Ellen Bialo Re-elected to SIIA Education Division Board

Ellen Bialo, President of Interactive Educational Systems Design, Inc. and an AEP member, has been (re)elected to the SIIA Education Division Board. These newly elected and appointed executives from SIIA member companies will help provide the education technology industry with leadership, advocacy and critical market information in the crucial months and years ahead. In addition, these individuals will come together to represent more than 150 SIIA Education Division member firms that provide software, digital content and other technologies for educational needs.

Final Survey Report on K-12 Educators’ Social Media Habits

The final research report for a Survey of K-12 Educators on Social Networking and Content-Sharing Tools was released by co-sponsors edWeb.net, MCH, Inc., and MMS Education. Overall, 61% of the survey population belong to a social networking site, but participation in education specific sites is still low.  However, the survey analysts believe that “as more educators join social networks, and as younger people enter the education workforce, the adoption of this technology will continue to increase.” In addition, the report indicates that now is the time for education industry members to start experimenting with social networking so they are prepared to engage educators when they are ready.

Help New Moon Teach Respect by Example

Long-time AEP member and former AEP Award winner New Moon Girls magazine and website is pushing to reach its goal of 500 new members before the end of the year. You can help by donating memberships, giving membership as a gift to a young girl in your life, or just helping spread the word. New Moon, the 2006 Periodicals Golden Lamp Winner, was featured in an AEP Awards profile, highlighting the organization’s innovations in product development and editorial practices.

New Moon Magazine: Teaching Girls Respect by Example

In 1992, Nancy Gruver saw her twin daughters approaching adolescence and sought out a way to help them make the transition to womanhood without losing “the girl within.” She was looking for more than just a source of advice; she wanted something that would teach them the larger lessons of responsibility, self-confidence, and respect for both themselves and others in the face of media and societal messages that dictate what a woman should be. She was disappointed to find that there were no such resources available, so Gruver decided to create her own. The result was New Moon, a magazine for girls that is written and published by girls.

Google, Grover, and a Gallery of Experts Discuss Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age

The Google-hosted, Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age Forum in Mountain View, CA, focused on the potential of digital media in education. Paula Maylahn, an education industry consultant, attended the day-and-a-half conference virtually and highlighted for AEP the key takeaways.

Yes, another conference on the need for U.S. education reform. So, if you missed this one, you might feel you didn’t miss much. And in some aspects, you’d be right. Familiar ground was covered:

• Technology has the power to transform learning
• Learning happens 24/7
• The current system is resistant to change
• Many innovative programs show great promise
• U.S. students are falling behind globally
• Teacher quality is the problem
• Teacher quality is not the problem
• Etc.

However, there were 2 markedly different aspects about this conference:

Using Industry Awards to Effectively Grow Your Business

In the current market where anyone can “publish” instructional materials on a website, educational publishers need to find ways to separate their products from the market and highlight their commitment to quality content. In this blog post, reprinted with permission from VerticalResponse, CEO and founder Janine Popick discusses why small businesses should enter industry awards.

If you’re running a small business today, congratulations! You should be proud that you’re  keeping the economy going. You should also give yourself a huge pat on the back for surviving and thriving. One of the easiest and most inexpensive ways of giving yourself that pat on the back is to apply for industry awards that you could be eligible for.