The National Academy of the Sciences has launched a new
website that gives an overview of the U.S. energy system.
What You Need to Know about Energy covers four main
topics: energy uses, sources of energy, the cost of energy
(in terms of the environment, national security, and sustain-ability), and energy efficiency. The site has easy-to-navigate
content and links to source material, and it includes an
energy quiz, a glossary, and a source library. The site’s producers are also developing curriculum-based materials for
high school and middle school classrooms. Two special features—Our Energy System and Understanding Efficiency—
are designed to actively engage visitors and enhance their
understanding of energy, including what it is, how we use it,
and ways to conserve it.
MORE INFO: www.needtoknow.nas.edu
Speak & See is a new suite of speech-recognition tools
aimed at supporting those with disabilities or learning
challenges. The software also provides text-to-speech
technology and a bilingual dictionary, making it suitable for
English language learners. The software bundle includes
applications to navigate the computer, create e-mail and
documents, read documents aloud, and magnify parts of the
screen for easier viewing. Nuance’s Speak & See Suite con-
sists of Dragon NaturallySpeaking
10 Preferred by Nuance and three
applications developed by Claro
Software. The suite of tools costs
$250. Educational discounts are
available.
MORE INFO: www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/products/bundles/
speak-and-see.asp
products & services |
Brainchild has announced a new program to provide personalized multimodal instruction during lessons. With the
Brainchild Academy Concept, students work through
three stations: online diagnosis, assessment, and lessons;
StudyBuddy handheld lessons and practice; and supplemental worksheets.
This allows students
to be fully engaged
and supported while
the teacher is occupied helping other
students. The website
tracks student progress toward meeting state standards and
provides lessons to help students raise their scores. The
handheld StudyBuddy device offers an interface similar to a
gaming device, which can be used cooperatively or in self-study mode. Modules for language arts, math, and science
are available.
MORE INFO: www.brainchild.com
GradeCam Online is a new website that allows teachers
to easily transform paper-based tests into computer-scored
tests. Multiple-choice tests can be scanned and uploaded
to the GradeCam website, where the test is then automatically scored. Results are available instantly and can be
easily integrated with electronic grade books. Teachers can
quickly collect data on student progress without spending
time marking, recording, and analyzing results. GradeCam
has partnered with textbook publishers, such as Illuminate
Education, so that publishers’ testing materials are fully
compatible with the system. GradeCam Online is available
for as little as $1.50 per student per year.
MORE INFO: www.gradecam.com
Coming Next Issue in Opening Doors to the Future The Floydada Independent School District in Texas is this year’s winner of the Sylvia Charp Award for District Innovation in Tech- nology. Author Sandy Vaughn, the district’s technology immersion coordinator, describes how her team made a one-to-one laptop initiative a growing success.
Host Your Own Tech Conference
Each summer, teachers at Walled Lake
Consolidated Schools in Michigan learn how
to use the latest ed tech tools from their
colleagues during the district’s one-day
technology conference. The event’s organizers offer tips for hosting your own conference,
including cost-cutting ideas and a timeline.
Where’s the Beef?
Mastering technology tools is no longer
enough. Students must use digital products to
demonstrate what they know and what they
understand. Bernajean Porter, a technology
facilitator, writes that inquiry and problem-based learning, not technology, should guide
student learning tasks.
