City Today - September 2010
Select a News Type:
City Today – Schools
Date:
Wed, 09/15/2010
View all :
News Welcome to the September edition of The City Today! Bringing you all the latest from Education City!
WHAT'S NEW?
Teachers Keep Choosing Education City!
Education City is proud to announce our double Teachers' Choice Award win for 2011! Evaluated by teachers in the classroom, Education City took top honors for our Language Arts and Math modules. Learning Magazine's Teachers' Choice Award program is one of the most recognized awards in the educational market. Product submissions are reviewed based on quality, instructional value, ease of use, and innovation. This prestigious award is given to only 60 winners nationwide and we are thrilled to be recognized!
NEW SCIENCE TOPIC TOOLS
Nationwide Upgrade!
New Science Topic Tools went live early this month across the country. You should see four to five new tools in your Science module typically across third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades. A dynamic teaching tool to help you introduce a new topic, Topic Tools provides a whole array of open-ended whiteboard resources designed for the whole class. You can find Topic Tools on the Subject Select screen under Science. Stay tuned! More tools will be added in the released grades and tool for first and second grade will be released in the coming months.
COMMON CORE STANDARDS SWITCH
We're Making the Transition a Bit Easier for You!
If your state has plans to adopt the Common Core State Standards, we know you have quite a bit of work on your plate. Transitioning from your state standards to the Common Core Standards can be overwhelming. But, lucky for you – as an Education City subscriber you will have access to comprehensive Common Core curriculum at your fingertips. Our brand new Common Core version is being rolled out over the next few weeks and we know you have some questions!
Where can I access the Common Core version?
You can switch your Education City account to the Common Core version in the Teacher Area under Schoolwide Settings. You will then be able to access our Common Core curriculum in the same way you usually use Education City.
Will we still have access to our state standards?
Yes! Our new Common Core version allows you to access both your current state standards and the new Common Core standards.
Does the Common Core version look different?
No, but there are some differences. Some activities may show up in different grade levels and a few activities will not appear because they do not meet a Common Core learning objective. The subject strands and Standards Map areas of Education City will all display the Common Core Standards.
Has all EducationCity.com content been affected?
No. Currently, Common Core standards only exist for Math and Language Arts. The Science content is still aligned to your current state standards.
How will myCity and SuccessTracker be affected?
The good news is they won’t. If your myCities and SuccessTracker data contain activities that don’t meet Common Core standards, those activities will still appear but there will be no standards alignments displayed.
How much does this new version cost?
You’re going to like this one – NOTHING! Our Common Core version is treated as a complementary upgrade to your subscription.
When the Common Core version is available for your state you will be notified via email. If you have any questions about this new upgrade or how to use it, please give us a call at 800.995.5410.
CONGRATULATIONS RTTT WINNERS!
Education City Congratulates the nine Round Two Race to the Top Winning States!
Congratulations to:
Georgia
Hawaii
Maryland
Massachusetts
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Rhode Island
District of Columbia
Education City is committed to helping schools improve the quality of education and we look forward to new partnerships to come!
FEATURED FEEDBACK
Since April, 50+ schools across the country have been piloting our brand new Learn English (ELL) module.
Look for this module to be released in late October!
"The Learn English program has been very helpful for both my newcomer ELL students and myself. I have had over 10 Iraqi-refugee or Spanish-speaking newcomers in the last two school years and the need for differentiation and extra attention is difficult to fit in. Learn English has helped with this dilemma. My students enjoy going on the computer and I see they are engaged in the program. They also pick up many English words more quickly. It has always been difficult to get the pronunciation practice/hearing part for newcomers. I can expose them to the pictures and spellings of the words, but to find the time and manpower to have someone pronounce the words for them is difficult. This program takes care of that. My students and I have benefited from Education City's Learn English program!"
-Donnarae Curtis, Magnolia Elementary in California
UPCOMING EVENTS
Education City will be at the following upcoming events...
Join us for an online demonstration or a quick update on what's new. We look forward to seeing you there!
October 10-12 Iowa Technology Education Connection - Coralville, IA
October 12 Rockford Diocesan Elementary Teachers' Institute - DeKalb, IL
October 15 Archdiocese of Milwaukee Educators Convention - Milwaukee, WI
October 16 CUE Fall Back into Technology Conference - Camarillio, CA
October 18 Illinois Principals Association Professional Conference - Atlanta, GA
October 19-21 T+L Conference - Phoenix, AZ
October 27-29 South Carolina EdTech - Myrtle Beach, SC
November 4-6 Georgia Educational Technology Conference - Atlanta, GA
November 17-21 National Alliance of Black School Educators - Forth Worth, TX
November 18-19 Hoosier Educational Computer Coordinators State Conference - Indianapolis, IN
November 20-23 NYSCATE Conference - Rochester, NY
Have a great month! See you in October!
If you have any news or views for The City Today, please email us at EmilyM@educationcity.com.
Any feedback you wish to provide about Education City is always welcomed and valued!
