tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66667044649970654602024-03-29T04:03:44.290-07:00KP Education Systemsglorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11970678302770258218noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-3751354489765432242012-03-07T14:42:00.003-08:002012-03-07T15:03:23.694-08:00KP Compass 7 Success Stories: One year of pioneering online mastery<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
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<tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse;" valign="top"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">KP Compass has been live for just over a year now. Born from over ten years of experience creating the next digital textbook for culinary arts as a software solution, KP Compass achieves the company's dream of putting digital content with a next generation mastery system in the palms of the students' hands. KP Compass is used in over 100 institutions. Here are a few success stories we've gathered from these early pioneers as they learn how to use this new method of reaching students that goes above and beyond the simple e-book/iBook.</span></span></div></td></tr>
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<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%; text-align: none;"><img alt="" border="0" height="107" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/798906a4cf022b8d0a783850d/images/247254_10150284125745152_520920151_9225444_6098711_n.jpg" style="border: 0; display: inline; line-height: 100%; margin: 0; max-width: 160px; min-height: auto; outline: none; padding: 0; text-decoration: none;" width="160" /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><h4 style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 5; margin-top: 0; text-align: left;">Job Corps Centers FTW</h4>At the Potomac Job Corps Center, Chef William "Tee" Danley teaches a different set of youth than your standard public school. They come in at different times and he has to teach the entire lot of them according to when they entered. He took KP Compass's Culinary Arts curriculum and aligned the modules to the Job Corps National Standard (called TAR) and created 11 open entry modules. Students are required to complete each module before they can move on to the next.<br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">From day one, the students became engaged with the system. Chef Tee's first problem was that he didn't have enough computers to satisfy the students in class or in their dorms. Seeing immediate results from the system, he realized that students were completing the modules at an accelerated rate of up to 200%, which made them more knowledgeable and gave them more time for labs. He says, "This is the most amazing program I've seen in my entire 20-year teaching career and it has truly transformed my class into what I want it to be, a dynamic and engaging system that grabs my student's attention."</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">If you have ever been to a Job Corps Center, you know that teaching these kids out of a book is tough. Chef Tee found that using computers and having students compete in the mastery system really drives their spirit of competition. He makes full use of the built-in leader board because it takes advantage of their competitive natures. "I've never seen my students this wrapped up in book learning and now they come to class understanding what they are doing rather than just going through the motions. The best part is the access to the videos. I rarely need to show them what to do. They already know it!"</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">Chef Tee has had incredible success with KP Compass. Feel free to contact me and I will share his contact information with you so you can hear it for yourself.</span><br />
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<h4 style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; text-align: left;">Charter School Success</h4>Chef Aaron Link teaches at Vista Academy, a new charter school in Denver, Colorado. When Aaron first called wanting some online videos, he found out about KP Compass and how it goes beyond just offering videos with a few simple quiz questions online. He immediately noticed how the leveling system fits the model at his school by assessing levels of knowledge rather than assigning letter grades. He teaches youth on a variety of levels and loves how he can customize the content, even individualizing the instruction for a single student to help him/her through the class. This is the level of care and attention to detail that makes Aaron's program one of the finest in the region. <br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">Watch Aaron talk about his experience in this short 3 minute video.</span><br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/r6qKTP38nM4" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/r6qKTP38nM4</a></div></td> </tr>
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<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%; text-align: none;"><img alt="" border="0" height="120" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/798906a4cf022b8d0a783850d/images/north_west_career_tech_center.jpg" style="border: 0; display: inline; line-height: 100%; margin: 0; max-width: 160px; min-height: auto; outline: none; padding: 0; text-decoration: none;" width="160" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h4 style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">High Schools with Video Testimonials</h4><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;">NW Career and Technical Academy is nestled in the far outskirts of Clark County in Las Vegas, Nevada. This multi-million dollar career center was built with technology in mind. When they adopted the Sous Chef, it became an incredible in-class resource for the students and instructors. Clark County had visions of going one-to-one using mobile technology, and KP Compass gave them the opportunity to put the Sous Chef content and videos directly in the hands of the students.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">But don't take my word for it. Watch these videos and hear what they have to say.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Michael Pitman, Dept Chair </span><a href="http://youtu.be/bXfEwt57Bkc" style="line-height: 150%;" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/<wbr></wbr>bXfEwt57Bkc</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;">Shannon Kelly-Smith, Freshmen and Sophomores <a href="http://youtu.be/3oGijSsJF30" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/<wbr></wbr>3oGijSsJF30</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;">Brenda Hitchins, Baking and Pastry <a href="http://youtu.be/bQ0q75Jhp-k" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/<wbr></wbr>bQ0q75Jhp-k</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;">And from the students themselves! <a href="http://youtu.be/fVI4XLc8w6M" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/fVI4XLc8w6M</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><h4 style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Overcoming the Computer Hurdle</h4><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Chef Henry, from Roanoke Public Schools, admits he doesn't use computers much at all and the prospect of having to use an online system would not be his first choice for an instructional aid. Chef Henry worked at CIA for 20 years and just entered into education in the past year. He wanted a way to engage his students, which textbooks weren't doing, so he turned to KP Compass.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Despite the slight learning curve, Chef Henry learned how to use the system and got his students online in less than a week. He saw immediate changes in student engagement with the content and got valuable feedback from the mastery system. He admits that the online system will change the way he teaches, and he is willing to make these adjustments because of the positive student response.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><h4 style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Jack on Leveling and Aprons</h4><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;">Jack Aldrich has always had a dynamic class at Huot Technical Center. Jack deals with many youths who are unmotivated in the school system. He devised a way to encourage student participation and drive competition with a system of colored aprons that shows what "level" each student is in the class. Students get higher level aprons by completing paper quizzes. If they do poorly on a quiz, they will have the opportunity take it again to gain that level of achievement. In their final year, if they make the grade they will receive their very own chef's coat.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;">When Jack saw KP Compass' leveling system, he was amazed by how similar it was to his own classroom motivational practices. Using KP's Automatic Remediation and Mastery System, Jack no longer needs to print out paper tests and manually enter scores into a spreadsheet. The system not only allows for students to take quizzes online but because of the mastery system, they rarely get the same questions in a row. The students have embraced this new format and have become even more engaged in his class. Jack takes full advantage of KP ARMS and the leader board. </div></div></td> </tr>
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<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%; text-align: none;"><img alt="" border="0" height="207" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/798906a4cf022b8d0a783850d/images/Mike_Riggs_3.jpg" style="border: 0; display: inline; line-height: 100%; margin: 0; max-width: 160px; min-height: auto; outline: none; padding: 0; text-decoration: none;" width="160" /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><h4 style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; text-align: left;">Michael Riggs at a College</h4>Chef Michael Riggs, at Bowling Green Technical College in Kentucky, has always been a pioneer in instructional technology. He started implementing digital resources using the Sous Chef back in 2004, and technology is an integral part of his growing program. When KP Compass became available in the fall of 2011, he first tested the new system with one class to see how his students would react to online instead of using computers in the classroom. The results have been very positive.<br />
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Chef Riggs customized the modules to his course and had his students purchase KP Compass instead of a textbook for use at home. He picked out the learning modules related to his Garde Manger class and further customized them with additional information. When the students log in, they know what they are expected to learn for the semester and they test themselves in the mastery system prior to coming to class. He made it a mandatory exercise to achieve at least Apprentice level to gain class participation for the work done. He has also seen improvements in the students' research and writing skills by having the digital assets online. As a result, his students now come to class ready to discuss topics and perform skills. KP Compass has really maximized his time in the kitchen and labs.<br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">Now going into the Spring semester, he has fully implemented KP Compass in all five of his college courses. Next year, they are looking at ways to implement the Kindle Fire or similar tablets to completely eliminate textbooks in his program.</span><br />
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<h4 style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; text-align: left;">Rick Teaching Teachers</h4>Chef Rick Martinez teaches a different set of students. At Middle Tennessee University he is in charge of getting teachers ready to teach culinary arts through two semester-long courses. His students are all adult learners who intend to become educators. He has to teach a lot of information in a very short time frame. He found KP Compass and loved how the content could be molded to fit his two classes. Once the course was customized, his students purchased the "books" from KP and used them to study before meeting once a week.<br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">As the semester progressed, Rick noticed that his students were more engaged and ready to go into labs, saving him a lot of instructional time. The mastery system allows him to check on their progress through the learning modules and see how prepared they are for the final exam. Since the class is still in action, we will ask at the end of the semester if they preferred KP Compass over the textbook / lecture style of teaching.</span><br />
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</tbody></table>Naihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10710088307139316540noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-68038291759557045012012-02-15T18:50:00.000-08:002012-02-23T08:55:38.460-08:00Concept Driven Mastery: beyond the textbook, ebook, iBook 2… EssayBy Nai Wang - Founder and President<br />
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Textbooks have been around for centuries. They are pieces of knowledge put on paper and bound. Authors start at page one and continue until the epilogue. From A to B to C... boring, but necessary. When computers came around, information was seen differently. We were freed from the shackles of the linear, given license to roam to our hearts content, skipping links through a complex web of interrelated topics. We were allowed to think non linearly, to teach dynamically, and to innovate in previously unfathomable ways... so why don’t we? <br />
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KP is hard at work taking advantage of technology to free learning from the old linear instructional design. How could a sculptor work with only a pen and paper? How could an architect help but feel limited by concepts only drawn on long expanses of chalkboards? As publishers and framework designers, it is our duty to create materials that break the traditional models that are holding us back.<br />
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Our response to this challenge has been to create the next generation textbook by utilizing concept-driven mastery. Simply put, information in a given subject is broken down into individual concepts. Educators piece these concepts together and create a learning module. Students are tested against the knowledge through KP’s Automatic Remediation and Mastery System (ARMS) in KP Compass and given a knowledge rating (Novice, Apprentice, Scholar or Guru).<br />
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By doing this we are no longer bound by the rules of a linear textbook model (pun clearly intended). Apple’s recent announcement of revolutionizing the textbook is another step in the right direction, but it is by no means redefining the genre. E-Books are simply lazy translations of an old system into a digital format. They are great for saving trees and shoulder pain but there is nothing revolutionary about them. Making it easy for authors and publishers to put media rich content in an interactive tablet makes the content more interesting but it’s still in a linear design.<br />
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The next evolution will take a holistic approach. Look at the content as a whole and then break it down into its simplest forms which are knowledge concepts. This is a philosophy that will always elude the chapter by chapter design of textbooks. And without making things modular, they become fixed, difficult to move, and eventually skipped! We want to put customization back in the hands of the educator to determine what the student needs to learn. In a world where our 21st century learners are multidimensional thinkers, linear models don’t go with the flow of information that students are comfortable with in their lives outside the classroom.<br />
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Publishers need to get off their thrones and make that leap for the sake of education.<br />
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The new KP Compass learning platform is designed with the philosophy of doing a few things, very well. First, our aim is to put the information in the hands of the students anywhere, anytime, on any device. Using HTML5 to drive our front end, we are able to accomplish and scale the platform from something as small as an iPod touch to as large as a 1080p computer driven display. This is access without limits. Second, we aim is to put the content back in the hands of the teachers in the field. We accomplish this by allowing the teacher to take individual concepts, add their own content, and assessment questions, and put it all together into a relevant learning module. Then, POOF, the system does the rest. Teachers won’t have to worry about things like terms, vocabulary and tests because the platform takes control of the details. That’s interoperability. This much magic would even make the teachers at Hogwarts proud!<br />
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This design challenges our current thinking of testing for grades, and transforms learning into a true system of growth and mastery. The current instructional model relies on fixed tests, which can be intimidating and stressful for the students. They study for this test, cramming all the knowledge they gained hoping that they will get a few question that they can spit back correctly. Or worse, they just study the answers to pass the test without mastering the subject. Moreover, if students get a C on the test, what can you say to them, “that’s ok, try again?” There is no ‘again’, unless they fail the class and to take it over again. Because of the linear system, all they can do is move along the track, at the mercy of the engineers that designed it, and the conductors that are paid to keep things chugging along.<br />
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The Automatic Remediation and Mastery System in KP Compass is designed to give the students a chance to practice in a less stressful environment but it is no simple, single practice test. It is a system that promotes mastery through the use of abundant assessments. Simply put, we create more questions than any one student will ever use, so that their assessment is unpredictable, challenging, and measured with a larger statistical sample. KP Compass, contains concept pages, each with a large number of questions related to the content. When students feel ready they test themselves on the learning module. <br />
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The testing system randomly selects three to five questions from each page and builds a quiz for the student. If the students answer the questions selected for a given page, then the page is remediated out of their learning module. Any pages that are not passed remain for them to review the content and test again. We never tell the student what questions they got incorrect because we don’t want them to just study for the answers. The goal is to go back to the lesson, and master the content. The can repeatedly test their knowledge against the content, getting different questions each time.<br />
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The students are also given a knowledge rating for their performance. Game theory principles are embedded into the system, with student’s leveling up their knowledge after starting at Novice. Each time they take the test, they gain knowledge points. Points are accumulated in the learning module, allowing them to level up through Apprentice, Scholar and Guru. They also gain points which are applied to their personal profile and their K-Bot (Knowledge Bot) which has its own leveling system. The gaming is not in the forefront of the system, but it creates an environment that adds a bit of fun without the recognizable ‘cheese’ that we commonly see in education games.<br />
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In the end, the teacher knows the knowledge level of each student and can address the needs of struggling students on an individual basis. The main goal of KP Compass is to allow teachers to do what they do best, mentor the students and help facilitate the learning process. Information is readily available and stale lectures serve little more than to bore the students in a controlled environment. Face time is valuable and should be spent in creative discussions, group projects and performance of skills that teach through doing. Knowledge is power, but true wisdom can only come from experience. KP lets technology handle the knowledge, so teachers can get down to business.<br />
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KP Compass is the net result of over 10 years of research and experience publishing our own content in a digital format. Unlike other platform providers who build the system and tell others to put information into it without the experience of content, KP has always had content and developed technology to suit our vision and goals. We create new ways to interface with content with a fundamental philosophy of keeping the information organic. <br />
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KP stands for knowledge and practice. We have invented the knowledge portion of our overall design. Next up, we tackle the practice side of our namesake. I’m thinking we should call our newest feature LEGS which stands for Logarithmic Evaluation and Grading System. Sounds impressive and reflects the non linear approach to 21st century learning! KP’s vision is to eventually create a learning system that incorporates true Project Based Learning (PBL). But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We will soon have ARMS and LEGS, but we still need a head and a body to realize that dream. :)<br />
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Before I sign off I would like to leave you with a final thought. I was speaking to a retired educator today about her thoughts on the state of education. She expressed being simply overwhelmed by all the information today compared to the slow, structured, and easier to comprehend lessons of her day. She felt helpless to teach kids that constantly needed to be entertained. An analogy popped into my mind that express the nature of today’s MTV/YouTube generation of learners. The mind of the student today mirrors the information that they absorb. Really, it is that simple. Back in the 1950’s, children learned in a sterile and highly linear fashion. Their hands were held, as they explored a giant castle one room at a time, never looking around the corner until they had gotten their fill. Today, students are virtually let loose once they breach the first door, running rampant down the informational hallways, sometimes exploring 2, 3 or 5 rooms simultaneously! Video games, TV, multimedia and the Internet have changed the way students think and indeed retain information. The very concept of a linear path has been outmoded, because a student’s brain is wired to accept information in ways that are at once inspiring, challenging, and possibly downright scary to educators. The system must adapt. If this means that teachers will be running wildly around the halls of the castle, bouncing from room to room and helping students to learn however it comes naturally to them... I say so be it! We will be there to help instructors deal with this new type of student.<br />
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For more information about KP Compass and authoring/publishing in a concept driven mastery platform, please contact Nai.<br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8-b0NYHtcA8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Naihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10710088307139316540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-23311169857278341602012-02-01T08:20:00.000-08:002012-02-07T09:57:06.297-08:00KP Supports CTE Month Knowledge Challenge Contest with ACTEKP Education Systems is launching a nationwide knowledge challenge in partnership with <b>The Association of Career & Technical Education (ACTE)</b> on our concept-driven mastery system, <b>KP Compass</b>. During the month of February, KP will be hosting this event to help foster growth in the association’s membership through our online learning platform. <br />
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Working with ACTE, we placed five learning modules covering these topics: About ACTE, About CTE, Programs and Services, Policy & Advocacy, Career Readiness, Workforce and Development & Industry. ACTE will be promoting these learning modules to all its members during CTE month. Teachers will be able to read about these topics and test themselves in KP’s state-of-the-art Automatic Remediation and Mastery System (ARMS). Participants will be competing with other teachers nationwide, and prizes / recognition will be awarded to the top 20 participants. They will also be competing as representatives of their region against other regions, and the top region will be recognized.<br />
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Overview video of CTE Month on KP Compass<br />
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Try it out for yourself at ctemonth.kpcompass.com or kpacte.com<br />
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The online platform that participants will be logging into, KP Compass, is a fun and creative way for people to learn. The information presented in these five ACTE learning modules has been in publication for years. It has been on websites, pamphlets, magazines, newsletters, e-mails and journals. The information is out there but the audience needs a creative and fun way to learn it. KP Compass is designed to take information such as ACTE’s (or as you would find in a standard textbook), break it into individual bite-sized concepts, and apply an online mastery system to test user knowledge. Through KP Compass, learners will become engaged in the content in ways they never have before. It’s the same old information but presented in such a way that people will <i>want</i> to learn it. During the CTE Month Knowledge Challenge, as members learn more about ACTE and CTE, they will become active and engaged.<br />
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One major advantage of KP Compass is its accessibility. Using HTML 5, the platform can be delivered on any internet enabled device with a modern browser. Learners can use desktop computers, laptops, iPads, tablets, iPods and smartphones to access the content and test their knowledge. Mobile access is critical in a modern platform as more and more 21st-century students turn to smartphones and hand held tablets for their learning needs.<br />
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Immediate feedback is highly important to drive the students forward in their learning track. KP Compass is designed with concept driven mastery in mind. Students master individual pages and get feedback ask they test their knowledge over and over again through our use of <b>abundant assessments</b>. Over 250 questions were included for these five learning modules. Using the ARMS component of KP Compass, learners get immediate feedback on their growth and areas of deficiency. A random test is generated from micro test banks associated to each page of content. As the student tests, pages are identified and passed (remediated out) if they answer the questions correctly, while failed pages remain in their working bin and students are prompted to review the content and retest over those concepts. The students are given a knowledge level for the given learning module and their individual concepts so they can have a fairly accurate representation of how well they know the information. <br />
<img style="float:right" img="" src="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/images/kromeadventure.png" width="238" height="194" alt="Take a trip with Kromey, the roaming Kromey!"><br />
As they test, they level up their knowledge from Novice, Apprentice, Scholar and then eventually Guru. They gain knowledge points through the entire process and will also level up their <b>K-Bot</b> (Knowledge Bot). Kromey the K-Bot is their personal knowledge assistant and travels the world to various cities to dig up knowledge as they test. Kromey also levels up and gets better parts as the students do better on the tests. Compass employs subtle game-theory principles to help drive the learner forward in their education experience. The key to making a good game system is to put it in the background and not make it take center stage, which is where most education implementation of gaming systems fail.<br />
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Watch a video of how Michelle Green used the system at ACTE 2011 when we debuted the system.<br />
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During CTE month, teachers will compete on a national scale to see how they rank in their knowledge about CTE. Regions will also be in competition for national recognition. In CTE as with all learning, friendly competition will drive achievement, foster growth, and ultimately improve knowledge and awareness of the ACTE organization.<br />
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For more information about KP Compass and KP ARMS, please contact KP at 800-701-6323 to see how you can use this technology to create the next generation textbook, e-book, iBook2 in your school, organization or business.Naihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10710088307139316540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-85182164763810776652011-11-20T12:51:00.000-08:002011-11-21T16:27:09.262-08:00ACTE Knowledge Challenge results are in and they are incredible!By: Nai Wang<br /><br />The first major run of the KP Compass Automatic Remediation and Mastery System (ARMS) was a success at the Association for Career and Technical Educators 2011 conference! What better way to test out a new student-centered learning system than with a bunch of teachers at a national conference? <br /><br />We had over 75 participants and many of the top 10 reported the addictive nature of the game, which had them leaving the conference with an intimate knowledge of ACTE and CTE in the process. I interviewed two teachers on the final day of the contest. Each expressed their desire to achieve and get to the next level as they learned more about CTE through the 5 modules designed by ACTE. <br /><br />Michelle Green, a first time ACTE attendee, speaks about how she used the testing system on her iPhone and watched Kromey, our mascot, level up as she answered questions correctly. Having placed 7th, she lost the challenge but she left the conference a winner for knowing more about CTE than she ever thought possible.<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/t85JBmwX2K0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Marcy Oxford, a technology director for her school district, expresses to me how she lost sleep while playing the challenge. I watched her move up the ranks throughout the day since as she was determined to win. She recites the knowledge she gained about CTE and recalls her experience as she spent Friday playing through the quiz on her iPhone.<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Tmu43yLwSGs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />I also spoke to two other teachers about their experience over the phone. First place, Andy Williams, and 11th place, Rey Monoz. Rey was instrumental in the game as he took a commanding lead on the first day of the challenge. I was curious to see whether his lead would cause other players to give up or inspire them try harder. By Friday, his lead had been knocked down to 11th place. Rey stated that he was addicted to the leveling system and wanted to see what happened next as he took the tests and gained Knowledge Points. He teaches game design in high school and expressed how he loved the way we implemented our game mechanics and resulting algorithm. <br /><br />Andy Williams was determined to win; he took the lead Friday night and continued playing into Saturday. He said he started out hurrying through the test, but since he was getting poor results, he went back and studied the material and tested again. He claims that he knows more about ACTE now after mastering all five learning modules. He was shocked by how quickly he was able to see his results and leader board updates after taking the tests on his iPad. He found it very logical and easy to go back to areas he needed to study as he became more and more involved in the process of gaining points and leveling up. He sees great application of this system in the classroom. Determined to get first place, he consistently monitored the leader board throughout the conference and took more tests as people came close to his position. <br /><br />Listen to the phone interview with Andy Williams.<br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3e57SHAG3sk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <br /><br /><h2>What is KP ARMS</h2><br />KP ARMS is a revolutionary new piece of technology created by KP Education Systems. An integral part of KP Compass’s online LMS structure, ARMS focuses on the students’ experience through the remediation process, focusing on mastery rather than grades. Unlike typical online tests and quizzes, which give feedback only on incorrect responses, ARMS uses a series of algorithms to guide students through the learning process with remediation. <br /><br />ARMS takes the content provided by the instructor and the system randomly selects questions from each concept page making it a true random assessment of their knowledge. Once graded, the student will be told which areas they passed and which ones they need to revisit. Knowledge Points are acquired to level up Kromey, the page and the unit plan. As the students level up through novice, apprentice, scholar and guru, Kromey travels in a select city to better and better places, signified by area attractions or monuments. The K-Bot system is designed to give the student a secondary level of reinforcement and a sense of accomplishment. <br /><br />The teacher will get reports of the students’ knowledge levels in each module and identify areas of deficiency. This is very brief description of KP ARMS and the K-Bots. To see a detailed description, please <a href="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/products/compass"> click here. </a><br /><br /><h2>The birth of a conference challenge</h2><br />KP has been working on a new system of assessing knowledge. When ACTE mentioned that they wanted to bring more technology to the conference, we jumped in with the idea of challenging its members with a competition on the new learning system. ACTE and KP worked together to create a unique challenge for the conference attendees. This is how we did it.<br /><br />Six months prior to the conference, KP completed the KP ARMS. Two months prior, KP finalized the algorithm and began a series of beta testing. During this time ACTE defined 5 learning modules, each containing on average 5 topics. The information was gathered from various existing sources as Catherine Impertore and Jonathan Miller wrote nine challenging questions for each topic. <br /><br />Once all the information was assembled, KP imported it into KP Compass and brought the server online over the course of two days to start testing. One week prior to going live, finishing touches were made to give online instructions for ACTE users since this was not in a controlled classroom environment. <br /><br />With this part of the process done, it was now just sit and wait. We didn’t know how many teachers would enter and go through the experience. If the participation is successful, we will roll this out on a national scale and create competitions between regions and states. <br /><br /><h2>Conference results</h2><br />The system went live on preconference day, Wednesday. On Thursday after the announcement of the contest, over 100 people signed into the system, but only a few ventured out to take the test and play the game. Ray Munoz took a commanding lead of 2000 Knowledge points by the end of the night. I was fearful that his lead would discourage others to try since the majority of participants showed under 200 points.<br /><br />By Friday morning, I witnessed a complete change in the standings. Four others took the lead with 5000 points, and the race got heated throughout the day as new participants decided to challenge the leader and rapidly moved up the ranks. When Friday night hit, things slowed down and settled around 8000 points with Andy Williams in the lead. I noticed throughout the night as people crept up to Andy’s position that he would jump ahead to maintain his lead over the challengers. <br /><br />As we drew closer to the closing general session the 2nd through 5th place standings kept changing throughout the morning as Conference attendees contended for 2nd place. It was heated all the way through the keynote speaker. I announced the winners after Eric Chester performed his final act and Jim Comer rapped his gavel, officially closing the 2011 ACTE annual convention. In the end, over 150 people signed in and looked over the content, 75 participated in the mastery system and 15 made it past level 5. The top 10 took the tests an average of 30 times, gaining over 92,000 Knowledge Points.<br /><br />One piece that teachers didn't see is the Teacher Dashboard. If you would like to see the results from that vantage point, please contact me.<br /><br /><h2>The Future of KP Compass</h2><br />The exercise we went through with ACTE has proven two things. First, with KP Compass’s framework, it is very easy to create a knowledge challenge for just about any organization. Secondly, participants who actually use it benefit from the remediation and mastery system and gain knowledge of the organization. I can already envision using this system to help promote organizations such as FCCLA, DECA, SkillsUSA as well as state and regional organizations. National competitions can be created with state and region rankings as compared to the individual level as demonstrated at this conference. In the near future, we may open up a new division that handles nothing but SRO and non profits… but that is still a under development. <br /><br />I am personally excited to see the results and to hear feedback from users. I can use this knowledge as we expand our technology into other markets with publishers, vendors and individual teachers through our LMS, KP Compass.<br /><br />Nai Wang<br />Founder & President<br />KP Education SystemsNaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10710088307139316540noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-34232719763432161092011-11-15T06:56:00.000-08:002011-11-15T06:56:31.210-08:00KP Education Systems sponsors ACTE 2011 and launches the conference quiz.KP Education Systems, a leader in education technology for Career and Technical Education, is sponsoring this year’s innovative technology at the Association for Career and Technical Educators (ACTE) conference in St. Louis. ACTE has elected to use mobile technology in the form of an online conference guide. This guide, powered by Eventmobi, can be used by attendees to completely replace the printed program guide, and it allows them to search sessions, create a schedule, connect through social media, and contact other members, speakers and exhibitors. <br />
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See a video demonstration of the ACTEMobile site.<br />
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Visit the ACTE Event site at kpacte.com<br />
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At the same time, KP is launching its new “cloud- based” Learning Management System (LMS) called KP Compass. KP Compass empowers students with an individualized personal learning environment designed to provide an enriching learning experience through unique KP technology. This new approach to content delivery and mastery, called the KP Automatic Remediation and Mastery System (KP ARMS), takes curriculum concepts, which can easily be changed and rearranged by the teacher, and asses student knowledge using a test that is automatically generated based on the content presented. This smart system knows which concepts the students have missed and which ones they have mastered. Students will be remediated with only the concepts they’ve missed. When they are finished, they will gain Knowledge Points and be presented with a mastery level, which they can improve on subsequent tests. Teachers will see reports of the students’ growth throughout the unit so that they can address any areas of need.Naihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10710088307139316540noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-73236412081361256682011-05-25T15:56:00.000-07:002011-05-25T16:00:21.033-07:00Can Culinary Arts Be Taught Online? Yes it Can!<style type="text/css">
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<h4 align="center">Culinary Arts Online: “a success story”</h4><p>Using technology to facilitate distance learning is not a new concept. Culinary arts, a hands-on career and technical education field may seem to be a different story but does not necessarily need to be so to enable students to learn practical skills for a trade, career advancement and potential for further degree attainment.</p><p>Scottsdale Community College has proven through effective use of technology using Sous Chef and KP Compass combined with designed curriculum that culinary arts can be taught online to provide an opportunity for students to obtain a certificate of completion while enabling those that are outside the usual student profile to go forward with a degree. SCC students receive the instruction on the necessary skills through computer access and produce products required to show skills established.</p><p>By adopting an online model of instruction, schools can now provide an opportunity for students who otherwise would not have access due to time or geographical constraints to learn culinary arts. The direct result of this for SCC was a significant increase in their Full-Time Student Equivalent (FTSE).</p><p>KP Culinary Arts with KP Compass enables post-secondary institutions to create online and hybrid classes for trades-orientated curricula. Students in this hybrid model come to class with the base skills in place and ready to refine their skills because they review content assigned by the instructor, complete assignments and take tests outside of class. Instructors then used their instructional time in the online classroom to take the student to a higher knowledge level and address any additional refinements.</p><div id="masterdiv"><div class="menutitle" onclick="SwitchMenu('sub1')">Read the full story click here</div><span class="submenu" id="sub1"> <br />
<h2 align="center">Can Culinary Arts Be Taught Online?<br />
</h2><h3 align="center">Yes it Can! A School Success Story.</h3><p>Using technology to facilitate distance learning is not a new concept. Since the early 80s, learning over the computer has been the solution for students who lived in isolate, rural areas with limited educational resources. Academic subjects such as science, math and language can easily be taught through a computer-based medium. </p><p>For culinary arts, a hands-on career and technical education field, it is a different story. Students are learning practical skills for a trade and they need to practice those techniques, often under the supervision of a master craftsperson. In CTE fields, learners can’t just read about a subject and master it; they have to be shown the skills by a teacher. Technology has augmented education over the years and it has application even in a hands-on CTE subject. </p><p>Scottsdale Community College (SCC), located in Scottsdale, AZ, has proven, through effective use of technology and a very thorough curriculum, that culinary arts can be taught online. SCC students received the instruction on the necessary skills at home or in a computer lab. </p><p>For the past three years, SCC has been piloting KP Culinary Arts Online for their culinary arts courses. Using the Sous Chef and KP Compass, instructors designed courses that fit their 101-104 class structure. The digital “books” were custom created to fit the needs of the institution with text, video, activities, and tests. </p><p>Karen Chalmers, Program Director for Culinary Arts at SCC envisioned classes without borders. "By adopting an online model of instruction, we can now provide an opportunity for students who otherwise would not have access due to time or geographical constraints to learn culinary arts. The direct result of this for SCC was a significant increase in our Full-Time Student Equivalent (FTSE).</p><p>KP Culinary Arts with KP Compass enables post-secondary institutions to create online and hybrid classes for trades-orientated curricula. Students in this hybrid model come to class with the base skills in place and ready to refine their skills because they review content assigned by the instructor, complete assignments and take tests outside of class. Instructors then used their instructional time in the classroom to take the student to a higher knowledge level and address any additional refinements.</p><p>Upon completing a module, the students will know which concepts they have mastered and which areas they need to work on to gain the next level of mastery. The program can be used by any device with a web browser, such as laptops, iPads and smart phones. </p><p>“Access is key. Providing access through technology increases the pace of skills development and helps teachers focus on taking students to the next level of understanding. The precious time instructors have with their students can be used to create those key aha moments rather than to address material that students can and should learn on their own,” said Nai Wang, founder and president of KP Education Systems.</p><span class="submenu" id="sub1"><br />
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</div>Naihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10710088307139316540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-88581064639873641852011-05-09T08:01:00.000-07:002011-05-09T08:01:17.681-07:00KP Education Systems (KP) Signs Deal with American Technical Publishers (ATP)For Immediate Release<br />
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KP Education Systems (KP) Signs Deal with American Technical Publishers (ATP)<br />
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Phoenix, Arizona – May 3, 2011 – In the form of an alliance, KP and ATP will be focusing their efforts to create online digital content for ATP’s publications. <br />
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For the past year, ATP has been looking at various ways to bring their publications to the digital age with online tools. With Compass, KP’s new online delivery vehicle, ATP can quickly and easily build online modules for their titles. <br />
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“This alliance represents a synergy between our two companies. We at KP have our heart in career and technical education (CTE) and it was just a natural fit to bring our technology to ATP,” says Nai Wang, founder and president of KP Education Systems.<br />
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ATP carries over 70 titles in “the trades” education, and they have a stellar reputation for quality and technical accuracy. With an over 100-year tradition, ATP’s publications have been used to train the American labor force. In addition, ATP has demonstrated their devotion to modern and sustainable practices by recently completing a gold certified LEED headquarters building outside of Chicago. By applying what they have learned from their technical experience, ATP has invested in their future and the future of their community. The best practices were incorporated not only in the building’s design, but also in the very curriculum that they publish for their clients on sustainable construction. The building is quite literally a shining example of Knowledge in Practice.<br />
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KP developed the nation’s leading multimedia curriculum for culinary arts. KP Culinary Arts (known as the Sous Chef) was a groundbreaking piece of software in 1999. By starting with the intent to go purely digital, KP has continuously grown in the digital frontier and remained leaders by heavily reinvesting in technology. KP has innovated technologies specific to career and technical education that help students to be engaged and invested in their learning. The end result has been KP Compass, an online system that is easy-to use, allowing students to learn technical skills faster while prompting them to achieve mastery in their chosen field.<br />
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Technology is a key component to nearly every facet of education, but it is especially practical in CTE. As students prepare to enter the workforce, they demand an educational environment rich in technology that mirrors the real world. As KP and ATP move forward with their alliance, they intend to carry out this vision. “It is imperative that digital curriculum is carefully designed. We need to create multi-dimensional learning environments to satisfy for our rapidly evolving 21st century learner. Anything short of that is a disservice to our youth” said Nai Wang. With ATP’s wealth of expertly authored content and KP’s innovative approach to digital learning, the future looks bright not only for both companies, but also the skilled workforce of America.Naihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10710088307139316540noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-17290571343565376482011-03-21T11:58:00.000-07:002011-05-10T15:40:45.358-07:00Social media in education 2011: Using Twitter, Facebook and blogs in the classroom from high schools to colleges<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Below are some useful links to resources I found during my investigation into using social media tools in education. Since technology changes rapidly, I was frustrated to discover that much of the information was dated prior to 2008. It was difficult to find current and relevant information on today’s uses of social media, so I compiled a list of the best sites and resources that I have found to save you the trouble of sifting through outdated material. Many of these resources are dated 2008 but the tips and techniques can be translated to 2011. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In the future, I will come up with a guide of my own as I delve further into integrating social media into the classroom. Enjoy the links and I hope you find my presentation to be helpful in engaging the 21st century learner in your classroom.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This article came from my two hour presentation at a teacher conference for culinary arts educators called FENI (Food Educators Network International). I was charged with the task of bringing educators who wouldn't normally use these social tools and find a practical use at the conference. It was a overwhelming success in both having teachers use these tools at the conference and then further bringing it home into their classroom.</span><br />
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<h1 id="toc0" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6666704464997065460&postID=1729057134356537648" name="Presentation Materials" style="display: inline-block;"></a>Presentation Materials</h1><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.kpcds.com/feni/KPFENISocialMediaPresentationR5.pptx" rel="nofollow">Nai's amazing PowerPoint</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- The PowerPoint used during the awesome presentation! Sorry, video clips not included.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.kpcds.com/feni/educationsocialmediacheatsheet.pdf" rel="nofollow">Web 2.0 Cheat Sheet</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A sheet defining social media tools to be used by teachers at the conference.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.kpcds.com/feni/technologyassessmentworksheet.pdf" rel="nofollow">Technology Assessment</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A short survey of how teachers familiarity with common social media tools.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=t6WkWoOg5N841TwINTSEggg#gid=0" rel="nofollow">Technology Survey Results Spreadsheet</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A Google spreadsheet with all the entries tabulated for you stats geeks. Interesting.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.kpcds.com/feni/presenterevaluations.pdf" rel="nofollow">Evaluation fillable form</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- This form was used to evaluate our presentation. If you did not fill one out, do so and be brutally honest. I promise I won't cry.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KfMg2b20rU">Video of Social Networking for Administrators</a> - This one hour presentation was made to the administrators of Alabama on how to integrate social media into their schools and I also spoke on cell phones in the classroom.<br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QBcCwTLmQQ&feature=feedwll" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">VIDEO of The World is Connected presentation</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- The long awaited presentation video. At 5 minutes into the presentation, you will notice something cool pop up in the lower left corner. Watch it, share it with friends, tear it apart, it's there for you to watch and be entertained by.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/4d2f68e6#/4d2f68e6/14" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nai's Article in Techniques Magazine</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- For the curious, here's my article from my interview with ACTE.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://careertechtalk.podbean.com/2011/01/26/career-tech-talk-january-2011/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nai's podcast with ACTE Techniques</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- For those who cannot get enough of my voice and want to hear me blabber on about education's future with technology.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE1kgdMYUlg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">VIDEO of the Twitter contest winner</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- This great video was taken of the raffle winner. It describes how a teacher who grew up during the moon landing embraced social media and signed on for the first time and contacted her students.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
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<h1 id="toc1" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6666704464997065460&postID=1729057134356537648" name="Articles" style="display: inline-block;"></a>Articles</h1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704723104576061900588958180.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_technology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WSJ Bakery using social media</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A really great article showing how a bakery is using social media to bring a personalized experience to its patrons. I referenced this during the presentation.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703685404575307191182043842.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WSJ Burger place using custom food</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A good article about how a burger joint differentiates itself using social media tools.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBYQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5OLP4nbAVA4&ei=1KteTc7fAYuasAOW4_26CA&usg=AFQjCNE2caB20_kfXJpk3GVZWUx8U8bcVg&sig2=hXxi3dQF1gBUs5uK-J8YoA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">David Kassan iPad</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- An artist using an iPad to create amazing works of art with just his fingers.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
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<h1 id="toc2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6666704464997065460&postID=1729057134356537648" name="Websites" style="display: inline-block;"></a>Websites</h1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://edte.ch/blog/?page_id=424" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Interesting Ways to use stuff in education</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A great web resource full of great ideas, some dated but still applicable to today's classroom.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.classroom20.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Classroom 2.0</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A community of teachers searching for better ways to use web tools in the classroom.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.engadget.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Engadget </a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A gadget person's dream site for the latest news on everything geeky.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://mashable.com/2010/10/16/free-social-media-tools-for-teachers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">7 Free social media tools for teachers</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A good site showing some free tools.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/leelefever" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Social tool videos in plain English</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A great source for short, fun, easy- to- understand videos on social media tools such as Twitter and Wikis.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
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<h2 id="toc3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6666704464997065460&postID=1729057134356537648" name="Websites-Twitter" style="display: inline-block;"></a>Twitter</h2><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.ibritt.com/resources/tr_twitter.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter in education resources</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A teacher- compiled list of Twitter resources in 2009. Great stuff.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.onlinecollegedegrees.org/2009/03/19/100-tips-apps-and-resources-for-teachers-on-twitter/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">100 tips, apps and resources for teachers on Twitter</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- An extensive list of tools and tips.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://twtpoll.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twtpoll </a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- Poling on Twitter made easy!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2008/twitter-for-academia/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thoughts on Twitter in academia</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A blog post with some poignant thoughts on use.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.informationasmaterial.com/wordpress/2009/02/educational-tool-twitter/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter writing exercises</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A blog post of a teacher who tried Twitter for an assignment and the results.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/2286799/Can-we-use-Twitter-for-educational-activities" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Can Twitter be used in education</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A paper presented in 2008 on microblogging</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WPVWDkF7U8&feature=player_embedded" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">UT Dallas Twitter experiment</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- YouTube video of an ABC news feature. Great video and is a must watch.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://twitterforteachers.wetpaint.com/page/Why+Use+Twitter+in+Teaching+and+Learning%3F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter for Teachers</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- Why use Twitter in teaching and learning document.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
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<h2 id="toc4" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6666704464997065460&postID=1729057134356537648" name="Websites-Wiki" style="display: inline-block;"></a>Wiki</h2><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.wikispaces.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wikispaces</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- You are here! A wiki server that gives free accounts to educators!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://itcboisestate.wordpress.com/2008/05/21/10-best-practices-for-using-wikis-in-education/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">10 Best Practices on Wiki in Education</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- The title describes it all. This 2008 post on using wikis in education.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.wikia.com/Wikia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wikia </a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A place for everything not Wikipedia. This is a great example of what a fan-driven wiki site should be. There is more information on Harry Potter, Glee and Star Wars here than you could ever think possible. The true definition of FANATIC!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://educators.pbwiki.com/Wiki+Etiquette+for+Students" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wiki Etquette</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A sample etiquette document submitted by a school for proper use of wikis.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://wikipatterns.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WikiPatterns</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- Spot a bad pattern before it becomes worse, ways to spot and prevent bad online social behavior.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link" href="http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Classroom+Wikis" target="_blank">Wikis in the classroom examples</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- Some examples of wikis used in a classroom.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.slideshare.net/coolcatteacher/wikis-in-the-classroom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Why we wiki</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A slide show depicting the reasons to use wikis at school.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.suite101.com/content/5-strategies-for-using-wikis-in-the-classroom-a124331" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">5 Strategies on Wikis</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A short, concise article showing how one would use wikis in the classroom.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Wiki_in_a_K-12_classroom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wiki on Classroom wikis</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- Yet more proof in the pudding. Good ideas found here.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
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<h2 id="toc5" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6666704464997065460&postID=1729057134356537648" name="Websites-Facebook" style="display: inline-block;"></a>Facebook</h2><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CCsQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.onlinecollege.org%2F2009%2F10%2F20%2F100-ways-you-should-be-using-facebook-in-your-classroom%2F&ei=sUxbTcHqA5SosAO5_fCjCg&usg=AFQjCNFqFgo1pSSE_SKiAV8v781j_-upuA&sig2=G2yE1f2U28130w33Tz95aA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">100 ways to use Facebook in the classroom</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- Great tips and ideas (mostly post secondary).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.heppell.net/facebook_in_school/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Do's and Don'ts of Facebook in secondary</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A good list of suggestions on proper use and ideas.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/18955.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Using Facebook to strengthen communication</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A short article by a teacher with some helpful suggestions.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.collegedegree.com/library/college-life/15-facebook-apps-perfect-for-online-education" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Useful Facebook apps</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A list of 25 useful education orientated apps for Facebook. Dated 2008 but still useful.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.facebook.com/apps/directory.php?app_type=0&category=200" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook's very own appstore for education</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- Hundreds of apps with an education focus right on Facebook's page.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://green.tmcnet.com/news/2011/02/11/5307309.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Article Facebook keeps classes on schedule</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- An article from Feb 11, 2011 on how Warren County PS uses Facebook to communicate to students and parents during snow days.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/tampa-bay-schools-wrestle-with-role-of-social-media/1148841" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Article Tampa Bay schools wrestle with role of social media</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A good article pointing out the struggle of schools accepting this medium. No real good solutions found but it is a step in the right direction.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.facebook.com/birdvillehighschool" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Birdville HS</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.facebook.com/wataugamiddleschool" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Watauga MSl</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.facebook.com/birdvilleschools" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Birdville ISD</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- A school and a district who have successfully integrated Facebook.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
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<h2 id="toc6" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6666704464997065460&postID=1729057134356537648" name="Websites-Blogs" style="display: inline-block;"></a>Blogs</h2><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://web20intheclassroom.blogspot.com/2008/01/blogging-in-classroom-why-how-and-lots.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Web 2.0 on Blogs</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- Excellent compilation of links pertaining to the use of blogs in education. If it wasn't dated 2008, this would be all I need.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://my-ecoach.com/online/webresourcelist.php?rlid=4992" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blogs in the Classroom</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- Good links and examples on blog use in the classroom.</span>Naihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10710088307139316540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-82922394604778578462011-03-18T16:05:00.001-07:002012-03-05T11:04:09.021-08:00KP Compass Designed to Work with iPad and other Tablet Devices.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6666704464997065460&postID=8292239460477857846" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/images/KPipad2s.png" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">iPad 2 & KP Compass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There is no need for an app for that!<p>KP Education Systems announces iPad and tablet support for <a href="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/Products/Compass">KP Compass </a>using their native web browser. It is not necessary to install any plugins or special apps for teachers and students to use KP Compass with KP’s curriculum such as <a href="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/Products/CA">KP Culinary Arts</a> and <a href="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/Products/FS">KP Food Science</a>. Any device with a web browser such as tablets, laptops and netbooks all use the same engine, thereby creating a unified look and feel. Unlike other online based curriculum, KP Compass was built from the ground up with the iPad in mind.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6666704464997065460&postID=8292239460477857846" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/images/xoom.png" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xoom & KP Compass</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
KP Compass, KP’s newest edition to their line of technology products, allows KP’s curriculum and content to be plugged into this technology. KP Compass creates a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) for the student and the teacher. The teacher can use KP Compass to compose unit plans and assign them to students. <br />
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Unit plans can include a wide array of content which can be remixed and changed at the teacher’s discretion. Vocabulary and tests are automatically generated for the student. Additional content and questions can be added to KP Compass. Students can access the content from anywhere with an internet connection and build their PLE. <br />
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At the end of each unit plan, the students would go through an auto remediation engine. Each unit plan is set to a mastery level as opposed to being graded on a p<span id="goog_2143530084"></span><span id="goog_2143530085"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a>oint scale. The teacher determines the criteria for each level of knowledge and sets the maximum number of test attempts that each student can make. As students continue to learn, their level of comprehension is assessed with “Knowledge Points” and categorized as one of three levels: Novice, Scholar, and Guru. This style will give students an incentive to continue to learn, comprehend, and achieve a higher assessment rating. As the students complete their unit plans, their PLE will continue to grow.<br />
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KP Compass offers an interface that is intuitive and easy-to-use for both the teacher and the student. Please <a href="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/Demo/">contact </a>KP today for an online demonstration.<br />
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<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2M6OSmRK8-0?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2M6OSmRK8-0?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Naihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10710088307139316540noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-38491430131482836062011-02-06T13:54:00.000-08:002011-02-22T07:53:39.043-08:00After ACTE 2010 Newsletter: It’s about timeThank you for visiting us at the ACTE Annual Convention in Las Vegas last December. Like you, we had an enlightening experience and came back home with extra knowledge to put into practice. We have a personal policy to never spam our contacts and to never exceed four newsletters or announcements per year. We know your time is valuable so we will cut to the point.<br />
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In this newsletter you will find:<br />
A Personal Message from Nai<br />
Nai’s Interview by ACTE<br />
ACTE iPad Winners Circle<br />
Twitter Put to the Test at ACTE<br />
KP Goes Online!<br />
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<b>A Personal Message from Nai</b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/images/newsactefund.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/images/newsactefund.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ida Fryhover and Molly Kyler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>ACTE in Las Vegas was amazing! I’m so glad KP was able to sponsor the convention and help the ACTE Support Fund Auction this year. Auctioning off Chef Jeff alone raised over $700! Congratulations Molly Kyler and Ida Fryhover for making your donation and winning a dinner for two with Chef Jeff. <br />
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I thoroughly enjoyed speaking in front of the audience at both general sessions. Speaking to 5,000 people was a nerve racking experience. This year’s conference represents a key point in my life with KP. A decade earlier, we launched our first digital curriculum and now we are launching KP Compass Online. We’ve accomplished many great things in such a short amount of time, and I’m proud of my talented and dedicated team for devoting themselves to the pursuit of furthering education through technology. I think back to my humble beginnings, the years eating ramen and corn dogs to survive, based on a belief that what we are doing will become something bigger in the end. <br />
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At ACTE we made a big splash, announcing the release of a few new products, showing off our home made booth designed by our very own graphics engineer, and I got a chance to speak to the business and marketing teachers about my life. We even tested a new way of raffling off prizes using technology! I hope you enjoyed the time you spent with us at the booth. I only wish I could have been there to greet each one of you.<br />
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<b>Nai’s Interview by ACTE</b><br />
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<a href="http://careertechtalk.podbean.com/mf/web/4jqhhu/NaiWang.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://careertechtalk.podbean.com/mf/web/4jqhhu/NaiWang.jpg" /></a><br />
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Curious to hear a little about Nai’s story? ACTE interviewed Nai and published the podcast at the end of January. You can listen to him tell his story about starting a small business, entrepreneurship, and technology in the classroom. You can find it at ACTE’s Publications site at <a href="http://www.acteonline.org/content.aspx?id=1254">www.acteonline.org</a>, read it in <a href="http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/4d2f68e6#/4d2f68e6/14">Techniques magazine</a> or you can read the <a href="http://careertechtalk.podbean.com/transcripts/">transcript</a>.<br />
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<b>ACTE iPad Winners Circle</b><br />
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Congratulations Debbie Fanning and Sherry Lober on winning the iPads.<br />
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Of all the gadgets I’ve owned, I’ve never been so fond of such a device. It changed how I interact with content and made it personal again. During the second half of 2010 we ran a promotion to win an iPad and it reached its peak at the ACTE conference with over 700 entries. Two lucky winners went home winning the iPad in Las Vegas. We would like to take a moment to highlight the winners here.<br />
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We tried a new way of conducting the raffle, a way that was more exciting than just drawing a ticket out of a bin. We decided to incorporate technology into this age old practice and throw a bit of fun into the process. We ran together an algorithm in the computer that took the names of all the entries. The system randomly assigned these names to three categories. The three categories were represented by practical devices in the form of a bag of scrabble tiles, dice, and a coin. The process was to select a letter, then roll the dice, then flip the coin to determine the winner. It is total chance. This was the first time this method of raffling has ever been done in the world. We learned from this experience and will attempt it again at a future conference.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.schoolinsites.com/cache/School_224/5279509bca191bd5c21eff1b630318c9.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.schoolinsites.com/cache/School_224/5279509bca191bd5c21eff1b630318c9.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Debbie Fanning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Winner #1 : Debbie Fanning, a FACS teacher in Scottsboro, AL. She plans on using the iPad with her Fashion and Interior Design, Child Services, and Foods and Nutrition courses. She has been a teacher for 11 years and serves as an FCCLA advisor. She entered teaching because she wanted a career that would make a difference to others. She is the AATFACS president and is an AACTE board member. Congratulations Debbie!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/images/sherrylober.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/images/sherrylober.jpg" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sherry Lober</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Winner #2: Sherry Lober, a high school teacher of 21 years. She team teaches Marketing Education at Albuquerque High School with her brother, Eric Strauss and is very passionate about teaching and developing future business leaders. “I'm always looking for the latest and greatest!!!” She plans on using the iPad in her marketing class to give them a different outlook on technology and marketing platforms. Congratulations Sherry!<br />
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<b>Twitter Put to the Test at ACTE</b><br />
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During both general sessions at ACTE, Nai spoke about technology in education. He expounded on how he has devoted his entire adult life to integrating technology into education. A controversy erupted as to how old Nai is. During his speech, he challenged the conference attendees to guess his age, but they had to use technology to participate. The vehicle of choice was Twitter. Many teachers signed up for Twitter for the first time to participate in this contest, and KP received over 200 tweets with guesses ranging from 21 to 48 years old. Congratulations Chad Lindsley for coming closest. We were encouraged by the number of participants and first time tweeters during the conference. <br />
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<b>KP Goes Online!</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/images/KP_COMPASS.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/images/KP_COMPASS.png" /></a></div><br />
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It’s official, KP Compass Online has launched. This new enhancement to our award winning curriculum now has a new way for teachers and students to interact. But it is more than just an online delivery system. KP Compass puts teachers in the driver’s seat of the curriculum so that they control the destination. Instead of the textbook dictating what they need to teach and in what order they teach it, they can choose their own path and deviate from it if need be. KP Compass allows teachers to use the standards KP has established or create their own unit plans and add their own materials. Once customized, they can select students to enroll in that plan and grant access to the course from anywhere there is internet! The students will then log in, review the material, and take a test for mastery of the subject. After the assessment, students are directed to review any material that they have not mastered and are then directed to retake that portion of the test. <br />
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The key to KP Compass is customizability. The intelligent system takes the content the teacher chooses and automatically formulates the lesson, the vocabulary and the test based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. It’s flexible, and there has never been an intelligent system like this, offline or online. We have even bigger plans with KP Compass. If you are interested or want to find out more, please contact us!<br />
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Sincerely, <br />
Nai Wang <br />
Founder and President <br />
KP Education Systems <br />
800-701-6323 x913Naihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10710088307139316540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-85177995595121639962010-07-09T09:44:00.000-07:002010-07-09T09:45:35.487-07:00AACTE - Alabama Association for Career and Technical EducatorsI just finished KP's first summer conference at the AACTE conference in Birmingham, AL. This kicks off a busy summer as we launch and promote our new products for the 2010-11 school year. Southern hospitality is embodied by all here in Alabama. Everyone I met is warm, approachable, and has a passion for exploring better ways to reach students. We made our first announcement of KP Food Science and KP Assessments here and it was overwhelmingly accepted. <br /><br />Following the improvements to our Sous Chef 7, called the KP Curriculum Suite, the KP Assessments service represents a highly requested feature that enables students to access the curriculum online. KP Assessments also allows teachers to create custom lesson plans and tests for classes or individual students. Students can be assigned user IDs to log in from any computer in the high school or from home using the Internet to view the text, activities and videos. Additionally, the students can access their assignments from mobile devices, which are growing in popularity among students. Assessments at the end of each module, and digital reports of students’ results, enable teachers and students to keep track of progress consistently. <br /><br />These new features are a result of KP's desire to promote individualized instruction and semi-automated assessments while maintaining a focused modular approach to education. With KP Assessments, teachers can create dynamic lessons for classes of varying levels, catering to advanced students as well as those with special needs. This technology also broadens the influence and scope of the course by allowing students to access their instructional materials from home, fostering parental involvement and better preparation for in-class lessons.<br /><br />The teachers here in Alabama see the potential of what KP Assessments can offer for their students and are excited about implementing the new "homework" model. For example, reading activities and general comprehension of material can be assigned as homework, freeing up classroom time for more labs and hands-on tasks. Furthermore, many teachers here in Alabama (and around the country) are facing increased classroom sizes. They find that digital curriculum with at-home access will help them maintain a high-quality and relevant course.<br /><br />Our other featured product, KP Food Science, was also well-received by Alabama educators. With a CORE heavy emphasis on science, math and labs, KP Food Science combines the rigor of chemistry with the enjoyment and practical application of foods, cooking, and nutrition. While KP Food Science is designed for a food science or food chemistry course at the high school level, many culinary arts teachers are incorporating it to help them qualify for CORE academics credit. With over 50 interactive demonstrations, this project-based curriculum will suit the needs of any one semester or year-long course.<br /><br />ALACTE was a fantastic conference and a wonderful kick start to KP's summer promotions. We always love coming to Alabama and developing new relationships with CTE educators across the state. Based on the feedback, the teachers here continue to support KP's efforts to create new educational products and services. Alternatively, maybe they are just excited about our new summer promotion to give away free iPads to teachers that review our demonstration disk! It's hard to tell whether teachers were more motivated by our upgraded software or by our free hardware (perhaps it's a tie). Either way, I think we are on track for a great summer. Thanks Alabama! I look forward to seeing you next year.<br /><br />Nai Wang<br />President<br />KP Education SystemsNaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10710088307139316540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-35118181744643333942010-01-29T12:25:00.000-08:002011-03-22T10:33:33.601-07:00A New Role for CTE by Mary Horne, Editor in ChiefThe Millennium Generation describes the students currently occupying middle and high school classrooms across the country--the ones that teachers repeatedly must ask to "unplug" and pay attention. This particular generation has been the subject of countless news articles highlighting their disappointing performance on international reading, math and science tests, raising doubts about their ability to compete in a world economy.<br /><br />The struggle to reach the Millennium Generation is evident in the concentration of professional development courses focusing on methods of educating these high-tech students, many of whom have short attention spans and very little interest in their teachers' "antiquated" teaching practices. The ultimate goal of these seminars and inservices is to raise test scores and school ranking while attempting to prepare this generation for the adult world of work and citizenship. Are the students in the American public education system sufficiently acquiring literacy, numeracy, and technological skills to survive global competition? Will those who do not move on to higher education, as well as those who do, be prepared to meet demands of the 21st century work force? Educators in all fields feel the pressure, but more expectations are falling on career and technical education (CTE) teachers than ever before. <br /><br />Two major players in improving education to meet the needs of 21st century learners are technology and CTE. According to Dr. Bill Daggett, founder and President of the International Center for Leadership in Education, "The changing American workplace is impacted by fast changing technologies. Leaders must prepare graduates for this rapidly changing world by instilling the concept of lifelong learning in a technological world." In order to motivate the Millennium Generation to appreciate lifelong learning and to adapt to ever changing educational and career demands, educators must utilize the technology that is such an integral part of their students' experience. Administrators are now expecting teachers to become proficient in technology they never had as students. CTE teachers today not only need to stay on top of the professional standards of their particular fields, but they also need to learn new technological skills, many of which their students have already mastered.<br /><br />In addition to updating equipment and training staff to keep up with technology, schools are also challenged to make the core skills--reading, writing, science and math-- relevant to the students, to show them that their academic achievement is directly tied to the quality of life they will have after they leave school. CTE has been identified as the ideal setting for students to put literacy, numeracy, science/technology and critical thinking skills into meaningful practice. Dr. Daggett and staff at the International Center for Leadership in Education developed the Rigor/Relevance Framework™ , which incorporates the six cognitive levels of Bloom's Taxonomy with five levels of knowledge in action, to illustrate the ideal combination of high academic standards and real-world applications in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The Framework functions as a plan for instruction (either at the classroom, institution or community level) and the goal of this plan is for students to finish school with the ability to use the higher level thinking skills that are outlined in Bloom's Taxonomy in conjunction with knowledge of multiple disciplines (math, science, language) to create solutions to unpredictable problems and situations.<br /><br />Although "Writing Across the Curriculum" and "Crosswalk to CORE" are not entirely new concepts in public education, Daggett's position is that merely reinforcing some core academic skills in the CTE classroom is not enough to prepare 21st century learners for the demands that they will face in the work force. "Career and technical education," argues Daggett, "must be seen as a primary deliverer of strong academic preparation." He proposes that schools need to restructure from a program in which core knowledge is taught in a vacuum, removed from practical applications, to an "applied academics program where vocational skills become the platform in which the academic skills are delivered." School improvement, according to Daggett, is not just a matter of raising standards, because rigor alone does not make students successful outside of the classroom. "Relevance makes rigor possible,” says Daggett. For the highest achievement, students must be able to apply the knowledge to situations they might actually encounter in their careers, rather than simply study the concepts detached from relevant contexts. While restructuring to fit the Rigor/Relevance Framework™ might not be in every school's near future, teachers can still use the basic principle of multidisciplinary knowledge in action as a guide to address the needs of their students in their curriculum and to prepare for the future. For Millennium Generation learners, and the generations that follow, career pathways are vehicles for relevance and rigor.<br /><br />This new attention on career pathways might cause some anxiety for CTE teachers who are unsure of the many expectations that are being placed upon them; however, CTE educators and students benefit from this exciting shift in education that emphasizes application, rather than just acquisition, of knowledge. Courses that were once considered "elective" and of secondary importance to the core academics are now becoming center stage in 21st century learning. Students' interest in the professional field can be used as motivation to foster competence in the core skills--skills that are not separate from the profession, but are in fact integrated within it and necessary for students to achieve their highest potential. Many of these skills are reinforced (even if informally) in the CTE classroom anyway, but perhaps not enough. Taking a more holistic approach to education will be a challenge, but it is also a prime opportunity for educators to contribute in the development of a skilled, competitive, and adaptive American workforce.<br /><br />"The great aim of education is not knowledge but action."<br />Herbert Spencer, 19th century philosopher<br /><br />Mary Horneglorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11970678302770258218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-9037614264518078802009-11-12T09:46:00.000-08:002009-11-16T09:58:58.133-08:00KP Sponsors Chef Jeff<div style="float:left;"><img style="padding:10px;" src="http://www.kpculinary.com/images/NaiandChefJeff.jpg"/></div>KP Education Systems is proud to sponsor award-winning chef Jeff Henderson as keynote speaker at the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) 2009 Conference in Nashville. "Chef Jeff" Henderson is a best selling author and TV personality. His memoir, Cooked (2007), became a New York Times bestseller, and his reality show, "The Chef Jeff Project," in which he provides six at-risk youth an opportunity to train for a culinary career, airs on the Food Network.<br /><br />Growing up in Southern California, Chef Jeff had his own experience as an at-risk youth . To escape poverty, he turned to drugs and was running a large-scale cocaine operation by the time he was 19. Although Henderson's drug operation was quite lucrative, it eventually led to his arrest and incarceration at age 24, and he spent almost a decade in federal prison. While in prison, he discovered his passion for cooking during kitchen duties, and determined to change his life. Once out of prison, he channeled the same intense ambition that had nearly ruined his life into the cooking skills that earned him the top chef title in some of the best kitchens in the country.<br /><br />Henderson started his professional career cooking at many influential restaurants, including Gadsy’s, L’Escale, the Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Marina Del Rey, Zing and The Good Bar. In 2000, Henderson continued his rise, making history in Las Vegas as the first African-American Chef de Cuisine at Caesar's Palace. In 2001, the American Food and Wine Tasting Federation named Henderson “Las Vegas Chef of the Year.” He has since gone on to become the executive chef at the Bellagio, another first for an African American. Henderson has been honored as one of the top African-American chefs by Black Enterprise magazine. Since that time he has started a successful catering company called Posh Urban Cuisine, which is the training ground for the young participants in "The Chef Jeff Project."<br /><br />Chef Jeff Henderson’s story will not only inspire career and technical educators to keep challenging their students to succeed, but it will also reinforce the importance of career and technical education in our schools.Chef Jeff's mistakes and accomplishments illustrate how learning opportunities, or lack of them, can impact a life. His experience embodies our philosophy at KP Education Systems that career skills education is the key to unlimited opportunities for all individuals regardless of background, and that is why we endeavor to assist educators in giving students superior instruction using the most up-to-date technology.glorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11970678302770258218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-87768775727330395672009-11-12T08:36:00.000-08:002009-11-13T11:25:19.705-08:00Bloom's TaxonomyKP Education Systems strives to keep up with current practices in education and research-based pedagogy. For this reason, all of the questions in the Sous Chef, including those populating the dynamic test/quiz generator, are organized according to the revised version of Bloom's Taxonomy. If you are not familiar with Bloom's Taxonomy, here is a guide to help you understand the depth of the learning opportunities available to your students in the Sous Chef 7 <a href="http://www.kpculinary.com/products/cs.php">Curriculum Suite.</a><br /><div style="float: right; text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.kpculinary.com/images/Quizzes.jpg" border="0" height="335" width="399" /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Bloom's Taxonomy</span><br /><br />Bloom's Taxonomy is a classification of six levels of intellectual skills involved in learning (from the simplest to the most complex) that was developed by a group of educational psychologists headed by Benjamin S. Bloom in the 1950s. According to the taxonomy, the first categories must be mastered before the learner can move on to the higher levels of cognition. Bloom's Taxonomy revolutionized the way educators approached their learning objectives, since Bloom asserted that over 95% of test questions involved only the lowest level of intellectual ability--remembering data. Teachers could improve their teaching methods by applying the course content to the stages of Bloom's; they began to pay more attention to the higher levels of thinking.<br /><br />A revised version of Bloom's Taxonomy was developed in the 1990s by his former student, Lorin Anderson, and a group of educational psychologists to keep the research up-to-date with contemporary learning theories and standards-based requirements. This updated model makes the objectives of each stage more specific to learner behaviors, which makes learning at each level more observable to the teacher.<br /><br />Below are explanations of the levels of the revised Bloom's Taxonomy and sample questions from the Sous Chef 7 to illustrate the application of each classification.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Revised Bloom's</span><br /><img src="http://www.kpculinary.com/images/Bloomin.jpg" border="0" height="223" width="187" /><br /><table style="border: 1px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); background: rgb(224, 236, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" cellpadding="3"><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Remember:</span> retrieve knowledge from the long term memory that was acquired from the lesson or reading. This first level of questions encompasses basic multiple choice, true/false, oral response, or fill-in-the-blank questions asking only for recall of the studied material (terminology, facts, places, dates and names).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Key Words:</span> define, select, state, recall, label, identify<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Example from the Sous Chef: </span><br /><ol><li><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">How many pints are in one gallon?</span></li></ol></td><br /></tr><br /></tbody></table><table style="border: 1px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); background: rgb(255, 219, 183) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" cellpadding="3"><tbody><tr><br /><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Understand:</span> understand what the remembered material means and be able to restate it. The student should be able to explain the concepts in his/her own words or interpret their meaning. Questions from this level can be essay, oral response, multiple choice, or true/false.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Key Words:</span> explain, explain why (what is the reason), comprehend, summarize, translate, interpret<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Example from the Sous Chef: </span><br /><ol><li><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Explain what the Model Food Code is and provide examples of its effects on the food service industry.</span></li></ol></td><br /></tr><br /></tbody></table><table style="border: 1px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); background: rgb(204, 255, 204) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" cellpadding="3"><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Apply:</span> take the knowledge and apply it to a situation—it can either be in the form of a written explanation of a hypothetical situation or it can involve having the students execute, implement, apply, or demonstrate a concept from the learning material. These questions/learning activities are usually in the form of a task or demonstration but can also be multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank when applying a concept such as a formula or mathematical equation.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Key Words:</span> applies, computes, constructs, demonstrates, modifies, operates, prepares, produces, shows, solves, uses<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Example from the Sous Chef: </span><br /><ol><li><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Sanitize your workstation using the instructions in the Sanitation video.</span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Follow the recipe and produce chicken piccata.</span></li></ol></td><br /></tr><br /></tbody></table><table style="border: 1px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); background: rgb(255, 220, 147) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" cellpadding="3"><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Analyze: </span>break the knowledge into its pieces, analyze the relationships, and distinguish between the parts. These questions/activities come in the form of essay, oral response, or a visual project.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Key words</span>: analyze, distinguish, differentiate, compare/contrast<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Example from the Sous Chef: </span><br /><ol><li><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Compare and contrast the Creaming method and the Two Stage mixing method. When would you use one method rather than the other? What would be the effects on the final product?</span></li></ol></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="border: 1px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); background: rgb(216, 197, 235) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" cellpadding="3"><tbody><tr><br /><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Evaluate:</span> evaluate a situation and make judgments using the knowledge gained. These questions/activities come in the form of essay, oral response, or a visual project.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Key Words:</span> evaluate, defend, judge, argue, support<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Example from the Sous Chef: </span><br /><ol><li><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Select an image from a cooking magazine of a dessert plate that shows good presentations skills and evaluate the chef's plating techniques using specific examples to support your judgment.</span></li></ol></td><br /></tr><br /></tbody></table><table style="border: 1px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); background: rgb(255, 202, 202) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" cellpadding="3"><tbody><tr><br /><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Create:</span> put parts together to form a whole; create something new using the knowledge. At this level, learning activities are fully planned and executed projects in place of or in addition to written work.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Key Words:</span> assemble, create, construct, design, reconstruct, modify, generate, compile<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Example from the Sous Chef:</span><br /><ol><li><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Design a concept and create a proposal for your own television cooking show.</span></li></ol></td><br /></tr><br /></tbody></table><br />Since the higher level thinking skills often cannot effectively be made into a multiple choice or true/false question, most of the apply, analyze, evaluate, and create questions will be in the form of essay questions, demonstrations, and activities. Since learning objectives for each chapter vary, it is not uncommon for some Bloom's categories to not be represented.glorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11970678302770258218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-501831825579185532009-05-21T15:17:00.000-07:002010-10-12T14:15:41.140-07:00KP Receives Gold Medal<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.kpculinary.com/articles/uploaded_images/naiaward-730704.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 197px; height: 216px;" src="http://www.kpcurriculum.com/images/naiaward-730703.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="float: right;"><br /></div><br />May 15, Chicago, IL<br /><br />At the 8th annual Corporate and Executive Chefs' Taste Summit in Chicago, KP Education Systems President Nai Wang was awarded by Chef Jesse Sartain and the American Masters of Taste a gold medal for superior quality for what the Sous Chef's contribution to culinary arts education. The Sous Chef was awarded this prestigious medal by the 10 member judging panel of Chefs in America and Chef Jesse Sartain after a rigorous review period and impact assessment of the product.<br /><br />“This award means a lot to me for all the hard work and dedication of the countless individuals who have worked on making this product a reality over the past ten years. Our focus and dedication to improving culinary arts education has made a big impact on the industry and I thank Mr. Sartain for the honor of this award,” said President of KP Education Systems Nai Wang.<br /><br />With the award, KP Education Systems will continue to strive to be the best developer of education products and solutions for career and technical education.<br />The American Masters of Taste for Chefs in America is an organization made up of executive chefs, who are industry leaders and Grand Masters in the hospitality and tourism industry, representing corporate multi-unit restaurants and food service operations. Chefs in America represents over 10,000 professional chefs around the country.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450407371218641247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-68634167430020949642009-04-02T15:10:00.000-07:002009-09-29T12:18:00.706-07:00Vegas Schools Bet on TechnologyLas Vegas High Schools' Clark County School District: Leaders and innovators in culinary arts education.<br /><br />Clark County School District (CCSD), located in <span style="font-style: italic;">fabulous </span>Las Vegas, Nevada, is a leader in educational innovation. CCSD is answering a question that faces educators today: How do teachers and administrators reach the modern millennial learners in a multimedia driven world? Students today spend most of their time 'plugged in'. They communicate, interact, and learn differently than any other generation. CCSD used this theme as the guideline for redesigning and reinvigorating their high school culinary arts programs.<br /><br />Las Vegas is home to a booming restaurant industry. The cheap all-you-can-eat buffets on the Vegas strip are being replaced by fine dining establishments that boast renowned chefs and unique cuisine. Just as the change is occurring to the Vegas facade, the educational landscape is undergoing a "makeover" as well. For Clark County, the top priority is designing curricula that will engage today's millennial learners and develop tomorrow's industry professionals.<br /><br />Led by Nancy Hamilton, CCSD's forward-thinking Career & Technical Education (CTE) Director, CCSD has pioneered the integration of the latest technologies, trends, equipment and methodologies into their culinary arts classroom. With Hamilton's guidance and support, every Clark County culinary arts teacher worked together to create joint lesson plans that would be integrated at a district-wide level. These lessons were built using the same computer-based culinary arts resource.<br /><br />The process was simple and ingenious. CCSD took the 28 units of study that directly correlate to Nevada’s competencies for the Hospitality and Tourism Career Cluster and distributed them among 24 of their teachers to write a complete lesson plan for their assigned unit. In less than six months, the team had completed the entire process of developing unit plans, lessons, worksheets and activities. Then, they took the information from each teacher and fully integrated them into a culinary arts computer program in less than a week.<br /><br />Now CCSD has a cohesive and unified culinary curriculum. Every teacher is on the same page and is teaching the same material. Furthermore, by fully utilizing a computer-based educational framework, teachers in CCSD schools now access all of their tools and materials from one convenient location. The software integration has fostered a media-rich curriculum that is ideal for administrators, teachers, and students:<br /><ul><li> For administrators, CCSD is presently realizing the benefits and measuring the results of a successful program.</li><li>For teachers, the transition is a dream come true, and it has never been easier to train culinary arts professionals from a high school classroom.</li><li>For students, the CTE classroom has never been more dynamic, enjoyable, and relevant to the needs of the food service industry.</li></ul>Technology and education change as rapidly as the Las Vegas skyline. As the culture of the city, its students, and its industries evolve, it is clear that CCSD will continue to lead the charge.Naihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10710088307139316540noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666704464997065460.post-54717043647211222862009-03-19T15:11:00.000-07:002009-04-02T15:55:30.672-07:00Transition to Standards Based CurriculumIt is an exciting time in our country for Career and Technical Education (CTE).<br /><br />Our transition to a service-based economy over the past few decades has had both its ups and downs. However, as we move forward in a time of economic uncertainty, it is clear that both as individuals and as communities, Americans are going to have get back to creating and innovating new products and services in order to be competitive in a global market.<br /><br />It seems like all trends are pointing towards a significant increase in exposure and demand for quality workforce and vocational education. Students today require skills that will prepare them for a successful career, and that education doesn't just start in college anymore.<br /><br />High school programs across the country are beginning to fully realize the value of career education and the teachers that are committed to vocational education. Carl D. Perkins technology grants are back this fiscal year, not to mention that a large percentage of the 100 billion dollar education stimulus in accordance with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has been earmarked for soultions that will create jobs, and emphasize workforce education and relevant assessment methods for all types of learners.<br /><br />As the educational spectrum continues to change, states are taking initiative by issuing standards and competencies for each of the 16 career 'clusters' that are designed to provide benchmarks for secondary and post secondary education. From 2004-2009, our research has shown numerous states publishing detailed objectives for CTE educators. These standards are clearly being used to reinvent and revitalize CTE programs across the nation.<br /><br />In addition to transitioning to a competency-driven curriculum, state and national institutions are pushing for the integration of core academics and career education. The goal is to create a learning environment that is both realistic and relevant to all students. As this trend continues, CTE education in America will undoubtedly see greater recognition and funding, which willy not only provide a greater range of opportunities to students, but will pave the way for a productive and competitive American workforce.glorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11970678302770258218noreply@blogger.com0