New York City Department of Education Selects Blackboard Collaborate for Use in District Schools
Posted: June 6, 2012 at 11:13 am
WASHINGTON, June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE), the largest public school system in the U.S., has chosen Blackboard Collaborate, in an effort to enhance student achievement and personalize instruction through the iLearnNYC program, Blackboard Inc. announced today.
District officials found Blackboard Collaborate the only online collaboration platform built for education to be the superior product to offer students and teachers a robust set of Web, voice and video conferencing capabilities. The selection followed an evaluation of technology solutions to support online and blended learning, and will help NYC DOE support three key initiatives: getting students college and career ready; meeting Common Core standards and curriculum adaption; and providing more personalized instruction.
With the platform, NYC schools will be able to offer more courses including Advanced Placement, foreign language and credit recovery and reach students in disparate locations with a more personalized learning experience based on student needs. In their virtual classrooms, teachers can create workflows that are specific for help and tutoring environments, allow learners to get immediate feedback through ad-hoc video chats and create break out rooms encouraging interaction based on skill sets, segmented outcomes or other criteria.
In addition, NYC schools may also use the Blackboard Collaborate platform to conduct parent-teacher conferences online, meet with instructors and administrators across the city virtually as well as offer teachers more professional development opportunities online.
"The iLearnNYC program is focused on expanding digital learning experiences by broadening the use of online content and resources and removing the barriers to using them," said Sandeep Chellani, executive director of product development for the New York City Department of Education. "By partnering with Blackboard, our students are not only able to take a wider array of courses, but also work with teachers to customize a unique learning experience. We anticipate greater engagement through this effort, which will eventually lead to improved student outcomes."
Currently offered in approximately 100 schools in the iLearnNYC program, the NYC DOE will supply its comprehensive set of online teaching and learning tools to 100 more schools in the 2012-2013 school year. Blackboard Collaborate is seamlessly integrated with NYC DOE's Desire2Learn learning management system and provides users with a single point of access to the interactive learning platform.
"The K-12 educational landscape is quickly changing and districts are hungry for technologies that help them design a technology program that meets their goals and focuses on student achievement," says Maurice Heiblum, president of Blackboard Collaborate. "We are excited to partner with the New York City Department of Education as they work toward a more personalized experience for their teachers and students that introduces an innovative approach to learning that engages and excites the entire community."
Blackboard Collaborate's Web conferencing, instant messaging, and voice authoring technologies are used by thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate and government organizations worldwide.
To learn more about Blackboard Collaborate integrations, please visit http://www.blackboard.com/Platforms/Collaborate/Products/Integrations.aspx.
About Blackboard Inc.Blackboard Inc. is a global leader in enterprise technology and innovative solutions that improve the experience of millions of students and learners around the world every day. Blackboard's solutions allow thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate, and government organizations to extend teaching and learning online, facilitate campus commerce and security, and communicate more effectively with their communities. Founded in 1997, Blackboard is headquartered inWashington, D.C., with offices inNorth America,Europe,AsiaandAustralia.
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New York City Department of Education Selects Blackboard Collaborate for Use in District Schools
Learning House Announces Fourth Annual Connect Conference
Posted: at 11:13 am
LOUISVILLE, KY--(Marketwire -06/05/12)- The Learning House, Inc. announced today that it will host its fourth annual Connect conference on July 10 and 11, 2012, in Louisville, Ky. Learning House is an online education solutions partner that helps colleges and universities develop and grow high-quality online degree programs and courses. More than 200 professionals from every segment of higher learning -- including presidents, deans, faculty members, marketing staff and more -- will attend to discuss topics ranging from how to start an online program to online student recruitment and retention.
"Open collaboration and shared ideas are essential to a successful classroom environment," said David T. Richardson, President and CEO of Learning House. "At Learning House, we intend our Connect conference to be just that: a space where leading practitioners from colleges and universities can come together to look to the future of online education and share best practices. Our breakout sessions offer both niche technical training and big picture program planning. It's a win-win for attending professionals and their organization."
Last year's conference celebrated Learning House's 10-year anniversary and, like the previous two years, was primarily invite-only. Due to the success and positive feedback of previous Connect conferences, Learning House is taking this year's conference to a new level. This year, Learning House offers open registration for higher education professionals interested in learning more about how to create, manage and grow online programs. The conference's theme, Full Speed Ahead, highlights the addition of well-known, forward-thinking experts in the education field. Keynote speakers include Dr. Kenneth C. Green, founding director of the Campus Computing Project, Jonathan Grayer, CEO of Weld North, LLC and former chairman and CEO of Kaplan, Inc., and Doug Lederman, editor and founder of Inside Higher Ed. The keynote sessions include "Seven Challenges for Succeeding Online," "Fireside Chat" and "Technology-driven Disruption: Separating the News From the Noise," respectively.
Other highly anticipated sessions include "How to Build a High-quality Online Course," led by Dr. Bruce Gillies and Cindy Grether of California Lutheran University; "Using Social Media as a Recruitment Strategy," presented by Patrick Dezort from Brescia University, Tim Hooper of Campbellsville University and Sara Smith of Highland Community College; and "State Authorization and Joint Ventures," by Washington, D.C., attorney Michael Goldstein.
"A standout component of the Connect conference is the variety of tracks we offer participants," said Dr. David Clinefelter, Learning House's Chief Academic Officer. "Whether you make high-level decisions or tweet with potential students, we have a session designed specifically for you. Connect also enables participants to meet industry experts and their colleagues from colleges and universities across the nation, creating lasting professional and personal connections."
To find out more details or to register, please visit the Connect 2012 website. For more information about Learning House and its services, visit learninghouse.com.
About The Learning House, Inc.
The Learning House, Inc. is an online education solutions partner that helps colleges and universities develop and grow high-quality online degree programs and courses. Partnering with more than 100 colleges and universities, Learning House offers a business model that enables institutions to efficiently and affordably achieve their online education goals. Learning House provides a comprehensive solution to success, including curriculum development and management, faculty training and professional development, marketing and lead generation, admissions and enrollment management, student retention, 24/7 technical support, learning management systems, and management and consultation.
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Learning House Announces Fourth Annual Connect Conference
Capella University Teams with Best Buy’s Diversity Experts to Offer Webinar for the Online University’s Education …
Posted: at 11:13 am
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Capella University (http://www.capella.edu), an accredited online university* that has built its reputation by providing high quality online degree programs for working adults, has announced that it has teamed with Best Buys diversity experts to offer the first co-branded webinar for the online universitys education alliance partners. As of March 31, 2012, more than 37,000 students are pursuing an online degree at Capella. The learning and career outcomes of Capellas students and alumni can be found at http://www.capellaresults.org.
Members of Best Buys award-winning diversity group will present Words that Work; Labels that Hurt on the following dates: June 6, June 12, and June 13. The webinar is part of Capella Universitys Professional Development Webinar Series for education alliance partners.
Diversity is about honoring all of the ways we are similar and different, said Melissa Johnson, senior manager of diversity and inclusion at Best Buy, and a webinar co-presenter. We will help webinar participants learn how to avoid negative labels and find positive ways to talk about differences. The webinar is intended for individual contributors and mid-level managers, she added.
Co-presenter Susan Larson of Best Buy co-chairs INCLUDE, which is a disabilities affinity group,and FACE (Facing Autism in a Caring Environment), which is a supportive community of Best Buy employees who promote awareness of autism spectrum disorders. Larson also serves on the board of directors for the Autism Society of Minnesota.
Capellas Professional Development Webinar Series, offered as a benefit to the online universitys education alliance partners, provides powerful, relevant and immediately applicable learning opportunities. Capellas education alliance partner organizations include Fortune 500 companies, not-for-profit organizations, and federal, military, higher education, and healthcare entities. Employees of the universitys education alliance partner organizations can get more information and register for the webinar at http://www.capella.edu/corporatelearning.
Best Buy Co., Inc., a leading multi-channel global retailer and developer of technology products and services, has been widely recognized for its efforts to honor diversity and inclusion. Since 2008, the company has received more than 15 honors and awards from organizations such as Working Mother magazine, the Association of Diversity Councils, Employer of the Year by the Minnesota Autism Society, Springboard Consulting, the American Muslim Consumer Conference, the National Rehabilitation Association, and others. To learn more about Best Buys diversity programs, visit http://www.canyoubeyou.com. For information about Best Buy, visit http://www.bby.com or http://www.bestbuy.com.
About Capella University Capella University is an accredited online university* that has built its reputation by providing quality online degree programs for working adults. Nearly 80 percent of Capella students are currently enrolled in master's or doctoral degree programs in business, counseling, education, health administration, homeland security, human resource management, human services, information technology, nonprofit management and leadership, nursing, psychology, public administration, public health, public safety, and social work. Capella also offers bachelor's degree programs in business, information technology, nursing, psychology, and public safety. Within those areas, Capella currently offers 143 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 17 certificate programs. More than 37,000 learners were enrolled as of March 31, 2012, from all 50 states and 59 other countries. Capella is committed to providing high-caliber academic excellence and pursuing balanced business growth. Founded in 1993, Capella University is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company, headquartered in Minneapolis. For more information, please visit http://www.capella.edu or call 1.888.CAPELLA (227.3552).
Visit the Capella Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/CapellaUniversity.
Follow Capella on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CapellaU.
excercise balls part 1 – Video
Posted: June 5, 2012 at 3:14 pm
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How to excercise like a pro – Video
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Ex-Ute and Taylorsville alum leaving softball for social work
Posted: at 2:15 pm
Tia Palauni readies in the field during a Utah softball game this spring. The graduating senior is now embracing life as a coach and social worker. Coutesy Trev Mozingo
Softball Tia Palauni ready for next stage of her life.
For former Taylorsville standout Tia Palauni, it is hard to remember a time when softball was not a part of her life.
After winning a state championship and garnering all-state honors at Taylorsville, Palauni went on to play at the University of Utah. Like most players, Palauni experienced ups and downs at Utah, but she capped her career a few weeks ago with a solid senior season. She was named to the Pac-12 all-conference honorable mention team.
Tia Palauni working on next stage
Garnered Pac-12 honorable mention during her senior season
Entering into a career in social work
Sticking with softball as a youth coach
Now, for the first time in years, Palauni is not a softball player. She is an ex-player looking to translate what she learned on the softball field into success in everyday life.
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Ex-Ute and Taylorsville alum leaving softball for social work
'Business' of bobsled takes Lueders to Russia
Posted: at 2:15 pm
Pierre Lueders realizes some folks might look on his acceptance of the job as head coach of the Russian bobsled team as a defection of sorts.
But the face of the Canadian bobsled team for the better part of two decades is happy to explain the realities of life coaching elite amateur sport.
Despite all the romanticism surrounding the Olympics, coaches come and coaches go from country to country to country, Lueders says. In many ways, the five-ring circus is more like the National Football League or National Hockey League than most people think.
"It's no different than if Brent Sutter is coaching the Calgary Flames one month and then two months later, he's coaching the Edmonton Oilrs," said Lueders, a transplanted Ed-montonian living in Calgary. "It's a business now. I paid my loyalties to Canada as an athlete and then some as a coach as well.
"Coaching is a business. At the end of the day, the challenge and the opportunity of coaching in Russia is very much like when I was a young guy starting in bobsleigh."
In other words, he's pumped.
Just last week, Lueders announced his resignation as development coach for the Canadian team. He later told the Herald he wanted to spend more time with his family while he considered his options.
As it turns out, the 41-year-old entertained coaching offers from three countries. Canada wanted him to stay on in an elevated role, per-haps as a technical coach. Another country (Lueders refused to say which one, but Switzerland is a good bet) asked him to come over as head coach.
The Russian offer proved too tantalizing to turn down.
"This is a tremendous offer to coach a host nation at the Olympics," Lueders said. "I was very fortunate that I was an athlete preparing at a home Olympics, so I have a pretty good perspective on what I was like as an athlete."
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'Business' of bobsled takes Lueders to Russia
Celebrate Professional Wellness Month with a Life or Business Coach
Posted: at 2:15 pm
LEXINGTON, Ky., June 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --If you are looking to promote a healthy work environment, encourage less stressful professional practices, and help employees become more efficient, June is a great time to start by partnering with a professional coach.
This month is Professional Wellness Month, also known as Occupational or Career Wellness Month, and was originally founded by Words of Wellness to help people live an overall healthier life. It also offers a great opportunity to help others find ways to make improvements in their lives - which is exactly the purpose of professional coaching.
"Achieving professional wellness can be done in many ways, and one way we know to increase effectiveness occurs by partnering with a professional coach," said ICF Global President and Master Certified Coach Janet M. Harvey. "Updating your resume or learning a new skill might help you get to the next step in your career, and when coaching occurs or is added to those steps individuals more clearly define and achieve overall career goals with long-lasting results."
"Optimizing individual or team work performance" was the top reason people chose to partner with a coach, according to the 2010 ICF Global Consumer Awareness Study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Coaching has been proven to help people attain their professional goals and this can naturally translate to a sense of professional wellness. In fact, the 2009 ICF Global Coaching Client Study, also conducted by PwC with Association Resource Centre Inc., showed that 82 percent of respondents saw a positive change in their goal area of "work performance." Positive change was also seen in goal areas of team effectiveness, wellness, business management, work-life balance, career opportunities, time management, and more.
"Professional Wellness Month is the perfect time to start working with a professional coach," Harvey concluded.
What will you do this month to focus on your professional well-being? Are there other changes you can make in your busy professional life? During Professional Wellness Month, the ICF encourages you to explore how partnering with a professional coach can help you improve your personal work performance. To find an ICF Credentialed coach, visit the Coach Referral Service at http://Coachfederation.org/CRS
The International Coach Federation is the leading global organization for coaches, with over 21,000 members in more than 100 countries and over 7,900 credentialed coaches worldwide. ICF is dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high ethical standards, providing independent certification, and building a worldwide network of credentialed coaches. Coaching is a distinct service and differs greatly from therapy, consulting, mentoring, or training. ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.coachfederation.org.
ICF HEADQUARTERS CONTACTS:
Sam Elliott, +1.859.219.3550 Samuel.elliott@coachfederation.org
This press release was issued through eReleases Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.
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June-Marie Raw Food and Fitness Health Ironing outside in Nature with my pets 007 – Video
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June-Marie Raw Food and Fitness Health Ironing outside in Nature with my pets 007 - Video
Ask your pressing health and fitness questions here! – Video
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