Category Archives: Education Resources

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Back to School Made Easy by the Book People

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Specialist online book shop the Book People has created a blog post which gives its readers their top five recommended resources when it comes to getting the children back to school.

As well as providing a huge selection of the best children’s books and reference books for kids, the Book People aims to be a useful resource for parents, teachers, children and avid readers alike. The latest blog post, which went live this morning, includes a snippet about each website included in the list so that the reader is given a taster of why it has been chosen and why they might find it useful to read before the new term begins, and afterwards.

The blog post includes websites that offer useful reading tips, fun ways to get reluctant readers interested, shopping guides to ensure the kids are prepared and how to prepare for the first days of school or nursery.

Previous blog posts from the Book People have included Top 10 travel advice blogs and Top 10 book review sites, and those sites that are included often receive an eye-catching winner’s badge to put on their homepage. The Book People offers affordable books to buy online and organises its range into age groups, genres and much more to make it easy for customers to find and order the books they want.

Via EPR Network
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eReader Is Just The Tonic For Winning Science Student Leonie

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FindAMasters and FindAPhD.com have just announced the first winner of a new prize draw to win an amazing Amazon Kindle eReader.

Leonie Stimson, currently a BSc student in Human Biosciences at the University of Northampton, was chosen from among all those who signed up to receive FindAMasters’ and FindAPhD’s latest newsletter, packed with information about postgraduate courses all over the UK.

When told of her success, Leonie said: “Thank you! I’m generally not a lucky person.”

She signed up to FindAMasters and FindAPhD to help her decide which path to take for her postgraduate studies, and said that the helpfulness of all her current teaching staff at the University of Northampton had persuaded her to consider this option.

Leonie said: “I love the idea of having a specific research project that you study in depth that as a result will increase my knowledge of the subject area as well as hopefully adding to the information which is already available to others on the topic.

“I hope it will eventually open many doors into a career in biosciences,” she added.

Leonie said that she had made considerable use of FindAPhD.com since signing up to the website.

“The regular updates are very useful in giving information on new opportunities for PhDs, as well as tips on how to apply.

“It provides all the information anyone will need to pursue the chase to study for a PhD,” she said.

FindAPhD will be giving away another Kindle in the middle of next month. To be in with a chance of winning it, sign up to the newsletter at http://www.FindAPhD.com/Kindle.

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Texas Students To Receive State-Of-The-Art Supplemental Science Learning Materials

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Students from 5th through 12th grade will, this school year, have internet learning assistance to improve their science grades.

In June, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) had panels of assessors reviewing internet learning submissions from a number of companies. The subject matter review experts on these panels determined which submissions were compliant with the new science Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) statements, which include 5th through 8th grade as well as high school Biology, Chemistry, Physics and IPC. Following the reviews the Commissioner, Robert Scott, recommended a list for adoption by the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE). On July 22, 2011 the SBOE voted to adopt a number of submissions. From the adopted list, schools can elect to purchase access to the software that they feel will suit their students best.

For students, these interactive learning programs will include; virtual experiments, animated simulations and instantly marked assessments, all designed to motivate students to explore the world of science.

In the present economic climate it must be good news that this dynamic learning material is available to Texas students at a fraction of the cost of traditional textbooks.

One of the systems adopted has been created by Texas entrepreneur, Tim Brown.

Tim, the President of Technical Laboratory Systems, has funded a partnership between his Texas-based team and a world leading company in the design of e-learning materials, to produce learning programs for all eight grade levels that are totally compliant with the new science TEKS*.

It is Tim’s opinion that this new TEA initiative creates a real possibility that more Texas students will succeed in school science and then choose to follow careers in science, technology or engineering.

Tim says;

“As a provider of technical education equipment to Texas schools and colleges for more than thirty years, I have been saddened to see the decline in the number of quality students opting for careers in technology and engineering. Middle and High School science is the bedrock for college studies in science, technology and engineering. Science teachers, who do their utmost to motivate students, will find that difficult task so much easier with this software. It was a logical step for me to invest in new technology to improve the prospects of our young students. Here in Texas we have world leading companies in all the technological areas, if we cannot provide them with the skilled and innovative workforce that they require, they will be forced to go elsewhere.”

Academics have lobbied hard for our policymakers to address the state’s declining SAT scores and maybe their message is being heard. Perhaps this new initiative by the TEA will go some way to ease the concerns of many in Texas, that the present financial constraints will damage the prospects for our schoolchildren.

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Renewed Sponsorship Deals for Postgraduate Fair with FindaMasters.com & FindAPhD.com

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Following a successful year as official sponsors of the Manchester Careers Service Postgraduate Fair and the London Careers Group Postgraduate Study & MBA Fair, FindAMasters.com & FindAPhD.com are proud to announce a new three-year sponsorship deal with both organisations.

The deal sees FindAPhD & FindAMasters remain as the official sponsors of two of the largest postgraduate fairs in the country.

The fairs, attended by around 90 higher education institutions, provide an excellent forum for students to meet face to face with representatives to discuss all aspects of further study.

The deal is part of the group’s long term commitment to support postgraduate study, and help match students with courses from institutions in the UK and further afield.

Andy Pritchard, Managing Director at FindAMasters & FindAPhD commented; “We’re proud of our long association with the UK’s two most established postgraduate fairs, and these three-year sponsorship deals will allow us to invest in a long-term marketing programme to help ensure these events grow from strength to strength.”

Jan Hewitt, Fairs Organiser at The University of Manchester commented; “We are delighted FindAMasters & FindAPhD have agreed to sponsor the Postgraduate Study Fair in Manchester for the next three years. Their involvement last year added real value, the benefits being appreciated by visitors and exhibitors alike. We love the innovative ideas they bring to our publicity drive and they’re a dream to work with as our sponsors.”

Clare McSheaffrey, Head of Events at The Careers Group said; “I am delighted to renew our partnership with FindAMasters & FindAPhD as the main sponsors of our Postgraduate & MBA Fair in January. They helped to bring about a large increase in attendance at our 2011 fair, and provided a valuable service for student and graduate visitors, as well as the exhibitors. I look forward to a series of successful fairs over the next 3 years”

Via EPR Network
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Mimi Jett Joins Avant Assessment as VP Business Development for K-12 Education

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Avant Assessment, pioneer in web-based proficiency assessment, announces the appointment of Mimi Jett as Vice President of Business Development for K-12 Education.

Avant Assessment is pleased to announce the addition of Mimi Jett as Vice President of Business Development for K-12 Education to its leadership team. Ms. Jett brings more than 25 years of educational technology and corporate leadership experience to Avant as it expands its efforts in the personalized learning arena with new, authentic-evidence, competency-based learning support systems.

As VP of Business Development, Ms. Jett will focus on building channel partners, strategic partnerships, and alliances that promote Avant’s products and services in the K-12 market. As a member of the Executive Team, she will collaborate with product, marketing, sales, and technology teams on strategy and operational implementation of initiatives to bring competency focused solutions to the education market.

Prior to joining Avant, Ms. Jett was the General Manager of netTrekker, a leading provider in the organization and delivery of digital K-12 educational content and tools, where she led the development of new products and services. Her record of success also includes strategic management positions with Renaissance Learning and IBM Research, where she was appointed to the elite Institute for Advanced Learning leadership council. As an entrepreneur, Mimi Jett was the founder and CEO of Electronic Technical Publishing, leading delivery of advanced technology solutions to higher education publishers in the fields of mathematics and engineering. Ms. Jett was an elected delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business and served as the Technology Advisory Committee Chair for the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Ms. Jett serves on the Software & Information Industry Association’s Education Division Board of Directors, is co-chair of the Global Strategies working group, and a member of the Open Educational Resources working group. In addition, she sits on several industry advisory boards and acts as a mentor for innovative entrepreneurs.

“Ms. Jett has an extraordinary talent of expanding the impact of a company’s work through development of key partnerships”, said Mike Patterson, CEO, “and we at Avant are excited to apply that talent to our efforts in bringing a more personalized learning environment to every student.”

Via EPR Network
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Creative child awards ‘Wizarday- when our stuff went away’ 2011 game of the year

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Over 100 moms, educators and child psychologists reviewed new products, on behalf of Creative Child Magazine, to judge one product to be the best product of the year. They chose Wizarday to be the best product of 2011 at the“kid`s board game & social skills/self discovery” category.

This award comes after a prestige book review by Jim Cox of Midwest Book Review: ‘‘Scheduled around a ghostly holiday (Halloween), the events of Wizarday lead to fun-filled games and routine -related deals that somehow lead to smooth operations of daily routines and increased family harmony. How does all this work? It really is best to read the book, besides, it‘s more fun that way!……Parents of preadolescents will love Wizarday but they may have to wait their turn to read it‘‘.

Filled with fun characters and silly names, Wizarday consists of a hilarious fiction storybook with 3 corresponding board and card games. Game 1 follows the story as players race around the board in search of their lost routine. In game 2 each player finds a proper room for his opinion. And game 3? A quick card game to play on the go.

Reading and playing helps families facilitate their understanding of routines, preparing tweens for responsible adolescence. Old family values with 21st century skills – communication, collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving.
Age 8+ ● $37.5

Since its debut, Wizarday was awarded “The Toy Man Editor Choice Award” and “The Toy Man Seal of Approval”, for high value of potential cognitive/critical skill growth and overall improvement in an individual or group. In addition, Wizarday book received a 5 star rating in the “American Chronicle” children book review by Rhonda Fischer.

Toys N Tayls was founded by Dr. Sarah Itzhaki and Steven Tobias, Psyc. Its goal is to bring health awareness to the home through fun experiences. Each product has a book and corresponding game or toy, which targets a different kind of personal challenge. Through humorous stories and games, children ages 5 and up learn how to face daily challenges and discover ways than can conquer their fears, doubts and problems.

Visit the award-winning ToysNTayls at toysntayls.com for more information.

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Avant Assessment leaders’ experience on national language standards and assessment committees will support U.S. interests at the international level

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Avant Assessment CEO Mike Patterson has been appointed to lead U.S. delegates to the International Standards Organization TC232/WG2 (learning services for non-formal education and training technical committee workgroup focused on language learning services) meetings in Beijing, China this week.

Workgroup delegates to ISO TC232/WG2 represent over a dozen countries and have the task of ensuring that the views and positions of their country are known and understood by the committee. The goal of the international committee is to develop consensus and an international standard for providers of language learning services in the non-formal sector (outside the mainstream school and higher education curriculum).

Mike and Avant Vice President of Research and Assessment, Paul Tucker, have participated in three previous international meetings and have been delegates to the workgroup since its inception. Both bring critical experience to the U.S. delegation having served on the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Testing Committee which is a network of Federal, academic, private business and NGO language specialists and managers who share a common goal of improving the nation’s capacity to learn, teach and effectively use foreign languages in the national interests.

Additionally, Paul Tucker served as the Lead Writer for the ASTM Standards of Practice for language education and now chairs the testing subcommittee (F43.04) which is looking at differentiating standards per testing purpose. Mike Patterson served as a committee member at the U.S. Department of Education National Educational Technology Planning Sessions in 2003 and 2004, and has been actively involved with SIIA, CoSN, SIF, Software Association of Oregon and other industry organizations where he has served as a presenter and panelist at national and regional conferences.

“It is an honor to represent the interests of our country in the field of language acquisition” says Mike Patterson, Avant’s CEO. “As a country, we are a leader in developing thorough and rigorous standards on language training. It is important to the future of global communication that international standards meet or exceed those same standards. I look forward to these experiences working with colleagues from around the world on common goals. They are as rewarding as they are educational and challenging.”

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USElectionNews.org, Formerly 2012ElectionNews.com, Provides Voters With A Balanced View Of The Issues And Actions Taking Place On A Daily Basis

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The popular U.S. election news website, 2012 Election News, has officially changed its name. Jillian Curtin, Editor-in-Chief of 2012ElectionNews.com has announced that the website has changed its name and URL to USElectionNews.org, to provide an accurate reflection of its ongoing focus.

“The response has been overwhelming,” said Curtin. “What started out as a simple 2012 election discussion has turned into a national conversation about our personal rights, needs and dreams.”

The name change is effective immediately and the site’s new URL is http://uselectionnews.org. What began as a forum for the U.S. presidential elections in August 2010 has evolved and taken on a life of its own. The site was originally created as a non-partisan informational venue for news about U.S. elections and candidates. The website also provided voters with a forum for the free exchange of ideas on issues of concern.

In less than a year, US Election News has grown from a hub for local, national and global election news to a go to website for information on the economy, the war on drugs, workers unions, employment, government spending, worker safety and natural disasters relateing to our government leaders. The site also addresses immigration, healthcare, terrorist activities, the emerging green energy industry, social issues and international relations as releated to United States and Presidentail elections.

The multi-media site features a wide range of audio, video and written content. The publication informs voters about topics of concern that affects them on a local and national level, along with issues in far reaching locations around the globe. US Election News disseminates information on a non-partisan basis from Republicans, Democrats, Independents and Tea Party members.

US Election News has its headquarters in Cartersville, Georgia. The publication is always seeking qualified journalists to provide news and information for a balanced view on local and global issues. The site recently launched its complimentary Facebook page that can be found at http://www.facebook.com/2012ElectionNews. The Facebook site welcomes visitors and invites them to engage in lively civil discourse and debate on topics both foreign and domestic.

US Election News is dedicated to providing voters with a balanced view of the issues and actions taking place on a daily basis that affects all facets of life in a global community. The site welcomes visitor interaction and communication for a better understanding of government and world events that shape the history of the world each day.

US Election News can be contacted by phone at 202-379-2821 or by email via the convenient online form. For more information, visit US Election News at http://uselectionnews.org.

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Education in America: Homeschooling on the Rise

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The homeschooling movement continues to gain momentum as home-educated students and graduates demonstrate success academically and socially.

Gray, TN, March 7, 2011, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC — Boasting an increase of 74% since 1999 and now in its fourth decade, the modern homeschooling movement is gaining followers at an astonishing rate. Homeschool, for the most part an unfamiliar term only thirty years ago when the movement began, has become a household word. U.S. educators from both public and private school arenas are very much aware of the movement and its impact, and today popular media frequently make mention of “homeschoolers,” from characters in CBS’s #1 show, NCIS, to homeschool grads who appear as contestants on shows such as Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Homeschooling has firmly established itself as a mainstream education alternative.

Homeschoolers are here to stay, because homeschooling works:

• Homeschoolers (K–12) score an average 37 points above the national average on standardized achievement tests. (HSLDA, 2009)

• “Homeschool students possess higher ACT scores, grade point averages (GPAs) and graduation rates when compared to traditionally-educated students.” (Journal of College Admission, citing a 2010 survey of homeschoolers)

• Homeschool grads are “more likely to vote, volunteer for political campaigns, participate in boycotts or write letters to the editor. . . . Seventy-one percent of homeschool graduates participate in an ongoing community service activity compared to 37% of U.S. adults of similar ages.” (NHERI) Homeschoolers are definitely impacting the political scene, as evidenced not only by the recent election of Jaime Herrera, formerly a homeschooler, as a U.S. Representative (R-WA) but also by the enthusiastic participation of homeschooled students in grassroots organizations such as HSLDA’s Generation Joshua.

• Research conducted by multiple sources has found “the home educated to be developing as well or better socially, emotionally, and psychologically than institutionally schooled children and youth.” Homeschool graduates are excelling in their occupations, contributions to their communities’ welfare, and their own families.

The U.S. economy is benefiting too. For example, homeschooling families obviously are committed to equip their students to keep abreast of technological advancements, as statistics show that the use of computer technology in their families nearly tripled that of the average U.S. family, based on national norms. As homeschoolers graduate and enter the workforce, U.S. industries who hire these well-prepared, independent thinkers are thriving.

And there are even more winners—taxpayers benefit as well, because home educators receive no government funding, thus reducing the burden on taxpayers. “If there were 2 million homeschool students in the United States in 2009 and the direct per-pupil expenditure was $10,100, then the homeschool community saved American taxpayers $20.4 billion . . . .” (Dr. Brian Ray, NHERI).

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HomeschoolBlogger.com—Largest Blogging Community for Homeschoolers—Up for Sale!

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Four years into publishing The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine (TOS), owners Paul and Gena Suarez recognized a need for an easy-to-use, FREE, online community where homeschool moms, dads, kids, and grandparents could interact and launched HomeschoolBlogger.com (HSB). Within the first month of its existence, HSB hosted more than 30,000 visits! By the first quarter of 2008, HSB was hosting almost 400,000 unique visitors and averaging more than 9 million page views monthly. Currently, HSB logs more than 500,000 page views per month, hosts about 11,000 new posts per month, and registers 25 new users daily. For many homeschoolers—both teachers and students—a visit to HSB has become part of their daily routine.

Obviously, TOS has identified—and met—a vital need within the homeschooling community. The success of HomeschoolBlogger.com has proven it.

So, why sell HomeschoolBlogger.com and its counterpart, HomesteadBlogger.com? “We’re narrowing our focus at The Old Schoolhouse®, and we’ve fulfilled our original goal: to provide a ‘mini blogosphere’ for homeschoolers around the world,” explained Gena Suarez. “It’s time to hand over the reins to someone else. We’ve simply decided to invest our time and resources in other opportunities that have our attention.”

The site almost exclusively uses open source code, thus effectively sidestepping most licensing fees. Last year HSB rolled out a brand-new platform on WordPress, which offers lots of bells and whistles. More than 140 themes are available, including plugins that provide both secure and feature-rich styling of any of the themes. The platform changes also enabled TOS to minimize maintenance costs and support time.

The current platform makes it possible for a new owner to easily assume control of the site on the existing server. Surprisingly, even if the new owner switched to a different server, migration should require downtime of 8 hours or less! The site could grow to power more than 8 million users before a rewrite or change in platform would be necessary.

HSB operates correctly within any current browser and operating system; therefore visitors can “come as they are” from their mobile devices, Wii, PSP, and others. Use of the Anti-Splog API automatically terminates accounts used for spamming, ensuring that the site quality remains high.

HomeschoolBlogger.com has, in essence, succeeded in creating an international virtual neighborhood of homeschooling families, a neighborhood supported entirely by advertising revenue, enabling users to enjoy the perks at no cost to them. As the billion-dollar homeschool market continues to grow, the potential for profitable expansion—for everyone—appears to be unlimited.

Interested buyers should contact the owners of HomeschoolBlogger.com, Gena and Paul Suarez, or the company’s Director of Marketing, Julie Nott, directly for more details (publisher@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com). HomesteadBlogger.com, a user-friendly, customized network for the homesteading community, is also for sale.

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Homeschooling with Heart

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The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC — The Old Schoolhouse® (TOS) is taking the potential of the Internet to new boundaries. Promising “tips, tricks, and tools to enhance all phases of your homeschool journey from the preschool and elementary years to high school, college, and beyond,” their Homeschooling with Heart Schoolhouse Expo will feature sessions about the high school years and provide information for entrepreneurs.

Valerie McCafferty, a recent Schoolhouse Expo attendee, summed up her experience this way: “I can’t tell you how much more convenient it was to attend online. That was the most wonderful part of all. I didn’t have to pay for a sitter, could still answer my students’ questions, … didn’t have to drive anywhere, find or pay for parking, or sit in uncomfortable chairs. … I am so looking forward to the rest of the webinars!”

The weeklong 2011 Schoolhouse Expo will feature an impressive lineup of 16 dynamic speakers: authors, teachers, business owners, and researchers, and give participants an opportunity to ask questions and chat with other guests via the live text system.

Gena and Paul Suarez, owners of The Old Schoolhouse® and homeschooling parents of six children, are excited about the success of the Schoolhouse Expos: “We knew that online homeschool webinars would be great for our audience. They love being able to hear their favorite speakers, the Q & A sessions, chatting with other homeschoolers around the world, the discounts offered in our online vendor hall, the amazing freebie package, and of course the fun door prizes! It has been a winner for both our readers and our vendors!”

In addition to the privilege of attending approximately 20 live, hour-long sessions, all registrants will receive a one-year membership to the Homeschool Legal Advantage and a free will, valued at $65; 21 downloadable gifts worth more than $200; access to MP3 files of the sessions, for future reference; door prizes; access to a virtual vendor hall jam-packed with the market’s most outstanding vendors; and a whole lot of fun!

The Door Prize Extravaganza, in which prizes such as books, curricula, and games will be given away to guests, will be held on the final day of the Expo. The biggest prize offered will be a family vacation at one of the twelve Great Wolf Lodge locations in North America, a $450 value!

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New Website to Offer Big Discounts to Educators

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CEO Greg Michaels of Michaels Associates LLC announced today that the company will soon unveil a new website www.teacher-books.net. The new site represents a complete re-design of www.michaelsassociates.com. Visitors to the old site will be automatically redirected to the updated site.

The company, founded in 1986, had its first website in 1995 and specializes in professional resources for K-12 educators and administrators. Michaels Associates LLC has been named “distributor of the year” three times by the International Reading Association. They are also one of the nation’s leading distributors for resources from Scholastic, Pearson, Maupin House, Sage, Shell Education, Guilford, NCTE, ASCD, and many others. Also sold on the site will be leveled books for guided reading and reading recovery as well as school supply items.

The new website will feature new, best-selling, and classic professional titles from over 30 publishers – at a discount. There will also be a button on the homepage that will take administrators and librarians to a page that offers deep discounts on topic-based professional libraries and multiple copies of the same title.

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Colleges Nationwide Recruit Homeschool Grads

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The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC — As the modern-day homeschool movement confidently marches forward into its fourth decade, colleges and universities are opening wide their doors to welcome its mature, prepared graduates to their ranks. Homeschoolers score an average of 37 percentile points above the national average on standardized achievement tests and typically score above average on the SAT and ACT, statistics that apparently have caught the eye of college admissions personnel. Since 1999, the number of homeschoolers in the United States has increased by 74%, and today thousands of young men and women are graduating from high school—at home.

Colleges are employing a wide variety of strategies aimed at recruiting homeschoolers, including strong representation at homeschool conventions, direct mailing campaigns, and promotions in catalogs, on their websites, and in publications such as The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the nation’s most popular print magazine for homeschoolers. Colleges sponsor “Homeschool College Days” for juniors and seniors, and at Wheaton College, where nearly 10% of the freshman class is represented by homeschool grads, applicants can even be put in touch with current Wheaton students who were homeschooled. Regent University’s website heralds the school as “the right choice for home-schooled students,” and the U.S. Air Force Academy’s website includes guidelines addressed specifically to homeschooled applicants.

A number of institutions have appointed “homeschool liaison and recruitment specialists” to serve incoming freshmen and their families. In her 2009 article titled “‘We Love Homeschoolers!’ Prominent Colleges Jump on the Recruiting Bandwagon,” author Claire Novak, herself a homeschool grad, quoted one such specialist, who said, “As the number of homeschooled students grow, colleges are finding it’s a market you can’t ignore.”

Nearly 30% of Bob Jones University’s current students were educated at home. BJU’s website reports: “As a group, our homeschooled students are among the best students in the entire university student body. They have added a fresh dimension to the body of conventionally schooled students. We consider them a real asset.” Stanford Magazine reported that “among the nation’s elite universities, Stanford has been one of the most eager to embrace them [homeschoolers]. . . .[H]omeschoolers bring a mix of unusual experiences, special motivation and intellectual independence that makes them a good bet to flourish on the Farm.” Savannah College of Art and Design“welcomes home-schooled students and recognizes the outstanding talent and achievements of this diverse group of well-rounded individuals.” And these are just a few examples of the favorable reputation that homeschooled students have earned.

Recent studies confirm the academic success of homeschoolers who attend college. Citing results of a 2010 survey, the Journal of College Admission reports that “homeschool students possess higher ACT scores, grade point averages (GPAs) and graduation rates when compared to traditionally-educated students.”

Seth Back, a homeschooler who took and passed the GED test at age 15 and is currently enrolled at Harvard, is confident that he was “better prepared for certain college situations than students who had been through the public/private school system.” During the past five years, Seth earned a juris doctor degree, passed the California Bar Exam, earned a master’s degree in church history, and studied at Oxford—all while managing his own consulting business. He credits homeschooling with fueling a love of learning and teaching him to take personal responsibility for his education, which included pursuing a wide variety of opportunities for his personal enrichment. He is but one example of the thousands of motivated, successful, visionary students who have benefited tremendously from their home education.

Colleges are looking for young people like Seth. They are excited about the exceptional potential presented by homeschool graduates and are vigorously pursuing their attention.

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Tutor4exam Launches New Sections

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Tutor4exam has been here for everybody to help enhance the knowledge in key sections of SSAT and ISSE. Its approach is unique and invaluable in the SSAT and ISSE exam preparation. It helps to eliminate all major mistakes made in all sections of these exams by test takers and it also helps to create a bigger student’s confidence in school studies giving more understanding to the logic of math and English. Tutor4exam has been working hard to give test takers an opportunity to practice their skills in all sections of SSAT and ISSE. Thus, some sections are still developing. The English section has been added to assist students in mastering vocabulary, analogy and grammar questions in the SSAT and ISSE. If you sign up for the Tutor4for exam COMPLETE TEST PREPARATION today, tomorrow you will have better grades both at school and on SSAT and ISSE exam!

Tutor4exam has been offering invaluable help in the SSAT and ISSE exam preparation for more than 2 years now and has gained a lot of supporters and success. The sections in maths have prepared the students not only for exam but also for all sorts of school math tests and assignments. Besides, the weak and strong points of all students have been carefully examined and the major common mistakes were given special attention so that the students could avoid them right from the beginning. The students develop high skills in math and logic, which helps them become more confident and fast in dealing with all topics in school math.

Here is the great news! Never do we stop advancing the aid you get on the site. The English section has been added to assist students in mastering vocabulary, analogy and grammar questions in the SSAT and ISSE. Some of questions are easier than others, just as they are on actual exam, and some of them are really tough! Doing Tutor4exam practice tests and solving the problems of different levels of difficulty will immensely contribute to improving students’ ability to analyze what sections of the English language should be improved and work on before doing the real exam. The time pressure is added, and to succeed in real test, you have to not only know the material well but also choose the right exam strategy. And it is here for you to train.

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Eastern Kentucky University Launches Online Bachelor Of Science In Occupational Safety

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- Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) is proud to announce the new online Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety Degree Program, with classes starting in January 2011.

EKU’s online Bachelor’s in Occupational Safety arms current safety professionals and those interested in pursuing a safety career with the skills and knowledge to succeed within this evolving industry. The program’s comprehensive curriculum provides students with a solid safety foundation including: OSHA inspections, education and training, workers compensation, and auditing.

The new EKU occupational safety program provides students with relevant, real- world learning applications, from industry-leading faculty members. EKU’s faculty members have many years of safety experience. They incorporate that experience into the courses by directly applying theories to practice. Additionally, the professors use cutting-edge teaching tactics in the courses. For example, they have incorporated videos of construction safety and OSHA inspections into coursework for online students.

“The faculty truly makes this degree program stand out. They give a strong foundation and enhance the curriculum with their industry experiences, which makes our graduates untouchable,” said Program Coordinator, Dr. Michael Schumann.

In addition to the traditional Occupational Safety Curriculum, the EKU Online Bachelor’s in Occupational Safety program offers a minor in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology, which keeps EKU students at the forefront of the safety industry and makes them more valuable candidates to employers. Due to EKU’s strong reputation, employers actively seek EKU graduates to fill safety jobs.

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Eastern Kentucky University Launches Website For The College Of Justice And Safety Online Programs

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Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), safetymanagement.eku.edu, is proud to announce the launch of a new website hosting all of the online degree programs available through the College of Justice and Safety. The new website will be a resource of information for current and prospective students, as well as industry professionals. Vital information on a suite of online programs including Bachelor’s programs in Fire Protection Administration, Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology, and Occupational Safety and a Master’s program in Safety, Security and Emergency Management is presented throughout the website. Working professionals within the fire and safety industries will also benefit from the information on this website, including fire resources, safety resources, and a collection of course videos.

In conjunction with the new website, EKU will also launch social media. Check for updates and current news on:

• Twitter: http://twitter.com/ekuonline
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/EKU-College-of-Justice-Safety-Online/170281136295

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Quest Continuing Education Solutions (Quest CE) is proud to announce the solution to the 2010 NAIC Suitability in Annuity Transactions Model Regulation

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Quest CE is proud to announce the solution to the 2010 NAIC Suitability in Annuity Transactions Model Regulation. Quest’s simple two-tiered approach will provide an “All-In-One” Solution for Insurers, Distributors and Producers that fall under the NAIC’s new regulation.

Quest’s 4-hour annuity course in Iowa has been approved by the state and meets the Iowa Administrative Rule 191-15.72 for a one-time, four (4) hour annuity training course requirement. In addition, this course is approved for resident CE credit. Per the new NAIC Suitability Regulation, Quest will also provide insurer-product specific training in their Industry Leading Learning Management System, Renaissance.

NAIC Suitability Regulation Training through Quest allows for automated encrypted data and completion feeds. Feeds can be sent on a daily basis or as often as the program administrator desires. Quest’s system also allows for participants in the program to be bulk loaded into the training platform. Ensure your programs compliance with Quest so beginning January 1, 2011 your producers are able to sell your annuities in Iowa.

The NAIC Suitability Regulation Training platform will provide:

• A dedicated location where a producer can complete all of their required training requirements and view the status of each requirement within the Model Regulation;
• Updated training posted to the site subsequent to initial training including additional State Specific Annuity Requirements as they become effective;
• A company specific branded web portal where insurers can comply with the new regulation and update their product-specific training courses in their student profiles;
• The ability to print completion certificates online 24/7;
• An automatic e-mail notification system allowing insurers to instantly notify producers of new or updated product specific training requirements;
• Automated and PGP encrypted customized data feeds with real-time search tools for insurers and Broker/Dealers to satisfy compliance requirements and training.

Quest’s NAIC Suitability Regulation Training Solution is available now and ready for demonstration or implementation. Contact Quest at 877-593-3366 or e-mail Quest atsales@questce.com to speak with one of our dedicated Sales Team Members about guaranteeing your 2010 NAIC Suitability Regulation Training today.

Background
The Financial Reform Act requires individual states to comply with the 2010 NAIC Suitability in Annuity Transactions Model Regulation (NAIC 2010) by June 16, 2013.

Passage of NAIC 2010 means that fixed annuity producers will have to follow similar rigorous suitability standards as those imposed upon variable annuity producers, which is regulated by FINRA. Producers selling variable annuities are required to be licensed as registered representatives through a FINRA registered broker-dealer.

NAIC 2010 clarifies that the insurer is responsible for compliance with suitability requirements, including the methods their producers use to market annuity products.

The producer must have “reasonable grounds” to believe that the annuity recommendation is suitable based on 12 areas of “suitability information”
disclosed by the consumer. This information includes the consumer’s:

• age,
• tax status,
• intended use of the annuity,
• financial time horizon,
• existing assets,
• source of funds for the annuity,
• other insurance and annuity products,
• investment objectives,
• liquidity needs,
• liquid net worth, and
• risk tolerance.

Producer Training Requirements Under the Model Regulation
Section 7A requires the producer to have adequate product specific training, including compliance with the insurer’s standards for product training, prior to soliciting an annuity product.

In addition, Section 7B requires a one time, minimum 4 (four) credit hour general annuity training course offered by an insurance-department approved education provider and approved by an insurance department in accordance with applicable insurance education training laws or regulations.

For this mandated course, the provider may not train in sales or marketing techniques or product specific information.

Section 7B(3) outlines the minimum required topics for this program of instruction, which can be offered in the classroom or via an insurance department approved self study method.

If a producer is licensed with a life insurance line of authority prior to the effective date of the regulation, there is a six month grace period to comply with the training requirements; producers who obtain the life authority on or after the effective date of the regulation must complete the training prior to the sale of an annuity product.

If a producer receives substantially similar training in another jurisdiction, it would satisfy an insurance department’s training requirements. Prior to allowing a producer to sell its annuity products, insurers shall verify the producer has completed the mandated training.

Because the amendments clearly require insurers to verify completion of training prior to the producer selling annuities on behalf of the insurer, the amendments should not be interpreted to affect producer licensing reciprocity or non-resident producer licensing processes.

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Promethean Introduces ActivEngage To Its Range Of Learner Response Systems

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Promethean, a global leader in interactive learning technology, has launched ActivEngage, a new software version of its market leading Learner Response System*. This new application enables laptops or desktop computers to act as personal response devices, meaning schools can provide voting capability in classrooms via individual student computers instead of specific handsets.

Computer-per-pupil initiatives are increasingly being promoted by governments as a means of underpinning schools’ ICT strategies. That, along with schools focus on developing problem-solving and technology skills makes these a valuable classroom resource. The introduction of this software only version of Promethean’s Learner Response System has been designed to complement these initiatives and widen access to their assessment and engagement capabilities.

Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland has welcomed the development of the new software application, becoming the first local authority in the UK to adopt ActivEngage. It plans to introduce the software to primary and secondary schools across the region, following an initiative to ensure all pupils in its 122 schools have access to their own laptop, netbook or PC.

John Tait, Education Officer for Dumfries and Galloway local authority, explained: “It is vital that ICT is embedded into the teaching and learning process. Having enjoyed previous success with Promethean’s handheld voting systems, we wanted to maximise our ICT investment by providing all schools in Dumfries and Galloway with access to this assessment and opinion-gathering capability, without having to purchase additional hardware devices. ActivEngage was the perfect solution.”

Schools using ActivEngage can use the technology in a single classroom or across an entire campus. The voting interface floats over other software applications, enabling it to be deployed at any point in a lesson.

Promethean’s Head of European Education Strategy, Margaret Allen, commented: “Learner Response Systems have proved invaluable for providing teachers with flexible and exciting opportunities to engage, motivate and assess learners. Teachers gain instant insight into students’ understanding and can use the self-paced learning mode, whereby students work through different levels of question sets, to personalise learning to the capabilities of different individuals.”

Students are able to respond to a wide range of questioning formats using numbers, free text, symbols, or likert scales. Responses can be instantly displayed on an Interactive Whiteboard laptop or desktop computer and saved by the teacher for later analysis.

Promethean is also offering schools the chance to ‘try before you buy’, by enabling trial copies of ActivEngage to be downloaded and used free of charge from PrometheanPlanet.com, the world’s largest online interactive whiteboard community. This will give schools the opportunity to explore the benefits of ActivEngage and Learner Response Systems before purchasing the programme.

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Promethean Brings World’s Fastest Car To Maidenhead

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Promethean, the interactive learning technology provider, organised a rare opportunity for pupils from Maidenhead and Reading to see a life size replica of the Bloodhound Supersonic Car. They were also able to meet and question Richard Noble OBE about the Bloodhound project, and its attempts to set a new World Land Speed Record and exceed the 1,000mph milestone for the first time.

The event was organised by Promethean to mark the official opening of its new offices in Maidenhead. The company is the Bloodhound project’s official interactive education technology partner and aimed to create a genuinely exciting educational opportunity in the area to mark the occasion.

Promethean’s President of European Sales and Marketing, Paul Berry, commented: “Through our partnership with Bloodhound, we are working to give young people access to inspiring content, resources and tools to help engage them in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects that will improve their life chances. This is an ideal way to give pupils a day to remember, and set them thinking about the exceptional things that can be achieved through science and technology.”

Pupils representing Wessex Primary in Cox Green, Maidenhead; Cranbourne Primary in Winkfield; Emmbrook in Wokingham; Ranelagh in Bracknell; and Maiden Erlegh in Earley had the chance to see the 13.4m long Bloodhound replica and take part in interactive sessions involving rocket power, distance, time and speed using Promethean classroom technologies.

Building of the actual Bloodhound car is underway in Bristol. Powered by both a rocket and a jet engine, it has been designed to achieve speeds of up to 1,050mph, and is expected to become the world’s fastest car when it makes a new attempt on the World Land Speed Record in South Africa in 2012.

Along the way, the team behind the project also hope to foster a lifelong interest in science, technology, engineering and maths in young people and help develop a pipeline of talent for the future.

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Promethean Launch ‘Give Every Child A Voice’ Recycling Campaign

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Promethean, the interactive learning technology business, is launching ‘Give Every Child a Voice’, a recycling campaign among Scottish schools to support the NSPCC’s ChildLine, the 24 hours-a-day helpline for children and young people.

Promethean is bringing together schools across Scotland to help raise funds for ChildLine by recycling old or unwanted mobile phones. For every 250 mobile phones a school collects, Promethean will donate £500 to ChildLine in Scotland and an ActivExpression Learner Response System will be awarded to the school.

The ActivExpression Learner Response System is a set of handheld pupil devices which allow every child to respond to questions by texting their responses.

All schools are encouraged to participate in the campaign and can sign-up via www.giveeverychildavoice.com, a dedicated campaign website.

There are around 2,150 primary and 375 secondary schools in Scotland, and Promethean hopes to enrol as many schools as possible to help generate a target of £250,000 for ChildLine in Scotland.

Once signed-up, schools will be provided with collection bins, literature and resources to help promote recycling, fundraising and awareness for ChildLine in Scotland.

X Factor finalists John and Edward Grimes, aka Jedward, are lending their support to the campaign by making a school appearance in Scotland where they will discuss recycling and raising awareness of ChildLine’s service.

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