Digital Science Programs

This is teacher appreciation week, and somehow it seems that as a mother and an employee of an educational publishing company, I should be and am extremely grateful to our teachers out there.  I just read a great article by Sally Ride, the first American woman in space about how grateful she is to her high school science teacher, and the vital importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in our educational system today in order for us to remain competitive in the future. You can find the article here: http://mashable.com/2012/05/08/sally-ride-stem-programs-teachers/.

On that page was a link to another article about teachers adjusting to digital learning environments. I’m just interested in what our readers think about things like digital science programs, eLearning, and the variety of content delivery systems now available for educational materials. Do they make your teaching lives easier? Is kids not having computers at home ever a problem? Do you find that you spend less money out of your own pockets when using online course materials? Submit a comment if you have an opinion.

And again, thank you for all you do!!!

If you haven't checked out our new eCatalog, now's a perfect time to start.  This year's catalog is more interactive than ever before, and is packed full of useful information about Kendall Hunt's growing roster of hands-on, standards- and inquiry-based curriculum for grades PreK-12.

Want to learn more about our K-12 ebooks for math and science? Just look for the free trial button throughout the catalog and click on it to get access to Flourish, our digital learning network. Looking for a middle grades math program that's rich with interactive whiteboard activities and games? Our Math Innovations section provides links that allow you to try them for yourself directly from the catalog page. And the BSCS Biology: A Human Approach and Forensic Science for High School catalog pages allow you to experience multimedia features like video, audio in English and Spanish, and virtual autopsies.

You can also find information about our newly-acquired Discovering Mathematics programs and the ways they align to the Common Core State Standards. It's easy to sign up for a free 30-day preview with a simple click of your mouse.  

But that's not all! Learn about our variety of online professional development programs along with our live and interactive Inside Look Webinar Series, which are led by Kendall Hunt curriculum experts and provide in-depth information about our programs.

To begin exploring the catalog, click here.

Are you going? Kendall Hunt will be there! The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) National Conference takes place in San Francisco March 9-12. The Kendall Hunt booth is number 1729, so be sure to stop by. You also won't want to miss our two workshops, one on BSCS Biology: A Human Approach, and one on our exciting new digital learning environment, Flourish.  You can find more information about those here.

Flourish will be in the spotlight, along with the four high school science programs, BSCS Biology: A Human Approach, Forensic Science for High School, Global Science, and KH Chemistry that are currently available in Flourish. Flourish is home to an ever-growing list of online course materials and digital learning resources and at NSTA you’ll see how affordable these products are when purchased digitally either as a complete curriculum, eChapters, or eUnits. When you visit our booth, you can sign up for a free trial of the program of your choice, and everyone who registers will be entered in a daily drawing to win a free classroom license for Global Science, Forensics or A Human Approach!

If you are unable to attend NSTA, we’ll miss you, but you can sign up for a free trial of Flourish at http://www.kendallhunt.com/freeflourishtrial. You’ll also find the same product-specific information we’ll be sharing in the booth through our free Inside Look  Webinar  series.

NSTA is always an exciting week. We get to visit with so many of the teachers using our science programs and share our programs for the first time with many others. Not to mention, of course, that the Moscone Convention Center is in the heart of fabulous San Francisco. We hope to see you there, so don’t forget to visit us at booth 1729!

Lots of teachers tell us that they sometimes feel overwhelmed when it comes to choosing a new elementary, middle school, or high school curriculum -- especially now, when advances in technology have resulted in more new products than ever before, including a variety of products designed specifically for the digital generation. Since technology should make things easier, not more difficult, Kendall Hunt created the Inside Look Webinar Series for educators who want to learn more about our traditional and digital publishing solutions, but in a way that fits their specific interests and busy schedules. 

Inside Look Webinars are conducted live by Kendall Hunt curriculum experts and provide an interactive, in depth way to learn more about the many ways our hands-on, inquiry-based science and mathematics programs can help educators address, meet, and exceed their learning objectives. Each Webinar includes ample time for questions and answers, as well as demonstrations of curriculum features and activities. 

All Inside Look Webinars are free of charge and can be accessed from any Internet-ready computer, so there's no need to search out a meeting room or travel to another location. They're also offered at a variety of convenient dates and times, and there is no limit on the number you can attend. 

We hope you'll use this great new eLearning tool to get the information you need in the way you want to receive it -- register for an Inside Look Webinar today!
 

Today I’m welcoming back Charley Cook, Vice President of Kendall Hunt Publishing’s PreK-12 Division, as our guest blogger. Charley would like to tell you a little about our new digital initiatives. Take it away, Charley.

 

Kendall Hunt Publishing has a strong history of being responsive to the needs of the educational marketplace. Over the years, we’ve worked closely with educators to develop products and services that not only align to national and state standards, but can also address and meet specific district requirements in terms of content, accessibility, and academic achievement. Some of these products include our curriculum for high ability learners, high school science textbooks and programs developed with our partner, BSCS, and our grade school mathematics program, Math Trailblazers, which integrates math, science, and language arts.

Like you, Kendall Hunt Publishing is dedicated to improving education and preparing students to successfully navigate a rapidly changing, technologically advanced world. So it should come as no surprise that Kendall Hunt has taken a proactive role in pioneering the development of groundbreaking digital learning solutions designed to more effectively engage students, support teachers, and involve parents in the educational process.

We’re extremely excited to announce the launch of Flourish, Kendall Hunt’s new digital learning network for students, teachers, and parents. Flourish integrates technology into all aspects of teaching and learning, and helps equip students with the skills they need to become productive citizens in the 21st century. Flourish is comprehensive, interactive, and economical, and features rich, research-based educational content along with a variety of tools that enhance learning, facilitate teaching, and increase communication both in the classroom and in the home. We hope you’ll take the time to explore its many features and benefits, because we know you will believe, as we do, that it can truly change the face of classroom learning.

Flourish is the first of many new, technology-driven products you can expect to see from Kendall Hunt in the near future.

With the new school year approaching more quickly that we think, our PreK-12 group is getting ready for an intensive week of product training next week. Wayne, Jeff, Don and Jodi have had their noses literally “in the books” preparing for the training, so if you’re wondering why you haven’t heard from them for a few days, that’s why.

What they’re learning is all about the new inquiry based science programs we’ll be bringing you this year. And it’s not just elementary school science textbooks or high school science textbooks. In fact it’s not even just inquiry based science products. There’s math, health, fitness and physical education, and a dose of new digital learning products for good measure. Watch this space as we detail some of these exciting new programs in the next few weeks! 

In the meantime, if you haven’t had a chance yet, Marla has written an excellent post about inquiry based science. Check it out!