Schoology Announces User Conference NEXT 2014: Early-bird Ticket Sales and Speaker Proposals Now Open

Alan November Keynotes at NEXT 2014

NEW YORK – January 27, 2014—Schoology is pleased to announce its first user conference, NEXT 2014: Unlock Limitless Student Potential, held June 24-25, 2014 at The Curtis, a unique venue located in the heart of downtown Denver, Colo. Ed Tech visionary and best-selling author, Alan November (novemberlearning.com), is the featured keynote speaker. All users of Schoology’s global community are welcome to attend and collaborate to explore new ways for improving student outcomes. Attendee registration opens today at schoologynext.com.

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District Administration Magazine Picks Schoology for Top 100 Education Products

NEW YORK – December 20, 2013—District Administration magazine picked Schoology as one of the leading education products making a positive impact on schools. Schoology was picked from more than 1,800 nominations submitted by readers which where winnowed down to the top 100 by the magazine editors. The winners are highlighted in the December issue of District Administration magazine.

See the full list of winners at District Administration magazine here: http://www.districtadministration.com/article/k12-leaders-choose-most-effective-products-year.

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Celebration of Miracles Tickets Nearly Sold Out

FOLSOM, Calif - Oct. 25, 2013 -- The Celebration of Miracles tickets are nearly sold out. Over 200 people will come together on November 2, 2013 at the Lake Natoma Inn in Folsom, Calif. to raise money for Friends of NICU. The organization supports families with premature babies in the neonatal intensive care units in Sacramento and the capital region.

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Free 60-day Trial of x2VOL Community Service System for Schools

DALLAS – October 21, 2013 – intelliVOL, creators of x2VOL, is offering schools a free 60-day trial of its award-winning x2VOL community service tracking and reporting platform. The free trial is available until the end of this year, which spans the time when students are most likely to volunteer.

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Schoology Releases Resource Apps, Makes Third-Party Content More Effective for Students and Instructors

Integration Centralizes Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, Khan Academy, SkyDrive Pro and More into LMS

LOS ANGELES – October 15, 2013—Higher education leaders attending the EDUCAUSE 2013 conference this week will get a first look at the newest innovation from Schoology: Resource Apps. Schoology released its App Center last summer, which enables third-party applications, such as Blackboard® Collaborate and Turnitin, to plug seamlessly into the platform. Resource Apps are a natural extension of the Schoology App Center. Now, rich content from third-party vendors like Google Drive™, Dropbox, Evernote®, Khan Academy®, and SkyDrive® Pro are universally available and readily integrated from within a single Schoology repository.

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Ah, the things I've seen...

My son just started middle school. Last night I went to his school’s open house and traipsed around the same halls he walks. Some readers may recall that I was the public relations manager for PowerSchool in the years prior to its acquisition by Apple in 2001. I’ve always been proud that our school district, Folsom-Cordova USD turned to PowerSchool a few years ago. Well, while listening to Elliott’s new Pre-AP math teacher (and while admiring her fancy interactive white board), she loaded a page of products she uses in her class. All three were products I have represented at one time or another: PowerSchool, Holt and SpringBoard.

While I now feel a little older than I did at, say, 2:00 yesterday afternoon (perhaps well-seasoned is a better word), I am feeling proud. I’m proud to have been part of these successes. It is amazing to know I’ve been a positive factor in so many company histories. I have my favorite products, which are typically those that do spectacular things to help children learn. But above all else, in my 25 years of education and PR work, the people in this industry are what inspire me.

Right now, I am working with a long-time friend and colleague, Pam Nelson at SpringBoard. I get to rub elbows with Michael Glover who manages to find the most exciting products in the world. There’s Bill Tudor, a GIANT in this business who has hit 3 (or 4) home runs and has selflessly shared his knowledge and enthusiasm with probably a hundred companies.

There are my old colleagues at PowerSchool and my new friends at Schoology. There is the gem of a lady, Michele Pitman, at intelliVOL who patiently waited for me for a whole year while I recovered from a viral infection and is now my friend and client. Gosh, there are so many people I can’t even name them all.

No, I’m not retiring. Heaven’s no. I’m not even 50 yet. I figure I’m half way into my career. I’m just being a little introspective at the moment, happy to be in a business where my efforts are directly related to my children’s education and the lives of millions more.

Michele Pitman's response to excellent Education Week article on Compassion

Hurrah! I applaud you and your insight, Carol.

My mission as the CEO of intelliVOL.com is community service. Through community service, I see students discover something about themselves, that they are capable of giving and showing compassion to another individual through service programs run at their high school. We learn by doing. Young adults (and young children) who help others--and see the effect of their service--learn something we cannot teach through books or videos. These are lessons in compassion that positively affect someone for a lifetime.

I hope more schools will give students the opportunity “to have time to care” by building robust community service programs. Community service shouldn’t be relegated to the fringe, a voluntary club poorly attended. It should be a school’s mission, encouraged by administrators, modeled by students who pass the torch to each generation of students who enter their school.
--Michele Pitman, CEO of intelliVOL

What Really Matters in Education: Compassion

By Carol Lach, August 14, 2013, Education Week

 

An excerpt of Ms. Lach's article:
...We need to remember that education is not a one-size-fits-all product. While standards and expectations are important, we need to remember that not all students will be successful with four years of high school math. If I had been required to achieve similar athletic standards in physical education for four years in high school, I never would have graduated. If I hadn’t had teachers who dealt with the bullies and a sister who listened and understood me, I don’t know where I’d be today.

 

As you continue your work, please don’t lose sight of the students. Look for ways to help streamline policies and regulations so school staff members have time to encourage their students’ talents, and find ways to provide those students support, to be mentors, and to have the time to care.

Read the full article and comments at Education Week