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.
See a video demonstration of the ACTEMobile site.
Visit the ACTE Event site at kpacte.com
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.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Can Culinary Arts Be Taught Online? Yes it Can!
Culinary Arts Online: “a success story”
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.
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.
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).
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.
Monday, May 9, 2011
KP Education Systems (KP) Signs Deal with American Technical Publishers (ATP)
For Immediate Release
KP Education Systems (KP) Signs Deal with American Technical Publishers (ATP)
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
KP Education Systems (KP) Signs Deal with American Technical Publishers (ATP)
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Social media in education 2011: Using Twitter, Facebook and blogs in the classroom from high schools to colleges
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.
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.
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.
Web 2.0 Cheat Sheet - A sheet defining social media tools to be used by teachers at the conference.
Technology Assessment - A short survey of how teachers familiarity with common social media tools.
Technology Survey Results Spreadsheet - A Google spreadsheet with all the entries tabulated for you stats geeks. Interesting.
Evaluation fillable form - 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.
Video of Social Networking for Administrators - 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.
VIDEO of The World is Connected presentation - 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.
Nai's Article in Techniques Magazine - For the curious, here's my article from my interview with ACTE.
Nai's podcast with ACTE Techniques - For those who cannot get enough of my voice and want to hear me blabber on about education's future with technology.
VIDEO of the Twitter contest winner - 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.
WSJ Burger place using custom food - A good article about how a burger joint differentiates itself using social media tools.
David Kassan iPad - An artist using an iPad to create amazing works of art with just his fingers.
Classroom 2.0 - A community of teachers searching for better ways to use web tools in the classroom.
Engadget - A gadget person's dream site for the latest news on everything geeky.
7 Free social media tools for teachers - A good site showing some free tools.
Social tool videos in plain English - A great source for short, fun, easy- to- understand videos on social media tools such as Twitter and Wikis.
Twitter
Twitter in education resources - A teacher- compiled list of Twitter resources in 2009. Great stuff.
100 tips, apps and resources for teachers on Twitter - An extensive list of tools and tips.
Twtpoll - Poling on Twitter made easy!
Thoughts on Twitter in academia - A blog post with some poignant thoughts on use.
Twitter writing exercises - A blog post of a teacher who tried Twitter for an assignment and the results.
Can Twitter be used in education - A paper presented in 2008 on microblogging
UT Dallas Twitter experiment - YouTube video of an ABC news feature. Great video and is a must watch.
Twitter for Teachers - Why use Twitter in teaching and learning document.
10 Best Practices on Wiki in Education - The title describes it all. This 2008 post on using wikis in education.
Wikia - 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!
Wiki Etquette - A sample etiquette document submitted by a school for proper use of wikis.
WikiPatterns - Spot a bad pattern before it becomes worse, ways to spot and prevent bad online social behavior.
Wikis in the classroom examples - Some examples of wikis used in a classroom.
Why we wiki - A slide show depicting the reasons to use wikis at school.
5 Strategies on Wikis - A short, concise article showing how one would use wikis in the classroom.
Wiki on Classroom wikis - Yet more proof in the pudding. Good ideas found here.
Facebook
100 ways to use Facebook in the classroom - Great tips and ideas (mostly post secondary).
Do's and Don'ts of Facebook in secondary - A good list of suggestions on proper use and ideas.
Using Facebook to strengthen communication - A short article by a teacher with some helpful suggestions.
Useful Facebook apps - A list of 25 useful education orientated apps for Facebook. Dated 2008 but still useful.
Facebook's very own appstore for education - Hundreds of apps with an education focus right on Facebook's page.
Article Facebook keeps classes on schedule - An article from Feb 11, 2011 on how Warren County PS uses Facebook to communicate to students and parents during snow days.
Article Tampa Bay schools wrestle with role of social media - 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.
Birdville HS Watauga MSl Birdville ISD - A school and a district who have successfully integrated Facebook.
Blogs in the Classroom - Good links and examples on blog use in the classroom.
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.
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.
Presentation Materials
Nai's amazing PowerPoint - The PowerPoint used during the awesome presentation! Sorry, video clips not included.Web 2.0 Cheat Sheet - A sheet defining social media tools to be used by teachers at the conference.
Technology Assessment - A short survey of how teachers familiarity with common social media tools.
Technology Survey Results Spreadsheet - A Google spreadsheet with all the entries tabulated for you stats geeks. Interesting.
Evaluation fillable form - 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.
Video of Social Networking for Administrators - 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.
VIDEO of The World is Connected presentation - 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.
Nai's Article in Techniques Magazine - For the curious, here's my article from my interview with ACTE.
Nai's podcast with ACTE Techniques - For those who cannot get enough of my voice and want to hear me blabber on about education's future with technology.
VIDEO of the Twitter contest winner - 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.
Articles
WSJ Bakery using social media - 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.WSJ Burger place using custom food - A good article about how a burger joint differentiates itself using social media tools.
David Kassan iPad - An artist using an iPad to create amazing works of art with just his fingers.
Websites
Interesting Ways to use stuff in education - A great web resource full of great ideas, some dated but still applicable to today's classroom.Classroom 2.0 - A community of teachers searching for better ways to use web tools in the classroom.
Engadget - A gadget person's dream site for the latest news on everything geeky.
7 Free social media tools for teachers - A good site showing some free tools.
Social tool videos in plain English - A great source for short, fun, easy- to- understand videos on social media tools such as Twitter and Wikis.
100 tips, apps and resources for teachers on Twitter - An extensive list of tools and tips.
Twtpoll - Poling on Twitter made easy!
Thoughts on Twitter in academia - A blog post with some poignant thoughts on use.
Twitter writing exercises - A blog post of a teacher who tried Twitter for an assignment and the results.
Can Twitter be used in education - A paper presented in 2008 on microblogging
UT Dallas Twitter experiment - YouTube video of an ABC news feature. Great video and is a must watch.
Twitter for Teachers - Why use Twitter in teaching and learning document.
Wiki
Wikispaces - You are here! A wiki server that gives free accounts to educators!10 Best Practices on Wiki in Education - The title describes it all. This 2008 post on using wikis in education.
Wikia - 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!
Wiki Etquette - A sample etiquette document submitted by a school for proper use of wikis.
WikiPatterns - Spot a bad pattern before it becomes worse, ways to spot and prevent bad online social behavior.
Wikis in the classroom examples - Some examples of wikis used in a classroom.
Why we wiki - A slide show depicting the reasons to use wikis at school.
5 Strategies on Wikis - A short, concise article showing how one would use wikis in the classroom.
Wiki on Classroom wikis - Yet more proof in the pudding. Good ideas found here.
Do's and Don'ts of Facebook in secondary - A good list of suggestions on proper use and ideas.
Using Facebook to strengthen communication - A short article by a teacher with some helpful suggestions.
Useful Facebook apps - A list of 25 useful education orientated apps for Facebook. Dated 2008 but still useful.
Facebook's very own appstore for education - Hundreds of apps with an education focus right on Facebook's page.
Article Facebook keeps classes on schedule - An article from Feb 11, 2011 on how Warren County PS uses Facebook to communicate to students and parents during snow days.
Article Tampa Bay schools wrestle with role of social media - 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.
Birdville HS Watauga MSl Birdville ISD - A school and a district who have successfully integrated Facebook.
Blogs
Web 2.0 on Blogs - Excellent compilation of links pertaining to the use of blogs in education. If it wasn't dated 2008, this would be all I need.Blogs in the Classroom - Good links and examples on blog use in the classroom.
Friday, March 18, 2011
KP Compass Designed to Work with iPad and other Tablet Devices.
 |
| iPad 2 & KP Compass |
KP Education Systems announces iPad and tablet support for KP Compass 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 KP Culinary Arts and KP Food Science. 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.
 |
| Xoom & KP Compass |
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.
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.
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 point 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.
KP Compass offers an interface that is intuitive and easy-to-use for both the teacher and the student. Please contact KP today for an online demonstration.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
After ACTE 2010 Newsletter: It’s about time
Thank 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.
In this newsletter you will find:
A Personal Message from Nai
Nai’s Interview by ACTE
ACTE iPad Winners Circle
Twitter Put to the Test at ACTE
KP Goes Online!
A Personal Message from Nai
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.
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.
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.
Nai’s Interview by ACTE
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 www.acteonline.org, read it in Techniques magazine or you can read the transcript.
ACTE iPad Winners Circle
Congratulations Debbie Fanning and Sherry Lober on winning the iPads.
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.
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.
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!
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!
Twitter Put to the Test at ACTE
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.
KP Goes Online!
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.
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!
Sincerely,
Nai Wang
Founder and President
KP Education Systems
800-701-6323 x913
In this newsletter you will find:
A Personal Message from Nai
Nai’s Interview by ACTE
ACTE iPad Winners Circle
Twitter Put to the Test at ACTE
KP Goes Online!
A Personal Message from Nai
 |
| Ida Fryhover and Molly Kyler |
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.
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.
Nai’s Interview by ACTE
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 www.acteonline.org, read it in Techniques magazine or you can read the transcript.
ACTE iPad Winners Circle
Congratulations Debbie Fanning and Sherry Lober on winning the iPads.
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.
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.
 |
| Debbie Fanning |
 |
| Sherry Lober |
Twitter Put to the Test at ACTE
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.
KP Goes Online!
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.
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!
Sincerely,
Nai Wang
Founder and President
KP Education Systems
800-701-6323 x913
Friday, July 9, 2010
AACTE - Alabama Association for Career and Technical Educators
I 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nai Wang
President
KP Education Systems
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nai Wang
President
KP Education Systems
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)