Interview with Petra Zigon: Writing and Reporting on Issues Impactiing Teens

Welcome to an interview with Petra Zigon, journalist who writes for the largest magazine in Slovenia dedicated to a demographic that includes teen, tween, and pre-teen girls. Her work takes her to interesting places and conversations, where she finds out what the latest trends and beliefs are in the world of teens, tweens, and pre-teens.

Hi Petra -- It is a pleasure to talk to you about your work with writing and reporting on issues that are of concern to the world's teens.
Thank you, it is a pleasure to be able to talk about it.

Have you discovered anything surprising about teenagers today?
First of all, I would have to say even though it's only been about ten or fifteen years since I myself was a teenager, things have changed immensely. Of course back then it was a different time but in many ways I think we were privileged. There weren't so many expectations among teenagers, you didn't have to wear certain clothes or labels to be cool, for example. But being a teenager is difficult in itself, no matter what decade you're 'surviving' it in. The most surprising thing is still the fact that there are almost 'rules' to be followed to being cool. It always is wonderful when I meet a young person who is keen about learning, studying or school and education. Especially since some of those are still being ridiculed. I had the privilege of working at a language school for a while and met with some amazing, goal-oriented teenagers who would not be side-tracked by anything and it was refreshing to see them work hard and being willing to sacrifice some of their free hours in order to achieve the life goals they had set for themselves.

What are some of their concerns? Are these new -- unusual?
I have been at times a little disappointed when discovering many of the teenagers are more concerned about the amount of money they might be able to earn with the profession they choose than the fact that they should choose carefully because it is most likely going to be a life-long commitment. This also most likely goes hand in hand with the consumer society which is so prominent nowadays. A lot of TV series also help with creating a life that teenagers want and will stop at nothing to get there. I would mostly recommend them to look inside themselves, find things that make them happy and they're good at them and follow that. They're more likely going to be happy doing something they love (and getting rich with it) than doing something they hate.

What do you believe are the "must have's" in terms of knowledge for today's teen? Are typical educational programs adapting for today's teens? Is there a role for informal learning? Where could they improve or change?
Of course schools, scholar systems and teachers are always the ones to be 'blamed' for good/bad education. While that is largely true, it is also up to the individual. The school systems often offer individual work on the topic you can choose by yourself. If you have to hand in a paper for geography, for instance, choose a country you're interested in and expand your knowledge. Also one of the best things you can do is to keep your ears open. There are so many things we don't know, so many interesting facts we can learn by only listening and observing and giving something we're not interested in, a chance, that if we let everything go by, we could end up being uninformed or even ignorant. There is always a good reason to look something up online, to open an encyclopaedia, to read about something that you're not familiar with in the paper,... If Albert Einstein strikes you up as an interesting man, look up his biography, you might learn he had a secret child and a brilliant wife who, many suggest, might be the big brain behind his theories. Quenching your thirst for knowledge and satisfying your curiosity are the best paths.

What do most teens tend to say about the future? Are they optimistic?
In some cases they don't realize that life is a serious game. But then again neither did we, when we were teenagers. Mostly you have to learn as you go along and truly take lessons to heart and learn them. Try not to repeat the same mistakes. I think everyone can be optimistic and with a reason since we all have opportunities and abilities to be everything we want. But we must realize nothing will be given to us freely, we must fight and work for it.

How do you see teens using information gained from the web and social networking? How can informal learning be integrated?
I will stress the same thing I did earlier. Whenever they're 'googling' something they're interested in instead of plain looking at silly videos or forwards they get on their email, it is informal learning. Internet is a great learning power tool and the fact that we can google a word when we don't know what it is and find ten meanings, is amazing. I can see teenagers spend a lot of time online every day. One of the magazines I work for, has an internet site that is swamped with visits. I think it's important to realize the fact that through learning comes educating and vice versa. That can be done in terms of informing and educating children and youngsters about interesting facts but also dangers of drunk driving, smoking or unsafe sex and help them solving troubles in school, for instance.

What is your philosophy of writing and reporting?
If by philosophy you mean my way of work, it is not as simple as sitting down and writing. Even with interviews there has to be a right moment in order to feel inspired. Interviews themselves are not mainly typing down what the person has said but you also have to filter, you must form and shape the words and the whole conversation which is many times not just question/answer all the time but a real conversation. The most important thing, though, to me is the truth. Being honest, not fabricating and putting across what the person was trying to say. That is why I despise tabloids that twist people's words and turn them into ambiguous statements.

Is the role of the journalist changing? How?
I started writing for a magazine when I was fifteen. I realize I was lucky to have found something I wanted to do when I was so young and stick to it and make a career out of it. And again, the role is changing. There are many more faux magazines and papers, as I call them, out there. I mean the tabloids, of course. They unfortunately affect too many people's minds and opinions. But thankfully there are still rays of hope since there are still great journalists to look up to, to respect and call real journalists, reporters and writers.

What should journalists study in order to be effective?
Mostly it is important to be informed. To follow the spinning of the globe and daily events. It is inexcusable to be uninformed. If a journalist specialises in culture, they should know about it, they should follow it more than the rest of the branches of human lives. But in all fairness, everything is connected, so be informed.

Interview with Bridget Clementi, BlueKids.org: Innovators in E-Learning Series

Game-based e-learning for students in grades 4 through 8 is an effective way to teach health education. Wisconsin-based BlueKids.org is both popular and effective, and provides courses in injury prevention, wellness, self-esteem, drug education, and more. Welcome to an interview with Bridget Clementi, executive director of Children's Health Education Center.

What is your name and your experience with e-learning?
Bridget Clementi is executive director of Children’s Health Education Center. Bridget joined CHEC in 2000 to work with the organizations’ injury prevention team. During her tenure, she established prevention programs and expanded the center’s injury prevention programming throughout Wisconsin. In 2008, she was promoted to executive director. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and holds a degree in communication and public relations.

What is BlueKids.org? Please describe how it started and why?
BlueKids.org e-learning programs are innovative, online, game-based learning courses that deliver effective health and wellness topics to students in grades 4 through 8. With computers becoming more commonplace in the classroom, and children growing up more comfortable than ever with technology, educators have had to adjust their teaching methodology accordingly. Studies have shown that hands-on learning leads to greater retention than traditional textbook lessons. Engaging, interactive learning also allows students to develop the necessary critical thinking skills needed to make the right life choices as they get older and are faced with more complex decisions.

Children’s Health Education Center, a member of the renowned Children’s Hospital and Health System, created its Bluekids.org e-learning programs as an interactive way to educate kids on a variety of health and societal topics. These e-learning programs use web-based games and activities that allow children to become more involved in the learning process, enabling them to better retain the information discussed in each lesson.



All BlueKids.org programs are supported by Moodle, a learning management system that provides teachers the ability to track students’ progress and collect pre-test and post-test data.

What is the mission of BlueKids.org?
CHEC is the lead organization behind BlueKids.org. It is the mission of CHEC to develop and deliver engaging, interactive health education programs that help keep kids healthy and safe. CHEC accomplishes this mission by offering on-site field trips, outreach and e-learning programs.

Please describe the top three courses.
CHEC has been offering innovative online, game-based learning programs under the trade name of BlueKids.org for the past four years. It’s Up 2U and Drug Defense: Get UR Facts are designed for middle school age children, and teach the important topic of alcohol and other drug use and abuse prevention. The Real U, for middle school age children, helps develop positive mental and emotional health attributes. BullyFree Basics, for upper elementary children, teaches the basics of bullying, including both prevention and intervention techniques for bullying and related violence.

These online courses utilize design elements conducive to game based learning by implementing strong narrative context and attending to the theories proven to enhance overall learning. This advanced level game based curriculum requires higher order thinking, analyzing and synthesizing skills based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. The content has been reviewed by professional medical and teaching staff and is designed to capitalize on the attention given to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Why do people like BlueKids.org?
BlueKids.org e-learning programs are easy for teachers to implement and the kids are happy to learn this way, so it’s a win-win situation for everyone. Using advanced game based technology and applications, the programs are developed in a way that engages the students, provides for problem solving and thinking on behalf of the students, and builds motivation from within the student.

99% of the teachers have a positive view of the online courses and would recommend to another teacher.

90% of the students like the online course format.




Are there a few things you're planning to change?
We continue to look for new ways to engage the learners and improve the outcomes of the courses – knowledge, attitude and behavioral intent. Specifically, this summer, we will build in more skills-based approaches to learning in an obesity prevention program series that will launch in the fall. The series will have programs available to school districts with students in kindergarten to grade 8.

What types of techniques are you using in your e-learning to encourage interaction and collaboration?
Participating students spend approximately six sessions in the computer lab followed by six classroom discussions with the teacher using this blended approach to learning. During the classroom time, students interact with each other and the teacher to bring the online lessons into their own context of classroom, school, home and community. The greatest value comes from the interaction between the teacher and the students, and the ability for the students to have dialogue and discussion around these “social” topics. This allows them to share stories and gain ideas for dealing with the issues. The teacher is guided by a comprehensive teacher’s guide that contains stem questions, objectives and all activities.

Are you using social networking in any way?
At this time we are not using social networking sites.
We have a grant proposal in process with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, where students will be divided so that half of the class will be in groups using the blended approach and the other half in groups facilitated asynchronously. The asynchronous facilitation will be conducted by a highly trained group of high school students called the Teen Health Crew. These students will be trained in asynchronous discussions, web etiquette and protocol, and will be supervised by adult professionals.

Do you have to be careful with privacy (health & kids)?
As administrators of the program, we do not assign individual logins and passwords to students. Each teacher we work with provides us with the number of logins/passwords that they need and we provide them with a generic list that they match to their classroom students. This way, we have no knowledge of the individual students’ names or any personal information. In addition, for any evaluations that we conduct, we need to go through an internal review board through Children’s Hospital and Health System to ensure quality and validity of the study.



How can BlueKids.org help develop human potential?
BlueKids.org e-learning programs are devoted to developing human potential. For example, ATOD (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug) abuse is a universal problem that this research will assist in mitigating through self care education to change knowledge and behavioral intent. The data for depression and suicide attempts is no better, and the prevention of bullying through our BullyFree Basics online program is a beginning in the quest to stem violence of all types. The evidence is extremely strong, or you might say overwhelming, that kids that are depressed, using ATOD or are afraid do not learn well…thus destroying the opportunity to excel.

For more information, visit www.HealthyKidsLearnMore.com or www.BlueKids.org.

Blending Mobile Technologies: Handhelds, All-Weather Writing Paper - Interview with Ryan McDonald, J. L. Darling Corporation

Hybrid learning can involve more than a blend of face-to-face and web-based courses. They can also involve mobile devices combined with traditional books -- for example, all-weather field notebooks, digital pens, and mobile devices with GPS. With that in mind, welcome to an interview with Ryan McDonald, "Rite in the Rain" All-Weather Writing paper, which can be used in conjunction with digital pens and geographical information systems, as well as other innovative learning.

What is your name and what is your involvement in e-learning?

My name is Ryan McDonald and I am the Marketing & Advertising Director at the J. L. Darling Corporation, manufacturers of "Rite in the Rain" All-Weather Writing Paper.

What is Rite-in-the-Rain, and what is its mission and vision? What kinds of products do you offer?

"Rite in the Rain" (www.RiteintheRain.com) is an unconventional "retooling" of conventional paper. Relying on a unique "weather-proofing" manufacturing process, the J. L. Darling Corporation transforms regular paper into "Rite in the Rain", outdoor note taking tools unrestricted by the elements. Available in a wide variety of different formats: bound books, spiral notebooks, loose leaf, copier paper and padded sheets, "Rite in the Rain" is a more durable, 100% recyclable, all-weather, alternative to regular paper.

(Image is of the traditional all-weather field notebook... inspiration for many things....)


What is your involvement in facilitating education or educational experiences?

As a manufacturer, we don't have a hand in facilitating education so much as assisting others in their educational experiences. Many programs, especially in the Geological, Biological and Environmental sectors depend exclusively on "Rite in the Rain" while in the field. In fact, the demand became so great that specific bound log books were developed to meet the unique needs of Geologists, Biologists and Environmentalists. More recently "Rite in the Rain" has seen a growing number of Universities stock "Rite in the Rain" in their bookstores and many Professors include "Rite in the Rain" on their "required textbook" list when their area of study takes students outdoors.

What are your new initiatives? How does new technology meet traditional technology in the field? How do you see old and new technologies coming together?

"Rite in the Rain's" Journalx Field Books are a perfect example of the "union" between old and new technologies. Journalx Field Books combine the durability and all-weather qualities of "Rite in the Rain" with the ease and familiarity of digital documentation. Using a pre-printed dot pattern on each sheet and a digital pen (Penx) written information is mapped and stored in the pen's memory. Dock the pen in it's transfer device (USB connection to a PC) and the information that was written in the field book will be converted to an editable document. While still early in development, this combination of old and new technologies is a very exciting breakthrough in field technologies and will continue to improve - and expand, in the coming years.

How do your products work with hand-held GPS devices in the field?

Outside of being able to record and plot current locations gathered from a GPS device, there is no specific relationship between "Rite in the Rain" All-Weather Notebooks and hand-held GPS devices. However, "Rite in the Rain" is available in large format sheets as well and can be used to print Topographic Maps to aid GPS navigation.

Using a digital pen with Rite in the Rain paper (onto which a map has been printed).

Here is a demo: http://www.anoto.com/filearchive/2/2497/adapx_penx.mpg

How might your products enhance certain field technologies?

"Rite in the Rain's" greatest strength is it's simplicity. It will never break down, it will never malfunction, it doesn't run on batteries, there is no learning curve, it's relatively cheap and ultimately, disposable. As such, "Rite in the Rain" notebooks are a perfect compliment to more sophisticated technology. They can act as backups, replace expensive equipment too valuable to risk in poor weather, and allow field operators greater mobility.

How might a "hybrid approach" that combines mobile technologies and traditional paper-based products enhance one's learning experience?

The most practical "hybrid approach" approach currently available is the Journalx Field Books and digital pen mentioned earlier. Utilizing both technologies would eliminate the need for manually converting gathered field data into a digital format.

How could your products be used in conjunction with podcasts (video and audio)?

"Rite in the Rain's" use in conjunction with podcasts is limited. Outside of broadcasting company/product updates, reviews and demonstrations it's hard to imagine other uses.

*****************
Thought: Could one use this approach for fieldwork involving collecting information that you need to attach to a position / location... and which you need to share? Could be used in the field with wind farms, for collecting market information -- anything... ! Twitter plus positioning ?

Susan's note: I love the possibilities of combining old and new technologies. The possibilities that are unlocked are just endless!! Never throw out the old... just repurpose it!




Also -- poetry inspired by sketches from a field notebook... then shared on the web..
link to one resulting work..

Teacher Roundtable: Good Deeds Societies

Welcome to a roundtable discussion with Tadeja Toppolnik, a teacher from a Slovenian school, OŠ dr Ivan Prijatelj Sodražica, which participated in a competition revolving responding to a book, Good Deeds Society, and thinking about how children and the community could collaborate in a good deeds society.

What is your name, your position, and your involvement with your school?

Tadeja Topolnik , Teacher of the Slovene language (Slovene teacher )
Pastoral/ Home Class teacher of Grade 8 pupils, The coordinator of programs for children with special needs and also a member of the School Board

What is your involvement in your school's Good Deeds Society essay contest and in potential future activities regarding a Good Deeds Society?

The principal received an invitation for the school to include itself in a literary competition
from Sodobnost International . As I am one of the Slovene teachers at the school the task was given to me . My colleague Lucija Petelinšek and I discussed the matter and passed on the information to all our students from grade 6 onwards. It was decided then that I would coordinate the activity . Children brought their literary works to view and together we discussed and developed thier views.

Maybe an idea for future work would be to encourage or promote »understanding« between parents-pupils and teachers for specific problems. This could be done in the form of a workshop with all three groups of the population present- giving an opportunity for views to be aired and at the same time listened to, and finally discussed. Institutions like »The Centre for Youth« in Ljubljana or qualified professionals could be invited to give a seminar on themes that are common to this target population.

What are three areas where you can see benefits for students by getting involved in a Good Deeds Society? What problems might it address?

Getting involved in a Good Deeds Society is a positive step toward making the environment we live in more pleasant, understanding and tolerant.

The problems it may address could be involved with the

1) environment,
2) the elderly
3) youth

As far as the environment is concerned it could coordinate or help with the organising of cleaning-up activities in Sodražica ( township-square, river,..) and promoting the sense of pride in having a clean environment to live in.

The elderly could be helped through the Good Deeds Club not only in receiving help but also in sharing their knowledge, handicrafts, story telling, etc,.. with the young. This would develop communication between generations.

Spending quality fun/free -time is a very big problem amongst the youth of Sodražica . It should be made clear that alcohol or drugs are not the central reason for getting together and having fun and in this way dealing with boredom. Maybe doing good deeds or being included in a sports club would minimize non-quality free-time!

Money is an important factor in the game. Leadership is also another factor to be considered. Maybe experience from other communities would help in the development of the above ideas in Sodražica.

Maybe by the pupils defining the problems themselves, they become aware and understand that if any changes are to happen they must come from them (or us)!



How can you make sure that the major energy stays at the student level, and that they generate enthusiasm for the activities from a grassroots level?

I believe that discussion gives rise to initiative for projects to happen. Initially pupils would be invited to a round-table discussion – pupils who show empathy for such a project/group - and develop the steps from there. Adults/teachers could lead and nurture the development of such a group and develop the individual potential of the group's members. ( roles - President,secretary,…)

Where is one good way, in our opinion, for students can ideas and work on line on the internet?

Maybe the pupils could create a school web page presenting their activities, continually inviting membership and inclusion of other pupils.
Communicating with other schools which have set up similar projects/groups building friendships.

How can teachers involved in your Good Deeds society benefit from contact with teachers in other parts of the world?

If we communicate with people who share similar ideas our cause is stronger .

Spreading the idea of »good deeds« around the world will make a better world – working at a local level can make Sodražica a better place to live in . In this way pupil awareness is developed and hopefully some action will come forth !

Contacting teachers in other parts of the world could give us ideas for projects etc… and also allow friendships to develop.

Interview with Kevin Chen, italki (language learning): Innovators in E-Learning Series

Web-based techniques for learning languages are expanding, and social networking is proving to be one of the most effective approaches. italki.com has adopted an open platform approach, and the resources have remained free. In addition, it has recently added new features which encourage language learners to receive tutoring from native speakers. The italki.com platform allows individuals to create classrooms, and to charge a fee for tutoring. Keven Chen, co-founder of italki.com, discusses his vision for the future.

1. What is your name and your relation to e-learning?

My name is Kevin Chen and I co-founded italki.com with Yongyue Jiang. italki.com is a website that helps people learn languages. My ideas for italki came from my experiences trying to learn Mandarin Chinese in Shanghai. While I was studying, I had this thought that a language learning social network would be well-suited for solving problems like finding language partners and sharing learning materials. I also thought that a social network could become the foundation of something much larger.

2. What is italki and how is it different from other sites and services?

We've tried to make italki as community-oriented and free as possible. We're unique in this way. Many of our competitors have their own proprietary content, and some have a specific pedagogical approach. We're trying to be more like an open platform and resource center.


We believe our users should choose their own learning (or teaching) methodology. All of our content is generated by our users. The help that users receive from the website comes from other users. Users practice speaking a language with each other, and they answer each others' questions.

It's impressive to see how much help you can get on italki from people freely donating their time. People used to ask me "Why do users do this?" I'm not sure what the exact answer is. I guess there are a lot of good people out there.

3. What is your new marketplace feature?

The language marketplace is where we connect teachers and students for paid language instruction. Students can choose a teacher after considering their experience, academic qualifications, teaching style, lesson price, or whatever criteria they think is most important. Teachers can set a price based on demand for the language they teach and their own economic expectations. We hope that the language marketplace will give students that previously could not get language instruction the opportunity to learn. We also hope that the marketplace will give teachers in remote locations access to students around the world. We believe there is a lot of demand for language instruction that isn't being met due to geography -- and this is a problem the internet was meant to solve.

4. It's great that you're making it easier for people to share skills and expertise. There may be unintended benefits along the way. Can you think of what they might be?

We think there are many benefits that come from bringing together people from different backgrounds. An obvious one is that we hope italki can promote greater cultural understanding. You can learn a great deal more than just the language, when you talk with someone from another country.

Certainly you can make friends on the site. I think italki is a special kind of social network in that it isn't where you go to connect to your existing friends -- it's where you go to find strangers that are interested in sharing their knowledge and experience with you.

5. Here's a skeptic's question: Wouldn't it be just as easy for people to connect via voiceover IP and pay via PayPal or gift certificates? What are the advantages to being involved in the italki solution?

While that's a possibility, we see ourselves playing an important role in dealing with issues like customer fulfillment, dispute settlement, and financial transactions. By intermediating the transaction, students can use whatever methods they have to pay into the system. Paypal is convenient in many parts of the world, but unfortunately not all. In addition, italki helps to protect both the students and teachers from fraudulent behavior. The money is held temporarily by italki pending the confirmation process. Finally, teachers can build up an online reputation this way. As teachers use the system, their students are able to signal to other users on italki that the teacher is reliable and qualified.

6. What are some of the underlying pedagogical pillars that support your endeavor? What are some of your educational strategies and philosophies?

We're trying to avoid taking a stand on a specific pedagogical methodology. We believe every student and teacher has a way of learning that is best suited for them. Some users on italki use the site as a complement to their existing language studies at school. Some users have full-time jobs, and are using italki as their primary source for education. Undoubtedly, there are a broad range of goals and levels of commitment on italki.

In general, we have a belief that using a language in actual communication is a key part of acquiring mastery of a language. Language immersion is arguably the key benefit of living abroad, and we're trying to provide something similar to this --maybe you can call it "virtual immersion." Even a few sessions practicing a language with a native speaker can do wonders for listening comprehension, pronunciation, and general fluency. I'm sure students have witnessed the benefits of spending a summer studying abroad -- we hope to recreate some of that effect online with italki.


7. Interactivity, community, and engagement are great -- how about outcomes assessment? Do you have any way to help people with standardized tests of proficiency that they'll have to pass?

Outcomes assessment is something that is important, and we have some ideas for future features. In general, we rely on the community to create services for our members. For example, we have teachers that offer classes specifically devoted to standardized test preparation. There are also test preparation study notes that users have uploaded to the site. Again, we see italki as a platform, and hopefully our users can respond to the needs of the community.

8. Final question: any encouraging, visionary thoughts?

I imagine that in the future, people will find learning to be a lifelong process, and that learning a foreign language will be an essential part of every human being's education. Getting taught a language from a native teacher presently living in their home country will seem completely natural. The demand to learn languages will be completely satisfied everywhere -- from rare languages being offered in every high school and college -- to every developing country having access to all the teachers they need for international languages like English.

Just like for wikipedia, there will be open source language textbooks, collaboratively created, and free for everyone with an internet connection. These materials will be more than just text -- they'll come in video, audio, and every content format that can be stored online. And these materials will reach into every language pair, and even cover the languages that are in danger of extinction.

People learning foreign languages will immediately become a member of a community of students, teachers and tutors, who are interested in sharing their knowledge, their culture, and their time. Learning a foreign language will become an instant and natural gateway to having friends around the world.

It's a big dream, and I hope that italki can play a part in building that.

Interview with Cheryl Vedoe, Apex Learning: Innovators in E-Learning Series

Online learning for secondary education continues to evolve, and the curriculum developed is being used in innovative ways. Welcome to an interview with Cheryl Vedoe, CEO of Apex Learning, developer of curriculum and elearning solutions for secondary education.

What is your name and what is your involvement in e-learning?

I'm Cheryl Vedoe. I've been directly involved in the development and delivery of digital curriculum since joining Apex Learning as CEO in September 2002.

What is Apex Learning, and what is its mission and vision?

Founded in 1997, Apex Learning (http://www.apexlearning.com) is one of the pioneers in online learning for secondary education. We are a team that is passionate about education and believe online learning can play a key role in helping schools differentiate instruction to address the unique needs of each student and increase educational opportunities for all students.

We offer a comprehensive digital curriculum that is widely used today in both distance-learning as well as brick-and-mortar classroom programs for original credit, credit-recovery, and intervention. We have designed our curriculum to offer multiple pathways to help schools meet the needs of all their students - from those not succeeding in traditional programs to those capable of accelerating their learning. Our Foundations courses offer structured remediation in math and English for transitioning middle school students as well as high school students not prepared for grade-level coursework. Our Core courses are standards-based courses designed to fully meet high school graduation requirements and prepare students for college and work. Our Honors courses are designed for motivated students who want opportunities to go beyond what is required. And finally – though this is really where we began – we offer College Board-authorized Advanced Placement courses.

What are your new initiatives?

Our most recent initiative in curriculum development is a new pathway - Literacy Advantage courses - specifically designed to support struggling readers to be successful in high school math, science, English and social studies courses. It is a startling fact that the majority of high school students read below grade level. For these students, the rigors of the required high school curriculum can be daunting. Nearly one-third of ninth graders will drop out before completing high school, and one of the most commonly cited reasons is the lack of literacy skills. With Literacy Advantage courses, schools can provide individualized learning experiences for these students, combining the instructional equivalent of a content area teacher side-by-side with a reading specialist.

Who do you consider to be the target audience? Why?

Our online courses are increasingly being used as the curriculum for instructional programs serving students who have not been successful in the traditional classroom. Regardless of whether the program is an alternative high school with students working on original credit or the focus is credit recovery to get students back on track for graduation, a consistent theme we hear is how difficult it is for these students - many of whom are struggling readers - to master grade level content. Too often, students become discouraged, their attendance declines, and, with a history of failure, they choose to drop out of high school. Literacy Advantage courses help support struggling readers to earn credits toward graduation in the required math, science, English and social studies courses while simultaneously developing their literacy skills.

What makes your approach effective? How do you know? What have you done to really test the efficacy of your approach?

When we published our first online course more than 10 years ago, there was certainly skepticism as to whether such a course could be as effective as the traditional classroom model of instruction. Our first courses were in Advanced Placement subjects, and widely used to provide opportunities to students who would not otherwise have access to AP courses. Students enrolled in Apex Learning online AP courses have consistently achieved scores on the College Board AP exams comparable to their peers in traditional AP classes. In fact, scores for online students have generally been above the national average. Literacy Advantage courses build on not only our extensive experience in developing and delivering effective online courses but also on the body of current research on adolescent literacy and recommendations from leading experts in literacy instruction.

Have recent changes in the way online learners interact changed anything about Apex Learning and/or your approach? (social networking, twitter, wikis, multimedia, voice boards, etc.)

We are solely focused on the development of digital curriculum. We make extensive use of multimedia to create situational interest to motivate students as well as to support and encourage them as they engage in learning. All our direct instruction incorporates multimedia — in the form of animations, images, audio, video, charts, graphs, and interactive exercises — along with text to present multiple representations of concepts as well as address different learning styles.

Please list and describe a few key benefits of using your new series of courses. Do you have any demos?

Literacy Advantage courses are standards-based high school courses that follow the same scope and sequence and cover the same rigorous academic content as our Core and Honors courses. What sets Literacy Advantage courses apart is the integrated literacy support to assist struggling readers in completing high school content area courses.

Accessible text helps students comprehend rigorous academic content. All text is written with controlled vocabulary and syntax. Text is chunked and scrolling limited. Students can choose to hear instructional text read aloud. New vocabulary is supported with rollover definitions and usage examples that feature audio and graphical representations of terms. Active reading and explicit vocabulary strategies help students simultaneously develop literacy skills to bring them to grade level.

Please describe upcoming activities.

Four Literacy Advantage courses - Algebra I, Physical Science, English I and U.S. Government and Politics - will be available for the 2009-2010 school year. Our recently-announced English Foundations I course, designed for high school students reading below basic, will be available for summer school programs this June. In addition, new math courses specific to California, Florida, and Georgia will be available.

What kind of assessment strategy do you use?

Assessment opportunities – including formative, summative and diagnostic assessments – are integrated throughout Apex Learning online courses. Each lesson begins with the learning objectives. Assessments address those learning objectives and are specifically designed to test students at various levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Formative and diagnostic assessments provide opportunities to gauge student progress on an ongoing basis. Summative assessments require students to demonstrate what they have learned at the end of each unit and semester.

Why did you focus on that particular assessment? How does it meet the needs of students?

Diagnostic assessments. Unit-level diagnostic assessments provide valuable information on student strengths and weaknesses to both students and teachers. Automatically-generated, personalized study plans guide students to relevant instructional content based on identified areas for improvement.

Formative assessments. True learning requires students to constantly think about and evaluate what they are doing whether they’re reading, listening, watching, interacting, exploring, discussing or writing. This reflective mindset is supported by formative assessment opportunities throughout the instructional content. These include both scored and unscored assessments that give students continuous feedback.

Summative assessments. Students are required to demonstrate what they have learned through unit tests and semester exams. Apex Learning online courses utilize objective computer-scored test instruments and more subjective open-ended, teacher-scored testing tools to evaluate higher order and critical thinking skills.

Optional question: Do you see any applications of Apex Learning for developing online courses for technical / professional development?

It's interesting to note that although we are one of the leading developers of online courses for secondary education, we have not to date developed nor used online courses for professional development. As is true of most curriculum providers, we deliver professional development to the schools that use our digital curriculum.

We train both teachers and administrators on our courses and learning management system as well as on best practices to ensure a successful implementation to achieve each program's educational objectives. We have found that one of the most effective professional development models is for our education consultants to spend time in classrooms in one-on-one coaching and mentoring with teachers. While we believe there may not be an effective online substitute for that one-on-one in-person touch, we are now developing our first online professional development course to deliver some of the more basic training and serve as a resource teachers can go back to when they need a refresher.

Interview with Patrick Mileham, NexLearn - Innovators in E-Learning Series

Virtual worlds, simulations, and games are used in training and education in ever-expanding applications which seek to create learning experiences. Welcome to an interview with Patrick Mileham,director of editorial development for NexLearn (http://www.nexlearn.com).

What is your name, your position, and your affiliation and what is your involvement in NexLearn?

Patrick Mileham
Director of Editorial Development for NexLearn
I work closely with our partners to develop relevant, instructionally sound training experiences.

What is NexLearn and what is its mission and vision?

www.nexlearn.com

NexLearn is a custom e-Learning developer with expertise in creating immersive learning simulations. In fact, the core group that started NexLearn developed some of the first business-related e-Learning courses to include branching social simulations. Most of the company’s team members have been involved in the development of e-Learning tools or courseware for more than 15 years. We definitely excel in industry experience and knowledge.

The company’s mission evolved from its vision statement: “To advance excellence in learning technologies by combining people, technology and great ideas.” Once we decided where we wanted to go as a company, we outlined the best and most effective way to get there. By leveraging our creativity, experience and innovative development philosophy, we knew we could build strong customer relationships that would allow us to lead the technology-based education industry.

What new products and services do you have?

In 2006, NexLearn introduced SimWriter, a simulation authoring tool that gives anyone—including instructional designers, subject matter experts, trainers, managers and human resources personnel—the opportunity to develop custom, media-rich immersive learning simulations based on their company’s own content, processes and procedures. And since the tool features pull-down menus and pick-and-click functionality, SimWriter users can focus on creating engaging and instructional storylines instead of computer code. SimWriter’s ease-of-use translates into a savings of many hours of development time, effort and money.

Just last month (February 2009), we released SimWriter 3.5, the latest version of the authoring tool that includes more than 30 new enhancements. We believe it is the most robust and flexible rapid development immersive learning simulation authoring tool available today. And the feedback we’ve been receiving from SimWriter users—including experienced developers and people who are just starting to develop courses—proves that the popularity of immersive learning simulations continues to grow.

In addition, NexLearn provides a full range of custom courseware development services. We can do everything from Knowledge Engineering to Video and Audio Production in our onsite studios. We have over 1200 immersive learning projects completed in the last 14 years, including some projects as long as 183 hours of instruction and as short as 30 minutes.

What do you identify as the key new trends that have made NexLearn beneficial to people?

Well, with the current state of the economy, we’re seeing more companies putting greater emphasis on training...including those that have downsized their workforce. It’s critical for corporate leaders to realize that training isn’t a luxury that’s only valuable when business is good. Employee training and development is an investment that is critical to the success of their business—especially when they’re asking more from fewer employees. Companies are searching for help to train and cross-train their employees effectively and efficiently.

Business leaders and CLOs are attracted to NexLearn for a couple reasons. First, we offer SimWriter. Again, the benefit here is that the tool offers developers the capability to create customized, complex branching social simulations in a quarter of the time and at a fraction of the cost it normally takes to create the same project using other development methods and tools.

And second, we’ve developed a unique and beneficial three-tier process for helping our partners succeed.

For clients that have limited or no development resources to create their own training courses, NexLearn experts can create and maintain projects for them—from the spark of an idea during the initial brainstorming session, to instructional design, graphic design and media development, to the annual updates to ensure the course content is current. NexLearn is a full-service developer.

The second option for NexLearn clients is a “we create, you maintain” plan. In this scenario, NexLearn develops the program but the client makes any updates to the course. This option would have been almost unthinkable just a few years ago, but with the availability of SimWriter, companies now have a tool that gives them more control over the development process. By doing more of the work, companies can save more money.

Finally, companies that purchase SimWriter can take advantage of the “you create and maintain” option plan. Many organizations have qualified internal resources to be able to create their own training programs, we’re now giving them the ultimate rapid development tool they need to create high-quality, media-rich courses.

How does NexLearn work? Can you provide one or two examples?

As I mentioned earlier, NexLearn and SimWriter are a powerful combination that provide multiple options for companies interested in creating customized training that is engaging, interactive, and very effective. We believe that simulation learning is the best approach to training today. By creating life-like scenarios, learners can experience real-world processes, procedures and decision-making opportunities in a safe learning environment. In the real world, failure is not an option. In a simulated world, it’s a learning experience.



This is an example of a customer service simulation created using avatars.


This is an example of a sales simulation created using video to allow learners to evaluate both verbal and physical cues to respond appropriately.


This example shows the unique SimWriter interface that allows users to view both the simulation map and the corresponding text and media components simultaneously.

Please describe upcoming activities.

Chief Learning Officer Summit 2009
Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, Ponte Vedra, FL
April 1 – April 3

ASTD 2009 International Conference and Exposition
Washington DC Convention Center
June 1 – June 3

Optional question: How can NexLearn help develop human capital and resources? How can it contribute to a global economic recovery?

The challenges of a waning economy, such as hiring freezes or layoffs—coupled with the fact that millions of baby boomers are preparing to retire—are forcing business leaders to maximize their human capital. To accomplish this feat, organizations must invest in the skills of their employees like never before. From soft skills like communication, negotiation, and leadership to more technical skills like equipment operation and even industry-specific compliance training, it’s critical to the success of every business that employees are well trained. We work closely with our partners to identify and develop the educational and training experiences employees need to do their jobs better, faster, and more effectively.

Perhaps the worst thing a business leader can do right now is to pull the plug on employee training. By drastically reducing training opportunities, workforce skills will become stagnant and companies will lose their competitive edge. On the global stage, NexLearn and SimWriter contribute to the world economy by helping organizations develop custom training, which allows them to fill job vacancies that require specific expertise.

Interview with Majda Cimperman, Principal: Sodrazica, Slovenia -- Quality in Education Series

Welcome to an interview with Majda Kovačič Cimperman, who lives and works in Slovenia. She is principal of a school that offers instruction to students grades 1 through 9, and also includes a kindergarten. The school, OŠ dr Ivan Prijatelj Sodražica, was named after a distinguished scholar. In this new series, we share the experiences of successful educators as they discuss their unique circumstances and their programs. In addition to sharing educational philosophies and approaches to teaching, the series gives educators the chance to compare notes and see where there are insights to be gained by taking a look at the opportunities and challenges that face each school. In this interview, Majda Kovačič Cimperman describes experience of the school and the winner of the a nationwide essay contest in conjunction with the children's novel, Good Deeds Society.

Where is Sodražica, Slovenia?
Slovenia is a small, yet diverse country with many points of interest and natural beauty. Sodražica is one such place located in the Lower Carniolia region of Slovenia and borders with the regions of Loški Potok, Velike Lašče and Ribnica and is situated about 500 m above sea level in the lowest region of the valley. It has an area of 49.5km² with 23 surrounding villages and approximately 2200 inhabitants. The villages are mostly in the lower region of the valley near the River Bistrica but 10 villages lie about 800 – 900 m above sea level.

Please describe your school: OŠ dr Ivan Prijatelj Sodražica.
Education / Schooling in the Sodražica Valley dates back more than 190 years with its beginnings as a Sunday School, developing into a Public School, surviving both W.Ws all up to todays' Primary School.

The school is named after Dr Ivan Prijatelj who was born in a small village Vinice and was named amongst the first university professors in Ljubljana in 1919. He was a literary historian, essayist, theoretic, translator ……..

There is also an affiliate school in Sveti Gregor about 5 km away with 15 pupils.
It caters for pupils from grade 1 till grade 5 and then children are included in the home school in Sodražica.

What are the ages of your students, and the grades? How many students do you have?
Children are obliged by law to attend school at the age of 6. We have a total of 221 pupils from grade 1 – grade 9.

Special assembly of students at OŠ dr Ivan Prijatelj Sodražica in conjunction with celebrations to honor the Slovenian writer France Prešeren.

What are the general demographics of the surrounding area? What are the major sources of employment? What types of diversity exist?
15 villages are demographically endangered. The population from the time of WW I is less and as a result there are less births, but the migration of the population has also contributed to the depopulation of the area. (America, Argentina, Germany)

The latest statistics show that there are about 908 active workers (614 employed and 65 in private enterprise), 39 farmers ( sheep, dairy,beef, rabbits,goats,..) and about 190 unemployed.
People make a living by working in factories in the valley: (FIPIS d.o.o producing metal, plastic and cloth filters for the automobile, pharmaceutical, rubber, petrochemical, building industries as well as in the field of ecology; FRAGMAT – IZOLIRKA different types of insulation and building elements; POS – a private company making products from plastic and FIBRAN-NORD producing insulation material). People are also employed in services like cafe bars, reaturants, post-office, bank, school, kindergarten, shops, bakery, hairdresser's salon, butcher's, greengrocer's.

Because the younger generation has attained a higher education many are unable to find jobs according to their qualifications in the home environment and therefore there is also a daily migration of people to work in Ljubljana (45km away) or nearby Ribnica ( 10km away), Bloke, Lož (20km away), Kočevje (27km away) .

It is worth mentioning here that farming doesn't represent enough income for a comfortable living probably because of the harsh weather conditions, so, many farmers compensate and manufacture the famous wooden-ware for which this region is well known (souvenirs,toothpicks, sieves, basket weaving, flooring, wooden tools, etc. ) Some pedal their goods all over Slovenia and some have placed their goods on the international market even to China.

What is your schools mission and vision?
Knowledge, respect and honesty are the foundation stones of our school.
I believe that school is a place where we learn and work together – weaving trust, respect and the feeling of belonging into the everyday life of our school.

I would like this everyday life to be filled with optimism and happiness. The time that we dedicate to education and upbringing – with the cooperation of teachers, pupils and parents- we build the mosaic of children's values which they will hopefully carry on into their future lives.

What do you view as your core instructional strategy? How do you accomodate and reach out to diverse populations?
The People's University of Kočevje promotes the education of grown ups in all life learning. It carries out education programmes with professionals and has a net of »Education points« at local primary schools in the region. Every second Wednesday of the month the doors of our school are open to the public hosting different seminars,craft groups, computer studies groups.

Who is the principal ? What is the principal's role in your school?
Mrs Majda Kovačič Cimperman is the principal of the school and adjoining kindergarten.
She is the leader and coordinator of the school's life. She plans and leads work in the school and kindergarten, prepares the yearly work plan ; is responsible for seeing that children's rights are respected and that the pupils are made aware of their responsibilities to the school and learning; follows the work of teachers and is present in class offering an evaluation and advise for future work; responsible for enhancing cooperation between the school and parents ( parent – teachers's meetings, lectures for parents,..) and informing them of developmnets within the school and kindergarten; enhances the cooperation of the school and health care institutions; employs personnel; above all she ensures that the working environment is pleasant and healthy for all those employed as well as for the pupils and parents and carries out the demands made of her as stated by the law of the Republic of Slovenia.

How is English taught at your school? How are books in English made available ?
Children begin learning English at lower primary school level – last year we started in grade one and have followed through to grade two with one hour of English every week. The formal teaching of English is planned (formal curriculum and graded ) from grade 4 onwards . Because there is quite a lot of new material and a totally new subject for many, an extra curricula activity is offered to children in grade 3 – once a week . We believe that the introduction of a foreign language then, makes learning English in grade 4 less stressful and the children build their self-confidence as they have already met some vocabulary and continue building on this foundation in grade 4 .

In grade 4 we have two lessons per week. In grade 5, three lessons per week with one hour devoted to differential study ( ranking of »competent« and »less competent« pupils – two teachers ). In grade 6 four lessons per week with one hour devoted to differential study. In grade 7 four lessons with one hour of differential study. In grades 8 and 9 pupils have 3 hours of English per week. This year we have heterogeneric MIXED groups( »very competent« , »competent« and »less competent« pupils). There are also extra froms of work - like preparing for county and state competitions in English.

We use textbooks authorized by the Ministry of Education in Slovenia which are bought by the school and lent to the students for use and returned at the end of the year. Workbooks are bought by the students. Teachers have resources such as teachers books, CDs, DVDs that accompany textbooks and ofcourse internet sites for additional information and exercises for students who want to know more!

English books are made available by purchasing them via catalogues or from sales persons when visiting the school. There is however a limit associated (money alloted) to the buying of books. English teachers also bring their own books and share them with students whenever they feel student enthusiasm.

Please describe the contest that your school ran in conjunction with the release of the book. Good Deeds Society, and the activities that were held.
In September of last year, the teachers of Slovene received an invitation from KUD Sodobnost International and Vodnik Publishers to participate in a literary competition associated with the translation of the Good Deeds Club written by Susan Smith Nash and her visit to Slovenia.

Entrants had to write in the form of a »thinking essay« on one of the following themes:

· Kithie and her mother: who is the child?
· When does the internet hurt the most ?
· As the President of the school's Good Deeds Club I would…

Pupils from grade 6 to grade 9 were invited to enter, however the greatest response came from pupils in grades 6 and 9.

Every year we remember our famous writer France Prešeren the author of the official Slovene Anthem –( Slovene national cultural holiday, 8th February ) and this year we included Susan's visit into the school's activities . On Thursday 5th February pupils met with Susan and listened to her introduction and presentation of the Good Deeds Club- listening very attentively to her every word and trying to understand. Whatever words they didn't understand were translated .

The students who took part in the essay competition were given the opportunity to ask Susan some questions about her life and work in English. Pupils were also very eager to attain Susan's autograph which she gave with delight and also added a personal message for each pupil.
The day was made even more memorable by the fact that Blaž had his birthday on the same day as Susan came to visit . Who would have thought that receiving a prize and having a birthday happens all at once / at the same time? – quite an unforgettable experience!

Who won the contest? What were some of the themes the essay touched on?

Essay contest winner Blaž Kranjec, with principal Mrs. Cimperman, and Alenka Urh, from Sodobnost (l to r).

The contest was won by a pupil in grade 6A Blaž Kranjec - one of five pupils from the whole of Slovenia who were awarded with books and a visit from the author in person at their school.
The theme he chose to write about: Kithie and her mother: who is the child?

Blaž opened his essay with the thought » Age is not necessarily associated with being grown-up/ or an adult: what's important is responsible behaviour.«

He believes that the roles are questionable and that at times Kithie and her mum even change roles as far as responsible behaviour is concerned.

He presented descriptions of both mother and Kithie in different situations: their relationship as mother and daughter ; the relationship with her step-brother; the time Gus's father went missing, the Good Deeds Club - showing how both coped with the same situation.

He concluded his essay with a question, inviting Kithie for a comment – maybe to agree with his overall thought of the book- » Not everything is as dark as we see at first, from every bad experience you can learn something new and in this way steer clear of future difficulties. It is very important that we give one another support at these times, combining knowledge and the will to solve problems and thus get through/over hardships.

Interview with Joe Gustafson, Brainshark: Innovators in E-Learning Series

What is your name, your position, and your affiliation and what is your involvement in Brainshark?

I’m Joe Gustafson, the CEO of Brainshark. I founded the company in 1999 to create a simpler, faster, cost-effective way for organizations to deliver learning and information to their employees, customers and partners. Using Brainshark, organizations can significantly accelerate learning programs and leverage subject matter experts to rapidly create and deliver compelling multimedia presentations and eLearning courses.




What is Brainshark and what is its mission and vision?

Today, Brainshark (http://www.brainshark.com/) is the leader in multimedia for the enterprise, helping businesspeople to transform static business and training content into high-impact on-demand presentations. Our products enable users to communicate faster and more cost-effectively than ever before.

Brainshark has democratized the use of multimedia – making it possible for any businessperson and subject-matter expert to easily deliver knowledge and information in an engaging format that is effective for knowledge retention and can be experienced on demand, anytime, anywhere.

All of our offerings are Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and can be implemented in days. Today, Brainshark is being used by more than 1,000 companies for training, as well as marketing, selling and corporate communications. For learning applications such as compliance training, sales training, and customer training and channel certification, Brainshark provides a quick and cost-effective way to educate geographically dispersed audiences in a consistent and convenient manner.



Welcome to an interview with Joe Gustafson, Brainshark, an innovative solution for generating effective instructional multimedia and webinars. Brainshark includes hosting as well as a simple interface. Instructional strategies meet current economic realities. Software as a Service makes it affordable for organizations to adapt to the times at a financially viable level.

What new products and services do you have?

I’m very excited about a new aspect of our business: the Brainshark Content Network (www.brainshark.com/contentnetwork). It’s an online marketplace of on-demand, user-generated content for business learning. The site has really taken off and is continually expanding. You’ll find content on a wide range of business topics – from Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance to Creating a Greener Company.

By tapping into a vast universe of experts – allowing any expert to publish content at no cost and providing a targeted distribution channel of businesspeople and organizations seeking relevant expertise – our Content Network turns the traditional way of creating and acquiring eLearning content on its head. Organizations can easily acquire these training topics and customize them to their needs.

This content is both free and fee-based and invites community involvement – allowing viewers to rate, comment on and share the presentations they see. In fact, leading eLearning research firm Bersin & Associates last month dubbed Brainshark a “2008 Learning Leader” due to our development of the Content Network, which the firm called “a YouTube-like open market for e-learning.”

What do you identify as the key new trends that have made Brainshark beneficial to people?

In this economy, there isn’t a company we’ve talked to lately that isn’t trying to reduce costs, and that is causing many to rethink the way they’re delivering learning. In many situations, they’re canceling annual sales meetings, freezing or reducing travel, and generally trying to do more with less.

Because Brainshark provides a very cost-effective way to create and deliver training, we’re seeing strong demand. In fact, we’ve developed a micro-site, available for viewing here, with examples of how our customers have realized cost savings and aligned their organizations for the road ahead.

Another important trend we see is the growth of informal learning. Training professionals are looking for ways to enable informal learning within their organizations, and many are searching for the right tools to empower employees. They’re concerned with how to manage the quality of user-generated learning without being a bottleneck. Brainshark provides several ways for companies to allow SMEs across the company to self-publish compelling content and for training professionals to manage quality and provide self-organizing portals to share, search for and access learning. It is absolutely where the direction of learning is headed.

How does Brainshark work? Can you provide one or two examples?

Making a Brainshark presentation is intuitive and virtually goof-proof; in fact, I’d invite you to get a taste of the process – for free – here: http://presentation.brainshark.com/buildit/. All you need is a Web connection and a telephone, and you can see how easy it is to add your voice to a presentation.

Step 1: Upload a presentation. Normally, a user would upload his/her PowerPoint presentation to the Web to get started; here, to simulate the process, we simply ask you to select a template.



Step 2: Add your voice. You’ll see simple instructions appear in the browser window. Using your phone, dial the toll-free number, and when prompted, enter the presentation access code provided. In your browser, you’ll see the first slide of a sample presentation, and on the phone, you will hear voice instructions similar to using voicemail. You’ll press “1” on your phone to start recording, and you can begin to record voice to your slides. (In this case, a script is provided for you!) Should you slip up or forget something, you can start over on a particular slide at any time.

Step 3: View your presentation! Your Brainshark presentation is e-mailed to you as a link, which you can also e-mail to others. Whenever someone views your presentation, you will be alerted via e-mail of that person’s identity and contact information, and how long they viewed your presentation.

Of course, in our full product, there are a lot of “extras” – including the ability to add surveys, quizzes and polls; incorporate video; set course completion requirements; run reports and more!



Welcome to an interview with Joe Gustafson, Brainshark, an innovative solution for generating effective instructional multimedia and webinars. Brainshark includes hosting as well as a simple interface. Instructional strategies meet current economic realities. Software as a Service makes it affordable for organizations to adapt to the times at a financially viable level.

Please describe upcoming activities.

We recently launched a new program for non-profit organizations that includes a quarterly license grant as well as a discount program for qualifying non-profits, and we’re getting ready to announce our latest grant recipient. On the non-profit section of our Web site, you can learn about one of our recent grant recipients, the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games, who used Brainshark to train 5,000 volunteers – saving tens of thousands of dollars, as well as weeks and months of staff and volunteer time.

In challenging times, using technology is an essential way for non-profits to leverage their resources, and so many organizations have communication and training challenges that we can help solve. Several of our current customers have inquired about using Brainshark for the causes and organizations they are involved in outside of work, and we’d love to see even more grant applications and inquiries.

Optional question: How can Brainshark help develop human capital and resources? How can it contribute to a global economic recovery?

Brainshark helps organizations share knowledge and deliver learning programs quickly, easily and cost-effectively. By enabling subject-matter experts with easy-to-use self-publishing tools and providing an enterprise-class platform to manage, deliver and track vast amounts of content and numbers of learners, organizations can overcome the traditional bottlenecks of learning delivery and better leverage people, money and time. Unlike Web conferencing which requires participants to take scheduled time out of their day to participate in training or meetings, Brainshark’s on-demand format makes learning available at any time and in short segments, such as when learners have a few free minutes in their day, enabling learning without sacrificing productivity.

Training and travel budgets are among the first to be cut in a down economy, but to increase revenues, companies still need to retain good employees and train them to perform at their peak. They also need to adapt to change, align around profitable strategies, and strengthen relationships with customers and partners. With Brainshark, companies can significantly cut costs while doing even more to train, communicate and increase revenue. We look forward to continuing to help organizations find innovative ways to reduce time and expenses and prosper in difficult times.

Examples of forthcoming webinars (from a Non-Profit):

Many Faces of GIS: AAPG Web Symposium Series

Stimulus Bill (Will the Stimulus Change Life as We Know It for Energy, Education?)
AAPG Web Symposium Series

Good Deeds Society

Sean McKeever, e-Instruction: Interview -- Innovators in E-Learning Series

Innovations in digital tablets to encourage collaborative e-learning have helped students of diverse learning styles and preferences engage more fully and effectively. Welcome to an interview with Sean McKeever, eInstruction, who develops new learning strategies to ways to adopt new technologies. Students can concurrently interact with and contribute to the same digital content from team activities to learning simulations to interactive lessons

What is your name, and what is your involvement in e-learning?

My name is Sean McKeever, and I’m the Director of Classroom Solutions at eInstruction. I’ve always had a strong passion for education which has driven me to develop new technologies for students and teachers for 10 years. I’ve been a team member at eInstruction since 2005.

What are Interwrite Mobi System and DualBoard (http://www.interwritelearning.com/products/mobi/detail.html), and what are their mission and vision?

The Interwrite® Mobi System

The Interwrite Mobi System is the first-of-its-kind multi tablet and multi user system. The Mobi System includes the Interwrite Mobi tablet (for teachers), two Interwrite Mobi Learner tablets (for students), Mobi Dock (charging & security station) and Interwrite Workspace® 8.0 software.

Link: http://www.interwritelearning.com/products/mobi/detail.html

The mission of the Mobi System is to support student-centered, collaborative learning where both teachers and students can concurrently interact with and contribute to the same digital content from team activities to learning simulations to interactive lessons.

This mission is, in turn, part of a larger corporate vision in which all eInstruction products – hardware, software and content – serve to help educators realize academic progress everyday…in the classroom as well as at the school and district levels.

Mobi: Students can concurrently interact with and contribute to the same digital content from team activities to learning simulations to interactive lessons


The Interwrite® DualBoard

The Interwrite DualBoard is the first operational dual pen interactive whiteboard to hit the education market. The DualBoard allows two pens to be used at the same time on a single interactive whiteboard, creating the perfect solution for two students to work simultaneously at the front of the classroom.

Link: http://www.interwritelearning.com/products/dualboard/detail.html

The mission of the DualBoard is to create a learning environment centered on teamwork and students learning from each other. Teachers can have two students at the whiteboard solving two different homework problems at the same time.

As above, this mission too is part of a broader corporate vision in which all eInstruction products – hardware, software and content – serve to help educators realize academic progress everyday…in the classroom as well as at the school and district levels.



The Interwrite® DualBoard

Who do you consider to be the target audience? Why?

The target market for the Interwrite Mobi and the Interwrite DualBoard is the K-12 classrooms. The very nature of these products creates a collaborative learning environment that encourages student-to-student and student-to teacher interaction, which definitely appeals to K-12 educators.

What makes Interwrite Mobi System and DualBoard effective?

The Interwrite® Mobi System

From the teacher’s view point, I would say that the most powerful aspect of the Mobi System lies within the assessment technology that has been integrated into the Mobi tablet (for teachers). When used with our student response systems, the integrated color LCD screen on the Mobi displays individual student answers in real time. This dynamic feature allows teachers to privately view every student’s graded answer seconds after a question has been posed. With this knowledge at hand, teachers are empowered to provide differentiated instruction as the lesson unfolds, making sure that each student understands a concept even though their learning styles may differ.

The DualBoard is an effective educational tool because it was created to be shared—students sharing information, one student working on one problem while the teacher sets up the next problem with the other pen, etc.

Have recent changes in the way online learners interact changed anything about Interwrite Mobi System and DualBoard? (social networking, Twitter, wikis, multimedia, voice boards, etc.)

Both the Interwrite Mobi System and DualBoard are designed to facilitate access to and the use of digital content, whether drawn from the instructor's own computer or via the Internet. So these products mesh very well with the growing role and impact of Web-based content and collaboration tools.

Please list and describe a few key benefits of using Interwrite Mobi System and DualBoard. Do you have any demos? (please provide links, and a jpeg or two, with captions)

Key benefits of the Interwrite® Mobi System

Collaboration- creates a collaborative learning environment encouraging teamwork;
Mobility- allows the teacher to remain mobile in the classroom and look over students’ shoulders as he/she is instructing;
Assessment results- sends real time assessment results to the Mobi tablet. This allows the teacher to re-teach any concepts that aren’t “clicking” with the kids.

Key benefits of the Interwrite® DualBoard

Collaboration- creates a collaborative learning environment encouraging teamwork,
Engagement- provides interactive lessons that engage students and make lessons come to life.

Please describe upcoming activities. (please provide links and a jpeg or two, with captions)

Both the Interwrite Mobi and Interwrite DualBoard will be demonstrated at the following upcoming trade shows:

National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Feb. 27 – Mar. 1, 2009, in San Diego, CA

California Computer-Using Educators (CUE), Mar. 5-7, 2009, in Palm Springs, CA

FOSE, Mar. 10-12, 2009, in Washington, DC

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Mar. 14-16, 2009, in Orlando, FL

National School Boards Association (NSBA), April 4-7, 2009, in San Diego, CA

National Educational Computing Conference (NECC), June 28 – July 1, 2009, in Washington, DC

Georgia Educational Technology Consortium (GAETC), Nov. 4-6, 2009, Atlanta, GA

National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), Nov. 13-15, 2009, in Atlanta, GA

Optional question: Do you see any applications of Interwrite Mobi System and DualBoard for developing online courses for technical / professional development?

Both products will be compatible with new "virtual" clicker software that eInstruction is developing which will make it possible for instructors to create, administer and manage assessments of both on-site and online students.