Iowa teachers can model or learn from exemplary lessons by posting or watching short videos online.

Knowing that good teaching leads to increased student achievement, the Great Prairie Area Education Agency (GPAEA) in Ottumwa, Iowa, already had legacy programs in place to coach and mentor new teachers and to highlight best practices of professional educators using video. To expand these practices and share them with others, GPAEA sought a cost-effective, easily accessible way to store and retrieve these educator-made videos to use for improved teaching and learning.

Research and common sense show that self- and shared reflection for beginning and established educators, often by viewing audio and visual recordings made in the classroom, is an important and common practice. GPAEA wanted to expand this reflective practice, and by having an online repository, the agency could integrate this program into a more cost-effective service offered to its school clients.

The GPAEA leadership team, led by then-Chief Administrator Joe Crozier and current Chief Administrator Jon Sheldahl, wanted a web-based place to store videos for ongoing professional development for and by local district educators. The catchment area of the GPAEA consists of 35 school districts, as well as a number of non-public schools, and it is one of nine in Iowa.

Because curriculum and technology staff already were in the habit of working together to ensure that the technology supports the teaching and learning and doesn’t become a hindrance or an obstacle, they were able to work together to seek a system to support their needs.

After exploring online storage and retrieval options, the GPAEA team decided not to use YouTube (the initial obvious choice) for the following reasons: They wanted a system built with educators in mind that offered a peer-reviewed system to select videos based on criteria they developed, content that was aligned to the Iowa Core Curriculum, and high-quality materials directed and focused on the resources available through the AEA. Also, many districts do not allow access to YouTube on school computers, so a safe, reliable, low-cost PD system was sought. The team decided to create a GPAEA-TV portal with the EduVision platform from JDL Horizons.

Materials for teaching and learning exist everywhere online: in YouTube videos, SlideShare presentations, and published articles, for example. MentorMob is a free new platform that helps teachers collect, or “curate,” this content in one simple place for their lessons.

MentorMob organizes the best content for a specific subject, called a “mob,” into an engaging learning playlist to bring the sense of discovery and fun back into learning, the company says. It manages online materials; replaces the complex authoring tools in the education marketplace; and allows teachers to share and distribute their playlists with other interested educators.

Playlists can be edited easily and can be rated by users, with those rated highest appearing at the top of a search. http://www.mentormob.com

New Vocabulary Practice Tool With Tracking Introduced – Vocabulary Stretch Online
Interactive vocabulary exercises with built-in progress scoring

URL: http://www.meritsoftware.com/software/vocabulary_stretch_online/index.php

Merit Software has just launched Vocabulary Stretch Online, a new web-based practice tool to help improve vocabulary, comprehension, and literacy skills. Often, a lack of general vocabulary knowledge hinders improvement in students’ reading ability.

With Vocabulary Stretch Online, students will strengthen word recognition skills, improve command of academic English, and gain confidence as scholars.

Vocabulary Stretch Online provides numerous activities, along with a focused approach, to help students understand the words they are learning.

After an assessment, students advance through the program at their own pace. They receive personal help and tips while they work. Whether the student answers correctly or not, the program displays explanations that get students thinking about what they are reading on screen.

Instructors and students are able to track time-on-task and see improvements through an easy-to-use online management system.

Vocabulary Stretch Online is designed for late elementary and middle school grade levels. English language learners, learning disabled pupils, and remedial secondary level students can benefit from it as well.

The program complements other Merit online English improvement products including Reading Skill Builder, Confused Words Fix-Up, and Grammar Fitness Online.

Merit provides several levels of support for users of its online system. Merit professional development and training help instructors make a difference with their students.

Vocabulary Stretch Online is a 100% web-based program. It works with the Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari browsers. Windows, Macintosh, and Linux operating systems are supported. The program also works on iPad and Android tablets.

One full year’s access to each level costs $27(US). Attractive classroom and school district licenses are available.

Users may evaluate a fully functioning demo version of the program online; no login is required. Editorial evaluation accounts available on request.

About Merit Software

Since 1983, Merit Software (http://www.meritsoftware.com) has been producing educational software that addresses the core competencies that students require to succeed. The emphasis is on strengthening students’ ability to read, analyze data, and communicate their ideas.

Merit Software’s programs are known for providing context-sensitive tutorials for students and convenient record management features to aid teachers, tutors, and parents.

HAWTHORNE, N.Y. — Feb. 21, 2012 — BTX Technologies, a value-added distributor and manufacturer of interface, integration, and system products, announced that the company has been named the U. S. distributor and technical support provider for Net Display Systems’ PADS digital signage software. Net Display Systems is a Microsoft(R) Gold ISV Partner with signage solutions designed to handle applications with requirements ranging from thousands of displays down to just one. These products are available as software-only solutions or pre-installed on media players that are custom configured by BTX for content levels ranging from basic to media-intensive.

“PADS software provides a simple and powerful solution for any digital signage application,” said Greg Schwartz, president of BTX Technologies. “Because the software isn’t tied to any specific player, we are able to offer it pre-installed on our custom-configured hardware solutions. An integrator can mix and match players in an individual project depending on the needs of an application. This allows for truly customized and economical solutions that meet the unique needs of each individual client.”

The PADS Professional solution consists of five fully integrated applications: Designer, Manager, Server, Viewer, and Agent. Users can design stunning content with fully integrated video, TV, Internet, RSS feeds, flash, and data easily integrated from virtually any database. The Professional system is available with an inexpensive optional desktop viewer application that is ideal for enterprise communications. It allows content such as urgent notifications and general corporate communications to appear on every desktop throughout a company.

The PADS Xpress system features all the same components as PADS Professional, including the desktop viewer application, but it also offers a subset of content and database connectivity options for lower budget requirements. The PADS Standalone system is ideal for applications requiring a single digital sign, such as a display advertising specials at the front of a retail store, and allows for the same range of content and database connectivity as the Professional System.

BTX has designed two media players to complement the Net Display Systems digital signage solution. The low-cost Simple Content Media Player is optimized for digital signage environments with PowerPoint(R) content, rotating pictures, 720p video, and static text while the Multimedia Intensive Content Media Player adds support for Flash(R), 1080p video, scrolling text, and more. Both players are VESA-mount-compatible and include a Windows(R) operating system and PADS Viewer software pre-installed. Customers can choose one of these media players or contact one of their BTX engineers to help design the perfect players to meet their needs.

Through BTX’s “Beyond Distribution” services, the highly experienced and knowledgeable staff at BTX is available to provide integrators unmatched technical support for projects ranging from the smallest to the largest digital signage systems.

“We are thrilled to have BTX as our U.S. channel partner,” said Peter de Jong, business partner manager at Net Display Systems. “BTX has the knowledge and experience to assist our mutual customers in the selection and implementation of a wide variety of digital signage applications. Their national outside sales force has been factory-trained, and we’ve already seen immediate success. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with BTX.”

PADS digital signage software will be on display at the Digital Signage Expo 2012 in the Net Display Systems booth 951.

# # #

About BTX Technologies, Inc.
Founded in 1967, BTX Technologies, Inc. offers “Beyond Distribution” service for its customers. Providing a complete, value-added resource, the company not only distributes and manufacturers the widest range of professional-grade interface, integration and systems products available, but every product it sells is backed by extensive quality control and the unmatched support of BTX’s experienced and knowledgeable team. This guarantees that BTX customers can be confident that their products will work right the first time, and that BTX will be there to help every step of the way — from pre-sales support to technical support after installation. To request a free catalog, call 800.666.0996 or visit BTX at www.btx.com.

All trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

Oakland, Calif. — Feb. 17, 2012 — From 2006 to 2011, the St. Mary Parish Public School System in Centerville, La., posted double-digit gains in fourth grade proficiency levels on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) tests. Fourth graders who used the Fast ForWord® and Reading Assistant™ family of educational software products from
Scientific Learning Corp. (NASDAQ:SCIL) improved their LEAP test scores in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, according to a new five-year longitudinal study. The district also improved its eighth grade LEAP scores, increased its fourth grade promotion rates, reduced the number of students requiring special education services, and narrowed the achievement gap.

Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant software
During the 2006-2007 school year, the St. Mary Parish Public School System started school-wide use of the Fast ForWord products at eight elementary schools that were in Academic Assistance, a designation for schools that fail to improve sufficiently. In 2008, for the first time in a decade, the district exceeded the state average for the percentage of initial testing fourth graders reading at or above the Basic level on the LEAP test. During the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years, the Fast ForWord program was extended to the rest of the district, and the schools began using Reading Assistant software.

“In five years, our fourth grade students have made remarkable gains, outpacing their state counterparts in English language arts as well as math and science,” said Superintendent Donald W. Aguillard, Ph.D. “Fewer fourth graders are struggling below grade level and more students are meeting promotional standards than ever before. Across the curriculum, students are clearly benefitting from our continuing efforts to help them improve their reading and learning ability through the Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant programs.”

Improved LEAP scores — elementary and middle schools
From 2006 to 2011, the percentage of fourth graders who were initial testers and performing at or above Basic on the LEAP test rose from 55 percent to 81 percent in English language arts, from 59 to 80 percent in math, from 53 to 69 percent in science, and from 59 to 69 percent in social studies. From 2008 to 2011, eighth grade proficiency levels on the LEAP increased from 58 percent to 64 percent in English language arts, from 54 to 59 percent in science, and from 54 to 62 percent in social studies.

Increased promotion rate — general education and special education
In addition, the promotion rate for fourth graders improved from 65 percent in 2006 to 87 percent in 2011, with increases for both general education and special education students. The percentage of general education students meeting the promotional standards improved from 67 percent to 90 percent, while the special education fourth grade promotion rate improved from 33 percent to 66 percent.

During this five-year period, the number of students needing special education services (not including students identified as gifted and talented) decreased by 17 percent across the district.

Narrowing the achievement gap
Since the elementary and middle schools started using the Fast ForWord products, St. Mary Parish has also made progress toward closing the achievement gap between white students and black students who, respectively, comprise 48 percent and 46 percent of the student population. In the elementary schools, the achievement gaps in English language arts and math were nearly cut in half between 2006 and 2011, with a reduction in gap size of 10 percentage points in English language arts and 12 percentage points in math. In the middle schools, the gap was reduced by 4 percentage points in English language arts and in math.

Improved District Performance Score
Students’ improvements have impacted St. Mary Parish’s overall performance with its District Performance Score increasing from 80.0 in 2006 to 96.7 in 2011. This improvement of 16.7 points is nearly double the increase in the State Baseline School Performance Score, which improved 8.8 points during that same time.

Results report
Results of the five-year longitudinal study can be seen at: http://www.scilearn.com/alldocs/rsrch/sbr/30530stmaryparishedurpt.pdf

About Scientific Learning Corp.
We accelerate learning by applying proven research on how the brain learns. Scientific Learning’s results are demonstrated in over 250 research studies and protected by over 55 patents. Learners can realize achievement gains of up to two years in as little as three months and maintain an accelerated rate of learning even after the programs end.

Today, learners have used over 3 million Scientific Learning software products, which apply Brain Fitness principles to the areas of English language and reading. We provide our offerings directly to parents, K–12 schools and learning centers, and in more than 40 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.scientificlearning.com or call toll-free 888-810-0250.

– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –

Mindspark Inc Announces Grades2Go™ Mobile for Android

NEWTON, Massachusetts – February 21, 2012 – Mindspark Inc announces availability of Grades2Go™ Mobile for Android, a companion app for Grades2Go™ Desktop for Windows. Together, the two products comprise the first data and communications platform designed specifically for teachers. According to Andris Vizulis, CEO and former Newton school committee member, “A teacher’s assignments and exams, together with accumulated student grades, represent a significant body of intellectual property that should be well organized, easily accessible, and capable of being efficiently analyzed. Grades2Go™ is the first product to tackle this data management challenge. Only with teacher-centric tools like Grades2Go™ will teachers be able to successfully counter increasing public demand for more accountability and improved performance.”

Much more than a simple gradebook or electronic attendance sheet, the Grades2Go™ platform has extensive commenting, journaling (both general and IEP), and automated PDF reporting capabilities. Teacher archives are automatically created and maintained, tasks are assigned from archive pick lists, and task performance data is automatically tracked.

Grades2Go™ Mobile for Android is available from a number of Android app markets, and Grades2Go™ Desktop for Windows is available from Mindspark Inc’s website. The free downloads have complete functionality with no expiration, but they are limited to a certain number of students and grades until inexpensive activation codes are purchased. No internet connection is necessary for routine use of either product.

For more information and download links, please visit mindsparkinc.com or grades2go.com.

About Mindspark Inc

Mindspark Inc develops mobile device data applications and instrumentation for the scientific research, industrial control, and general consumer markets. Our mission is to provide the consumer with a wide array of personal and professional software tools that address unique data management challenges. We pledge to create products that are superior in quality, intuitive to learn and use, and easy to afford. They will also make a positive contribution to our quality of life.

Press Contact
Andris Vizulis
Mindspark Inc
617.744.9849
avizulis@mindsparkinc.com

http://mindsparkinc.com

http://grades2go.com

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Time To Know Releases Software Update for Apple Products

DTP 6.1 now available for Macintosh operating system

New York (February 21, 2012) Time To Know, a complete online teaching and learning solution, is now available for the Mac.

The updated platform, DTP 6.1, supports Windows Internet Explorer 9, Apple Safari 5.1, Apple Mac OS X 10.6 and 10.7 operating systems, and all related models.

The new version also offers Time To Know educators co-teaching interface capabilities, an updated lesson-planning interface, additional benchmark reports, and improved report navigation. DTP 6.1 includes reports that display student answers within lesson context, allowing teachers to correlate student performance data with classroom content.

“The availability of the Time To Know platform for the Macintosh environment has been a key development objective for us, since Macs are widely used in schools, and teachers and students are well-versed in their operation,” said Arik Shahar, Time To Know product manager.

In addition, compatibility with Macintosh computers makes it easier for schools implementing “bring your own device” initiatives to accomplish their technology integration goals.

“About a third of our students using the Time To Know program use their own computers through our BYOD initiative,” said Barbara Rudolph, principal of Davis Intermediate School in Wylie, Texas. “Availability of the Mac version will help us achieve our goal of expanding use of Time To Know in our school.”

DTP 6.1 is now available to all Time To Know U.S. schools, and additional enhancements will be made in the coming weeks. The next platform update will be released mid-2012 in time for the 2012-2013 school year.

About Time To Know
The Digital Teaching Platform from Time To Know is a complete cloud-based learning and teaching solution including core curriculum. In addition to the Digital Teaching Platform, Time To Know includes comprehensive professional learning and technology support to maximize teacher effectiveness and student achievement. The Time To Know math and language arts curriculum is fully aligned to the Common Core Standards as well as the New York State and Texas standards. Time To Know is implemented in 150 classrooms in Texas and New York, with additional international installations. It is also used in New York City‘s Innovation Zone (iZone) program. For more information, please visit http://www.timetoknow.com or call 888.559.6560. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Media Contacts

• Anne Smith, C. Blohm & Associates, 608-216-7300 x22, anne@cblohm.com

Kaplan K12 Learning Services Sponsors Call for Teachers’ Best Practices in Digital and Blended Instruction

Teachers’ Winning Ideas to be Published in Next Edition of Kaplan’s Best Selling e-Book “First Year Teacher”

New York (February 21, 2012) In celebration of Digital Learning Day – a national campaign launched earlier this month to celebrate innovative teaching and learning through digital media and technology – Kaplan K12 Learning Services is seeking collaborative input from teachers across the United States to share ideas and best practices on incorporating digital and blended learning into the classroom. Teachers can submit their innovative ideas and inspiring stories to: Kaplan’s First Year Teacher e-Book Contest. The most creative submissions will be published as a new chapter of the revised edition of Kaplan’s top-selling book “First Year Teacher,” and educators whose ideas are published will win gift card prizes. The new e-book edition will be released during Teacher Appreciation Week in May.

Blended instruction includes incorporating the use of different learning environments. Frequently, this means combining traditional face-to-face classroom methods with digital-based activities. The practice of blended learning reinforces concepts through multiple modalities, creating a more integrated approach for both teachers and students. Increasingly, technology is playing a critical role in this process. Research on blended learning indicates that the combination of live and online learning can be engaging and effective, as outlined in a recent white paper, “Online and Blended Learning: What the Research Says,” by Marcella Bullmaster-Day, Ed.D.

“We know that today’s teachers are entrepreneurs of innovative ideas inside the classroom, particularly as technology becomes a growing part of classroom instruction. We’d like to give creative-thinking teachers a platform for sharing their ideas about how they are using digital media, to recognize their efforts, and to help others who are navigating the changes that technology is bringing to the learning process,” said Justin Serrano, president of Kaplan K12 Learning Services. “We are looking forward to hearing about how they incorporate digital learning into the classroom, what online tools they find most valuable, how they use technology to help students learn, and anything else they’d like to share.”

All ideas and stories must be submitted by midnight EST, March 9, 2012.

Also in celebration of Digital Learning Day, during February only, the current Kindle edition of “First Year Teacher” is available for free on Amazon.com.

For more information about best practices in blended and online learning, go to http://www.kaplank12.com/us/resources/. For more on Kaplan’s participation in Digital Learning Day, contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.543.7538.

About Kaplan K12 Learning Services
Kaplan K12 Learning Services (http://www.kaplank12.com), a unit of Kaplan Test Prep (http://www.kaptest.com), partners with schools to measurably propel student achievement. Kaplan K12 offers state test readiness programs to help students meet and exceed state standards, and college preparation solutions that support students as they prepare for college entrance exams and the admissions process. Its solutions also provide teachers with robust Kaplan K12 resources and professional development support to impact achievement in their classrooms. Kaplan Test Prep is a division of Kaplan Inc. (http://www.kaplan.com), a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

Media Contacts

• Russell Schaffer, Kaplan K12 Learning Services, 212.453.7538, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com

• Kristen Plemon, C. Blohm & Associates, 608-216-7300 x18, kristen@cblohm.com

They are among the 5,000 worst schools in America, where the percentage of kids who can read or do math at grade level often hovers in the teens or 20s and only about half graduate. These schools are sharing $5 billion in federal tax dollars in a massive, three-year rescue effort, but no one nationally is tracking how the money is spent and no one can say whether the influx of cash will end up helping kids. A Denver Post investigation found one clear winner so far: consultants. In Colorado—one of the few states willing to tally such spending—consultants are taking home 35 percent, or $9.4 million, of the $26.6 million that came to the state from the U.S. Department of Education in the past two years. The money is buying instructional coaches for teachers, leadership coaches for principals, analysts to pore over test data and pricey three-day professional-development seminars on changing school culture…

Click here for the full story

New York City Schools recently agreed to begin using third-party observers, known as independent validators, to monitor teachers who received an ineffective rating under the new evaluation system during the previous school year, Yahoo! News reports. The observers, who will be contracted through a company, are to be licensed teachers, former administrators and principals. They will spend three days a year monitoring each teacher, and they will be responsible for approximately 50 to 80 teachers total. If the validator agrees with the administrator’s findings, and a teacher is deemed ineffective for a second year in a row, an expedited termination process of the teacher can begin…

Click here for the full story

Title I Committee of Practitioners Meeting Notice for February 28, 2012.

Each year, the National Book Foundation awards a number of prizes of up to $2,500 each to individuals and institutions—or partnerships between the two—that have developed innovative means of creating and sustaining a lifelong love of reading.

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Summer Reading Grants provide funding to local nonprofit organizations and libraries to help with the implementation or expansion of summer reading programs. Programs must target Pre-K through 12th grade students who are new readers, below grade level readers or readers with learning disabilities.

Teachers can enter to win by writing 100 words or less on how the SAMCAM 860 will be used in their classroom. The grant program will provide the document cameras to worthy schools based on need and utilization.

Through his California Career Readiness Initiative, SSPI Tom Torlakson has directed the California Department of Education to proceed with 17 key objectives to support, sustain, and strengthen Career and Technical Education (CTE) in the State. His Initiative builds upon goals outlined in "A Blueprint For Great Schools."

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Unveils Career Readiness Initiative to Lower Dropout Rate and Prepare Students for Careers.

Letter from the California Department of Education to County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators regarding the recruitment of focus group members to update the ELA/ELD Framework.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

‘PossibilityU’ Provides Guidance Counselors with Tools for Helping Students Get Into and Afford Their Perfect College

Online college admission curriculum manages and tracks students’ college admission and application process

Yarmouth, ME – February 14, 2012 – PossibilityU, a web-based solution designed to help students get into the right college, has launched a college admission curriculum that allows high school guidance counselors to have more meaningful conversations with students about choosing, applying to and affording college. The curriculum provides a series of data-driven tools to help guide students to the best and most appropriate colleges – academically, socially and financially – and it provides guidance counselors with a quick snapshot of the college admission process for any number of students.

“This service is terrific. It gets the complicated picture of college admission across in a smart, contemporary way that really resonates with our students,” said Bob Gay, principal of Coyle and Cassidy High School. “PossibilityU helps our guidance office deliver personalized support, gather real-time feedback on student progress and recommend great schools that match – the heart, the brain, and the wallet.”

PossibilityU provides students with a simple-to-use, yet powerful, college matching engine and assesses a student’s chance of getting into a particular college or receiving financial aid. It features a full curriculum with strategies from experts in college admission offered in short, entertaining video lessons, including practical tips on choosing, applying for, and financing a great college education. PossibilityU automatically messages students and parents about deadlines and events and provides counselors with a dashboard for tracking student progress and choices. Guidance counselors and administrators can view a variety of aggregated reports to track the progress of juniors and seniors through the admission process.

“Guidance counselors today carry an incredible load. Many serve hundreds of students per year across areas as diverse as scheduling, disciplinary issues and of course college consulting. Only 31% of guidance offices surveyed by the College Board feel they are successful helping students with the admission process. PossibilityU is a great way for the remaining 69% to offer their students great college advice. Students drive the process on their own time and guidance offices get the tools to go in-depth and make the most out of the time they have to focus on college admission. Together, we can change admission outcomes for students across the country,” said Betsy Peters, CEO of PossibilityU.

In addition to the online components, PossibilityU provides a support line staffed by expert advisors who will answer questions throughout the college search and selection process. For more about implementing PossibilityU, contact sales@possibility.com or call 877-503-7896.

About PossibilityU
PossibilityU is a educational technology company that has combined the expert knowledge of college admission specialists with behavior theory and persuasive technology to provide step-by-step instructions and tools for choosing, applying for and getting into a college that offers the best fit academically, socially and financially for every student. Its unique dashboard provides high school guidance counselors with the data to manage and track the college admission process. To learn more about PossibilityU, visit www.possibilityU.com.

Media Contacts:

Betsy Peters
PossibilityU
(207) 332-5360
Betsy.peters@cambiumenterprises.com

Katherine Russo
KEH Communications
(410) 975-9628
Katherine@kehcomm.comm

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In recent weeks, schools across Michigan have been re-drafting their bullying procedures and policies to meet the June 6th deadline set by the State. Some schools, including Hartland Middle School at Ore Creek have looked to outside sources for an affordable, digital solution to the new legislation: “Sprigeo is a great safety valve, kids who don’t report to an adult that they were being bullied, now have another option.” — Assistant Principal Tony Howerton.

As talks of bullying and intimidation in schools sweep the nation, individual states are releasing laws that mandate schools to introduce rules to protect their kids from bullying. Michigan has jumped on board with its own laws, joining a host of other states that have adopted policies that protect students from harassment. Across the U.S statistics show that 160,000 kids skip school every day, afraid to face another day of bullying.

Hartland Middle School at Ore Creek in Hartland Michigan has 950 middle school age students, a number that can be daunting to any school official. With this in mind, Assistant Principal Howerton says: “Sprigeo has really helped us keep track of these types of incidents and get them resolved quickly and efficiently”.

With the introduction of “Matt’s Safe School Law, named after Matt Epling who took his own life after numerous bullying incidents, schools have six months to develop an anti-bullying policy. The new legislation requires a degree of uniformity, and accountability in regards to bullying incidents. This includes a procedure for reporting an act of bullying and requirements for teachers and administrators to have annual training on preventing and responding to bullying.

Sprigeo’s simple online anonymous report is standardized, based upon the toughest legislation in the country. All reports are captured in a secure online database in addition to being sent in an immediate email alert. This allows principals and district superintendents to track incidents, note action taken toward resolution, and record follow-up activity as well as download the latest statistics and summary reports for their area.

Sprigeo, Inc. was founded by Joe Bruzzese, an expert and frequent speaker on bullying. The company is located in Santa Barbara, CA and since introducing the software in the first half of 2011 has been adopted by schools in thirteen states.

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If you’d like more information about this topic, or to speak with Sprigeo.com’s CEO, Joe Bruzzese, please call 805-284-9435 or e-mail Sprigeo at team@sprigeo.com

Wowza Media Systems 2012 NAB Show Preview
Booth SU9702

“Broadcasters around the world are using Wowza Media Server(R) 3 to deliver vibrant video and engaging audio content to any screen reliably and without interruption; and they’re reaping the benefits in increased revenue and audience loyalty. They’re also finding that, with its AddOns, Wowza Media Server software is not just a media server. It’s the heart of their delivery infrastructure, helping them to transform, enhance, protect, integrate, and manage their media streaming — no matter where it needs to go.”
– David Stubenvoll, chief executive officer and co-founder of Wowza Media Systems

Wowza Media Systems at the 2012 NAB Show
Multiplatform flexibility, reliability, scalability, extensibility, and unmatched economic value have made Wowza Media Server(R) software an unprecedented success, with some 100,000 licensees worldwide. Wowza(R) Media Systems introduced the paradigm-busting Wowza Media Server 3 last fall, and it quickly won awards for changing the way adaptive multibitrate streaming is delivered to viewers everywhere. At the 2012 NAB Show, Wowza will display this award-winning new software and its groundbreaking AddOns, which transform it from a mere media server into a robust streaming media platform.

Wowza Products on Display at the 2012 NAB Show:

Wowza Media Server 3 — The Multi-Award-Winning Unified Media Server
A major milestone in the evolution of media streaming, Wowza Media Server(R) 3 is the next generation of Wowza’s award-winning software platform that provides a single extensible foundation and value-added components for “Any Screen Done Right(TM)” media delivery.

The software offers the broadest any-screen coverage for Flash(R)- and Silverlight(R)-capable computers, tablets, phones, set-top boxes, media players, and game consoles; Apple(R) iPhone(R)/iPad(R) and other HLS-capable devices such as Apple TV(R) with AirPlay(R); Android(TM) devices; Roku(R) media players; and Internet-connected TVs including Samsung(R) Smart TV(TM) and Google TV(TM)-powered sets. The Wowza Media Server 3 platform advances media streaming to a new level of simplicity and cost-effectiveness with a variety of AddOn components that help organizations of any size to deliver live and on-demand content efficiently.

With Wowza Media Server 3, formerly hard-to-implement features such as adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming, time-shifted playback, and integrated rights management are made simple and cost-effective. Wowza Media Server 3 is the ideal media platform for revenue-generating services for an ever-growing number of destinations. Capabilities of the Wowza Media Server 3 platform include:

- Integrated live adaptive bitrate (ABR) transcoding enabled by Wowza Transcoder(TM) AddOn
- Any-screen time-shifted delivery of live streams with Wowza nDVR(TM) AddOn
- Support for multiple studio-approved DRM platforms
- Unconstrained per-server capacity with no CPU core limitations
- Flexible and cost-effective licensing choices for any application and budget

New capabilities will be announced at the 2012 NAB Show.

Wowza Media Server 3 AddOns
Wowza Media Server(R) 3 AddOns enhance a broadcaster’s ability to deliver, transform, enhance, protect, integrate, and manage their media streaming. With AddOns, the media server becomes a full-fledged streaming media infrastructure that helps broadcasters drive revenue-generating services or simplify their workflows. Wowza will demonstrate these AddOns at the 2012 NAB Show:

- Wowza Transcoder(TM) AddOn transforms incoming live streams from encoders, IP cameras, IPTV headends, and other live sources to H.264 for delivery everywhere

- Wowza nDVR(TM) AddOn stores content in a normalized format as a single live stream cache that enables users to deliver time-shifted playout experience to viewers — on PCs, tablets, smartphones, and TVs

- Wowza DRM(TM) AddOn facilitates integration with various digital rights management platforms to deliver on-the-fly encryption for live and video-on-demand content to any screen

In addition to the premium AddOns above, there is an extensive suite of free components that provides users with high-value tools to better manage and protect content, enhance the viewer experience, and easily integrate Wowza Media Server software in their environments.

Image Link: http://www.ingearpr.com/Wowza/WowzaMediaServer3.zip
Image Caption: Wowza Media Server(R) 3

Company Overview:
Wowza(R) Media Systems is the “Any Screen Done Right(TM)” media server software company delivering an industrial-strength infrastructure for live video, video-on-demand, live recording, and video chat. Wowza has a singular focus on delivering high-performance media server software to service providers, media properties, enterprises, and other organizations serious about delivering video to any digital screen — computer, mobile phone, or home TV. More than 100,000 global licensees in entertainment, social media, advertising, enterprise, education, government, and Internet commerce have deployed Wowza’s media server software to date. Wowza Media Systems is privately held with headquarters in Evergreen, Colo. More information is available at www.wowza.com.

Wowza and related marks are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Wowza Media Systems Inc. Third-party product names and related marks are either registered trademarks or trademarks of such third parties.