The Creative Native, originally broadcast on Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, offers a fresh repertoire of video content for the social studies classroom. Contributing 41 full videos and 150 video clips to Learn360’s digital library, the acclaimed series features the journey through North America to discover and document the arts, crafts, culture and traditions of indigenous peoples from British Columbia to Mexico.

“The Creative Native series promises entertaining content that will engage students,” said Tamara Bell, Host/Producer at The Creative Native. “Each episode visually showcases thematic issues and allows students to embark on a journey across North America to unearth the roots of the language and traditions they know today—concepts far more tangible when hands-on.”

The series highlights artist profiles, in-depth interviews, traditional and contemporary art projects and historic snapshots that explore Aboriginal cultural contexts relevant to the theme of each episode. Saturated with the crafts and traditions of indigenous peoples, the series also offers instruction for a variety of age-based art projects to be completed in the classroom.

“We’re pleased to be adding The Creative Native to both our US and Canadian libraries,” said Ed Murphy, vice president of marketing and business development at Learn360. “Social studies educators want their interactions with students to not only create a platform for delivering facts and theories, but also to spark a desire to independently learn more about the subject. Learn360’s expanding lineup of video content in these subject areas helps students reach the point at which a more meaningful learning process can begin.”

Learn360 offers thousands of digital video titles, images, articles, audio files and podcasts. These trusted resources are provided by top educational publishers such as Encyclopedia Britannica, A&E Television Networks (which includes A&E, History and Biography), Sunburst Visual Media, and National Geographic, among others. Learn360 continues to build its comprehensive library of full-length videos and clips, teacher resources, lesson plans and multimedia files.

For more information about Learn360 and its extensive library of multimedia and streaming video content, please visit http://www.learn360.com. Free 30-day trials are available.
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About Learn360
With an extensive library of digital video titles and online resources, Learn360 gives educators and students the power to meet and exceed 21st century educational expectations. Setting a superior standard of quality for video streaming, Learn360 delivers the rich resources educators need to bring standards-based and differentiated instruction to students everywhere. Learn360 is a division of AIM Education, Inc. For more information, or to sign up for a free 30-day trial, visit http://www.learn360.com.

Atomic Learning Introduces New Content Including Camtasia 1.2 Training

February 2, 2012 — Little Falls, Minnesota — Atomic Learning has expanded its training collection to include Camtasia 1.2 training as well as adding advanced training series for Illustrator CS5 and PowerPoint 2011, among other software applications. This update to the online edtech training includes several updates to existing training series.

Camtasia 1.2 (http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/camtasia12)
Empower your training by easily creating effective videos using Camtasia 1.2. In this online training series, you’ll learn how to precisely edit screencasts by cutting, splicing, adding transitions, and captions. Also learn how to record PowerPoint® presentations, Web sites, Web cams, and software demos. Learn how to produce your video in many formats to share on video hosting sites such as YouTube™.

Illustrator CS5 (http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/ilcs5_adv)
In the Illustrator CS5 series, you will learn helpful tips and tricks for Live Trace and Live Paint, work with the Pathfinder Panel, create and manipulate blends and set your work apart with powerful 3D effects. Plus, discover many of the exciting new features of Illustrator including variable-width strokes, perspective drawing and the all-new Bristle Brush tool.

PowerPoint 2011 (http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/ppt11adv)
If you’re wanting to be accelerate your PowerPoint skills, this new series demonstrates more in-depth options for working with tables, customizing charts, adding hyperlinks, manipulating photos, adding audio and movies to your slides, working with animations and transitions, understanding slide masters, and creating speaker notes or support materials for your audiences.

New Training:

Camtasia 1.2 Training (Mac)

http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/camtasia12

Excel 2010 – Charting Training (PC)

http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/ex10chart

Fireworks CS5 Training (Mac)

http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/fworkscs5_mac

Fireworks CS5 Training (PC)

http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/fworkscs5

Illustrator CS5 – Advanced Training (PC)

http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/ilcs5_adv

PowerPoint 2011 – Advanced Training (Mac)

http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/ppt11adv

Updated Training:
Google Docs – A Focus on Spreadsheets – Advanced Training (Both) – Fully updated!

http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/google_spreadsheets_adv

iPad/iPad 2 (iOS 5) Training – Added 10 new movies!

http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/ipad_ios5

Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) – Orientation Training – Added 53 new movies!

http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/lion

Moodle 2.0 – Instructor Training (Both) – Added 27 new movies!

http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/moodle2instruct

About Atomic Learning
Founded in 2000 by a group of technology educators, Atomic Learning serves over 16 million individuals in more than 45 countries worldwide. Atomic Learning offers a cost-effective just-in-time professional development, technology integration and support solution that empowers educators to effectively utilize technology to positively impact student achievement. As your ed tech training partner, Atomic Learning helps teachers develop college and career-ready students with 21st century skills-based training. Visit us today at www.AtomicLearning.com.

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It was a good thing Melody emailed because after a couple of weeks of work and five revisions later, Berryville student Benjamin Harris mailed his in, and a few days after that he received an email from The Clinton Presidential Center informing him that he had won the award. Just before break, Ben and his delighted family drove to Little Rock and had their picture taken with President Clinton. “I owe a lot to ODE, and Mr. Chapman, and Ms. Stockslager. Thanks for helping me win this scholarship, which I needed. This will help a lot.” Ben’s essay was about the dangers and temptations of dropping out of school and how to overcome those pitfalls through learning more about the difficulties that face high school dropouts. Ben plans on attending College of the Ozarks, and after winning this award, he’s become interested in majoring in creative writing.

Greenville, SC – February 1, 2012 – Super Duper Publications has released Language LAB, a new response to intervention, (RTI) evidence-based program designed to help elementary school students (grades K-4) improve their English language skills. Language LAB provides struggling students with 15 hours of focused, intensive and systematic instruction to assist them in acquiring strong language, listening and reading skills that are consistent with state educational standards. The goal of the program is to help students so that they would not need special language therapy and could remain in their regular classroom settings. http://sdpubs.com/7s2pt

Language LAB provides Tier II or Tier III language intervention for groups of 2–4 students prior to making a special education referral. This RTI program consists of five learning stations—Skill Drill Station, Listen and Learn Station, Talk Aloud Station, Story Station, and Homework Connections Station. Over a 30-minute session (2–3 days per week), students rotate through all four stations. The first three stations teach specific grammar and vocabulary skills and the fourth station targets narrative, story-telling and retelling skills. In addition, a Homework Connections workbook provides homework for all of the skills. http://www.superduperinc.com/products/view.aspx?pid=LANG22&view=HowToVideo

JoAnn Weichmann, Special Education Coordinator of Evaluation in the Pasadena Independent School District in Texas and co-developer of the program, states, “Each session of Language LAB provides the opportunity for the child to mass practice his target language skills and move quickly into activities that allow for use of the target skills in connected speech… The bottom line is that Language LAB is effective because it is fast-paced, fun, children love stories, and improved language skills translate into stronger performance in the classroom.”

Language LAB targets the following language skills: Verbs (regular & irregular tenses), Adverbs, Nouns (regular & irregular plurals), Adjectives, and Connected Speech (clauses, conjunctions, negatives, direct & indirect objects). In addition, students learn narrative skills through scripted lessons, helping them to use the grammar components while retelling, creating, and adding creativity and cohesiveness to the stories they create.

Language LAB’s comprehensive program includes:
o Resource Guide with printable CD-ROM (for all books)
o Homework Connections Workbook
o Skill Drill Workbook
o Five Language LAB Station Signs
o 120 Talk Aloud Cards
o Six Audio CDs with 5,000 sentences
o 90 Story Station Cards
o Three Language Screener Cards

Super Duper Publications has created additional RTI programs such as Artic LAB for articulation enhancement http://www.superduperinc.com/products/view.aspx?pid=ARTIC33 and START-IN for reading improvement http://www.superduperinc.com/products/view.aspx?pid=START11.

Super Duper has over 1,000 creative, unique educational materials for children with special needs and communication or language delays. The Super Duper website offers a wide variety of products for teachers, therapy professionals, and parents to use with children in a classroom, therapy setting, and at home.

For more information and to see the full line of Super Duper products, visit www.superduperinc.com

Media Contacts:

Kati Elliott Katherine Russo
KEH Communications KEH Communications
410.975.9638 410.975.9638
kati@kehcomm.com katherine@kehcomm.com
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"We're getting calls now, and we're more than happy to share," said Superintendent Lance Bagstad. "We've made mistakes, and we've done things right."

The sign in the hallway tells Renville County West fifth-grade students what they’ll need in class: social studies book, pencil, folder, iPad.

In another classroom, Quick Response codes on the bulletin board can be used to download assignments directly onto an iPad.

They are visual reminders of how much things have changed this year for students and staff at RCW, which has provided Apple iPads for all students in grades 4-12. Nearby MACCRAY Schools has provided iPads for students in grades 7-12.

There have been bumps in the road—the devices need better cases, because they break too easily, and there have been occasional issues with kids downloading unauthorized software.

But the positives have outweighed the negatives, school officials said recently. While this is still a transition year, they say they can see ways the iPads will help the district contain costs in the future.

As they need new textbooks, for example, they expect to use digital versions where possible.

For more news about iPads in the classroom, see:

Apple unveils interactive textbooks, revamped iTunes U

Tips and success stories for effective mobile learning

Schools see rising scores with iPads

Many U.S. schools adding iPads, trimming textbooks

Textbook-free schools share experiences, insights

Their experience also has stirred interest around the state. RCW representatives were mobbed at a January school board convention, where people had to be turned away from their presentation.

“We’re getting calls now, and we’re more than happy to share,” said Superintendent Lance Bagstad. “We’ve made mistakes, and we’ve done things right.”

School Board member David Hamre said the board has been pleased with the progress seen this year.

“They are above and beyond what we ever dreamed of,” he said, “and it’s only the beginning.”

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“So much of it is inappropriate for their age, their stage of development,” Diehl told the station…

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