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

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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uCertify’s SPOOK-tacular Halloween Sale: Save 50%

The full moon has cast a spell on us! uCertify is offering Un-BOO-lieveable, SPOOK-tacular savings on ALL our IT certification exam Prepkits Oct 23 – Oct 31, 2010! In celebration of this season, uCertify is offering an amazing discount of upto 50%! Check out the offer!

Join the party! Choose from over 300 test prep software for CompTIA, Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, Cisco, CCNA & many more. Nobody beats our breadth and depth of experience. 100% guaranteed!

Click here to save! https://www.ucertify.com/cart/selectadeal.php

Take advantage of an additional discount by joining us on Facebook! All you have to do is like our page to be entitled to this private discount.
http://www.facebook.com/Certifications?v=app_4949752878

You can select from over our extensive range of more than 300 PrepKits to help you prepare for any certification from Adobe, Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, Oracle (including Sun), Linux and many more! Our mantra is ‘Learn Smarter Not Harder’. There are number of reasons why you should choose uCertify for your preparation and few are listed below:

  • Outstanding pass rate of over 97%
  • Over 200 test preparation products covering all major vendors
  • In business for over 14 years – not a fly-by-night shop
  • Free Upgrades for an entire year
  • Unlimited Support for a year
  • 100% money-back guarantee – the best in the business. See for yourself at: http://www.ucertify.com/about/guarantee.html
  • Unique learning platform. Get a Guided Video Tour of our Prepkit: http://ucertify.com
  • A company committed to high quality products and outstanding support.

To download a PrepKit, click the link below:
http://www.ucertify.com/download.html

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Christian Coach Institute Opens Global Headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina and Launches High Quality, Affordable Christian Coach Training and Certification

“Our mission is to educate, equip and encourage Christian Life Coaches around the world to bring out the best in God’s people,” said Janice LaVore-Fletcher, Founder and President. “We are proud to be fully licensed by the International Association of Coaching to teach the IAC 9 Coaching Masteries in our program, which are in alignment with the International Coach Federation’s core coaching competencies.”

When asked what makes their Christian based life coach training program unique, Dale Fletcher, Vice President of Operations, said “Our Christian Life Coach Training course is a content rich curriculum based on blended adult learning concepts. Our program takes the student on a sixteen week journey covering three (3) phases for personal development, professional development and business development. We focus on how to prepare our coaches to launch a successful coaching ministry or coaching business upon graduation and certification. The most important aspect of our Christian Life Coach Training and Certification is that it is built on a solid Biblical worldview with Jesus Christ at the center of the Christian Coaching Model.”

Classes are conducted similarly to a distance learning course offered by most colleges today. The students dial into a virtual classroom via Webex to participate in the weekly classes. The students are required to work with other students outside the classroom for course application and to participate in coaching lab work, When Janice LaVore-Fletcher was asked what kind of feedback the school has received from graduates, she shared the following which is among several on the website. One student wrote “I felt certain that CCI would offer a Christ-centered, prayer supported experience, and I can say this has indeed been true from day one. If I could name a second reason for choosing CCI, it would be the care and emphasis placed on building community and connections for long-term, not just the duration of the course. In the coaching world, and particularly in the Christian coaching world, I think that type of anchor is so valuable.”

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Promethean Introduces ActivEngage To Its Range Of Learner Response Systems

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

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

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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The ICMA Centre Ranked 2nd For Employability By The Times Good University Guide

The ICMA Centre has been ranked 2nd for employability by The Times Good University Guide 2011*. This ranking demonstrates the emphasis the Centre places on producing graduates with skills and knowledge of real value to institutions in the financial markets.

Dr Adrian Bell, School Director of Teacher and Learning, said: “We are delighted with our position in the rankings. This reflects the Centre’s excellent links with leading financial institutions in the City, our practical application of finance theory through the use of our extensive dealing room facilities and our dedicated careers service.”

The ICMA Centre’s dedicated Career Development Unit is available to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. The Unit, staffed by industry professionals, not only provide advise on writing CVs, producing effective applications and helping students to find internships but also arrange networking events with alumni and financial institutions.

Martyn Drage, Career Development Manager at the Centre, said: “We have long recognised the importance of career development and have integrated specialist career management assistance into the undergraduate degree with the Career Management Skills module as well as supplementary presentations and workshops led by industry professionals and recruiters. The service we offer adds real value to students and it’s great to see that this is reflected in the rankings for the Centre.”

ICMA Centre BSc alumnus, Gurjit Kaur, said: “I don’t believe I would have learnt nearly as much about the recruitment process, the investment banking industry or even about myself and my suitability to various career paths if it hadn’t been for the Career Management Skills seminars, careers committee meetings and individual careers advisory sessions.”

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Henley Business School Partners With The FT To Offer Free Place On Advanced Management Programme

Henley Business School is working with the FT to offer the chance to win a free place on its Advanced Management Programme (AMP), the value of which is £15,995.

This 3-week course can be taken in one go or over three separate weeks during a year at the business school. As well as the course itself, the bursary that is available to FT readers and visitors to FT.com includes all residential costs and meals on the Henley campus.

Henley’s Advanced Management Programme prepares and develops senior managers to lead in an increasingly uncertain, ambiguous and changing world. It is a challenging learning experience that allies the essential practical and conceptual skills of an MBA with the necessary capabilities to drive and engage people in ways that unlock their potential and leads to better business results. It is an essential building block for those recently appointed to, or about to step up to, an executive leadership role. Full details on the programme can be found at www.henley.com/amp.

Previous AMP participant Tony Short, Vice President Europe, Middle East Africa, Dresser Wayne commented on the programme,

“As I was moving into a new role within the organisation I wanted to develop some extra skills around mergers and acquisitions, fine tuning my strategic thinking. Although I have close links through friends with other business schools it was the name and reputation of Henley which swung it for me. More than anything else it was the construction of the course, the combination of practical experience with learning experience.”

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UK Boarding School Alexanders Provides Cosmopolitan Experience For Students

Established in 1975, Alexanders International School is an international boarding school for students aged 11 to 17 from all over the world who wish to receive high-quality English language tuition in combination with school subjects. The school is a member of the SKOLA group of schools, which also includes London’s International Community School (for pupils aged 2 to 17), English Study Tours for children (for pupils aged 11 to 17), and English in London and English in Exeter (which cater for adult learners). Alexanders is based at Bawdsey Campus on the Suffolk Heritage Coast, opposite Felixstowe. The school is accredited by the British Council for teaching English to children and specialises in residential academic, IGCSE and English language courses with activities for young students.

French students have long favoured attending British boarding schools, because of the proximity of the two countries and the high standard of English language tuition available. Increased interest from Chinese students has been recorded, with a 3 percentage point rise seen in 2008-09 from the 2007-08 figure of 13%. Russian students registered a 2 percentage point increase from the 2007-08 figure of 11%. Other nationalities include Kazakh, Japanese, Korean, German, Spanish, Italian, Ukrainian, Polish, Greek and Thai, just to mention a handful. Students attend Alexanders from all over Europe, Asia and the Middle East, which translates to an international education with high academic standards and the experience of a different lifestyle. Regarded by many students as the first step to university in the UK, British boarding schools build academic knowledge and prepare students with the correct grounding to successfully complete IGCSEs or A-levels, as well as Cambridge exams.

Some of the extracurricular activities available at Alexanders are football, golf, horse riding, sailing and tennis – all with coaching from professionals. Football, sailing (in their RYA-accredited Watersports Centre) and tennis take place on campus. Golf and horse riding take place on nearby courses and at a well-known equestrian centre.

As well as intensive English language tuition in preparation for boarding school, Alexanders provides education in the key areas of mathematics and sciences, as well as in other curriculum areas: geography, history, arts and sport, for example. In addition,Alexanders International School offers shorter (two to six-week-long) English for Education courses during the academic year and English plus Multi-Activities from March onwards.

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Students With Special Educational Needs Welcomed At ICS

ICS welcomes applications from children with special educational needs and is passionate about its inclusive approach to international education. ICS focuses on the strengths, abilities and talents of all students. In a highly diverse and inclusive setting, ICS provides a curriculum committed to reflective and purposeful inquiry. When planning, teachers set suitable learning challenges and respond to children’s diverse learning needs. Some students with special educational needs, however, have particular learning and assessment requirements that could need differentiated strategies and support for them to access a full curriculum successfully.

The teachers and the student support department take into account these requirements and make provisions, where necessary, to support individual students and thus enable them to participate effectively in all educational and social activities that take place in the school. Children may have special educational needs throughout, or at any given time during, their school years. ICS has a comprehensive policy that ensures planning, differentiation and modification of teaching and learning strategies for children with special educational needs are implemented by taking into consideration the type and extent of the difficulty experienced by the student.

The school operates an enhanced admissions process for students who are identified as requiring student support. The process operates broadly as follows: A family makes an application to ICS and informs the school, either during the initial phone call or email, at the interview or on the admissions forms, that their child has support needs. Typically, if an offer of a place at the school can be made, the family is invited to meet the director of student support and admissions so the support plan can be outlined and discussed. Once both parties have agreed the support plan and financial implications, the offer of a place at the school is made and the completion of the admissions process is actioned.

ICS offers the three IB programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students aged 3 to 11; the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students aged 11 to 16; and from September 2010, the IB Diploma Programme for students aged 16 to 19. It is also one of the preferred Aspergers schools London has to offer students with the condition.

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Study English In London And Pay Less

Autumn is in the air. As the temperature drops, the weather is not the only thing that is changing. Our thinking is drifting from picnics in the park and summer holidays to the colder months and first days of school for the little ones. In fact, students of all ages are going back to school. For those who are planning to study a postgraduate degree or attend a university in the UK, now is the perfect time to start the preparation. But don’t the words “back to school” make us all a little nervous? Perhaps it is the idea of homework, exams, new subjects and new people. Or, perhaps it is something that provokes a cold sweat in many: tuition fees. The good news is that adult students are finding ways to achieve their academic goals in a more affordable manner.

Students can study for two years at Malvern House and then complete their final year at one of Malvern House’s partner universities, such as London Metropolitan University, Oxford Brookes University or Middlesex University. In this way, students get the same high-quality and respected degree but pay half of what the tuition fees would normally cost. With this option, quality in education is not compromised. Malvern House business courses maintain small class sizes so that students receive plenty of personal attention. They can get special assistance whenever needed. Every week, academic staff meets with students to keep an eye on their progress. School advisers are readily available when students need assistance. Malvern House offers modern, well-equipped classrooms, an academic library with all the resources students need for their studies, and a computer lab where they can connect to the internet at no cost.

Malvern House is accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC), the Association of Business Executives (ABE), and the London Chamber of Commerce Industry (LCCI). Every year, more than 6,000 adult students from more than 100 countries study at Malvern House. Students are exposed to a wide variety of cultures and ideas that help prepare them for today’s competitive global economy. In addition to two-year business and tourism degrees, university placement and university preparation programmes, Malvern House offers many other options for students who wish to study English in London.

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Peoples Education Measuring Up Worktexts for Mathematics Match the Latest NYS Test

Peoples Education, a leading provider of supplemental educational material for the K–12 school market, is pleased to announce the relaunch of Measuring Up® to the New York State Learning Standards for Mathematics, Grades 3–8. These worktexts address recent changes to the Grade 3–8 Mathematics Testing Program and include special May/June Review lessons from the prior year to prepare students for the NYS Test.

“Peoples Education has a history of responding to New York educators’ needs promptly and with high-quality NYS Learning Standards and NYS Test–customized content,” commented Brian T. Beckwith, the company’s president and CEO. “These revised worktexts will help build students’ test-taking confidence and ensure standards mastery.”

The Measuring Up® Mathematics program can be incorporated into any year-round curriculum, or in areas where students need extra instructional support. Measuring Up® lessons can be selected as intervention for an entire class, small groups, or individuals.

“The instructors at Mechanicville Middle School have successfully used the Measuring Up® series to accommodate various classroom situations,” commented Maria Fusco, a retired Mechanicville Middle School teacher. “The versatility of the materials and alignment to state standards allows the instructor and the students to manage the skills that have either been mastered or need further attention.”

The complete Measuring Up® program includes instructional worktexts and Diagnostic Practice Tests, which are sold separately. Measuring Up Express® for the NYS Test, which debuted in spring 2010 and focuses on the tested NYS Learning Standards, is also available separately. This diagnose-prescribe-instruct model in the Measuring Up® program has helped over 1.4 million New York students master the NYS Learning Standards and boost their test-taking confidence.

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Largest Homeschool Blogging Community Upgrades to a Whole New Way of Blogging Life

Recently HomeschoolBlogger.com (HSB)—the world’s largest and free homeschool blog site—got a clean, fresh, look with exciting new features, by implementing an important software upgrade.

According to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine® publisher/owner Gena Suarez, “The plan behind the change is to link great blogging with the ever-expanding homeschool community to usher back in the ‘blogging craze’ that hit when HomeschoolBlogger was launched in 2005. It was a lot of work, we pushed forward, and now we’re doing it. This is a major upgrade, using the popular WordPress platform and will mean a whole new way of blogging life for our members at HomeschoolBlogger.com.”

During August ALONE, HomeschoolBlogger.com received thirteen million page views! One of the draws to HSB is the ease in discovering new blogs and connecting with those of similar homeschool and family interests. This online community has a safety-net feel unlike other blog sites, where using a random blog button could reveal undesirable content.

HomeschoolBlogger’s Senior Editor, Kristen Hamilton, oversees the site. She and other authors contribute homeschool-related posts. She assists members and keeps an eye on new blogs to identify inappropriate content.

Kristen states: “HomeschoolBlogger is comprised of a large group of bloggers who make HSB their home base. This is the largest upgrade in our five-year history and makes the community even stronger with its exciting new features.” Here’s a look at some new HomeschoolBlogger.com features:
• Intuitive user interface—A “What You See Is What You Get” editor works seamlessly with the HTML editor. Also advanced image uploading and in-browser image editing.
• Widgits—Add tools like search bars or calendars by clicking and dragging.
• Backups—Click a button to create backups with instant saving capacity.
• Spam protection—Integrated blacklist and open proxy checker to manage and eliminate comment spam.
• Pages—Manage non-blog content easily.
• Themes—Effortlessly format and create blog designs. Select multiple themes with different looks, even switch designs daily.
• Password protected posts—Hide individual posts from public view by assigning passwords.

There’s even more exciting news to share: HomeschoolBlogger.com FREE classes with vibrant topics designed for homeschoolers. Over 3,500 people have signed up for these classes since the launch in July. Recent classes included “Think Biblically, Live Godly, and Serve Practically,” “Ten Stumbling Blocks to Writing,” and “Solving Your Science Struggles”; additional topics will be announced soon! Participants may sign up for classes at HomeschoolBlogger.com FREE Classes.

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Promethean And BrainPOP Announce Integrated Assessments For Learning

BrainPOP, the award-winning creator of animated, educational resources, is pleased to announce that its curriculum-based quizzes are now fully integrated with Promethean’s learner response systems, ActiVote and ActivExpression.

The integration of ActiVote and ActivExpression, the industry-leading learner response system, with BrainPOP’s quizzes – including all BrainPOP Jr. (K-3) topics – makes it easier than ever for teachers to improve learning outcomes by providing highly individualized instruction and assessment. Linking BrainPOP’s content to learner response devices opens the door for increased student participation and higher academic achievement.

Earlier this year, educators in Georgia’s Forsyth County Schools piloted the functionality, which is powered by Promethean’s software developers’ kit.

“The ability to gather formative and immediate student responses while using BrainPOP’s dynamic content adds a new dimension to classroom instruction. The integration of these learner response systems with BrainPOP’s quizzes has been incredibly well-received by both teachers and students,” said Jill Hobson, Director of Instructional Technology for Forsyth County Schools in Atlanta, Georgia.

Administering BrainPOP quizzes with ActiVote or ActivExpression not only engages students but also helps teachers quickly identify who is struggling and might need extra assistance. By fully integrating BrainPOP quizzes into Promethean’s software development kit, teachers can work assessments into their lessons in just a few easy steps. The reporting functions allow teachers to see individual student progress and to view responses in a number of formats. Student and class results can be printed or downloaded, and then incorporated into grade books and learning management systems.

“BrainPOP’s collaboration with Promethean on the engineering of this new capability exemplifies our commitment to 21st century learning,” said Avraham Kadar, M.D., CEO and Chairman of BrainPOP. “The pairing of our quizzes with learner response systems brings a new level of engagement to the classroom, one that is sure to have a tremendous impact on student performance going forward.”

“Our partnership has provided an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate how interactive technologies and rich digital content can help real teachers in the classroom with real education improvement,” commented Mark Elliott, President of Promethean North America. “A digital learning environment empowers teachers with the tools and resources they need to support today’s student, and, in turn, boost participation and overall academic achievement.”

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Peoples Education Measuring Up® Worktexts for Reading and Science Revised to the Latest TEKS

Peoples Education, a leading provider of supplemental educational material for the K–12 school market, is pleased to announce the re-launch of Measuring Up® to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Reading, Grades 2–8, and Science, Grades 3–8. These worktexts have been completely revised to include the latest Reading and Science TEKS.

“Peoples Education has a history of responding to Texas educators’ needs promptly and with highly customized content,” commented Brian T. Beckwith, the company’s President and CEO. “These revised reading and science worktexts are no exception.” Revised Measuring Up® Reading worktexts now include new and improved Guided Reading Instruction with numbered paragraphs and cross-curricular connections that builds student test-taking confidence, a wide variety of genres to help students build reading comprehension skills and make connections across texts, and questions that address integrated language arts and 21st century skills. Revised Measuring Up® Science worktexts now include special Investigate sections at the end of every chapter to boost students’ higher-order thinking. The revised Measuring Up® worktexts also include a correlation to the new TEKS to help teachers and students as they transition to the new standards.

The Measuring Up® program can be incorporated into any year-round curriculum, or, in areas where students need extra instructional support, and Measuring Up® lessons can be selected as intervention for the entire class, small groups, or individuals. “I have taught 5th and 8th grade science for more than 11 years, and the Measuring Up® program has been a key instrument in preparing my students for the TAKS,” remarked Mandy Welch, a science teacher at Abilene ISD. “The lessons give a clear direction to concepts and provide an easy organization of standards-based material.”

The complete Measuring Up® program includes instructional worktexts and Diagnostic Practice Tests, which are sold separately. Spanish editions of the Measuring Up® worktext for Reading grades, 2-4 and Science, grade 5, are also available and have been revised to the latest TEKS. Measuring Up Express® for the TAKS, which debuted in fall, 2009 and focuses on the tested TEKS is also available separately. This diagnose-prescribe-instruct model in the Measuring Up® program has helped over three million Texas students master the TEKS and boost their test-taking confidence.

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An Unforgettable Stay In London With Answer English Courses

A summer in London can be an unforgettable experience. Open theatres with summery Shakespeare plays and music, sunsets over the Thames, carnivals of music, movement and masquerade. It could be a summer spent learning English and making new friends from around the world. With Answer English, all of this is possible and more. The agency, which is based in the heart of London, gives students the opportunity to discover the exciting city and learn at the same time.

AE specialises in finding the right English courses London offers for international students, depending on the their proficiency with the language. There are courses for beginners and fast-track ones for those looking to polish their reading and writing skills. Summer brings out the best in London. Students, therefore, spend time learning a new language as well as experiencing London at its busiest. Besides general English classes, there are intensive one-to-one classes as well. AE also offers courses to help with English language examinations, such as the IELTS.

Courses can be tailored according to a student’s future plans. For example, there are refresher courses for students interested in starting university in England in the next couple of months and Executive courses for those who want to improve their English speaking, writing, reading and listening skills. There are also courses for young lawyers who need to communicate more confidently in legal situations and use specialised vocabulary effectively.

AE’s aim is to make the duration of the course as enjoyable and instructive as possible. Teaching aids include DVDs, TV and audio programmes, magazines and newspapers. In addition to this, students are encouraged to explore the cities they’re in, increasing interaction and introducing them to a different culture and way of being. English courses in London prove to be excellent learning grounds – theatres, clubs, pubs, museums and parks provide ample opportunity to discover the city. The AE team is on call to help students with accommodation as well as recommendations of things to do around the city.

Via EPR Network
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The ICMA Centre Announces Promotion For Dr Adrian Bell

Dr Bell will be promoted to Professor on 1 October this year. Dr Bell, who has been with the ICMA Centre since 1994, has been instrumental in the development of both the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in his role as School Director of Teaching and Learning. He also developed the distance-learning option for the ICMA Centre’s suite of Masters in Finance degrees with the Centre’s New Media Solutions Manager – the first distance learning Masters in Finance degrees in the UK delivered using e-lectures.

Professor John Board, Director of the Centre commented: “This is excellent news both for Dr Bell and for the Centre. It is very well deserved and recognizes the significant contribution Dr Bell has made to the development of the Centre.”

Dr Bell’s primary research interest is in the history of finance and he is currently working on a major project funded by the ESRC with Professor Chris Brooks (Chair in Finance) which will investigate the early and innovative use of credit finance by a succession of English medieval monarchs. This three-year project, which ends this year, is detailed on the ICMA website and builds upon the work the same team carried out during 2004/5 for another ESRC project entitled “Modern Finance in the Middle Ages? Advance Contracts for the Supply of Wool”. For outputs, interested parties can visit the UK Data Archive, study number 5325, at www.data-archive.ac.uk.

Via EPR Network
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Homeschooling: The Fastest-Growing Form of Education in the U.S.

It appears that in the U.S., homeschooling is the fastest-growing form of education, according to independent research conducted by organizations ranging from the National Home Education Research Institute (www.nheri.org), a nonprofit research and educational organization, to the federally funded National Center for Education Statistics (www.nces.ed.gov).

Let’s take a look at some of the evidence:
• “Homeschooling grew from 1.7% of the school age population in 1999 to 2.9% in 2007, a 74% relative increase over 8 years,” states Dr. Brian D. Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI).
• A 2008 study found that “an estimated 2.0 to 2.5 million K–12 children were home educated in the U.S. during mid-2008,” statistics that were also confirmed by NCES.
• Last week, in their local news coverage, Chattanooga’s News Channel 9 reported: “In the last decade, the number of homeschoolers has far more than doubled, according to the Department of Education” (WTVC-TV, August 13, 2010).

The increasing popularity of homeschooling should not come as a surprise. Homeschooling, a term referring to “parent-led, home-based education,” is now bordering on “mainstream” in the United States. In a 2008 article, SaveMoneyHomeschooling.com stated: “If homeschooling continues to grow at 7–12% per year for the next 5 years, we could see the percent of homeschooling students increase to 5 million, which is about 10% of the total children in K–12 education.” “Homeschooling high school is no longer uncharted territory . . . . There are a multitude of homeschooled graduates who are bearing fruit in the workplace, in the military, in their families, and in colleges across the country,” 9 states the Home-School Legal Defense Association, an organization whose purpose is to “defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children.”

Gena Suarez, publisher of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, is not at all surprised by the increased popularity of homeschooling: “During the past thirty years, homeschooling families have proven that parents can do a better job than the public school—socially and academically. Homeschooling works; everybody wins.”

As the homeschooling movement continues to expand, and as graduates from among their ranks assume positions of leadership and responsibility in the United States, our nation will be watching. Most citizens would agree that our nation is in desperate need of wise, well-educated leaders: men and women of integrity, curiosity, strength, and courage. The fact that homeschooling is the fastest-growing form of education in our country may just offer our nation that hope we’re looking for.

Via EPR Network
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Malvern House Offers A Competitive Business Degree Programme In London

Students looking for a competitive business degree course will find an excellent one at London’s Malvern House College. The institute teaches English language courses and business diploma courses to students from more than 100 countries. The business degree programme at Malvern House lasts for two years. Students then spend their final year at one of Malvern House’s partner universities, thereby saving up to 50 percent of their courses fees. This is a great opportunity not only to earn a coveted business degree but also to experience British university life.

The business degree programme is affiliated to the London Metropolitan University for a BA (Hons) Business and Management (Joint Honours), Middlesex University for a BA (Hons) Business Administration and Oxford Brookes University for a BA (Hons) Business and Management, among others. Students can complete their final year at a university of their choice from the Malvern House-recommended list.

Malvern House College offers one of the best English courses in London. Classes are varied and range from basic to advanced, depending on a student’s proficiency and comfort with the language. Classes are conducted in General English, Business English, Exam English and Intensive English. The summer is the perfect time to brush up on English skills, just in time to start university in autumn.

For those confident enough, there is an Intensive English Fast Track course. There is increased one-to-one interaction as these classes have fewer students. Exam English classes concentrate specifically on English language examinations, such as the IELTS. And for a specialised application of the English language, the Business English course helps students develop special business speaking skills.

For students interested in applying to a university in the UK, Malvern House offers a university preparatory programme as well as a free placement service for all its students. This involves course counselling, advice on entry requirements, understanding and registering for UCAS if required, and one-to-one help with Personal Statements, among other things.

Via EPR Network
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