More than ever college professors recognize the importance of getting first year students off to a good start. Not only does it set them up for success in college, but it vastly improves a school’s retention rate.

For the past couple of years, each spring and fall, higher education publisher Kendall Hunt has offered the Promoting First-Year Student Success in College and Beyond Symposium. The dates for the upcoming seminar at the end of March have just been announced. The Symposium will take place March 30 – April 1 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Atlanta Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia.

Beside the fact that it should be a beautiful time of year to be in Atlanta, this professional development symposium features leading educators in the field of college student success and diversity education. It will address the full range of factors that promote college student success, focusing on high-impact practices that are well grounded in research on student learning and persistence, and which educate the student as a whole person.

You'll also be able to explore Kendall Hunt's custom college publishing, online course materials, and content delivery system options for your customized first-year title.

Visit the Symposium website at http://www.thrivingincollege.com for more information. Register by February 20^th and save $25 per person. Watch for more posts with info on the sessions and authors. Don’t miss this outstanding event!

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.

Is finding the time or the funding for high-quality professional development a challenge in your school or district? Kendall Hunt has the solution for busy, budget-conscious educators like you. We’ve just posted our 2011 eWorkshop schedule on our Web site, and you’ll find a full roster of live, curriculum-specific eWorkshops that you can access from any internet-ready computer, whether at school or at home.                       

There’s no longer a need to travel to get the training you want, because Kendall Hunt makes it easily accessible from wherever you are with just the click of a mouse! Each eWorkshop is held online from 4:00 to 5:30 EST and provides the same level of standards-based content, in-depth activities, and interaction with instructors as an on-site workshop. Kendall Hunt has always been committed to providing high-quality professional development programs, and created our eWorkshops to make them even more accessible for educators – especially in these difficult economic times.

That’s why we’ve made our 90-minute eWorkshops not only convenient, but also affordable. The cost of each eWorkshop is only $59, and includes a certificate of completion for 1.5 hours of professional development.  It’s never been easier to get the training you seek at a price that fits your budget. In fact, many of our eWorkshop participants register for several programs at the same time because they’re so cost-effective. Each eWorkshop can accommodate 50 participants, but because they’ve grown so popular, they often fill up quickly.

Get the professional development you need to implement your Kendall Hunt curricula with fidelity, enhance your teaching skills, and achieve positive student outcomes  – register for an eWorkshop today!

About EDC

The Center for Science Education (CSE) is a division of Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC). CSE’s roughly 35 staff members comprise a diverse group of professionals—scientists, science educators and administrators, curriculum writers and developers, policy analysts, journalists, social and educational researchers, and educational program evaluators. We count among our staff experts who have an almost unrivalled depth of experience in the improvement of science education, here and abroad, and authors who have created some of the most highly regarded science instructional materials in the field. Together, our CSE team develops and supports projects and programs that are internationally recognized for their innovative approaches to the teaching and learning of science.

From after-school science programs to teacher mentoring to research into pedagogy, CSE’s work covers a broad range of science education initiatives. Most often, our initiatives fall into the following three categories:

• Research and evaluation of such facets of science education as inquiry teaching, teacher retention, capacity building, and the sustainability of reform efforts
• Professional development and technical support programs—online, and in-person—to encourage leadership and to build the capacity of teachers and administrators
• Development of science instructional materials, resources, and tools both for use in school for grades preK–12 and out of school

Working with funders, foundations, and corporations, we identify needs in the science education community and respond with programs and initiatives. Through this work, we develop resources and publications, provide customized services and support, and conduct comprehensive research and evaluation studies covering topics such as assessment, curriculum implementation, leadership, literacy, and that cover all grade levels—early childhood through high school.

Instructional Materials

Since 1958, EDC has produced high-quality science instructional materials. An in-depth understanding of education and scientific research and knowledge about how students learn and teachers teach continues to provide the foundation for all of our curricula.
Our materials are not only about students; they also support teachers. We acknowledge the professionalism of teachers by offering strategies to enhance their own skills and knowledge in science teaching and learning.

All of our curricula reflect the National Science Education Standards, adapted to the needs and interests of all students. They have been extensively pilot- and field-tested in classrooms across the country. All of our materials reflect:

• a focus on depth of understanding, rather than breadth of information.
• academically rigorous content framed in contexts relevant to students’ lives.
• a focus on scientific thinking and reasoning through a careful balance of direct experience with phenomena, use of secondary resources, discourse, and writing.
• close attention to the needs of a diverse student body.
• the use of formative assessment to guide instruction and learning.

We know that knowledge of science has many facets and to attain science literacy, students must master the concepts of subject matter, understand the nature of scientific inquiry, and gain insight into the many ways scientific knowledge affects them and their world.