students,” says Jack E. Kosakowski, Junior Achievement USA president and chief executive officer. “Through this contest, high school students—future job seekers and entrepreneurs—will have the opportunity to explore the careers available in the tourism industry.” According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of November 2010, there were 13.1 million people employed in the leisure and hospitality sector.

The nationwide contest is based on student learning drawn from Destination Build, an online learning lesson that is housed in the Hospitality and Tourism student sector of the JA Student Center, available from the Junior Achievement website, www.ja.org. Through it, students explore the decisions made by city planners to increase local tourism in a community and hear from residents and tourists about how consumer decisions influence the local economy. The scenario is different each time a student plays the online lesson.

The contest, sponsored by the Destination & Travel Foundation, is open to high school students. The deadline for contest submissions is November 1, 2011. Click here for more information.

About Junior Achievement (JA)

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches four million students per year in more than 120 markets across the United States, with an additional six million students served by operations in 119 other countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.

About the Destination & Travel Foundation

The Destination & Travel Foundation is a combined effort between the U.S. Travel Association and Destination Marketing Association International.  In February of 2009, the respective foundations for each association were combined to create a stronger organization better capable of enhancing the destination marketing and travel professions through research, education, visioning and development of resources and partnerships for those efforts. The new organization was joined by Tauck-Romano Innovative Philanthropy, ShopAmerica Alliance and American Express Foundation in a multi-year program with Junior Achievement. For more information on Destination & Travel Foundation, visit http://www.ustravel.org/about-us-travel/destination-and-travel-foundation.

Umachaka Media Inc. has recently launched TJ & Pals, an imaginative website that has been approved by educators and has attracted children ages three to five from around the country. Their idea revolves around the lives of a friendly and inquisitive pencil named TJ and his friends who take kids on an entertaining journey of games, videos, stories, and songs.

The site was developed by Ashley Lazarus who is an award winning film director, and as someone who worked with Disney, Mattel, and Sesame Street, has extensive experience in children’s programming. Mr. Lazarus, a grandfather, designed the site with his grandchildren in mind. His main intent was to make learning fun. “The more fun and interactive learning is the more effective it is. Just sit with a five year old playing a fun game, or learning to count through a catchy song, and you will see that the principle of “learn as you play” really helps kids learn and remember what they learned, especially in this digital age. Every game, activity, how to and story we create at TJ&Pals is based on this principle.”

TJ & Pals has designed some wonderful challenging games for young children that strengthen crucial pre-reading skills unbeknownst to the giggling four and five year olds sitting at the computer screen. TJ’s Seek and Find is an activity in which a child is presented with two separate challenges: finding hidden objects and matching them to the shapes presented to her. Once she completes her tasks she receives a musical reward. Children love this activity and matching games are a wonderful way to prepare a child for a lifetime of reading.

TJ & Pals also offers some creative stories and videos that have attracted both the younger four year old audience and even the slightly older six and seven year olds as well.  The Little Monkey, and The Happy Squirrel, are both stories that either can be read by a parent or the child or can be narrated. They are also videos that a child can listen to before or after they hear the story. Making Friends is the story of how TJ met his pals. Younger and older children alike love to watch this video tale about friendship and the discovery of the power of imagination.

The TJ & Pals website also focuses on developing children’s math skills. The TJ & Pals developers have designed a math page equipped with a Numbers Song for the younger four year old audience, Math Spin, a game in which a child can have fun with addition or subtraction, or a calculator for older kids where a child can learn multiplication or division.

One of the most beloved aspects of the TJ & Pals website, particularly for the older kids, is TJ Connect. TJ Connect allows members of TJ & Pals to video chat with their friends and family anywhere in the world – think Skype for kids. The good thing about TJ Connect from the parents’ point of view is that it is completely parentally controlled. The good thing about it from the kid’s point of view is that now he can see his Grandparents or cousins in Canada, Japan or South America.

Every three, four, and six months new activities are added to the TJ & Pals website to keep the site challenging and interesting for kids. And for those children that fall in love with the old activities, new themes and stories are added monthly to the games, how-to’s, videos and books that already occupy the site.

TJ & Pals works on the two important principles of “learn as you play” and “positive reinforcement.” Ashley Lazarus and his team of developers has created a website and a number of educational apps that have captured the hearts of pre-schoolers and children in the early grades of elementary school across America.

MagicalPad, a Massachusetts based start-up provider of innovative mobile and web-based applications for visually organizing and managing information and ideas, announced last week the launch of MagicalPad™ – an iPad app that brings a fresh approach to note-taking, much more than a conventional note-taker, outliner, or mind mapping app for the iPad. MagicalPad™ enables users to take control of their notes through freeform layout to place and organize notes, outlines and checklists with unprecedented interactivity and flexibility, and seamlessly share them with other users and apps, which drastically expands productivity and enhances structured thinking and decision-making.

Structured. Natural. Beautiful. Magical.

MagicalPad™ provides a better way to take notes, build outlines, brainstorm, organize information, plan projects, organize meetings, uncover new creative ideas and communicate more effectively. “MagicalPad enables users to control their information spark their creativity and have fun.” said Adil Berdai, founder of MagicalPad.

Users can focus project planning using structured lists to quickly capture and organize stakeholder input, prioritize goals and actions and optimize most valuable resources. With unlimited checklists and outlines on the same page, freeform layout, unlimited hierarchy with expand and collapse and drag & drop features, users have everything in front of their eyes and are able to focus on what’s important and interact with their content like never before.

Connected to the Cloud.

MagicalPad plays well within the cloud. With impressive sharing options including Dropbox, Evernote, Google Docs and email, users can easily export their notes in different formats including PDF, OPML, RTF and a native MagicalPad Xchange file format (MPX), which is great for sharing with other MagicalPad users. Enterprise and business users can easily share project and meeting notes; students can seamlessly share school notes. “It is magical! Now I can exchange files with Mindjet, Curio, Merlin, or any other software or app that supports OPML.” said Ben Nabil, one of the first users of MagicalPad.

MagicalPad™ Features

• Freeform Layout – One of the most innovative features of MagicalPad™ is the freeform layout and the flexibility in which users can place and organize their content to create a dashboard-like layout of structured information with everything at their fingertips.
• Advanced Interactivity – Structured thinking demands structured notes; MagicalPad™ users can expand and collapse content to focus on the right level of detail. With advanced drag/drop capabilities they can easily prioritize actions, split and merge outlines, create sticky-like notes and format content to effectively express their ideas and organize their thoughts.
• Share with the Cloud – MagicalPad enables users to share their work with other users and other apps through the cloud using Dropbox, Evernote and Google Docs; it also allows users to import outlines, tasks and notes from other apps, desktop and Mac software to continue their work, and then export them back.
• Interoperability – MagicalPad™ utilizes open standards such as OPML to import and export content to other IOS, Mac and desktop apps seamlessly.

Built to Last

MagicalPad’s team has a vision for making MagicalPad mobile and web solutions in the center of today’s productivity toolset for professionals and students; the iPad app is just the beginning according to their founder and product management.

With impressive built-in features, great customer service, strong vision and inspiring product roadmap, MagicalPad™ has already won the hearts of thousands of users in the first week only. “MagicalPad is poised to top the charts from looking at the overwhelming response, record downloads and huge positive feedback we received so far. I think we’re off to a good start,” said Bouchra Benchekroun, product manager with MagicalPad.

MagicalPad™ is available today globally for a very special introductory price $0.99 only and may be purchased through iTunes.

Please visit http://www.magicalpad.com for more information.
You can also view a quick video demo on YouTube.

About MagicalPad

MagicalPad is a Massachusetts based start-up provider of innovative mobile and web-based applications for visually organizing and managing information and ideas to drive structured thinking, spark creativity, and enhance business innovation and team effectiveness.

Distinguishing themselves as the leaders in the field of web-based autism treatment, Rethink Autism has been honored in 2011 by a wide range of education, technology and business organizations, including the Arizona State University Education Innovation Summit, the Software & Information Industry Association, the Interactive Media Awards, the American Business Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“In developing the Rethink Autism platform we worked with leaders in the field of autism treatment and research, educators and parents of children with autism to create a platform that is as easy to use as it is powerful,” said Daniel Etra, Co-founder and CEO. “With users in schools, organizations, government agencies, universities and homes in almost all 50 states, as well as 26 countries, we truly have made clinical best practices accessible to anyone worldwide. We’re very proud to be honored by so many esteemed organizations for our work.”

• Of the 10 honored companies at the Arizona State University’s Education Innovation Summit, Rethink Autism won Best in Class Curriculum for its research-based library of over 1,200 video teaching steps, parent and staff training modules, assessment tools, and automated data reporting and progress tracking features.
• At the 2011 CODiE Awards, Rethink Autism was honored as the Best Instructional Solution for Special Needs Students by third party judges and members of the twenty-six-year-old Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA).
• At the Interactive Media Awards, Rethink Autism not only won the Best in Class, Education Award, it also took home the Best in Class Website in the Healthcare category.
• Governed by a board of distinguished judges and advisors, The American Business Association honored Rethink Autism with the title of Best Website in their Health Products & Services category.
• Chosen above thousands of businesses from across the nation this May, Rethink Autism was honored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce‘s Small Business Summit and named one of the 25 Free Enterprise Honorees. Companies were selected for their dedication to strong business practices and their roles in enhancing the economy.

To learn more about Arizona State University’s Education Innovation Summit, visit the organization’s home page: http://edinnovation.asu.edu/

To learn more about the SIIA CODiE Awards, visit the organization’s home page: http://www.siia.net/codies/2011/

To learn more about the Interactive Media Awards, visit the organization’s home page: http://www.interactivemediaawards.com/

To learn more about the American Business Awards, visit the organization’s home page: http://www.stevieawards.com/aba/

To learn more about the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Summit, visit the organization’s home page: http://www.uschambersummit.com

About Rethink Autism (http://www.rethinkautism.com)

Rethink Autism, Inc. seeks to ensure that every child on the autism spectrum has access to effective and affordable evidence-based treatment options by providing professionals, parents, and family members with the tools and information necessary to teach children with autism in a way that is easy to understand and apply. Rethink Autism was founded in 2007 and has its headquarters at 19 West 21st Street in New York City.
Contact:

Jamie Pagliaro
Executive Vice President, Rethink Autism
jamie@rethinkautism.com
ph: 646-257-2919

Pacific Oaks College & Children’s School—known for its premiere programs in early childhood education, human development, and marital and family therapy—is expanding its unique model of education across K–12 by launching the nation’s newest School of Education. The school, which begins its first classes this month, will be home to Pacific Oaks’ nationally recognized curriculum in early childhood education plus proposed new program areas dedicated to teacher education, special education, and educational leadership.

Leading the school as its founding dean is Dr. Carl Kalani Beyer, a 43-year education veteran who has worked as a public school teacher, coach, mentor, professor, and higher education administrator. “Our approach to teacher training is to not look at children and adolescents as empty vessels waiting to be filled with knowledge, but to honor the whole child; to recognize the experiences, skills, and cultural awareness that each brings  to the classroom.”

The Pacific Oaks School of Education arrives at a critical time for teaching and learning in California. According to a 2010 report by the nonprofit Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, the nation’s most populous state is facing a shortfall of qualified educators, which will only amplify by decade’s end. The report showed that the number of teachers in California is dipping to the lowest level in a decade. Meanwhile, more than 30 percent of the state’s work force, including teachers, is approaching retirement age.

According to Dr. Linda Clowers, Pacific Oaks’ new vice president of academic affairs, the School of Education positions the college, and its home town of Pasadena, as a part of the solution for preparing teachers to face profound changes and demands ahead for the state’s education system.

“It is our goal to not just contribute to the pipeline of excellent and qualified educators,” said Dr. Clowers, “but to draw from the legacy of Pacific Oaks to graduate educators prepared to excel in multicultural classrooms and in school districts challenged by limited resources, yet high expectations.”

The school’s current programs include bachelor’s degrees in early childhood education with the option of a multiple subject credential to teach in California or dual credential; an M.A. in Education with Preliminary Multiple Subject Credential (CA); an M.A. in Early Childhood Education; and a Preliminary Educational Specialist Credential, Mild/Moderate (CA).

“Our mission is to advance a model of education devoted to learning how to be leaders in promoting social justice and act as culturally intelligent agents of change while serving diverse communities,” said Dr. Beyer. “We wish to do this first in the greater Los Angeles area, then all of California, and finally, expanding nationally and internationally.”

The school’s growth plan includes additional online special education credentialing programs and a master’s degree focused on education administration. With a commitment to access, the Pacific Oaks Board of Trustees acted to counter trends in higher education and voted this year to lower tuition for the School of Education’s bachelor’s completion programs plus endorsed offering offsite cohort tuition reductions.

“In the face of other higher education institutions raising tuition, we made a commitment this academic year to open our college to more students by lowering our cost of attendance,” said Board Chair Dorothy Farris. “Every little bit helps and we want to make the teaching profession accessible and open to anybody who wants to make a lasting contribution to their community by choosing to become a professional educator.”

About Pacific Oaks College & Children’s School

Pacific Oaks College and the Children’s School have played a crucial role in the development of early childhood education inthe United States for more than a half century. Founded in 1959 by a small group of Quaker families, Pacific Oaks College is dedicated to the fundamental Quaker principles of inclusion, social justice, and the valuing of every human being. The College’s faculty has developed innovative curriculum and tools that are widely used in early childhood and teacher training programs—both in the U.S. and throughout the world. Pacific Oaks is well-known for its leadership in a learning-through-play curriculum, and for the ground-breaking anti-bias curriculum that has been implemented in schools throughout the country and is often required reading in early childhood teacher training courses.

An accredited nonprofit institution, Pacific Oaks College offers bachelor’s, master’s, and certificate programs in early childhood education, human development, counseling, and teaching credentialing.

Founded in 1945, the Children’s School is widely recognized today as one of the finest preschools in the nation.

For more information, see www.pacificoaks.edu. Follow Pacific Oaks College & Children’s School on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pacificoaks.

CONTACT: Matthew Nehmer
(312) 329-6672
mnehmer@tcsedsystem.edu

Media-X Systems is excited to announce that their new product offering for Apple iPad, eStudent, is now available.

“We have been showcasing eStudent all year at trade shows, presentations and meetings and are so excited with the feedback and reaction from our clients and the people that we have met” said Bonnie Homewood, Manager of Client Services for Media-X. “Many educators are excited about the effective and engaging nature of new technology, and now eStudent brings them a simple, effective tool for engaging their students using iPad devices either on a one-to-one basis or in an iPad lab environment.”

eStudent opens the door to interactive group collaboration within the classroom for problem solving and higher order thinking activities. It also offers flexible, fast content creation for lessons with the ability to push them out and interact with students in real-time. Key features of the program include: group or private chats monitored by the instructor, group collaboration, media distribution, real-time and offline lessons and quizzes, self-reporting and reflection, learning journals, homework notes, calendars, reminders and more.

“I’m impressed by how easy it is to put my own content in the program and differentiate my lessons and resources sent to students using groups” said a teacher in a recent presentation. “I also love the chat component, which will allow my students to interact with me and each other in a format that they currently use, yet still allow me to monitor their usage to ensure a safe and productive classroom.”

Media-X will be demonstrating eStudent and seeking feedback in several locations including: Long Island BOCES, Oct 18 and ECOO in Richmond Hill October 20-22, 2011.

MORE INFORMATION

Steve Moretti, steve(at)media-x(dot)com, 613-722-9990 ext. 106
Bonnie Homewoo, bonnie(at)media-x(dot)com, 613-722-9990 ext. 113

Media-X Systems, founded in 1996, is a software development company providing innovative products and services to over 800 K-12 school districts in the US and Canada. Media-X technology is also used to power solutions from a variety of strategic partners.

OnlineSchools.com, a digital resource for online education from kindergarten to graduate school, today announced the launch of a brand new content series which focuses on how social media and technology have transformed the way bullying occurs in schools. As part of the series, the site launched a new infographic “Tormenting Teachers,” which illustrates how cyberbullying doesn’t only occur between students but that teachers are victims, as well. Citing statistics from stories done by USA Today and BBC News, the infographic shows that while 35 percent of teachers say they have been bullied, only three states have anti-bullying laws that protect teachers. Moreover, 23 percent of those bullying are parents.

“When they hear reports of cyberbullying, most people think it must be between two students,” said OnlineSchools.com spokesperson Seth Restaino. “But the sad realization is that the advancement of technology and social media has made it easier to bully teachers as well. This new infographic has some eye-opening statistics that will show just how painfully cyberbullying has evolved.”

Emerging technology has made it easy for students and their parents to be creative in their bullying –from secretly recording teachers in the classroom to posting slanderous and personal insults on teacher review sites. To make matters worse, the schools seem either unaware or unwilling to help teachers who are the victims of bullying. According to the infographic, in 70 percent of cases where a teacher has been bullied, senior management offers “little or no useful help,” and 75 percent of teachers say they need more help combating bullying.

“The statistics make it clear that teachers are being bullied more often, and the problem is being ignored for the most part,” Restaino said. “This is an issue that’s not going away and hopefully this infographic can help raise awareness so we can begin to get these teachers the help they need.”

Among the upcoming pieces of content in this series will be an interactive video feature that will highlight some recent and more prominent examples of teachers being cyberbullied. To find more information on this infographic and other education news, follow @OnlineSchools on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

About OnlineSchools.com

Launched in 2011, OnlineSchools.com provides a comprehensive directory of accredited schools serving current and potential online students at every grade level. The site advocates online learning and supports parents and students as they progress from one educational decision point to the next. OnlineSchools.com is owned and operated by QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ: QNST), one of the largest Internet marketing and media companies in the world. QuinStreet is committed to providing consumers and businesses with the information they need to research, find and select the products, services and brands that best meet their needs. The company is a leader in protecting Internet visitor privacy and in ethical marketing practices. For more information, please visit QuinStreet.com.

On Saturday, September 3, ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot debuted the show’s opening sequence which was filmed on location at Full Sail University and features multi-platinum country superstars Big & Rich, alongside Cowboy Troy, performing their hit song, ‘Comin’ To Your City.’ This year marks the 25th season for ESPN’s College GameDay, which aired live from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, beginning at 9 a.m. ET on ESPNU and from 10-noon on ESPN.

The production, which consisted of a multiple day setup and live video shoot to support ESPN College GameDay’s opening sequence, was held in June 2011 at Full Sail Studios’ backlot on the university’s campus. During the taping current students participated in various opportunities to receive hands-on experience by working alongside ESPN professionals. This collaboration was part of the ongoing Full Sail University Sports Lab powered by ESPN initiative that was co-launched on the school’s campus late last year.

“When considering a host location for the shoot, Full Sail University was a natural choice because of our evolving relationship with the school,” said David Saphirstein, Director Creative Technology, ESPN. “We knew we wanted a unique setting where we could have the genuine feel of a university, live performance capabilities, and a one-of-a-kind film backlot where we could produce an ESPN caliber production. We ultimately knew that we would have a motivated and eager group of students focused on learning professional production protocol.”

While facets of ESPN’s College GameDay opening remained consistent with past years’ performances, special aspects of this year’s production were revealed to audiences nationwide during the shows premiere including the addition of new analyst and contributor David Pollack. The three-time Emmy-Award winning program will once again feature host Chris Fowler and analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard during the 10-noon hours on ESPN.

“It was an honor for Full Sail to be able to host ESPN for their College GameDay opening sequence shoot and we look forward to more collaborations in the future as part of our Sports Lab initiative,” said Erik Noteboom, Full Sail’s Vice President of Education Operations. “The professionals from ESPN inspired our students and moved through the production with educational spirit and purpose.”

About ESPN Technology:

ESPN Technology develops the ideas and applications that bring the fan closer to the game with new, innovative production enhancements. ESPN’s technology team designed and supports two of the most technologically-advanced production centers in the world, the Digital Center in Bristol, Conn. and the Los Angeles Production Center which is the first 1080p capable production facility. In addition, the Emerging Technology Group has developed many on-air advancements over the past 30 years, including ESPN 3D, virtual graphics applications, Huck-O-Meter, and the Emmy-winning EA Virtual Playbook.

About Full Sail University:

Full Sail University is an award-winning educational leader for those pursuing careers in the entertainment and media industry. Founded in 1979, Full Sail has been recognized as one of the Top Five Game Degree Programs by Electronic Gaming Monthly, one of the Best Music Programs by Rolling Stone Magazine, and one of the Best Film Programs by UNleashed Magazine. In 2011, Full Sail received the “21st Century Best Practices in Distance Learning Award” from the United States Distance Learning Association, was named the “School/College of the Year” by the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges, and was recognized as one of the Top 100 Social Media Colleges by Studentadvisor.com.

Full Sail offers Master, Bachelor, and Associate campus and online degree programs in areas related to animation, art, business, education, graphic design, film, marketing, web development, music, recording arts, sports, and video games. Full Sail graduate credits include work on OSCAR®, Emmy®, GRAMMY®, ADDY®, MTV Video Music Award, and Spike Video Game Award nominated and winning projects.

http://www.fullsail.edu
http://www.twitter.com/fullsailupdate
http://www.facebook.com/fullsailuniversity

Imagine Learning has released a significant upgrade to Bookster™, an interactive reading app for kids. The popular app was designed to entertain young readers while helping them develop reading skills. The app now features a bookshelf with eight new books and is available for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, as well as Android devices.

Bookster is a read-along storytelling app that not only reads to kids but also records and plays their voices—all while teaching vocabulary. With turnable pages, a read-along mode that highlights words as they’re read aloud, and an easy-to-use interface, Bookster is designed to make reading fun and easy for even the youngest of learners.

The upgraded version of Bookster features nine books filled with dynamic artwork from acclaimed artists, including New York Times bestselling illustrator Maryn Roos. New page previews and story summaries allow users to preview books before adding them to their bookshelves. The app can be downloaded for free through iTunes, the Android Market, or the Amazon Appstore for Android. More books will be added to the app in the coming months.

Imagine Learning, best known for its award-winning language and literacy software solution, Imagine Learning English, sees mobile applications as another way to deliver engaging, effective literacy instruction to children.

“Kids naturally love to explore picture books, but today’s mobile devices invite an even higher level of engagement,” said Clydie Wakefield, executive director of curriculum development. “With Bookster, kids can touch the words on the screen and hear them read again, turn pages, listen to a narrator and even become narrators themselves by recording their own voices. In the process, they learn print concepts, expand their vocabulary and develop a love of reading.”

The app was designed with both children and educators in mind, said Derek Dobson, director of product management at Imagine Learning. “Bookster is a wonderful app for both home and school use,” said Dobson. “More and more classrooms are implementing mobile devices like iPads and iPods as part of the curriculum, and we are working to meet schools’ technology needs by supplying them with quality content that is both educational and engaging.”

In a review on iPad Curriculum, a website that spotlights top educational iPad applications and practices, Edublog award-winner Kelly Tenkely identified Bookster as a valuable tool for helping students develop fluency.

Tenkely noted that giving students feedback on proper pronunciation and enunciation can be a challenge. Bookster helps teachers provide better feedback by enabling students to “play back their recording and compare what they recorded with the prerecorded narration, hearing the difference for themselves,” Tenkely wrote.

About Bookster

Designed by educators to help kids of all ages develop literacy skills, Bookster makes beginning to recognize and read new words fun and easy for even the youngest of readers.

Your kids will love Bookster’s

• Entertaining illustrations
• Engaging narration by kids their age
• Read-and-record mode that records as they (or you) read out loud
• Listen-to-recording mode that reads the book with their narration
• Read-along mode that highlights words as they are read aloud, teaching word recognition and vocabulary
• Easy-to-use interface
• Turnable pages that let them move at their own pace
• Interactive pages with tappable words

Recent data from the Consumer Price Index indicates the financial burden of tuition and fees has increased two-fold in the past decade, surpassing inflation when compared to goods, health care, housing and energy costs. Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Prepaid College Board remind families September is College Savings Month in the State of Florida and now is the best time for families to take advantage of easy and smart ways to save for their children’s college education.

“Getting a good education is one of the most important things a person can do,” said Governor Rick Scott. “It enriches your life and opens up opportunities. It also helps keep our workforce competitive and our economy strong. That’s why it’s so important to plan ahead and participate in a college savings plan that makes sense for your child’s education.”

Surveys consistently show parents using 529 college savings plans, tax-sheltered college savings tools, are more successful savers than those without them. Florida Prepaid offers two 529 plan options: the Florida Prepaid College Plans and the Florida College Investment Plan. Open enrollment to lock in this year’s prepaid plan prices starts October 17, 2011.

Recent figures from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York show that since 1999, outstanding student loan debt has grown by more than 511 percent. “Florida Prepaid plan options allow families to plan ahead for their children’s education, helping avoid the huge burden of college debt that many graduates deal with years after earning their degrees,” said Florida Prepaid College Board Chairman Duane Ottenstroer. “There is no better time than now to start preparing and saving for your child’s college education.”

The Florida Prepaid College Board encourages families to research their college savings options this month and wants to dispel a few common savings misconceptions:

Myth: If our family leaves Florida, then the money in a Florida college savings plan can’t be used at colleges in other states.

Fact: The full value of a Florida Prepaid College Plan, what would be paid to a Florida public university or Florida college, can be transferred to most out-of-state or private colleges. A Florida College Investment Plan can be used to cover any qualified higher education costs at accredited colleges, universities and graduate schools throughout the U.S.

Myth: If my child receives a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, it would be a waste of money to have purchased a Florida Prepaid College Plan.

Fact: Starting last fall, Bright Futures no longer covers the full cost of tuition. Most students who have both a Prepaid College Plan and Bright Futures are able to more fully cover the costs of college because the two can be used together. In addition, all students are not academically eligible for Bright Futures, and they must maintain a certain GPA in college to keep the scholarship.

Myth: Having a tax-free 529 college savings plan will significantly affect my child’s eligibility to receive financial aid.

Fact: Section 529 college savings plans are considered assets of the account owner, not the beneficiary, so there is a low impact on a student’s financial aid eligibility.

Myth: I lose control over the assets in my Florida Prepaid College Plans if my child does not attend college.

Fact: If the beneficiary of either the Prepaid College Plan or College Investment Plan decides not to attend college, the plan may be transferred to another member of the beneficiary’s family. Or, families can receive full refunds.

Myth: There’s no need to purchase a 529 college savings plan, since my family could just save monthly for a college education without one.

Fact: 529 plans, like Florida’s Prepaid College Plan and College Investment Plan, are tax-free under the federal Internal Revenue Code, which means the earnings will not be taxed as long as the money is spent on college-related costs.

Additionally, the Florida Prepaid College Plan is financially guaranteed by the State of Florida*, so you don’t have to worry about losing your money and can get a refund at any time, for any reason. The state guarantees plans will cover all promised tuition, housing or fees at the time a student attends college.

More information on Florida Prepaid College Plans is available at http://www.myfloridaprepaid.com or by calling 1-800-552-GRAD (4723).

*The Florida Prepaid College Board does not provide tax or investment advice regarding its Prepaid College Plan or its College Investment Plan. The Florida Prepaid College Plan may not cover certain imposed fees by state universities and state colleges. The Florida College Investment Plan is subject to market conditions.

Please carefully review the Disclosure Statement and Participation Agreement and consult with your advisor(s) about risks before investing in your child’s education.

The UTI Foundation and AutoZone are joining forces to change the world one life at a time by launching the first scholarship program to support UTI students seeking a career in the automotive retail industry.  One $2,000 scholarship will be awarded each quarter ($8,000 annually) to deserving students who demonstrate impressive leadership, community involvement and work experience through a competitive application process that includes a personal essay and letter of recommendation.

“We are always so pleased when an industry partner makes the extra effort to help make our students’ dreams become a reality,” said Veronica Meury, vice president and executive director of the UTI Foundation. “AutoZone’s participation in this scholarship program shows how invested they are in the next generation of automotive technicians.”

The application deadlines for each award cycle are, Oct. 15, Jan. 15, April 15 and July 15, with the inaugural scholarship being awarded soon after the October 15, 2011 deadline. In addition to the required personal essay and recommendation letter, an applicant must be a current UTI student in good standing and maintain a 2.5 GPA and 95 percent attendance record.

“The UTI Foundation works tirelessly to change the lives of UTI students,” said Ann Morgan, Vice President of Human Resources for AutoZone, “It is our pleasure to contribute to the success of UTI students who could one day, if we’re lucky, become great AutoZoners.”

To learn more about the newest scholarship offering from the UTI Foundation, as well as other scholarship opportunities, visit www.utifoundation.net.

About UTI Foundation:

The UTI Foundation, a 501(c)(3) Arizona nonprofit, is the umbrella organization for all Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) not-for-profit initiatives and is dedicated to raising funds to support and encourage technical education for the automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, marine, NASCAR  and other transportation industries through scholarships, grants, career development and other special programs.  For more information, visit www.utifoundation.net.

About AutoZone:

As of May 7, 2011, AutoZone sells auto and light truck parts, chemicals and accessories through 4,467 AutoZone stores in 48 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and 261 stores in Mexico.

AutoZone is the leading retailer and a leading distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States. Each store carries an extensive product line for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products.  Many stores also have a commercial sales program that provides commercial credit and prompt delivery of parts and other products to local, regional and national repair garages, dealers, service stations, and public sector accounts.  AutoZone also sells the ALLDATA brand diagnostic and repair software through www.alldata.com. Additionally, we sell automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, non-automotive products and subscriptions to the ALLDATAdiy product through www.autozone.com, and our commercial customers can make purchases through www.autozonepro.com. AutoZone does not derive revenue from automotive repair or installation.

On Tuesday, September 6th, John White, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rural Outreach in the U.S. Department of Education, will join College For Every Student (CFES) President Rick Dalton in visiting three schools — Willsboro Central, Crown Point, and Ticonderoga Middle — that have each been recognized by CFES as a “School of Distinction” for their efforts in creating high levels of college awareness and aspirations among their students.

As part of United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s annual back-to-school bus tour, Mr. White will tour rural schools from New York to Wisconsin. This year’s theme is “Education and the Economy: Investing in Our Future.”

“Nationally, rural students are least likely to go to college, and many rural areas need more skilled workers and entrepreneurs to revitalize and reinvent their local economies,” said Mr. White. “Locally and globally, we must educate our way to a better economy. By increasing access to college and other postsecondary career training opportunities, schools are preparing students to become the next generation of community and industry leaders in the Adirondacks.”

The purpose of Mr. White’s visit to the Adirondacks is to highlight the need for rural students in New York State to have access to college and career-training opportunities, and to learn more about the success of three Adirondack schools that work with CFES in moving underserved students toward college success.

CFES is a nonprofit organization that prepares underserved students in rural and urban areas for academic success in college. A 2010 report prepared by Edward St. John at the University of Michigan found that CFES gave rural students “a new reality” by helping them “imagine themselves in college because they could understand the options available.”

Some of the activities and programs that have earned the Adirondack schools the CFES “School of Distinction” honor include:

Crown Point

• School-wide Teachers as Mentors Program
• Annual CFES College Rally
• Bullying Prevention Program

Ticonderoga

• Cultural Exchange with Hawaii Schools
• College Mentoring Program with Castleton State and Middlebury Colleges
• Community Service Leadership Initiative

Willsboro

• Community Mentoring Program
• College Visit for All Students in Grades 6-11
• “Academy” Approach to Learning for Grades 4-6

“CFES has a rich history working with low-income students in rural communities to help them get on a path to college graduation,” said Mr. Dalton. “Over the next five years, we are further committing our expertise and energy to become the country’s pre-eminent organization in helping deserving rural youth succeed in college.”

CFES is a nonprofit organization located in Essex, NY, and Cornwall, VT, that has created college-access partnerships with more than 500 schools across the country serving more than 100,000 students. For more information, please visit www.collegefes.org, or call 518-963-4500.

Follett Higher Education Group is doubling the number of textbook titles available through its Rent-A-Text program this fall and launching a new version of CafeScribe® that gives students access to smarter digital textbooks. Through both programs, students across the country can save 50 percent or more when they purchase rental or digital books from Follett’s online or on campus bookstores.

“Student loans are now the largest category of unsecured debt in America, even surpassing credit cards,” said Tom Christopher, President of Follett Higher Education Group. “To help reduce the costs associated with higher education, we’re focused on delivering a spectrum of affordable choices so every student can be successful in the classroom.”

Rental is King for Savings

Follett’s Rent-A-Text provides savings of 50 percent or more compared to new textbook prices and has already saved students more than $130 million in just one academic year. By making more titles available, Follett expects to save students more than$200 million across its rental offerings during the 2011 academic year.

The program gives students the freedom to highlight and take notes all within the normal wear and tear associated with course work. It also allows students to apply their extra savings to other supplies and materials they need to be successful in the classroom.

Since launching Rent-A-Text in fall 2010, the company successfully implemented the program at more than 800 Follett-managed bookstores and its entire network of Canadian partners. The company’s strong footprint makes it the largest in-store and online rental provider in the industry. Students have expressed strong support for the program with 99 percent saying they would rent again from the bookstore.

CafeScribe Digital Textbooks

This fall, Follett announced a new version of its CafeScribe platform that makes digital textbooks smarter with better study tools, more accessibility on different types of devices and more book titles than ever before. CafeScribe digital textbooks are typically 40-60 percent less than the cost of a new textbook.

The enhanced product makes it easier to read, take notes, highlight and search within the digital textbooks. Students aren’t tied to a specific device and can read and study on Macs, PCs and most web-enabled devices like tablets and smartphones. Additionally, students have access to innovative technology for social note sharing, which allows them to swap their notes with peers and professors all within their textbooks.

CafeScribe digital textbooks are available at CafeScribe.com, Follett campus stores, independently managed bookstores and through efollett.com, the most visited-collegiate ecommerce site. To provide students the opportunity to experiment with digital for free, Follett is offering three day trials for most CafeScribe titles. The company created the Try Now, Buy Later program because it found that after using digital textbooks, two-thirds of students prefer the option to print.

Range of Purchasing Options

Follett also gives students more choices when it comes to how they pay for their course materials. The company allows students to pay for their books and supplies with financial aid and campus cards, which many online retailers do not. Follett’s network of campus stores offer greater convenience and reliability because students can either purchase their materials in-store or on efollett.com with store pick-up.

“By creating additional savings opportunities for students, rental and digital options are bringing customers back to campus stores,” said Christopher. “Our sell-through data tells us that this strategy is working and we’re optimistic it will continue to increase sales.”

“must have that STASH”

Follett is offering another opportunity for students to save even more on textbooks this fall with a text-to-win promotion called “must have that STASH.” Drawing on college student and pop culture’s rekindled love of all-things mustached, the contest asks students to text message a unique keyword, found on mustache game pieces available at Follett’s U.S. campus bookstores that offer Rent-A-Text, to TEXTBK. Participants will receive a text back with a game code which can be entered at musthavethatstash.com for a chance to instantly win $1,000 in cash, or a semester of textbooks from Follett, plus over 2,500 instant win gift cards to popular retailers, restaurants, and airlines.

For another chance to win, students can take photos of themselves sporting a mustache including the wearable mustache decal found on the game piece and post their photos to Facebook.com/Rent-A-Text. Visitors to the Rent-A-Text Facebook page will vote on their favorites, and the winner will receive $500 bookstore gift card to any bookstore operated by Follett. The second place runner up will receive a $250 bookstore gift card and the next 50 runner-ups will receive a “I ‘mustache’ you a question?” t-shirt. The contest runs until Sept. 30, 2011.

For the most up-to-date list of Follett-managed campuses and virtual bookstores offering Rent-A-Text, visit www.rent-a-text.com. For more information on CafeScribe, visit www.cafescribe.com.

About Follett Higher Education Group

Follett Higher Education Group of Oak Brook, Illinois, is the leading provider of bookstore services and the foremost supplier of used books in North America. Follett services five million students and over 400,000 faculty members through more than 850 stores. Follett also services more than 1,600 independent campus stores with its wholesale services, and has the most visited ecommerce collegiate website, efollett.com, that provides services and products through a network of more than 900 campus stores.

About Follett Corporation

Follett Corporation is a $2.7 billion, privately-held company that provides products, services and solutions to the educational marketplace. Follett Corporation was founded in 1873, and today is headquartered in River Grove, Illinois.

It makes for great and frightening TV, and now it’s a real-world lesson in physics. Scientists and engineers regularly hurtle new vehicles head-on into barriers and thrust heavy battering rams into driver’s side doors. We’ve all seen the scary results on news programs and TV commercials.

But today, students everywhere are getting a “crash course” in the science of physics, with controlled car collisions a dramatic and inescapably instructional part of the new curriculum. It was developed by The JASON Project in partnership with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

IIHS crash tests are the jumping-off point for 4th-10th grade students to learn concepts such as velocity, acceleration, and momentum. To help create the curriculum, a team of internationally selected students and teachers from The JASON Project traveled to the IIHS test facility in Ruckersville, Va. to witness crash tests and work with research engineers who are applying the laws of physics to better understand – and mitigate – what happens in collisions.

IIHS provided senior research engineer Matt Brumbelow and others to help develop the science unit. Brumbelow and the JASON students and teachers who participated in the research are featured in the curriculum, Terminal Velocity, which was released worldwide in August.

The JASON Project, named for the mythological Greek explorer, is the only program that links students – inside the classroom and out – directly to leading scientists engaged in cutting-edge research. Its rigorous, standards-based classroom curricula are developed in collaboration with IIHS as well as National Geographic Society, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), NASA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories, Smithsonian Institution and others.

“The most exciting part for me was the roof crush test, where a huge pressure source pushed on the corner of a gleaming new sedan until the car crumpled,” said Aubrey Gonzalez, a high school junior from Harvest, Ala.

“You could hear a crackling sound like little explosions, and then the back window blew out and the side windows ruptured, spraying glass everywhere. It was awe-inspiring and frightening to see something so strong crumple like that.”

“The JASON Project brings science alive for young people,” said IIHS President Adrian Lund. “We wanted to be a part of the program because of its fundamental goal of demonstrating how scientific principles can be applied to real-world problems like motor vehicle crashes to make a difference and save lives.”

“JASON’s success is achieved through partnerships, and we are grateful to IIHS for helping us make physics engaging, meaningful, and accessible for millions of students,” said Dr. Stephen M. Coan, CEO of The JASON Project. “The focus on driver safety only heightens the importance of this curriculum, and we look forward to continuing our work with IIHS in the months and years ahead.”

JASON’s nationally acclaimed curricula feature year-round interactions with scientists; online simulations, games, videos and social media; and hands-on labs and field assignments. Its Immersion Learning program creates complementary academic enrichment programs for youth in after school, mentoring, and summer science camps in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Air Force, Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, as well as museums and aquariums throughout the world.

Together, JASON and Immersion reach over 1.5 million students and teachers annually, and general audiences of six million. Independent evaluations show that the programs have a significant impact on student academic achievement and teacher effectiveness.

About The JASON Project

The JASON Project is an independent 501(c)(3) managed by National Geographic Society in association with Sea Research Foundation, Inc. More than 11 million students and teachers have participated in the program since its founding in 1989 by Dr. Robert D. Ballard, the renowned oceanographer, explorer and scientist. JASON is based at The George Washington University Science and Technology Campus in Ashburn, Va.

About the Insurance for Institute for Highway Safety

IIHS is a nonprofit organization funded wholly by automobile insurance companies dedicated to reducing deaths, injuries, and property damage that result from crashes on the nation’s roads. Its research focuses on three main areas: human factors, or preventing crashes by changing driver behavior; vehicle factors, or reducing deaths and injuries by improving vehicle safety engineering; and environmental factors, or changing roadway design to reduce crashes.

Have you ever considered attending a bartending school? Contrary to popular belief, bartending schools are still regarded as one of the most useful processes for upcoming bartenders. These bartending schools, despite what some bartenders may state, are considered by those hiring and do in fact make quite the difference. A 100 person survey done by BeABartender.com claims an astonishing 86% job placement rate within 45 days of completing the course. BeABartender.com conducted the survey following a spike in online registrations.

Bartending school will not only help you get confidence needed to get a job, but anyone can use them, at any time. According to BeABartender.com, recreational use has also increased. Over 25% of those who took the survey claim the reason for signing up was for personal interest rather than a new job or career choice. One of these graduates, John Paige, stated, “I originally took the course because I wanted to make drinks for friends during our parties, but soon after graduating I also needed to find employment. Using the knowledge I had learned I aced an interview, which included making a few drinks. I had a new, fun and well paying job behind the bar before the college semester even started.”

An issue with a hands on bartending school, especially for college students, is the cost and flexible schedules.Online bartending school, like BeABartender.com, offer an option to complete the course “at your own pace”. This allows anyone to complete the course, chapter by chapter. The cost for online schools is dramatically lower than the in person counterparts. In-class courses cost upwards of $500 whereas an bartending school online such as BeABartender.com is a fraction of the cost. BeABartender.com offers job placement within the users area, a plethora of tutorial videos and an online store to purchase any utensils that help expedite the learning process. This helps ensure that taking the class online is far more convenient, yet offers the same education as in-class options.

Just like many colleges are now allowing courses online, many trade and certification courses are doing the same. This online bartending school is refining their services and allow participants to feel the entire experience in a cost effective way. With their offerings, you can receive everything a normal brick and mortar class offers – minus the high cost and inconvenient hours.

Check out BeABartender.com if you’ve ever considered an online course to help you brush up on skills or get a new full or part-time job. Alternatively, as Taylor Davis said, “When I was done I was able to get a bartending job and do what I enjoyed doing most, make money and impress my friends.”

Summer is dying down but that doesn’t mean the jobs are. With holidays around the corner, experience is what you need, school is about to start, college students need jobs, and everyone needs cash. The economy may be down- but bartending jobs are on the rise and have historically been a steady job in all types of economic situations with high pay nights and great atmospheres for most people. Look into bartending courses online and let the money and fun roll in.