Posted by Lauren Grossberg on Tue, Feb 23, 2010 @ 02:33 PM
The Oscar's. The Emmy's. The Academy Awards. These are all very prestigious and impressive awards.
If you work with educational software, so are the CODiE Awards.
The CODiE Awards is a yearly award issued by the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) for excellence in software development. The CODiE Awards program has showcased the software and information industry's products and services. It has also honored excellence for corporate achievement and philanthropic efforts. It is the only peer-recognition awards program in the software industry which provides the opportunity for companies to earn the praise of their competitors.
"This is the twenty‐fifth year we have recognized excellence in the software, education and information industries through the CODiE Awards program," noted Ken Wasch, President of SIIA. "In this economic climate, companies are doing even more to innovate. Learning Today has demonstrated a commitment to innovation and quality that is reflected in their selection as a finalist for the CODiE Awards. I am pleased and proud to have them listed among the candidates, and I wish them the best in the final round of voting."
Learning Today, providers of the Smart Tutor online learning system, has been selected as a finalist in the 25th Annual CODiE Awards for Best Instructional Solution for Special Needs Students. The nomination for this category proves that the Smart Tutor program is a quality and engaging product, especially for students with special needs.
Smart Tutor is a LMS that helps students build critical elementary level reading and math skills. The research-based program provides placement assessment, individualized instruction, on-demand reporting, and is aligned to national and state standards. It is used by schools and districts to provide instruction to At-Risk and Exceptional Students, including ESL and Special Needs students.
The Best Instructional Solution for Special Needs Students category "awards the best instructional solution specifically designed to benefit students with unique educational needs, including those with physical or learning disabilities or those who are gifted and talented in preK-12 or postsecondary."
Finalists for this category move on to a second round of judging where SIIA companies will cast their votes for winners of each category. The CODiE award winners in the software and education product category will be announced at a special CODiE Awards Dinner on May 25, 2010, at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
Posted by Denis Soukhanov on Mon, Feb 22, 2010 @ 05:04 PM
Learning Today, Inc., a Florida-based math and reading software publisher, announces a new art contest on their Mangomon (http://www.mangomon.com) website, which provides high-interest, low-level online curriculum and resources for exceptional students.
MangoMon.com's math and reading software is currently being used by special education and special needs (ESE) students, including those with ADD/ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), reading difficulties, and other learning disabilities. The learning program has been used by thousands of special education students and teachers.
The Art Contest was designed as a way to let students express their ideas through art while enhancing creativity. The contest is open to any student in grades 6th - adult, and any original artwork can be submitted for a chance to win some great prizes.
The contest is free to enter, and entries may be submitted by teachers, parents, or the students themselves. Each contest entry must include the contestant's name, age, grade level, school, email address, and the subject "Art Contest" emailed to contest (at) learningtoday (dot) com.
The winners will be judged by the staff at Learning Today. There will be three winners chosen each quarter, starting March 26, 2010. All winners will have their artwork displayed on the home page of MangoMon.com and will receive a prize.
First place winners will receive a $50 Visa gift card. Second place winners will receive a $25 Visa gift card. Third place winners will receive a $10 iTunes gift card.
For more details, please visit: http://www.mangomon.com/art-contest/
Posted by Denis Soukhanov on Tue, Feb 02, 2010 @ 04:57 PM
Learning Today, Inc., a Florida-based math and reading software publisher, announces the latest addition to their company website, Teacher Toolbox, a collection of free high-quality online resources for teachers.
The Teacher Toolbox is designed to provide teachers with materials of exceptional quality that they can access quickly and easily. Currently divided into three areas, the Teacher Toolbox includes online interactive lessons, professional development resources, and printables for the classroom.
"We understand the challenges that teachers face right now, especially when it comes to trying to find premium resources on very tight budgets. Our goal in making these resources available is to provide educators with high-quality, free materials at the click of a mouse," stated Sukanti Husain, VP of Education at Learning Today.
Included in the Teacher Toolbox are interactive math applets, reading and math games, and whiteboard lessons, as well as flashcards and video podcast stories. The professional development resources section incorporates educational articles, inspirational videos, access to a teacher forum and an educational software blog. Downloadable posters, bookmarks, coloring pages, word searches, and award certificates are included in the printables section.
The math applets are one of the most popular interactives offered., These applets were designed in conjunction with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) for their Illuminations website. Another teacher favorite is the research-based lessons and games, which are interactive whiteboard (IWB) compatible. ESL and exceptional student specialists find that the free video podcast series "Stories for Kids" and the free interactive flashcards are valuable instructional resources for their students.
The professional development resources section has proven to be both educational and inspirational for teachers. Judging from the number of subscribers, Learning Today's Educational Technology blog is a credible source of information that many educators refer to for industry news and software reviews. The forum, still in its early stages, offers a community for those interested in exploring ways to use technology to reach all children.
The printables section includes the Blooming Butterfly and Blooming Orange taxonomy posters which created a buzz on the internet when first released. The motivational poster "NETS Pledge for Teachers" has been downloaded thousands of times and is a visual reminder of the ways educators can enable students to succeed in today's digital society.
Teachers and parents can send in requests and suggestions for new resources via the website (LearningToday.com) or via twitter - @learningtoday. No registration is required, and educators can freely download and distribute the printables without requesting prior permission.
Posted by Denis Soukhanov on Tue, Nov 03, 2009 @ 04:50 PM
Learning Today, Inc., a South Florida-based reading and math software publisher, announced the implementation of their Smart Tutor and new MangoMon programs in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS). The programs were launched this week to 6,000 M-DCPS students with disabilities and the teachers and staff who support them.
After conducting a focus group comprised of M-DCPS special education transition experts last spring, Learning Today developed and introduced a new web-based interface for their Smart Tutor program. The resulting interface, now known as MangoMon (http://www.MangoMon.com), was designed specifically to meet the needs of middle and high school students with intellectual disabilities. The program is aligned with the Florida Sunshine State Standards Access Points, which drive the curriculum, instructional strategies, and student outcomes as measured by Florida's Alternate Assessment for students with cognitive/intellectual disabilities.
Learning Today's Smart Tutor program has been successfully utilized by M-DCPS students with intellectual disabilities in elementary schools since the 2003-2004 school year and was introduced to transition students (teens to young adults) with similar disabilities during the last two school years. Although Learning Today's Smart Tutor program had previously been determined suitable for elementary-age students with cognitive disabilities, the focus group determined that it would also be appropriate for older students if the program could be introduced to them in a modified, high-interest manner.
"We attribute the creation and resulting success of MangoMon to the work of the transition experts and their students in Miami-Dade County Public Schools," commented Robin Baker, Executive Vice President of Learning Today. "We had informally witnessed the program's success with older students for some time, but sought the advice of experts in the field to ensure that it was accessible for their students in a new, adaptable way."
Following the focus group's findings, Learning Today and the school district launched a two-month pilot program in eight M-DCPS middle and high schools last year. As a result of this pilot program, much of the new MangoMon web-based interface was designed by the district's transition students. During the course of the pilot progam, the Learning Today staff realized that many of the disabled students were very gifted in the arts, as demonstrated by their elaborate, detailed drawings and paintings. A resulting art work display area was added to MangoMon.com for these students to display their art work.
M-DCPS Instructional Supervisor for Transition Services and of Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities, Jill Brookner, led the focus group and authorized the pilot program for the transition students as well. "I am a firm believer that if you give a research-based program to the staff and students to evaluate, they will absolutely determine whether or not it is appropriate for their needs," stated Brookner. "Learning Today was willing to accept the scrutiny for better or worse, and fortunately it turned out for the best. We were able to use some of our district's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to bring both programs to the staff and students this year. They are thrilled that the district was able to support the program financially and that there were students and staff included in the process of determining the appropriateness of the program."
In an effort to save district funds, improve productivity and time management, and advance her staff's ability to engage in professional development via distance learning, Brookner requested that the training be launched via Learning Today webinars (web-based professional development seminars). Separate webinars are offered online for each program on a dedicated M-DCPS registration website.
Learning Today's Smart Tutor & MangoMon reading and math programs are research-based and provide placement assessment and individualized instruction. The online learning management systems allow educators to use reports to improve teaching and learning, manage individual lesson plans, and provide information to encourage parents to be involved in their child's education. Free teacher resources include a teacher forum, as well as reading and math games for whole group instruction.
Posted by Denis Soukhanov on Thu, Oct 08, 2009 @ 04:47 PM
Learning Today, Inc., a South Florida-based reading and math software publisher (http://www.learningtoday.com), announced today that the company's Smart Tutor
TM program was awarded 2009 EDDIE Awards (Education Software Review Awards) from the ComputED Learning Center. Smart Tutor received an EDDIE Award in two categories: Upper Elementary Reading/Literacy and Upper Elementary Math.
The EDDIE Awards target innovative and content-rich programs and websites that augment the classroom curriculum and improve teacher productivity, providing parents and teachers with the technology to foster educational excellence. Winners are selected from titles submitted by publishers around the world.
"It is our privilege to receive this prestigious award," commented Robin Baker, Executive Vice President. "We strive to create a world-class program for schools, learning centers, and families while also providing free teacher resources, and state-of-the-art reading and math curriculum so that all students can meet their academic potential."
Smart Tutor is a research-based reading and math program that provides placement assessment and individualized instruction. Its online learning management system allows educators to use reports to improve teaching and learning, manage individual lesson plans, and provide information to encourage parents to be involved in their child's education. Free teacher resources include a teacher forum as well as reading games and math games for whole-group instruction.
The math and reading curriculum is designed to address the needs of special education students, English language learners (ELL / ESOL / ESL / LEP), economically disadvantaged students (Title I, Free & Reduced Lunch program), and students in need of intervention (Response to Intervention, RTI). Lessons are aligned with state and national education standards.
Smart Tutor meets the needs of low-achieving students, including the fostering of specific reading skills, by tailoring assessments, instruction, practice, and re-assessment to individual students and providing a specialized learning plan for each student. More specifically, Smart Tutor assesses students to determine their appropriate skill level, establishes individualized instruction for each student, monitors and reviews student progress by accessing reports, identifies students in need of remediation and intervention, establishes targeted intervention programs using teacher-assigned instruction and helps build skills that allow students to perform better on high-stakes tests.
There are no downloads or installations required for this web-based program, and typical school accounts can be set up in days instead of weeks. Teacher manuals, training videos, and webinars supplement Smart Tutor's training and professional development, and unlimited phone and email support is available free of charge.
Posted by Denis Soukhanov on Wed, Apr 29, 2009 @ 04:41 PM
Learning Today, Inc., a Florida-based math and reading software publisher (http://www.learningtoday.com), announces MangoMon (http://www.MangoMon.com), a high interest / low level math and reading software program for special education students that range in age from teens to young adults.
The program is designed to determine each student's ability levels then automatically provide them with individualized instruction that meets their needs. MangoMon is aligned with national and state standards, and the math curriculum is aligned to Florida's Access Points. The reading curriculum will also be aligned to the Florida Access Points once the education standards have been revised by the state.
Teachers of older students with learning gaps and special needs often struggle to find materials that are "high interest" enough to keep their students' attention. MangoMon's interactive lessons, game-like activities, and diverse characters keep students engaged and motivated.
"Our award-winning program is now available to a student population that has historically lacked individualized, differentiated instruction that meets their special education needs," stated Sukanti Iyne-Husain, VP of Educational Technology of Learning Today. "MangoMon's online, high Interest/low level materials will enable teens and young adults to utilize a math and reading intervention solution at school, work and home."
MangoMon is also designed to encourage parental involvement. Parents can log in any time and determine how their child is doing by reviewing their scores and the lessons they have completed. This information aids parents in determining if their child is receiving adequate instruction and the amount of progress being made.
MangoMon is currently being piloted in Miami-Dade County Public Schools through the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Department. Initial feedback from teachers and parents has been very positive. A teacher at a high school in Miami, Florida commented, "My students are so engaged in the program that they don't want to stop using it!"
Teachers can sign up for a free trial at: http://www.MangoMon.com
Posted by Denis Soukhanov on Wed, Apr 22, 2009 @ 04:38 PM
Learning Today, Inc., a Florida-based math and reading software publisher, announces My Free Flash Cards (http://www.myfreeflashcards.com), a free online resource for interactive flashcards and educational activities.
The flashcards and activities are designed to be used by everyone and are especially helpful for teachers who work with English Language Learners ( ESOL / ESL / ELL ) and students with Special Needs (Special Education).
Flashcards and activities are available in English, Spanish and French and cover fundamental reading and number skills, life skills, math, language arts, social studies, science, music and art.
In addition to interactive flashcards, MyFreeFlashcards.com also offers eBooks, printable worksheets and educational activities such as interactive number and alphabet charts, matching games, hidden picture games and much more.
Between 10 to 20 free flash card activities and printable worksheets are uploaded each week and initial feedback from teachers and parents has been very positive. Teachers of English Language Learners have commented that these make great ESL flashcards and special education teachers have found the life skills related flashcards such as "Things in the Home" "Road Signs" particularly useful in their special education classrooms. As one teacher commented "the price is right!"
Teachers and parents can send in requests and suggestions for new flashcards via the website (MyFreeFlashcards.com) or via twitter - @freeflashcards.
Learning Today developed this website to provide cash-strapped teachers and parents with a free high-quality learning resource. There is nothing to download or install and no registration is required.
Posted by Denis Soukhanov on Thu, Apr 16, 2009 @ 04:35 PM
Learning Today, Inc., a South Florida-based reading and math software publisher, announced today that the company's Smart Tutor TM program was once again awarded the Best Educational Software Award (BESSIE) from the ComputED Learning Center. Smart Tutor received BESSIE Awards in two categories including Early Elementary Reading and Upper Elementary Math.
The BESSIE Awards target original, content-rich programs and websites that provide educators and parents with the technology to promote educational excellence. Winners are selected from software titles and websites submitted by publishers around the globe.
Smart Tutor is a research-based reading and math program that provides formative assessment and individualized instruction . Its online learning management system allows educators to use reports to improve teaching and learning, manage individual lesson plans, and provide information to encourage parents to be involved in their child's education.
The math and reading curriculum is designed to address the needs of special education students, English language learners (ELL / ESOL / ESL / LEP), economically-disadvantaged students (Title I, Free & Reduced Lunch program), and students in need of intervention (Response to Intervention, RTI). Lessons are aligned with state and national education standards.
The reviewers from ComputEd stated,"This year, our judges are so impressed with the new entry from Learning Today, Smart Tutor - Math, that it has also been selected for an award and a review.
The comprehensive, research-based online math program is outstanding in delivery and content, and teaches critical skills to students in grades K-5 using colorful, interactive multimedia graphics.
Students and teachers will find a lot to love about this intuitive and easy-to-learn program."
Smart Tutor meets the needs of low-achieving students, including the fostering of specific reading skills, by tailoring assessments, instruction, practice, and re-assessment to individual students and providing a specialized learning plan for each student. More specifically, Smart Tutor assesses students to determine their appropriate skill level, establishes individualized instruction for each student, monitors and reviews student progress by accessing reports, identifies students in need of remediation and intervention, establishes targeted intervention programs using teacher-assigned instruction and helps build skills that allow students to perform better on high-stakes tests.
There are no downloads or installations required for this web-based program and typical school accounts can be set up in days instead of weeks. Teacher manuals, training videos, and webinars supplement Smart Tutor's training and professional development, and unlimited phone and email support is available free of charge.
Posted by Lauren Grossberg on Wed, Jan 21, 2009 @ 09:42 AM
Learning Today, Inc., a Florida-based math and reading software publisher, announces the release of a new set of algebra lessons for their online learning program, Smart Tutor.
Smart Tutor is a fun, online program that helps students succeed in Reading and Math through engaging activities and lessons. Its K-5 reading and math curriculum is research-based and provides children with explicit instruction. Smart Tutor's online curriculum is designed for homeschool, after-school, targeted remediation, summer use, special needs and gifted children.
The newly added lessons are designed to help algebraic thinking be more engaging for elementary students. Activities range from interactive musical penguins to colorful blocks to bouncing balls. Through these fun and engaging activities, students in grades K-5 are introduced to important key concepts like patterns, relationships, functions, equations and inequalities.
"Many middle school students are fearful of Algebra," stated Robin Baker, Executive Vice President of Learning Today. "We're hoping that introducing elementary-aged students to algebraic thinking through fun, interactive activities will not only help them learn the basic concepts they need to succeed but also show them how interesting algebra can be."
The lessons are fast-paced and act in the same manner as a game. Each lesson includes specific feedback. If a student is struggling, they will be shown detailed explanations, including rich animations and audio. The purpose of this is to show them corrective feedback in a fun and non-threatening way.
To help ensure that students who are in need of more support are continually getting more practice exercises, adaptive instruction logic specifically adjusts to each student. In addition, it allows students who do not need extra exercises to move on to higher level concepts.
The algebra lessons cover key learning objectives. Some of them include to create, describe, extend and explain symbolic (geometric) and numeric patterns, to express mathematical relationships using equations, to solve equations or find the missing numbers using related facts, to apply the appropriate fraction rule to complete a chart, and much more.
Posted by Denis Soukhanov on Tue, Oct 21, 2008 @ 04:08 PM
Learning Today, Inc., a Florida-based educational software publisher, announced the release of its SmartTutor.com "Freebies" offering. SmartTutor.com offers families the opportunity to utilize Learning Today's award-winning educational software at home for academic remediation and maintenance, or gifted placement. The new "Freebies" offering is designed to provide children and families with
fun academic lessons and educationally inspired games. It also includes free printables, which consist of character-themed award certificates, note cards and party invitations free of charge.
In this ailing economy, the SmartTutor.com "Freebies" page was designed to offer parents a free resource that they can use to help build their children's key reading skills including basic sight words, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. The Freebies page also includes lessons and arcade-like games that strengthen math skills such as number and operations, measurement, and geometry.
"Our goal is to blend the latest online technology with research-based activities in a highly engaging and effective manner. By offering some of our SmartTutor.com content for free, we hope to help families continue to support their children's academic efforts even during this time of financial need," stated Dale Baker, CEO of Learning Today.
Free reading and math assessments are a unique feature of SmartTutor.com. The company's Atlas Assessment uses state-of-the-art technology to efficiently analyze students' academic ability levels. These assessments automatically develop each student's individualized learning program so they can work at their own pace. The 14-day free trial includes the assessment results, which parents may print and keep for their records. The company is also offering group discounts for large organizations or corporations. Some companies are offering SmartTutor.com as part of their soft benefits plans in order to improve recruitment, retention, and the work-life balance.